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4
Avoid Obstructions
Clear T he Working Area
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK
S
Recognize that kickback can happen.
With a basic understanding of kickback,
you can reduce the element of surprise
which contributes to accidents.
S
Never let themoving chain contact anyob-
ject at the tip of the guide bar.
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Keep the working area free from obstruc-
tionssuchas othertrees, branches, rocks,
fences, s tumps, 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 objects around it.
S
Keep your saw chain sharp and properly
tensioned. A loose o r dull chain can in-
crease the chance of kickback occurring.
Follow manufacturer’s chain sharpening
and maintenance instructions. Check ten-
sion at regular intervals with the engine
stopped, nev er with the engine running.
Make sure the chain brake nuts are se-
curely tightened after tensioning thechain.
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Begin and continue cutting at full speed. If
the chain is moving at a slower speed,
there is greater chance of kickback occur-
ring.
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Cut one log at a time.
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Use extreme caution when re-entering a
previous cut.
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Do not attempt cuts starting with the tip of
the bar (plunge cuts).
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Watch for shifting logs or other forces that
could c lose a cut and pinch or fall into
chain.
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Use the Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar
and Low--Kickback Chain specified for
your saw.
MAINTAIN CONTROL
Never reverse
hand positions
Stand to the left
of the saw
Thumb on
underside of
handlebar
Thumb on underside of
handlebar
Elbow locked
S
Keep agood, firm grip onthe sawwith both
hands when the engine is running and
don’t let go. Afirmgrip will help youreduce
kickback and 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 com-
pletely a round the rear handle whether
your areright handed or left handed. Keep
your left arm straight with the elbow
locked.
S
Position your left hand onthe front handle-
bar so it is in a straight line with your right
hand on the rear handle w hen making
bucking cuts. Never reverse right and left
hand positions for any type of cutting.
S
Stand with yourweight evenly balanced on
both feet.
S
Stand slightly to the left side of the saw to
keep your body from being in a direct line
with the cutting chain.
S
Do not overreach. You could be drawn or
thrown off balance and lose control of the
saw.
S
Donot cut above shoulder height. It isdiffi-
cult to maintain control of saw above
shoulder height.
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. As a
chain saw user, donot rely only o nsafety de-
vices. You must follow all safety precau-
tions, instructions, and maintenance in this
manual to help avoid kickback and other
forces which can result in serious injury.
S
Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar, designed
with a small radius tip which reduces the
size of the kickback danger zone on the
bar tip. A Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar
has been demonstrated to significantly re-
duce the number and seriousness of kick-
backs when tested in accordance with
safety requirements for gasoline powered
chain saws as set by ANSI B175.1.
Small Radius Tip
Reduced Kickback Symmetrical Guide Bar