Warning!
No Quickstop
or
other chain
brake device prevents kick-
back. These devices
are designed to reduce the
risk of
kickback injury, if activated, in
certain kickback
situations.
In
order for
the Quickstep
to
reduce
the risk of kickback in-
jury, it
must
be
properly maintained and in good
working
order.
See the chapter entitled "Chain Brake"
and "Mainte-
nance, Repair and Storing" of your Owner's
Manual. In
ad-
dition,
there
must
be enough distance
between the bar
and the
operator to ensure that the Quickstep has suffi-
cient 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.
Reduced kickback bar
STIHL
green labeled reduced kickback
bars are designed
to reduce the risk of
kickback injury when used with STIHL
green labeled low kickback chains.
Warning!
When used with other,
more aggressive chains, these
bars
may
be less effective in reducing kickback,
and
may
result
in higher kickback forces.
Low
kickback chain
Some
types
of
saw
chain have specially designed
compo-
nents to reduce the force of nose contact kickback.
STIHL
has developed low kickback chain for your powerhead.
Warning!
A dull
or
improperly
sharpened chain
may
reduce
or
ne-
gate
the effects of the design
features intended to reduce
kickback energy. Improper lowering
or sharpening of the
depth gauges or shaping of the cutters may
increase the
chance
and the potential energy of a kickback.
Always cut
with a
properly sharpened chain.
Warning!
Reduced kickback bars and low kickback chains do
not
prevent kickback, but they are
designed to reduce the risk
of
kickback injury. They
are
available
from your STIHL dea-
ler.
Warning!
Even if
your saw is
equipped with a
Quickstep,
a reduced
kickback bar and/or low
kickback chain, this does
not
eli-
minate the risk of injury by
kickback. Therefore always ob-
serve all
safety precautions to avoid kickback situations.
To avoid kickback
The best protection from personal injury that
may
result
from kickback is to
avoid kickback situations:
Hold the chain saw
firmly with both hands and main-
tain a secure grip.
Be aware of
the
location
of the guide bar
nose at
all
times.
Never let the nose of the
guide bar contact any object.
Do not
cut
limbs with the
nose
of the
guide bar. Be
especially careful when
cutting small, tough limbs,
small size brush and saplings which may easily catch
the
chain.
Don't
overreach.
Don't
cut above shoulder height.
Begin cutting and continue at full throttle.
Cut only one log at a time.
Use extreme caution when
re-entering a previous cut.
Do
not attempt to
plunge cut (see page 20) if you are
not
experienced with these cutting
techniques.
Be alert for shifting of the log
or other forces that
may
cause the cut to close and pinch the chain.
Maintain saw chain properly. Cut with a
correctly shar-
pened, properly
tensioned chain
at
all times.
Stand
to
the side of the cutting path of the chain
saw. 15
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