Craftsman 358.350260 Operator's Manual page 4

oravoid a ny obstruction that y our
saw chain c ould h itwhile c utting.
• Keep s aw chain s harp a nd properly
tensioned. Aloose o rdull c hain c an
increase the chance ofkickback.
Follow m anufacturer's chain s harp-
ening a nd maintenance instructions.
Check tension atregular intervals,
but n ever with engine running. Make
sure bar c lamp nuts aresecurely
tightened.
• Begin a nd continue cutting atfull
speed. Ifthe chain i smoving ata
slower speed, there isgreater
chance ofkickback occurring.
• Use extreme caution when r eenter-
ing acut.
• Donot a ttempt cuts s tarting with the
tipofthe bar(plunge cuts).
• Watch forshifting logs orother forces
that c ould c lose a cut a nd pinch o r
fall i nto chain.
• Use the specified Reduced-Kickback
Guide B ar a nd Low-Kickback Chain.
Avoid Pinch-Kickback:
• Be extremely aware ofsituations or
obstructions that c an cause material
topinch t he top oforotherwise stop
the chain.
• Donot c ut m ore t han one log ata
time.
• Donot t wist saw asbar i swithdrawn
from anundercut when b ucking.
Avoid Pull-In:
• Always begin cutting with the engine
at full speed and the saw housing
against wood.
• Use wedges made of plastic or
wood. Never use metal to hold the
cut open.
MAINTAIN CONTROL
Stand to the left of the saw
Thumb on _,/
A
underside I " _ _7_,/, "]
of handlebar _ _,--} _ '/1
Elbow
_4V _
Never reverse h'_nd positions locked
• A good, firm grip on the saw with
both hands will help you maintain
control. Don't let go. Grip the rear
handle with your right hand whether
you are right or left handed. Wrap the
fingers of your left hand over and
around the front handlebar, and your
left thumb under the front handlebar.
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.
Stand slightly to the left side of the
saw to keep your body from being in
a direct line with the cutting chain.
• Stand with your weight evenly bal-
anced on both feet.
• Do not overreach. You could be
drawn or thrown off balance and lose
control.
• Do not cut above shoulder height. It
is difficult to maintain control of saw
above shoulder height.
KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES
WARNING: The following features
are included on your saw to help re-
duce hazard of kickback; however,
such features will not totally eliminate
this danger. Do not rely only on safety
devices.
• Handguard: designed to reduce the
chance of your left hand contacting
the chain if your hand slips off the
front handlebar.
• Position of front and rear handlebars:
designed with distance between han-
dles 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.
• Reduced-Kickback Guide Bar: de-
signed with a small radius tip which
reduces the size of the kickback dan-
ger zone. This type bar has been
demonstrated to significantly reduce
the number and seriousness of kick-
backs when tested in accordance
with ANSI B175.1.
a___, Small Radius
Tip Guide Bar
Large Radius a,_
T p Gu de Bar
• Low-Kickback Chain: has met kick-
back performance requirements when
tested on a representative sample of
chain saws below 3.8 cubic inch
displacement specified in ANSI
B175.1.