Craftsman 358.341900 Operator's Manual page 5

any object such asalog orbranch, or
when t he wood c loses inand pinches
the saw chain i nthe cut. C ontacting a
foreign object inthe wood c an also re-
sult i nloss ofchain s aw control.
• Rotational Kickback can occur
when t he moving chain c ontacts an
object attheupper tipofthe guide
bar. This contact can cause t he
chain t odiginto the object, which
stops t he chain f oraninstant. The
result isalightning fast, reverse
reaction which k icks t he guide b ar
upand back t oward the operator.
• Pinch-Kickback can occur when t he
the wood c loses inand pinches the
moving saw chain i nthe cut a long
the top ofthe guide bar a nd the saw
chain i ssuddenly stopped. This sud-
den stopping ofthe chain r esults ina
reversal ofthe chain f orce u sed t o
cut w ood a nd causes the saw to
move i nthe opposite direction ofthe
chain r otation. The saw isdriven
straight back t oward theoperator.
• Pull-In can occur when t he moving
chain c ontacts aforeign object inthe
wood i nthe cut a long t he bottom o f
the guide b ar a nd the saw chain i s
suddenly stopped. This sudden
stopping pulls t he saw forward and
away f rom the operator and could
easily cause the operator tolose
control ofthe saw.
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK
• Recognize that k ickback canhap-
pen. With abasic u nderstanding of
kickback, you can reduce the ele-
ment ofsurprise which c ontributes to
accidents.
• Never let t hemoving chain c ontact
any object atthe tipofthe guide b ar.
• Keep t he working area f ree from ob-
structions such asother trees,
branches, rocks, fences, stumps,
etc. E liminate oravoid a ny
obstruction that y our s aw chain c ould
hitwhile y ou are cutting.
• When c utting abranch, donot l et t he
guide b ar c ontact branch orother ob-
jects a round it.
• Keep s aw chain s harp a nd properly
tensioned. Aloose o rdull c hain c an
increase the chance ofkickback. Fol-
low manufacturer's chain s harpening
and maintenance instructions. Check
tension atregular intervals, but n ever
with the engine running. Make s ure
the bar n uts a re securely tightened.
• Begin a nd continue cutting atfull
speed. Ifthe chain i smoving ata
slower speed, there i sgreater
chance ofkickback occurring.
• Use extreme caution when r e-enter-
ing aprevious cut.
• Do not a ttempt cuts starting with the
tipofthe bar(plunge cuts).
• Watch forshifting logs o rother forces
that c ould c lose a cutand pinch o r
fall i nto chain.
• Use theReduced-Kickback Guide
Bar a nd Low-Kickback Chain s peci-
fied foryour saw.
Avoid Pinch-Kickback:
• Be extremely aware of situations or
obstructions that can cause material
to pinch the top of or otherwise stop
the chain.
• Do not cut more than one log at a
time.
• Do not twist the saw as the bar is
withdrawn from an undercut when
bucking.
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 \!
underside t
\\\
\\
Elbow
locked
Never reverse hand positions
• 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
handle when making bucking cuts.
Never reverse right and left hand
positions for any type of cutting.
• Stand with your weight evenly bal-
anced on both feet.