Understanding Your Chain Saw Safety Devices; Low Kickback Saw Chain; Guide Bars; Chain Saw Safety Warnings - Ryobi RY40502 Operator's Manual

• Make sure that the area in which you are cut-
ting is free from obstructions. Do not let the
nose of the guide bar contact a log, branch,
fence, or any other obstruction that could be
hit while you are operating the saw.
• Always cut with the unit running at full speed.
Fully squeeze the throttle trigger and maintain
a steady cutting speed.
• Use replacement parts such as low kick-
back chain, chain brakes and special guide
bars that reduce the risks associated with
rotational kickback. Use only the replacement
guide bars and low kickback chains specified
by the manufacturer for the saw.
 With a basic understanding of kickback, you
can reduce or eliminate the element of surprise.
Sudden surprise contributes to accidents.
 Keep proper footing and balance at all times.
 Do not cut above shoulder height or overreach
when cutting.
 Follow the sharpening and maintenance
instructions for the saw chain.
 Push and Pull - This reaction force is always
opposite to the direction the chain is moving
where wood contact is made. Thus, the operator
must be ready to control the PULL when cutting
on the bottom edge of the bar, and PUSH when
cutting along the top edge.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHAIN SAW
SAFETY DEVICES

LOW KICKBACK SAW CHAIN

The rakers (depth gauges) ahead of each cutter
can minimize the force of a kickback reaction by
preventing the cutters from digging in too deeply
at the kickback zone. Only use replacement chain
that is equivalent to original chain or has been
certified as low kickback chain per ANSI B175.1.
Low kickback saw chain is chain that has met
the kickback performance requirements of ANSI
B175.1 - 1991 (American National Standard
for Power Tools - Gasoline-Powered Chain
Saws-Safety Requirements) when tested on the
representative sample of chain saws below 3.8
c.i.d. specified in ANSI B175.1 - 1991.

CHAIN SAW SAFETY WARNINGS

See Figure 3.
PULL
PUSH
As saw chains are sharpened during their useful
life, they lose some of the low kickback qualities
and extra caution should be used.

GUIDE BARS

Generally, guide bars with small radius tips have
somewhat lower kickback potentials.
When making a replacement, be sure to order
one of the RYOBI bars listed for the saw in this
operator's manual.
8 - English
ROTATIONAL
KICKBACK
Fig. 1
KICKBACK
DANGER ZONE
Fig. 2
Fig. 3