Chain Saw Safety
Replacement saw chain and the ANSI standard
When replacing the chain on chains saws below 3.8 cubic inch
displacement (62 cc), any low-kickback chain of the proper
pitch, gauge, and drive link count can be used. Carlton provides
replacement saw chain that is labeled in accordance with the
ANSI standard. The
green-highlighted
chain types are low
kickback. The
yellow-highlighted
chain types are
not
low-
kickback and should only be used by those with experience and
specialized training for dealing with kickback.
Replacement guide bars and the ANSI standard
The ANSI standard states: Because of differences in
replacement guide bars, the following guidelines shall be
considered when determining kickback energy:
A. Sprocket nose guide bars with the same effective length,
the same number of sprocket nose teeth, the same nose radius,
and the same pitch may be considered to have the equivalent
kickback energy.
B. A hard-nose guide bar having the same effective bar length,
and the same or smaller nose radius as a sprocket-nose bar,
may be considered to have equivalent or less kickback energy
than the sprocket nose bar.
C. Kickback energy of all guide bars may be considered to be
less for smaller nose radius sizes.
When replacing guide bars, to maintain approximately the
same kickback energy of a chain saw, the nose size (radius)
of the replacement bar should be equal to or smaller than the
original-equipment nose – with the same bar length.
