Stihl MS 261 Instruction Manual page 15

hot for a while after stopping the engine.
To reduce risk of burns, do not touch the
muffler and other parts while they are
hot. Keep the area around the muffler
clean. Remove excess lubricant and all
debris such as pine needles, branches
or leaves. Let the engine cool down
sitting on concrete, metal, bare ground
or solid wood (e.g. the trunk of a felled
tree) away from any combustible
substances.
WARNING
An improperly mounted or damaged
cylinder housing or a
damaged/deformed muffler shell may
interfere with the cooling process of the
muffler. To reduce the risk of fire or burn
injury, do not continue work with a
damaged or improperly mounted
cylinder housing or a
damaged/deformed muffler shell.
Your muffler is furnished with a spark
arresting screen designed to reduce the
risk of fire from the emission of hot
particles. Never operate your unit with a
missing or damaged spark arresting
screen. If your gas/oil mix ratio is correct
(i.e., not too rich), this screen will
normally stay clean as a result of the
heat from the muffler and need no
service or maintenance. If you
experience loss of performance and you
suspect a clogged screen, have your
muffler maintained by a STIHL servicing
dealer. Some state or federal laws or
regulations may require a properly
maintained spark arrester for certain
uses. See the "Maintenance, Repair and
Storing" section of these Safety
Precautions. Remember that the risk of
a brush or forest fire is greater in hot or
dry conditions.
MS 261
WARNING
Some STIHL chain saws
are equipped with a cata -
lytic converter, which is
designed to reduce the
exhaust emissions of the
engine by a chemical pro -
cess in the muffler. Due
to this process, the muf -
fler does not cool down
as rapidly as conven -
tional mufflers when the
engine returns to idle or
is shut off. To reduce the
risk of fire and burn inju -
ries when using a
catalytic converter,
always set your chain
saw down in the upright
position and never locate
it where the muffler is
near dry brush, grass,
wood chips or other com -
bustible materials while it
is still hot.
DANGER
Do not rely on the chain
saw 's insulation against
electric shock. To reduce
the risk of electrocution,
never operate this chain
saw in the vicinity of any
wires or cables (power,
etc.) which may be carry -
ing electric current.To
reduce risk of electrocu -
tion, take extra
precautions when cutting
near power lines. Have
the power switched off
before starting cutting
work in the immediate
vicinity of power lines.
REACTIVE FORCES INCLUDING
KICKBACK
WARNING
Reactive forces may occur any time the
chain is rotating. Reactive forces can
cause serious personal injury.
The powerful force used to cut wood can
be reversed and work against the
operator. If the rotating saw chain is
suddenly and significantly slowed or
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