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S Pinch-Kickback can occur when the the
wood closes 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 sudden stopping of the
chain results in a reversal of the chain
force used to cut wood and causes the
sawtomoveint heoppositedirectionofthe
chain rotation. The saw is driven straight
back toward the operator.
S Pull-In can occur when the moving chain
contacts a f oreign object in the wood in th e
cut a longthebottom o fthe guidebar a ndthe
saw chainis suddenly stopped. Thissudden
stopping pulls the saw forward and away
fromtheoperator a nd couldeasily cause t he
operator to lose control of the saw.
Avoid Pinch--Kickback:
S Be extremely aware of situations or ob-
structions thatcancausematerialtopinch
the top ofor otherwise stop the chain.
S Do not cut more t han onelog at a t im e.
S Do not twist the saw as the bar is with-
drawn from an undercut when bucking.
Avoid Pull--In:
S Always begincuttingwiththeengineatfull
speedand thesawhousingagainst w ood.
S Use wedges made of plastic or wood.
Never use metal tohold the cut open.
Kickback Path
Clear The
Working Area
Avoid Obstructions
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 Neverletthemovingchaincontactanyob-
ject at the tip of the guide bar.
S Keep the working area free from obstruc-
tionssuchasothertrees,branches,rocks,
fences, stumps, etc. Eliminate or avoid
any ob struction thatyour saw chain could
hit while you are cutting. When cutting a
branch, do not let the guide bar contact
branch or ot her 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
andmaintenanceinstructions. Check ten-
sion at regular intervals with the engine
stopped, never with the engine running.
Make sure thebar nutsare securely tight-
ened after tensioning the chain.
S Begin andcontinuecutting atfullspeed. If
the chain is moving at a slower speed,
thereis g reaterchanceofkickbackoccur-
ring.
S Cut one logat a time.
S Use extreme caution when re-entering a
previous cut.
S Do notattempt cuts starting with t he tip of
the bar (plunge cuts).
S Watch for shifting logs or other forces that
could close acut andpinch or f all into chain.
S Use the Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar
and Low--Kickback Chain specified for
your saw.
MAINTAIN CONTROL
Never reverse
hand positions
Standto the
left of the saw
Thumb on
underside of
handlebar
Thumb on underside of
handlebar
Elbow locked
S Keep a good, firm grip on the saw with both
hands when the engine is running and don’t
let go. Afirm grip will help you reduce kick-
back and maint ain control of the saw . Keep
the fingers of your left hand encircling and
your left thumb under the front handlebar .
Keep your right hand completely around the
rear hand lewhetheryourarerighthandedor
left handed. Keep your left arm straight with
the elbow locked.
S Positionyourlefthandonthefronthandle-
bar so it is in astraight line w ith yourright
hand on the r ear handle when making
bucking cuts. Never reverse right and left
hand positions for any type of cutting.
S Standwithyourweightevenlybalancedon
both feet.
S Stand slightly to theleft side ofthe saw to
keep your body from being in adirect line
with the cutting chain.
S Do not overreach. Y ou could be drawn or
thrown off balance and lose control of the
saw.
S Donotcutaboveshoulderheight. Itisdiffi-
cult to maintain control of saw above
shoulder height.