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SAFETY RULES
MAINTAIN CONTROL
Never Reverse
Hand Positions
i
i_
Stand To
The Left
Of The Saw
locked
On
Under Side
Of Handlebar
Figure 4
REDUCE THE CHANCE
OF KICKBACK
i Recognize
that kickback
can happen. With a basic
understanding of kickback you can reduce the element
of surprise which contributes to accidents.
Never let the moving chain contact any object at the
tip of the guide bar. Figure 2
Keep the working area free from obstructions such as
other trees, branches, rocks, fences, stumps, etc. Figure
3. Eliminate or avoid any obstruction that your chain
could hit while you are cutting through a particular log or
branch.
• Keep your chain sharp and properly tensioned.
A
loose or dull chain can increase the chance of kickback
to occur. Follow
manufacturer's
chain sharpening and
maintenance instructions. Check tension at regular inter-
vals with the engine stopped, never with the engine run-
ning. Make sure the bar clamp nuts are securely tight-
ened after tensioning the chain.
• Begin and continue cutting at full throttle, If the chain
is moving at a slower speed, there is greater chance for
kickback to occur.
• Cut one log at a time.
• Use extreme caution when re-entering a previous cut.
i
o not attempt plunge cuts.
Watch for shifting logs or other forces that could close
a cut and pinch or fall into chain.
Use the Reduced-Kickback
Guide Bar and Low-
Kickback Chain specified for your saw.
i
eep a good, firm grip on the saw with both hands
when the engine is running and don't let go. Figure 4.
A firm grip can neutralize kickback and help you maintain
control of the saw. Keep the fingers of your left hand
encirclingand your left thumb under the front handlebar.
Keep your right hand completely around the rear handle
whether you are right handed or left handed. Keep your
left arm straight with the elbow locked.
Position your left hand on the front handlebar so it is
in a straight line with your right hand on the rear han-
dle when making
bucking
cuts. Figure 4. Never
reverse right and left hand positions for any type of cut-
ting.
i Stand with your weight evenly balanced on both feet.
• Stand slightly to the left side of the saw to keep your
body from being in a direct line with the cutting
chain. Figure 4.
Do not overreach. You could be drawn or thrown off bal-
ance and lose control of the saw.
° Do not cut above shoulder height. It is difficult to main-
tain control of saw above shoulder height,
UNDERSTANDING
REACTIVE
FORCES
Pinch-Kickback
and Pull-In occur when the chain is
suddenly stopped by being pinched, caught, or by con-
tacting a foreign object in the wood. This sudden stop-
ping of the chain results in a reversal of the chain force
used to cut wood and causes the saw to move in the oppo-
site direction of the chain rotation, Either reaction can result
in loss of control and possible serious injury.
• Pinch-Kickback
- occurs when chain on top of guide bar is suddenly
stopped.
- rapidly drives saw straight back toward operator.
° Pull-In
- occurs when the chain on the bottom of the guide
bar is suddenly stopped.
- pulls the saw rapidly forward,
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KICKBACK SAFETY
FEATURES
_
WARNING:
THE
FOLLOWING
FEATURES
ARE
INCLUDED
ON YOUR
SAW TO HELP
REDUCE
THE HAZARD OF KICKBACK;
HOWEVER,
SUCH FEATURES WILL NOT
TOTALLY
ELIMINATE
THIS DANGER-
OUS
REACTION.
AS A CHAIN
SAW
USER, DO NOT RELY ONLY ON SAFETY
DEVICES.
YOU
MUST
FOLLOW
ALL
SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS,
INSTRUC-
TIONS,
AND
MAINTENANCE
IN THIS
MANUAL
TO HELP AVOID
KICKBACK
AND
OTHER
FORCES
WHICH
CAN
RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY.
Reduced-Kickback
Guide Bar, designed with a small
radius tip which reduces the size of the kickback danger
zone on the guide bar tip. Figure 5. A Reduced-Kickback
Guide Bar is one which has been demonstrated to signifi-
cantly reduce the number and seriousness of kickbacks
when tested in accordance with ANSI B175.1-1991.
• Low-Kickback
Chain, designed with a contoured depth
gauge and guard link which deflects kickback force and
allow wood to gradually ride into the cutter. Figure 5.
Low-Kickback Chain is chain which has met kickback
performance requirements of ANSI Bf 75.1 when tested
on a representative sample of chain saws below 3.8
cubic inch displacement specified in ANSI B175.1
I[[J[ILLtt
Jl= I=
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• Handguard, designed to reduce the chance of your left
hand contacting the chain if your hand slips off the front
handlebar.
• Position front and rear handlebars,
designed with dis-
tance between handles and "in-line" with each other. The
spread and "in-line" position of the hands provided by this
design work together to give balance and resistance in
controlling the pivot of the saw back toward the operator
if kickback occurs.
* ANSI B175.1-1991 - Safety requirements
for gasoline
powered chain saws as set by the American National
Standards Institute, Inc., Standard B!75.1-1991.
Reduced Kickback
Smelt
Symmetrical
Guide Bar
Radius Tip
Contoured
Depth Gauge
J
Elongated
_.,_,._-I'*
Guard L| nk
_,
_
_1 Deflects
I
And
A_Iows
Wood
\ To Gradually
Low-Kickback
Ride Into
Cutter
Chain
Symmetrical
Guide Bar
"_r'--_Can
Obstruct
Material
Large
Chain Wit_ High
Radius Tip Kickback Potential
- 4 -
Figure 5
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