ITEM #0670251 80 V LITHIUM-ION CORDLESS 18 IN. CHAIN SAW MODEL #KCS 180B Français p. 34 Español p. 69 ATTACH YOUR RECEIPT HERE Serial Number Purchase Date Questions, problems, missing parts? Before returning to your retailer, call our customer service department at 1-888-3KOBALT (1-888-356-2258) 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., EST, Monday - Friday. kobalttools.
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..........2 Package Contents...................................................................................................................... 3 Symbols......................................................................................................................................4 Safety Information...................................................................................................................... 5 Preparation....................................................
PACKAGE CONTENTS A B PART DESCRIPTION A Chainsaw B Scabbard QUANTITY 1 1 kobalttools.
SYMBOLS Some of the following symbols may be used on this product. Please study them and learn their meaning. Proper interpretation of these symbols will allow you to operate the product better and safer.
SYMBOLS Save these Instructions The following signal words and meanings are intended to explain the levels of risk associated with this product. SYMBOL SIGNAL MEANING DANGER Indicates an imminently hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury. WARNING Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
SAFETY INFORMATION • During weather that is hot and humid, heavy work should be scheduled for early morning or late afternoon hours when temperatures are cooler. • Wear eye protection which is marked to comply with ANSI Z87.1 as well as hearing and head protection when operating this equipment. • Always be aware of what you are doing when using the chain saw. Use common sense. Do not operate the chain saw when you are tired, ill, or under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication.
SAFETY INFORMATION • Remove the battery when not in use, before servicing, and when making adjustments and changing attachments, such as saw chain and bar. • Do not cut vines and/or small underbrush. • Do not operate a chain saw in a tree, on a ladder, or scaffold; this is extremely dangerous. Note: The size of the work area depends on the job being performed as well as the size tree or work piece involved. For example, felling a tree requires a larger work area than making bucking cuts.
SAFETY INFORMATION The following precautions should be followed to minimize kickback: • Always grip the saw firmly with both hands. Place your right hand on the rear handle and your left hand on the front handle with your thumbs and fingers encircling the chain saw handles. A firm grip together with a stiff left arm will help you maintain control of the saw if kickback occurs. • • • • • • • Make sure that the area in which you are cutting is free from obstructions.
SAFETY INFORMATION • Push and Pull - This reaction force is always opposite to the direction the chain is moving where wood contact is made. Thus, the operator must be ready to control the PULL when cutting on the bottom edge of the bar, and PUSH when cutting along the top edge.
SAFETY INFORMATION UNPACKING This product has been shipped completely assembled. • Carefully remove the product and any accessories from the box. Make sure that all items listed in the package contents section are included. • Inspect the product carefully to make sure no breakage or damage occurred during shipping. • Do not discard the packing material until you have carefully inspected and satisfactorily operated the product.
KNOW YOUR CHAIN SAW Read this operator’s manual and safety rules before operating your chain saw. Compare the illustration below to your chain saw in order to familiarize yourself with the location of various controls and adjustments. Save this manual for future reference.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS • • WARNING Do not allow familiarity with this product to make you careless. Remember that a careless fraction Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields when operating power tools. Failure to do so could result in objects being thrown into your eyes, resulting in possible serious injury. Adding bar and chain lubricant Use a bar and chain lubricant (not included) with this product.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Battery IMPORTANT The battery will only be half charged when it is purchased. Before using the chain saw for the . Be sure to read all safety precautions and follow the instructions in the battery and charger manuals. When storing the chain saw for a prolonged period of time, remove the battery. When the chain saw is going to be used again, fully charge the battery prior to use. The battery has no memory effect. To install the battery: 1.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Starting and stopping the chain saw WARNING Keep body to the left of the chain line. Never straddle the saw or chain, or lean over past the chain line. A. To start the chain saw: • Ensure the battery is not installed in the tool. Power Button I • Make sure chain tension is at desired setting. Refer to adjusting the chain tension in the Care and Maintenance section of this manual. E • Make sure the chain cover lock nuts (K) are tight to the chain cover.