6
English (Original Instructions)
WARNING
The warnings and instructions in this section of the
operator’s manual are for your safety and to prevent
serious personal injury.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHAINSAW SAFETY
DEVICES
Low kick-back saw chain
A low-kick-back saw chain is a chain which has met the
kickback performance requirements.
The rakers (depth gauges) ahead of each cutter can
minimise the force of a kick-back reaction by preventing
the cutters from digging in too deeply at the kick-back
zone. Only use replacement chain that is equivalent to
the original chain or has been certified as a low kick-back
chain.
As saw chains are sharpened, they lose some of the low
kickback qualities and extra caution is required.
Spiked bumper
See figure 1.
The integral bumper spike may be used as a pivot when
making a cut.
Guide bars
Generally, guide bars with small radius tips have
somewhat lower kick-back potentials.
Chain brake
See figure 3.
Chain brakes are designed to quickly stop the chain from
rotating. When the chain brake lever/hand guard is pushed
towards the bar, the chain should stop immediately. A
chain brake does not prevent kick-back. The chain brake
should be cleaned and tested daily. Refer to “operation”
later in this manual for additional information.
(A) Run position
(B) Brake position
WARNING
Even with daily cleaning of the mechanism, the
dependability of a chain brake to perform under field
conditions cannot be certified.
WARNING
Kick-back occurs when the moving chain contacts
an object at the upper portion of the tip of the guide
bar or when the wood closes in and pinches the saw
chain in the cut. Contact at the upper portion of the tip
of the guide bar may cause the chain to dig into the
object and stop the chain for an instant. The result is
a lightning-fast, reverse reaction which kicks the guide
bar up and back towards the operator. If the saw chain
is pinched along the top of the guide bar, the guide bar
can be driven rapidly back towards the operator. Either
of these reactions may cause you to lose control of the
saw, which could result in serious injury.
Do not rely exclusively upon the safety devices built into
your saw. As a chainsaw user, you should take several
steps to keep your cutting jobs free from accident or injury.
KICK-BACK PRECAUTIONS
See figure 4 - 5.
Rotational kick-back occurs when the moving chain
contacts an object at the kick-back danger zone of the
guide bar. The result is a lightning-fast, reverse reaction
which kicks the guide bar up and back towards the
operator. This reaction can cause loss of control which
may result in serious injury.
WARNING
Skating - when the chainsaw fails to dig in during a
cut, the guide bar can begin hopping or dangerously
skidding along the surface of the log or branch, possibly
resulting in the loss of control of the chainsaw. To
prevent or reduce the skating, hold the chainsaw with
two hands and make sure the saw chain establishes a
groove for cutting.
WARNING
Bouncing - never cut small, flexible branches or brushes
with your chainsaw. Their size and flexibility can easily
cause the saw to bounce towards you or bind up with
enough force to cause a kickback. The best tool for that
kind of work is a hand saw, pruning shears, an axe or
other hand tools.
