Echo X52000020 instruction manual Glossary of Chain SAW Terms

GLOSSARY OF CHAIN SAW TERMS

FRONT HAND GUARD - This required device is intended to reduce the operator’s risk of injury from projecting branches and saw-chain contact with the left hand in the event the operator loses his grip from the upper part of the handle. Do not operate a chain saw with a loose or broken hand guard.

GUIDE BAR - The railed structure that supports and guides the saw chain.

HINGE - Uncut wood which holds the tree from twisting off the stump and guides or “hinges” its fall. The hinge is formed by making the back cut towards the directional control notch, coming approximately parallel to the notch but no closer than about 2 inches (about 51 mm) away.

KERF- The groove opening produced by the chain saw.

KICKBACK - The general term describing two highly dangerous reactions which can occur. When used alone in this manual, the term “kickback” refers to rotational kickback. To prevent kickback, keep the bar nose properly covered with the Kick

Guard® device. If the Kick Guard® device is absent, kickback can occur if the unshielded bar nose touches an object or the ground.

ROTATIONAL KICKBACK - The violent reaction which can occur when the chain at the upper section of the nose is suddenly stopped or impeded, thereby dangerously driving the bar nose in an upward arc toward the operator.

LINEAR KICKBACK - A push reaction, which can occur under certain conditions with the guide bar buried in the cut when the cut closes, pinching the chain along the top rails of the guide bar and propelling the chain saw

straight back toward the operator.

KICK GUARD® DEVICE - The ECHO brand name for its anti- kickback device which covers the bar nose. The generic name for such a device is “bar tip guard.”

LIMBING - The process employing cuts to remove limbs from a tree.

LOW-KICKBACK SAW CHAIN - A saw chain which has been demonstrated to meet the kickback requirements of ANSI Standard B 175.1 on a representative sample of chain saws.

FELLING NOTCH - A vee or other shape cutout made at right angles to the desired line of fall on the side the tree is to fall. SIDE NOTCH - A cut made on one or both sides of the trunk either to reduce the chance of splitting, or as part of the Apple Core Method.

PINCH - Specifically the closing-in of the wood which

pinches and stops the chain along the top rails of the guide bar during a cut. This can result in the chain saw being propelled straight back toward the operator (called a Linear Kickback). Pinch can also occur on the lower rails of the bar, resulting in the chain saw being pulled away from the operator.

PLUNGE CUTTING - Another term for Boring with a chain saw. See definition of Boring.

PRUNING - The process of trimming branches on a living tree.

PUSH AND PULL - When cutting is done along the bottom rails of the guide bar, the reaction on the saw is a pull away from the operator. When the top of the guide bar is used, the reaction pushes the saw towards the operator. Both are normal reactions which must be controlled by the operator.

REDUCED-KICKBACK GUIDE BAR - Guide bars which are recognized by the ANSI Standard B175.1 as having as small or reduced radius nose to reduce the potential kickback area.

REDUCED-KICKBACK SAW CHAIN - Saw chain which has been demonstrated to reduce kickback on a selected group of chain saw models during ANSI testing. Before using “reduced kickback” chain, ask your ECHO dealer to determine if your chain saw can accommodate “reduced-kickback” chain and still meet the 45-degree CKA requirement.

SCABBARD - A sheath to cover the chain and bar during transport and at other times when the saw is not in use.

SCYTHING - A sweeping, close-to-ground action with the saw blade to remove brush and weeds. Scything must not be done without the protection provided by the Kick GuardTM device.

SIDE LINE - Attached to a tether line, it is pulled at a 90 degree angle to the tether line.

SKATING - When the chain saw fails to dig in during a cut, the guide bar can begin hopping or dangerously skidding along the surface of the log or branch, possibly resulting in the loss of control of the chain saw. To prevent or reduce skating, properly hold the chain saw with two hands and make sure the saw chain has established a groove for cutting.

TETHER LINE - A rope, chain or cable tied high up on a tree trunk for leverage, and used to tether the tree against a backward fall and to exert a steady pull to ensure the tree’s proper fall. Tethering can be dangerous if improperly executed, such as if a tether line is not strong enough to withstand the pull, or the available pulling force is inadequate.

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