KEY CHAIN SAW TERMS – See Glossary at back for additional terms.
BALLISTIC - A special material used in protection devices designed to reduce the risk of penetration from chain contact.
BINDING - Closing of the cut or shifting of the wood, possibly trapping the saw blade in the cut. Binding includes pinching. (Also, see PINCH.)
CHAIN CATCHER - A projection designed to reduce the risk of the operator’s right hand from being hit by a chain, which has broken or derailed from the guide bar during cutting.
CHAIN TENSIONER - The device which permits precise adjustment of the chain tension.
CHAPS - Specially designed leg protection, which can reduce the risk of injury due to contact with a moving saw chain.
FOLLOW THROUGH - After the chain saw completes a cut and is no longer supported by the wood, an uncontrolled chain saw can continue on its path and strike the legs, feet or body of the operator.
FRONT HAND GUARD - This required device is intended to reduce the operator’s risk of injury from projecting branches and
GUIDE BAR - The grooved bar that supports and guides the saw chain.
KERF - The grooved cut produced by the saw chain cutters.
KICKBACK - The general term describing rotational and linear kickback, two highly dangerous reactions which can occur when operating a chain saw. 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
PINCH - Specifically the
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.
PUSH AND PULL - When cutting is done along the bottom rails of the guide bar, the reaction on the saw is to 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.
LOW, or
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, hold the chain saw with two hands and make sure the saw chain establishes a groove for cutting.
THROTTLE TRIGGER - Located in the rear handle, it is used to control the speed of the engine.
THROTTLE TRIGGER LATCH BUTTON - The control used on some chain saws to set the throttle for a fast idle speed, which may be required to start a cold engine. The throttle can be unlatched by squeezing and releasing the throttle trigger.
THROTTLE TRIGGER LOCKOUT LEVER - A safety lever on the top of the top/rear handle which must be depressed before the throttle trigger can be activated. When the operator lets go of the top/rear handle, the throttle will be locked in idle position.
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