Milwaukee M18 FTHCHS30 Original Instructions Manual page 15

ick ack is the result of tool misuse and or incorrect operating
procedures or conditions and can e avoided y taking proper
precautions as given below:
a) Maintain a firm grip, with thumbs and fingers encircling
the chain saw handles, with both hands on the saw and
position your body and arm to allow you to resist kickback
forces. ick ack forces can e controlled y the operator if proper
precautions are taken o not let go of the chain sa
b) Do not overreach and do not cut above shoulder height. T his
helps prevent unintended tip contact and ena les etter control of
the chain sa in une pected situations
c) Only use replacement bars and chains specified by the
manufacturer. Incorrect replacement guide ars and chains may
cause chain reakage and or kick ack
d) Follow the manufacturer's sharpening and maintenance
instructions for the saw chain. ecreasing the depth gauge height
can lead to increased kick ack
Follow all instructions when clearing jammed material, storing
or servicing the chain saw. Make sure the switch is off and the
battery pack is removed. ne pected actuation of the chain sa
hile clearing jammed material or servicing may result in serious
personal injury
ADDITIONAL SAFETY AND WORKING INSTRUCTIONS
his chain sa is for use y trained tree service operators only
ithout proper training can result in severe injuries
It is recommended to cut logs on a sa horse or cradle hen
operating the machine for the rst time
Tethering
or tethering ith dynamic clim ing rope or energy a sor ing
lanyards only o not hang tool from guide ar cover
Ensure all guards handles and spiked umper are properly tted
and are in good condition
Persons using the chain sa should e in good health he chain
sa is heavy so the operator must e physically t
he operator should e alert have a good vision mo ility alance
and manual de terity If there is any dou t do not operate the chain
sa
o not start using the chain sa until you have a clear ork area
secure footing and a planned retreat path a ay from a falling tree
e are of the emission of lu ricant mist and sa dust
or respirator if re uired
o not cut vines and or small undergro th
Al ays hold the chain sa ith oth hands during operation
rm grip ith thum s and ngers encircling the chain sa handles
ight hand must e on the rear handle and left hand on the front
handle
efore starting the chain sa make sure the sa chain is not
contacting any o ject
o not modify the chain sa in any ay or use it to po er any
attachments or devices not recommended y the manufacturer for
your chain sa
here should e a rst aid kit containing large ound dressings and
a means to summon attention e g histle close to the operator A
larger more comprehensive kit should e reasona ly near y
An incorrectly tensioned chain can jump off the guide ar and could
result in serious injury or fatality he length of the chain depends on
the temperature heck the tension fre uently
ou should get used to your ne chain sa y making simple
cuts on securely supported ood o this henever you have
not operated the sa for some time o reduce the risk of injury
associated ith contacting moving parts al ays stop the motor
apply the chain rake remove the attery pack and make sure all
moving parts have come to a stop efore
• cleaning or clearing a blockage
• leaving the machine unattended
• installing or removing attachments
• checking conducting maintenance or orking on the machine
he size of the ork area depends on the jo eing performed as
28
ell as the size of the tree or ork piece involved
felling a tree re uires a larger ork area than making other cuts i e
ucking cuts etc he operator needs to e a are and in control of
everything happening in the ork area
o not cut ith your ody in line ith the guide ar and chain If you
e perience kick ack this ill help prevent the chain coming into
contact ith your head or ody
o not use a ack and for ard sa ing motion let the chain do the
ork eep the chain sharp and do not try to push the chain through
the cut
o not put pressure on the sa at the end of the cut
take on the eight of the sa as it cuts free from the ood
to do so could result in possi le serious personal injury
o not stop the sa in the middle of a cutting operation
eep the sa running until it is already removed from the cut
not the on off s itch in the on position hen using the sa
hand held
emove the attery pack efore starting any ork on the appliance
WARNING! o reduce the risk of re personal injury and product
damage due to a short circuit never immerse your tool attery pack
or charger in uid or allo a uid to o inside them
conductive uids such as sea ater certain industrial chemicals
and leach or leach containing products etc
circuit
se
se only ystem chargers for charging ystem
packs o not use attery packs from other systems
ever reak open attery packs and chargers and store only in dry
rooms eep dry at all times
Push and pull
he reaction force is al ays opposite to the direction the chain is
moving hus the operator must e ready to control the tendency
for the machine to pull a ay for ard motion
the ottom edge of the ar and the push ack ards to ards the
operator hen cutting along the top edge
Saw jammed in the cut
top the chain sa and make it safe o not try to force the chain
and ar out of the cut as this is likely to reak the chain
s ing ack and strike the operator his situation normally occurs
ecause the ood is incorrectly supported hich forces the cut to
close under compression there y pinching the lade If adjusting
ear a mask the support does not release the ar and chain use ooden edges
or a lever to open the cut and release the sa
chain sa hen the guide ar is already in a cut or kerf
Skating / Bouncing
se a
hen the chainsa fails to dig in during a cut the guide ar can
egin hopping or dangerously skidding along the surface of the log
or ranch possi ly resulting in the loss of control of the chainsa
prevent or reduce skating or ouncing al ays use the sa
hands make sure the sa chain esta lishes a groove for cutting
ever cut small e i le ranches or rushes ith your chainsa
heir size and e i ility can easily cause the sa to ounce to ards
you or ind up ith enough force to cause a kick ack he est tool
for that kind of ork is a hand sa pruning shears an a e or other
hand tools
ENGLISH
or e ample Personal protective equipment
ear a helmet at all times hen operating the machine A helmet
e uipped ith mesh visor can help reduce the risk of injury to the
face and the head if kick ack occurs
ood uality personal protective e uipment as used y
professionals ill help reduce the risk of injury to the operator he
follo ing items should e used hen operating the machine
e ready to
ailure
o
orrosive or
an cause a short
attery
Safety helmet
should comply ith E
Hearing protection
hen cutting on
should comply ith E
Eye and face protection
should e E marked and comply ith E
or E for mesh visors
hich may
Gloves
should comply ith E
Leg protection (chaps)
should comply ith E
ever try to start the
protection
Chain saw safety boots
should comply ith E I O
shield depicting a chain sa to sho compliance ith E
Occasional users may use steel toe cap safety oots ith protective
o
gaiters hich conform to E
ith oth
little risk of tripping or catching on undergro th
Chain saw jackets for upper body protection
should comply ith E
KNOW YOUR CHAIN SAW
1
rigger elease
2
T hrottle T rigger
3
C hain D rive
4
Bar G roove
5
ear andle
6
attery
7
ront handle
8
C hain Brake
9
C hain L ubricant C ap
WARNING!
