5
has been demonstrated to significantly re-
duce the number and seriousness of kick-
backs when tested in accordance with
safety requirements for gasoline powered
chain saws as set by ANSI B175.1.
Small Radius Tip
Symmetrical Guide Bar
Reduced Kickback Symmetrical Guide Bar
Large Radius Tip
S
Low--Kickback Chain, designed with a
contoured depth gauge and guard link
which deflect kickback force and allow
wood to gradually ride into the cutter. Low--
Kickback Chain has met kickback per-
formance requirements when tested on a
representative sample of chain saws be-
low 3.8 cubic inch displacement specified
in ANSI B175.1.
Low---Kickback
Chain
Not a Low---Kickback Chain
Can Obstruct Material
Contoured Depth Gauge
Elongated Guard Link
Deflects
Kickback Force
And Allows Wood
To Gradually
Ride Into Cutter
S
Front Hand Guard, designed to reduce the
chance of your left hand contacting the
chain if your hand slips off the front handle-
bar.
S
Position of front and rear handlebars, de-
signed with distance between handles and
“in-line” with each other. The spread and
“in-line” position of the hands provided by
this design work together to give balance
and resistance in controlling the pivot of
the saw back toward the operator if kick-
back occurs.
S
Chain Brake, designed to stop the chain in
the event of kickback.
ANSI B175.1-1991
“American National
Standard for Powered Tools -- Gasoline
Powered Chain Saw -- Safety Require-
ments.”
CHAIN BRAKE AND CKA ANGLE
WARNING:
WE DO NOT REP-
RESENT AND YOU SHOULD NOT AS-
SUME THAT THE CHAIN BRAKE WILL
PROTECT YOU IN THE EVENT OF A
KICKBACK. Kickback is a lightning fast ac-
tion which throws the bar and rotating chain
back and up toward the operator. Kickback
can be caused by allowing contact of the bar
tip in the danger zone with any hard object.
Kickback can also be caused by pinching the
saw chain along the top of the guide bar. This
action may push the guide bar rapidly back
toward the operator. Either of these events
may cause you to lose control of the saw
which could result in serious injury or even
death. DO NOT RELY UPON ANY OF THE
SAFETY DEVICES BUILT INTO YOUR
SAW.
YOU SHOULD USE THE SAW
PROPERLY AND CAREFULLY TO AVOID
KICKBACK. Reduced--kickback guide bars
and low--kickback saw chains reduce the
chance and magnitude of kickback and are
recommended. Your saw has a low kick-
back chain and bar as original equipment.
Repairs on a chain brake should be made by
an authorized servicing dealer. Take your
unit to the place of purchase if purchased
from a servicing dealer, or to the nearest au-
thorized master service dealer.
WARNING:
Computed kickback
angle (CKA) listed on your saw and listed in
the CKA table below represents angle of
kickback your bar and chain combinations
will have when tested in accordance with
CSA and ANSI standards. When purchasing
replacement bar and chain, considerations
should be given to the lower CKA values.
Lower CKA values represent safer angles to
the user, higher values indicate more angle
and higher kick energies. Computed angles
represented in the non-activated column in-
dicate total energy and angle associated
without activation of the chain brake during
kickback. Activated angle represents chain
stopping time relative to activation angle of
chain break and resulting kick angle of saw.
In all cases lower CKA values represent a
safer operating environment for the user.
S
Tip contact in some cases may cause a
lightning fast reverse REACTION, kicking
the guide bar up and back toward the oper-
ator.
S
Pinching the saw chain along the top of the
guide bar may push the guide bar rapidly
back toward the operator.
S
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.
The following guide bar and chain combina-
tions meet kickback requirements of CSA
Z62.1, Z62.3, & ANSI B175.1 when used on
saws listed in this manual. Use of bar and
chain combinations other than those listed is
not recommended and may not meet the
CKA requirements per standard.
CSA Z62.1
“Chain Saws -- Occupational
Health and Safety”
CSA Z62.3
“Chain Saw Kickback Occupa-
tional Health and Safety”
