Cutting Equipment - Husqvarna 414 EL Operator's Manual

Will my hand always activate the chain
brake during a kickback?
No. It takes a certain force to move the hand guard
forward. If your hand only lightly touches the front guard
or slips over it, the force may not be enough to trigger the
chain brake. You should also maintain a firm grip of the
chain saw handles while working. If you do and
experience a kickback, your hand may never leave the
front handle and will not activate the chain brake, or the
chain brake will only activate after the saw has swung
around a considerable distance. In such instances, the
chain brake might not have enough time to stop the saw
chain before it touches you.
There are also certain positions in which your hand
cannot reach the front hand guard to activate the chain
brake; for example, when the saw chain is held in felling
position.
Will my inertia activated chain brake
always activate during kickback in the
event of a kickback?
No. First your brake must be in working order. Second the
kickback must be strong enough to activate the chain
brake. If the chain brake is too sensitive it would activate
all the time which would be a nuisance.
Will my chain brake always protect me
from injury in the event of a kickback?
No. First, the chain brake must be in working order to
provide the intended protection. Second, it must be
activated during the kickback as described above to stop
the saw chain. Third, the chain brake may be activated but
if the bar is too close to you the brake might not have
enough time to slow down and stop the chain before the
chain saw hits you.
Only you and proper working technique can eliminate
kickback and its danger.
Power trigger lockout
The power trigger lockout is designed to prevent
accidental operation of the power trigger. When you press
the power trigger lockout (A) (i.e when you grasp the
handle) it releases the power trigger (B). When you
release the handle the power trigger and the power trigger
lockout both move back to their original positions. (8)
Chain catcher
The chain catcher is designed to catch the chain if it
snaps or jumps off. This should not happen if the chain is
properly tensioned (see instructions under the heading
Assembly) and if the bar and chain are properly serviced
and maintained (see instructions under the heading
General working instructions). (9)
GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Right hand guard
Apart from protecting your hand if the chain jumps or
snaps, the right hand guard stops branches and twigs
from interfering with your grip on the rear handle. (10)
Vibrations
Cutting hardwoods (most broadleaf trees) creates more
vibration than cutting softwoods (most conifers). Cutting
with cutting equipment that is blunt or faulty (wrong type
or badly sharpened) will increase the vibration level.
WARNING! Under no circumstances may
!
the design of the machine be modified
without the permission of the
manufacturer. Always use genuine
accessories. Non-authorized
modifications and/or accessories can
result in serious personal injury or the
death of the operator or others.
WARNING! Overexposure to vibration
!
can lead to circulatory damage or nerve
damage in people who have impaired
circulation. Contact your doctor if you
experience symptoms of overexposure
to vibration. Such symptoms include
numbness, loss of feeling, tingling,
pricking, pain, loss of strength, changes
in skin colour or condition. These
symptoms normally appear in the
fingers, hands or wrists. These
symptoms may be increased in cold
temperatures.

Cutting equipment

This section describes how to choose and maintain your
cutting equipment in order to:
• Reduce the risk of kickback.
• Reduce the risk of the saw chain breaking or jumping
off the bar.
• Obtain optimal cutting performance.
• Extend the life of cutting equipment.
• Avoid increasing vibration levels.
General rules
• Only use cutting equipment recommended by us!
See instructions under the heading Technical data.
• Keep the chain's cutting teeth properly
sharpened! Follow our instructions and use the
recommended file gauge. A damaged or badly
sharpened chain increases the risk of accidents.
• Maintain the correct depth gauge setting! Follow
our instructions and use the recommended depth
gauge clearance. Too large a clearance increases
the risk of kickback. (18)
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English 15