Craftsman 358.381700 Operator's Manual page 5

• Always have fire extinguishing tools
available if you should need them.
• Mix and pour fuel in an outdoor area
and use an approved, marked con-
tainer for all fuel purposes. Wipe up
all fuel spills before starting saw.
• Move at least 10 feet (3 meters) from
fueling site before starting engine.
• Turn the engine off and let saw coot
in a non-combustible area, not on
dry leaves, straw, paper, etc. Slowly
remove fuel cap and refuel unit.
• Empty the fuel tank before storing or
transporting the unit. Use up fuel left in
the carburetor by starting the engine
and letting it run until it stops.
• Store the unit and fuel in an area
where fuel vapors cannot reach
sparks or open flames from water
heaters, electric motors or switches,
furnaces, etc.
GUARD AGAINST KICKBACK
Follow all safety rules to help avoid
kickback and other forces which can
result in serious injury.
,,_/_ _;_ Kickback Path
Avoid Obstructions
Clear The
Working Area
_IbWARNING: Avoid kickback
which can result in serious injury.
Kickback is the backward, upward or
sudden forward motion of the guide
bar occurring when the saw chain near
the upper tip of the guide bar contacts
any object such as a log or branch, or
when the wood closes in and pinches
the saw chain in the cut. Contacting a
foreign object in the wood can also re-
suit in toss of chain saw control.
• Rotational Kickback can occur
when the moving chain contacts an
object at the upper tip of the guide
bar. This contact can cause the
chain to dig into the object, which
stops the chain for an instant. The
result is a lightning fast, reverse
reaction which kicks the guide bar
Up and back toward the operator.
• Pinch-Kickback can occur when the
the wood c_oses in and pinches the
moving saw chain in the Cut along
the top of the guide bar and the saw
chain is suddenly stopped. This sud-
den 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. The saw is driven
straight back toward the operator.
• Putl-ln can occur when the moving
chain contacts a foreign object in the
wood in the cut along the bottom of
the guide bar and the saw chain is
suddenly stopped. This sudden
stopping pulls the saw forward and
away from the operator and could
easily cause the operator to lose
control of the saw.
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK .....
• Recognize that kickback can hap-
pen. With a basic understanding of
kickback, you can reduce the ele-
ment of surprise which contributes to
accidents.
• Never let the moving chain contact
any object at the tip of the guide bar.
• Keep the working area free from ob_
structions such as other trees,
branches, rocks, fences, stumps,
etc. Eliminate or avoid any
obstruction that your saw chain could
hit while you are cutting.
• When cutting a branch, do not let the
guide bar contact branch or other ob-
jects around it.
• Keep saw chain sharp and properly
tensioned. A loose or dull chain can
increase the chance of kickback. Fol_
low manufacturer's chain sharpening
and maintenance instructions. Check
tension at regular intervals, but never
with the engine running. Make sure
the bar nuts are securely tightened.
• Begin and continue cutting at full
speed. If the chain is moving at a
slower speed, there is greater
chance of kickback occurring.
° Use extreme caution when re-enter-
ing a previous cut.
• Do not attempt cuts starting with the
tip of the bar (plunge cuts).
• Watch for shifting logs or other forces
that could close a cut and pinch o[
fall into chain.
• Use the Reduced-Kickback Guide
Bar and Low-Kickback Chain speci-
fied for your saw.
Avoid Pinch-Kickback:
, Be extremely aware of situations or
obstructions that can cause material
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