Craftsman 358.350990 Operator's Manual page 5

REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK
• Recognize that k ickback canhap-
pen. With abasic u nderstanding of
kickback, you can reduce the ele-
ment ofsurprise which c ontributes to
accidents.
• Never let t hemoving chain c ontact
any object atthe tipofthe guide b ar.
• Keep t he working area f ree from ob-
structions such asother trees,
branches, rocks, fences, stumps,
etc. E liminate oravoid a ny
obstruction that y our s aw chain c ould
hitwhile y ou are cutting.
• When c utting abranch, donot l et t he
guide b ar c ontact branch orother ob-
jects a round it.
• Keep s aw chain s harp a nd properly
tensioned. Aloose o rdull c hain c an
increase the chance ofkickback. Fol-
low manufacturer's chain s harpening
and maintenance instructions. Check
tension atregular intervals, but n ever
with the engine running. Make s ure
the bar n uts a re securely tightened.
• Begin a nd continue cutting atfull
speed. Ifthe chain i smoving ata
slower speed, there isgreater
chance ofkickback occurring.
• Use extreme caution when r e-enter-
ing aprevious cut.
• Donot a ttempt cuts s tarting with the
tipofthe bar(plunge cuts).
• Watch forshifting logs orother forces
that c ould c lose a cut a nd pinch o r
fall i nto chain.
• Use theReduced-Kickback Guide
Bar a nd Low-Kickback Chain speci-
fied foryour s aw.
Avoid Pinch-Kickback:
• Be extremely aware of situations or
obstructions that can cause material
to pinch the top of or otherwise stop
the chain.
• Do not cut more than one log at a
time.
• Do not twist the saw as the bar is
withdrawn from an undercut when
bucking.
Avoid Pull-In:
• Always begin cutting with the engine
at full speed and the saw housing
against wood.
• Use wedges made of plastic or wood.
Never use metal to hold the cut open.
MAINTAIN CONTROL
Stand to the left of the saw
Thumb on \[
underside t
"1 /S
r \\
Elbow
locked
Never reverse hand positions
• A good, firm grip on the saw with both
hands will help you maintain control.
Don't let go. Grip the rear handle with
your right hand whether you are right
or left handed. Wrap the fingers of
your left hand over and around the
front handlebar, and your left thumb
under the front handlebar. Keep your
left arm straight with the elbow locked.
• Position your left hand on the front
handlebar so it is in a straight line
with your right hand on the rear
handle when making bucking cuts.
Never reverse right and left hand
positions for any type of cutting.
• Stand with your weight evenly bal-
anced on both feet.
• Do not overreach. You could be
drawn or thrown off balance and lose
control of the saw.
• Do not cut above shoulder height. It
is difficult to maintain control of saw
above shoulder height.
KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES
_ILWARNING: The following fea-
tures are included on your saw to help
reduce the hazard of kickback; however,
such features will not totally eliminate
this danger. Do not rely only on safety
devices. Follow all safety rules to help
avoid kickback and other forces which
can result in serious injury.
• Front Hand Guard, designed to reduce
the chance of your left hand contact-
ing the chain if your hand slips off the
front handlebar.
• Position of front and rear handlebars,
designed with distance between han-
dles and "in-line" with each other. The
spread and "in-line" position of the
hands provided by this design work
together to give balance and resis-
tance in controlling the pivot of the
saw back toward the operator if kick-
back occurs.