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Electronic Chain Brake • This saw is equipped with an electronic chain brake (I). • The chain brake (I) is activated if kick back occurs during use. • To disengage the chain brake (I), pull back on the guard. Disengage Engage I Preparing for cutting A. Proper grip on handles See General Safety Rules for appropriate safety equipment. • Wear non-slip gloves for maximum grip and protection.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS WARNING DO NOT operate the trigger switch with your left hand and hold the front handle with your right hand. Never allow any part of your body to be in the chain line while operating a saw. Never use a left-handed (cross-handed) grip or any stance that would place your body or arm across the chain line. Proper cutting stance • Balance your weight with both feet on solid ground.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Felling trees Hazardous conditions WARNING Do not fell trees during periods of high wind or heavy precipitation. Wait until the hazardous weather has ended. When felling a tree, it is important that you heed the following warnings to prevent possible serious injury. • Do not cut down trees having an extreme lean or large trees with rotten limbs, loose bark, or hollow trunks. Have these trees pushed or dragged down with heavy equipment, then cut them up.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS • • • • Consider the force and direction of the wind, the lean and balance of the tree, and the location of large limbs. These things influence the direction in which the tree will fall. Do not try to fell a tree along a line different from its natural line of fall. Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples, and wire from the tree where felling cuts are to be made. Notched Undercut. Cut a notch about 1/3 the diameter of the trunk on the side of the tree.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Bucking Bucking is the term used for cutting a fallen tree to the desired log length. • Always make sure your footing is secure and your weight is distributed evenly on both feet. • Cut only one log at a time. • Support small logs on a saw horse or another log while bucking. • Keep a clear cutting area. Make sure that no objects can contact the guide bar nose and chain during cutting as this can cause kickback. Refer to Kickback earlier in this manual.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Overbucking Begin on the top side of the log with the bottom of the saw against the log; exert light pressure downward. Note that the saw will tend to pull away from you. Avoid cutting earth overbucking Underbucking Begin on the under side of the log with the top of the saw against the log; exert light pressure upward. During under bucking, the saw will tend to push back at you. Be prepared for this reaction and hold the saw firmly to maintain control.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Pruning Pruning is trimming limbs from a live tree. • Work slowly, keeping both hands on the chain saw with a firm grip. Always make sure your footing is secure and your weight is distributed evenly on both feet. • Do not cut from a ladder. This is extremely dangerous. Leave this operation for professionals. • Do not cut above chest height as a saw held higher is difficult to control against kickback.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Cutting springpoles A springpole is any log, branch, rooted stump, or sapling which is bent under tension by other wood so that it springs back if the wood holding it is cut or removed. On a fallen tree, a rooted stump has a high potential of springing back to the upright position during the bucking cut that separates the log from the stump. Watch out for springpoles — they are dangerous.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE WARNING • When servicing, use only identical replacement parts. Use of any other parts may create a hazard or cause product damage. • Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields during power tool operation or when blowing dust. If the operation is dusty, also wear a dust mask. General maintenance Avoid using solvents when cleaning plastic parts. Most plastics are susceptible to damage from various types of commercial solvents and may be damaged by their use.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE Replacing the guide bar and chain (contd.) • • • Remove the battery from the chain saw. Remove the supplied wrench (O) from the rear handle. Remove the two chain cover lock nuts (K) from the chain cover by rotating them counterclockwise with the wrench (O). K O • • • Remove the chain cover from the mounting surface. The bar and chain can now be removed by lifting it away from the main body of the saw and releasing the chain from the sprocket. Remove the old chain from the bar.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE • • Lay out the new saw chain in a loop and straighten any kinks. The cutters should face in the direction of chain rotation. If they face backwards, turn the loop over. Place the chain drive links into the bar groove. Cutters Chain Rotation Chain Drive Links • • • • • • • • Note: Make certain of direction of the chain. Position the chain so there is a loop at the back of the bar. Hold the chain in position on the bar and place the loop around the sprocket.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE Note: If the chain is too tight, it will not rotate. Loosen the chain cover lock nuts (K) slightly and turn the chain adjustment screw 1/4 turn counterclockwise. Lift the tip of the guide bar up and retighten the chain cover lock nuts (K). Ensure that the chain will rotate without binding. Adjusting the chain tension WARNING Never touch or adjust the chain while the motor is running. The saw chain is very sharp. