5
DANGER!
BEWARE OF KICKBACK!
WARNING:
Kickback can lead to dangerous loss of control of the chain saw and
result in serious or fatal injury to the saw operator or to anyone standing close by.
Always be alert. Rotational kickback and pinch-kickback are major chain saw opera-
tional dangers and the leading cause of most accidents.
KICKBACK
may occur when the NOSE or TIP (Fig 1 B) of the guide bar touches an object, or
when wood closes in and pinches the saw chain in the cut.
TIP
contact in some cases may cause a lightning-fast reverse reaction, kicking the guide bar
up and back toward the operator. (Fig 1 A)
PINCHING
the saw chain along the BOTTOM of the guide bar may PULL the saw forward away
from the operator. (Fig 2 A-B)
PINCHING
the saw chain along the TOP of the guide bar may PUSH the guide bar rapidly back
toward the operator. (Fig 2 B-C)
ANY
of these reactions may cause you to lose control of the saw, which could result in seri-
ous personal injury or death.
Fig 1
Fig 2
With a basic understanding of kickback, you can reduce or eliminate the element
of surprise. Sudden surprise contributes to accidents.
•
Keep a good firm grip on the saw with both hands, the right hand on the rear handle, and
the left hand on the front handle, when the engine is running. Use a firm grip with thumbs
and fingers encircling the chain saw handles. A firm grip will help you reduce kickback and
maintain control of the saw. Don’t let go.
