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4
Avoid Obstructions
Clear The Working Area
REDUCE THE CHA NCE OF
KICKBACK
S Recognize tha t kickback can happen.
With a basic understanding of kickback,
you can reduce t he element of surprise
which contributes to accidents.
S Never letthemoving chaincontactany ob-
ject at the tip of the guide bar.
S Keep the working area free from obstruc-
tionssuchas othertrees, b ranches,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 objects around it.
S Keep your saw chain sharp and properly
tensioned. A loose or dull chain can in-
crease the chance of kickback occurring.
Follow manufacturer’s chain sharpening
andmaintenance instructions. Check ten-
sion at regular intervals with the engine
stopped, never with the engine running.
Make sure the chain brake nuts are se-
curely tightenedafter t ensioningthechain.
S Begin and continue cutting at fullspeed. If
the chain is m oving at a slower speed,
there is greater chance of kickback occur-
ring.
S Cut one log at a time.
S Use extreme caution when re-entering a
previous cut.
S Do not attempt cuts starting with the tip of
the bar (plunge cuts).
S Watch for shifting logs or other forces that
could close a cut and pinch or fall into
chain.
S Use the Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar
and Low--Kickback Chain specified for
your saw.
MAINTAIN CONTROL
Never reverse
hand positions
Stand to the
left o f the saw
Thumb on
underside of
handlebar
Thumb on underside of
handlebar
Elbow locked
S Keep agood,firm griponthesaw withboth
hands when the engine is running and
don’tlet go. A firmgripwillhelpyoureduce
kickback and maintain control of the saw.
Keep the fingers of your left hand encir-
cling and your left thumb under the front
handlebar. K eep your right hand com-
pletely around the rear handle whether
your areright handedorlefthanded. Keep
your left arm straight with the elbow
locked.
S Position your lefthand onthe front handle-
bar 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.
S Standwithyourweightevenly balancedon
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 t he
saw.
S Do notcut aboveshoulderheight. 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 sawuser,donot relyonly onsafety 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 dem onstrated to significantly re-
duce the numberand seriousness ofkick-
backs when tested in accordance with
safety requirements for gasoline powered
chain saws as set by ANSI B175.1.