English / USA
Devices for reducing the risk of
kickback injury
STIHL recommends the use of the
STIHL Quickstop chain brake on your
powerhead and, for normal wood-
cutting, green labeled reduced kickback
bars and low kickback chains.
!
Warning!
To reduce the risk of injury, stop using
the saw immediately if the chain brake
does not function properly. Take the saw
to your local STIHL Service Center! Do
not use the saw until the problem has
been rectified (see the section "Chain
Brake").
Quickstop chain brake
STIHL has developed a chain stopping
system designed to reduce the risk of
injury in certain kickback situations. It is
called a Quickstop chain brake. The
Quickstop is available as standard
equipment on your STIHL chainsaw and
is available for installation on most older
STIHL saws. Ask your dealer to retrofit
your older model saw with a chain brake.
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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. The chain brake on most
new model STIHL chainsaws can also
be activated by inertia. See the chapter
entitled "Chain Brake" of your Owner's
Manual.
!
Warning!
Never operate your chainsaw without a
front hand guard. In a kickback situation
this guard helps protect your left hand or
other parts of your body. In addition,
removal of the hand guard on a saw
equipped with a 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 entitled "Chain Brake" and the
section of these General Safety
Precautions entitled "Maintenance,
Repair and Storing." 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.
Rescue Saw