Chain Brake; Cutting Equipment - Shindaiwa 490 Owner's/Operator's Manual

Chain Saw Kickback Safety Devices

Chain Brake

Your chain saw is equipped with a
chain brake that is designed to stop the
chain in the event of a kickback. The
chain brake reduces the risk of acci-
dents, but only you can prevent them.
n The chain brake can be activated
manually by your left hand push-
ing against the hand guard or
automatically by the inertia release
mechanism, in the event of kickback,
stopping the saw chain.
Activating the chain brake tightens
a brake band around the chain drive
mechanism, stopping the chain
rotation.
WARNING!
Brake engagement and oper-
ation depend upon proper
chain brake condition! For chain
brake test procedures see page 11.
NOTE:
The function of the front hand guard is to
reduce the risk of the chain hitting your
left hand if you loose the grip of the front
handle.
Kickback Safety Precautions
Either of the following reactions could
cause you to lose control of your saw
while cutting, possibly resulting in
serious injury!
1. Kickback can occur whenever the
guide bar nose or tip contact an object
while the saw is running. Tip contact
may cause the guide bar to kick
upward and back toward the operator
with a lightning-fast reaction!
2. Pinching the saw along the top of the
guide bar may push the guide bar
rapidly back toward the operator!
Pinching can occur whenever wood
closes in around the moving chain!
Do not rely exclusively on the safety
devices incorporated with your saw. As a
chain saw user, observing the following
steps will also help you to avoid accident
or injury on the job:

Cutting Equipment

1. Guide bar. The smaller the guide bar
tip radius the lower the chance of
kickback.
2. Low kick chain. Low kickback chain
is designed to reduce the force of a
kick back.
n Sudden surprise can contribute to ac-
cidents! With a basic understanding of
kickback, you can reduce or eliminate
the element of surprise.
n Clear obstructions from the work
area before cutting. Remove any log,
branch, or other obstruction that
might contact the guide bar tip during
cutting operations.
n Grip the saw firmly with your right
hand on the rear handle and your left
hand on the front handle, thumbs
and fingers encircling the handles
whenever the saw is running. Don't
let go: A firm grip will help you to
reduce kickback while maintaining
control of the saw.
n Accelerate the saw before the
chain contacts the work area, and
always maintain high engine speeds
throughout the cut.
WARNING!
Kickback
can happen
lightning-fast!
WARNING!
Faulty cutting equipment
or the wrong combination
of bar and saw chain increases
the risk of kickback! Only use
the bar and chain combinations
recommended on page 6.
n Do not overreach or attempt to cut
above shoulder height.
n Follow the manufacturer's
instructions for sharpening and
maintenance of the saw chain.
n Use only the replacement bar and
chain combinations specified by the
manufacturer.
n Never stand directly over the saw
while cutting!
n Use low-kickback chain, chain
brakes, or special guide bars to
reduce the risk of kickback. Low
kickback chain is chain that has
met the kickback performance
requirements of ANSI B175.1-
2000 (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 B175.1-2000.
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