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S Pinch-Kickback can o ccur 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 t o cut wood and causes the
saw tomoveintheoppositedirection ofthe
chain rotation. The saw is driven straight
back toward the operator.
S Pull-In can o ccur when the m oving chain
contacts a foreign object i n the wood in th e
cut along the bottom of the guid e 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 .
Avoid Pinch--Kickback:
S Be extremely aware of situations or ob-
structions that can causematerial topinch
the t op of or other wise stop the chain.
S Do not cut more than one log at a t im e.
S Do not tw ist the saw as the bar is with-
drawn from an undercut when bucking.
Avoid Pull--In:
S Always begin cutting with theengine at full
speed and the saw housing against wood.
S Use wedges made of plastic or wood.
Never use metal to hold 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 Never letthemovingchaincontact anyob-
ject at the tip of t he guide bar.
S Keep the w orking area fr ee f rom obstruc-
tionssuchas othertrees, 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 objects around it.
S Keep your saw chain sharp and properly
tensioned. A loose or dull chain can in-
crease t he chance o f kickback occurring.
Follow manufacturer’s chain sharpening
andmaintenanceinstructions. Check ten-
sion at regular intervals with the engine
stopped, never with the engine running.
Make s ure the bar nuts are securely tight-
ened aft er tensioning t he chain.
S Begin and continue cutting at full speed. If
the chain is moving at a slower speed,
there is greater chance of kickback occur-
ring.
S Cut one log at a t ime.
S Use extreme caution when re-entering a
previous cut.
S Do not a ttempt cuts starting w ith the t ip of
the bar (plunge cuts).
S Watch for shifting logs or other forces that
could close a cut and p inch or fall into chain.
S Use the Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar
and Low--Kickback Chain specified for
your saw .
MAINTAIN CONTROL
Never r everse
hand positions
Stand to the
left o f the saw
Thumb on
underside of
handlebar
Thumb on underside of
handlebar
Elbow locked
S Keep a good, firm grip on the saw with bot h
hands when the engine is running and don’t
let go. A firm grip will help you reduce kick-
back and maintain control o f the saw . Keep
the fingers of your left hand encircling and
your left thumb under the front handlebar .
Keep your right han d completely around the
rear handle whether your ar e right handed or
left handed. Keep your lef t 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 when making
bucking cuts. Never reverse right and left
hand positions for any type of cutting.
S Standwith yourweightevenly balancedon
both f eet.
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 aboveshoulderheight. It isdiffi-
cult to maintain control of saw above
shoulder height.