GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
•In the felling position the left hand is in a position that makes manual activation of the chain brake impossible. With this type of grip, that is when the left hand is placed so that it cannot affect the movement of the front hand guard, the chain brake can only be activated by the inertia action.
Will my hand always activate the chain brake during a kickback?
No. It takes a certain force to move the hand guard forward. If your hand only lightly touches the front guard or slips over it, the force may not be enough to trigger the chain brake. You should also maintain a firm grip of the chain saw handles while working. If you do and experience a kickback, your hand may never leave the front handle and will not activate the chain brake, or the chain brake will only activate after the saw has swung around a considerable distance. In such instances, the chain brake might not have enough time to stop the saw chain before it touches you.
There are also certain positions in which your hand cannot reach the front hand guard to activate the chain brake; for example, when the saw chain is held in felling position.
Will my inertia activated chain brake always activate during kickback in the event of a kickback?
No. First your brake must be in working order. Testing the brake is simple, see instructions under the heading Checking, maintaining and servicing chain saw safety equipment. We recommend you do before you begin each work session. Second the kickback must be strong enough to activate the chain brake. If the chain brake is too sensitive it would activate all the time which would be a nuisance.
Will my chain brake always protect me from injury in the event of a kickback?
No. First, the chain brake must be in working order to provide the intended protection. Second, it must be activated during the kickback as described above to stop the saw chain.Third, the chain brake may be activated but if the bar is too close to you the brake might not have enough time to slow down and stop the chain before the chain saw hits you.
Only you and proper working technique can eliminate kickback and its danger.
Throttle lockout
The throttle lockout is designed to prevent accidental operation of the throttle control. When you press the lock
(A)(i.e. when you grasp the handle) it releases the throttle control (B). When you release the handle the throttle control and the throttle lockout both move back to their original positions. This arrangement means that the throttle control is automatically locked at the idle setting.
A
B
Chain catcher
The chain catcher is designed to catch the chain if it snaps or jumps off. Replace it if necessary with an aluminium chain catcher (is available as spare part). This should not happen if the chain is properly tensioned (see instructions under the heading Assembly) and if the bar and chain are properly serviced and maintained (see instructions under the heading General working instructions).
Right hand guard
Apart from protecting your hand if the chain jumps or snaps, the right hand guard stops branches and twigs from interfering with your grip on the rear handle.
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