MS 291 C-Q
English
15
When a kickback occurs, the guide bar
may rotate around the front handle. If the
cutting position is such that the
operator’s left hand is gripping the front
handle behind the hand guard, and if the
left hand rotates around the front handle
and makes a sufficiently forceful contact
with the front hand guard, which is the
Quickstop activating lever, this contact
will activate a properly maintained
Quickstop chain brake.
All STIHL chain saws are now equipped
with a Quickstop chain brake that can be
activated by inertia. If the forces of an
occurring kickback are sufficiently high,
the hand guard is accelerated towards
the bar nose even without hand contact.
On models equipped with a STIHL
Quickstop Plus chain brake system, the
throttle trigger and the throttle trigger
lockout on the rear handle act as a third
means of activation. See the chapter
entitled "Chain Brake" of your instruction
manual.
Low Kickback Saw Chain and
Reduced Kickback Bars
STIHL offers a variety of bars and
chains. STIHL reduced kickback bars
and low kickback chains are designed to
reduce the risk of kickback injury. Other
chains are designed to obtain higher
cutting efficiency or sharpening ease but
may result in higher kickback tendency.
STIHL has developed a color code
system to help you identify the STIHL
reduced kickback bars and low kickback
chains. Cutting attachments with green
warning decals or green labels on the
packaging are designed to reduce the
risk of kickback injury. The matching of
green decaled powerheads under
3.8 cubic inches (62 cm³) displacement
with green labeled bars and green
labeled chains gives compliance with
the computed kickback angle
requirements of ANSI B 175.1-2000
001BA174 KN
Warning!
Never operate your chain saw without a
front hand guard. In a kickback situation
this guard helps protect your left hand
and other parts of your body. In addition,
removal of the hand guard on a saw
equipped with a Quickstop chain brake
will deactivate the chain brake.
Warning!
No Quickstop or other chain brake
device prevents kickback. These
devices are designed to reduce the risk
of kickback injury, if activated, in certain
kickback situations. In order for the
Quickstop to reduce the risk of kickback
injury, it must be properly maintained
and in good working order. See the
chapter of your instruction manual enti-
tled "Chain Brake" and the section
"Maintenance, Repair and Storing" at
the end of these Safety Precautions. In
addition, there must be enough distance
between the bar and the operator to
ensure that the Quickstop has sufficient
time to activate and stop the chain
before potential contact with the
operator.
Warning!
An improperly maintained chain brake
may increase the time needed to stop
the chain after activation, or may not
activate at all.
Warning!
Never run the chain saw above idle
speed for more than 3 seconds when
the chain brake is engaged or when the
chain is pinched or otherwise caught in
the cut. Clutch slippage can cause
excessive heat, leading to severe dam-
age of the motor housing, clutch and
oiler component and may interfere with
the operation of the chain brake. If
clutch slippage in excess of 3 seconds
has occurred, allow the motor housing
to cool before proceeding and check the
operation of your chain brake as
described in the chapter entitled "Chain
Brake" of your instruction manual. Also
make sure that the chain is not turning
at idle speed (see above at "Important
Adjustments").
