Craftsman 358.352161 Operator's Manual page 4

SAFETY RULES
Never Reverse Thumb On _f_ I_
Hand Positions Under Side O --
__ _t_\ Handlebar
Elbow
Locked
Stand To
The Left
Of The Saw
Figure 4
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF KICKBACK
* 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 m_oving 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 av_0idany obstructionthat 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 kickbackto occur.
, Follow manufacturer's chain sharpening and maintenance
instructions. Check tension at regular intervals with the
engine stopped, never with the engine running.Make sure
the bar clamp nuts are securely tightened after tensioning
the chain.
o Begin and continue cutting at full throttle. If the chain is
moving at a slower speed, there is greater chance for kick*
back to occur.
, Cut one log at a time.
_o Use extreme caution when re-entering a previous cut.
- Do 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.
KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES-
THE FOLLOWING FEATURES ARE INCLUDED
ON YOUR SAW TO HELP REDUCE THE HAZ-
ARD *OF, KICKBACK; HOWEVER, SUCH FEA-
TURES WILL NOT TOTALLY ELIMINATE THIS
DANGEROUS REACTION. AS A CHAIN SAW
USER, DO NOT RELY ONLY ON SAFETY
DEVICES. YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS, INSTRUCTIONS, AND MAIN-
TENANCE 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
MAINTAIN CONTROL
* Keep 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 encir-
cling and 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 cutting.
° 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 thesaw.
• Do not cut above shoulder height. It is difficultto main-
tain control of saw above shoulder height.
UNDERSTANDING REACTIVE FORCES
Pinch-Kickback and PulHn occur when the chain is sud-
denly stopped by being pinched, caught, or by contact-
ing a foreign object in the wood. This stopping of the chain
results in a reversal of the chain force used to cut wood and
causes the saw to move in the opposite direction of the chain
rotation. Either reaction can result in loss of control and pos-
sible 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.
• 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 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;_f the saw back toward the opera-
tor if kickback occurs.
* ANSi B175.1-1991 - Safety requirements for gasoline powered chain
saws as set by the American National Standards Institute, Inc.,
Standard B175.t-1991.
Guide Bar is one which has been demonstrated to signif-
icantly reduce the number and seriousness of kickbacks
when tested in accordance with ANSI Bt75.1-199t.
Low-Kickback Chain, designed with a contoured depth
gauge and guard link which deflect kickback force and
allow wood to gradually ride into the cutter. Figure 5. Low-
Kickback Chain is chain which has met kickback perfor-
mance requirements of ANSI B175.1-1991 when tested
on a representative sample of chain saws below 3.8 cubic
inch displacement specified in ANSI B175.1-1991.
-4"
./_ Cotttoured
L-_."_II_ 13epth Gauge Elongate:l
_,._ G u_de Unk
'_ ]# / _back Fo_
"
Reduced Kickback Radius Tip Low-K_'_ And AllowsWood
TO Gr_dua_ Ride
Symmetrica_ Guide Bat Chain Into Cutter
Mateda_
Symmetrical Large Chain With High
Guide Ba_ Radius Tip Kickback Pote_bal
Figure 5 :