Consequences of improper maintenance, removal or
modification of safety features like the chain brake, ignition
ear ear protectors
switch, hand guard (front and back), spiked bumper, chain
catcher, guide bar, low kick-back saw chain may cause the
safety features to not function correctly, thus increasing the
potential for serious injury.
Low kick-back saw chain
A lo kick ack sa chain helps to reduce the possi ility of a
kick ack event he rakers depth gauges ahead of each cutter
can minimize the force of a kick ack reaction y preventing the
cutters from digging in too deeply Only use replacement guide ar
and chain com inations recommended y the manufacturer As sa
chains are sharpened they lose some of the lo kick ack ualities
and e tra caution is re uired
hen cutting performance decreases
Spiked Bumper
he integral umper spike may e used as a pivot hen making a
cut It helps to keep the ody of the chain sa steady hile cutting
hen cutting push the machine for ard until the spikes dig into
the edge of the ood then y moving the rear handle up or do n
in the direction of the cutting line it can help ease the physical strain
of cutting
Guide Bar
enerally guide ars ith small radius tips have some hat lo er
potential for kick ack ou should use a guide ar and matching
chain hich is just long enough for the jo
the risk of loss of control during sa ing
tension hen cutting smaller ranches less than the full length of
the guide ar the chain is more likely to e thro n off if the tension
is not correct
and e E marked
Chain Brake
hain rakes are designed to uickly stop the chain from rotating
and e E marked
hen the chain rake lever hand guard is pushed to ards the ar
the chain should stop immediately A chain rake does not prevent
for safety glasses kick ack It only lo ers the risk of injury should the chain ar contact
the operator s ody during a kick ack event he chain rake should
e tested efore each use for correct operation in oth the run and
rake positions
and e E marked
Chain Catcher
A chain catcher prevents the sa chain from eing thro n ack
e E marked and provide allround
to ards the operator if the sa chain comes loose or reaks
INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE PROPER TECHNIQUES
FOR BASIC FELLING, LIMBING AND CROSS-CUTTING
and e marked ith a
Understanding the forces within the wood
hen you understand the directional pressures and stresses inside
if the ground is even and there is
the ood you can reduce the pinches or at least e pect them
during your cutting ension in the ood means the
pulled apart and if you cut in this area the kerf or cut ill tend to
open as the sa goes through If a log is eing supported on a sa
and e E marked
horse and the end is hanging unsupported over the end tension is
created on the upper surface due to the eight of the overhanging
log stretching the
10
in compression and the
S aw C hain
made in this area the kerf ill have the tendency to close up during
11
uide ar
the cut his ould pinch the lade
12
D rive S procket C over
Blocking Trees
13
uide ar over
Hazardous Conditions
14
hen locking removing sections from a standing tree a tree it is
Bar Mounting Nuts
important that you follo these arnings and instructions to prevent
15
piked umper
possi le serious injury
16
om ination rench
WARNING! Do not block trees during periods of high wind
17
or heavy precipitation. Wait until the hazardous weather has
C hain C atcher
ended. Closely check for broken or dead branches, which could
18
C hain T ension S crew
fall while cutting and do not cut near buildings or electrical
wires if you do not know the direction of tree fall. Do not cut
at night or during bad weather conditions, such as rain, snow,
or strong winds, which can reduce visibility and control of the
chainsaw. If the tree you are blocking makes contact with any
utility line, you should discontinue use of the chainsaw and
immediately notify the utility company. Failure to follow these
ENGLISH
or your safety replace sa chains
onger ars increase
egularly check the chain
ers are eing
ers ike ise the underside of the log ill e
ers are eing pushed together If a cut is
29