• Pinch-Kickback
can occur when the the
wood c loses inand pinches
the moving
saw chain inthe cut a long the top ofthe
guide bar a nd t he saw chain issuddenly
stopped.
This sudden stopping
ofthe
chain r esults ina reversal
ofthe chain
force u sed t ocut w ood a nd causes the
saw to move in the o pposite
direction
of t he
chain rotation.
The s aw isdriven straight
back toward the operator.
• Pull4n can occur when the moving
chain
contacts
aforeign
object inthe wood inthe
cut along the b ottom
of t he g uide bar and t he
saw chain issuddenly
stopped.
This sudden
stopping
pulls the saw forward
and away
from t he o perator
and c ould easily cause the
operator
tolose control
of t he saw.
Avoid
Pinch-Kickback:
• Be extremely
aware
of situations
or ob-
structions
that can cause material to pinch
the top of or otherwise
stop the chain.
• Do not cut more than one log at a time.
• Do not twist the saw as the bar is with-
drawn from an undercut
when bucking.
Avoid
Pull-In:
• Always begin cutting with the engh_e at full
speed and the saw housing against wood.
• Use
wedges
made
of ptastic
or wood.
Never use metal to hold the cut open.
Kickback
Path
• Beginandcontinuecuttingatfultspeed.
If
the chain
is moving
at a slower
speed,
there is greater chance
of kickback
occur-
ring.
• Cut one log at a time.
• Use extreme
caution
when re-entering
a
previous
cut.
• Do not attempt cuts starting
with the tip of
the bar (plunge cuts).
• Watch for shifting logs or other forces that
could
close a cut and pinch or fall into
chain.
• Use
the Reduced-Kickback
Guide
Bar
and
Low-Kickback
Chain
specified
for
your saw.
MAINTAIN
CONTROL
Stand to the left
of the sa_
Never reverse
_
hand positions
Thumb
on
underside
of
handlebar
X
I
t
Elbow
locked
REDUCE
THE
CHANCE
OF
KICKBACK
• Recognize
that
kickback
can
happen.
With a basic understanding
of kickback,
you can reduce
the element
of surprise
which contributes
to accidents.
• Never let the moving chain contact any ob-
ject at the tip of the guide bar.
• Keep the working
area free from obstruc-
tions such as other trees, branches,
rocks,
fences,
stumps,
etc. Eliminate
or avoid
any obstruction
that your saw chain could
hit while you are cutting.
When
cutting
a
branch,
do not let the guide
bar contact
branch or other objects around
it.
• Keep your saw chain sharp and properly
tensioned.
A loose or dull chain can in-
crease the chance
of kickback
occurring.
Follow
manufacturer's
chain
sharpening
and maintenance
instructions.
Check ten-
sion at regular
intervals
with
the engine
stopped,
never with the engine
running.
Make
sure the chain brake
nuts are se-
curely tightened
after tensioning
the chain.
Thumb on underside
of
handlebar
• Keep a good, firm grip on the saw with both
hands
when
the engine
is running
and
don't let go. A firm grip will help you reduce
kickback
and maintain
control of the saw.
Keep the fingers
of your left hand encir-
cling and your left thumb
under the front
handlebar.
Keep your
right
hand com-
pletely
around
the rear handle
whether
your are right handed or teft handed.
Keep
your
left arm
straight
with
the
elbow
locked.
• Position your left hand on the front handle-
bar so it is in a straight
line with your right
hand
on the
rear handle
when
making
bucking
cuts.
Never reverse right and left
hand positions
for any type of cutting.
• Stand with your weight evenly balanced
on
both feet.
• Stand slightly to the left side of the saw to
keep your body from being in a direct line
with the cutting chain.
• Do not overreach.
You could be drawn or
thrown off balance and lose control
of the
SaW.
• Do not cut above shoulder height,
it is diffi-
cult
to maintain
control
of saw
above
shoulder
height.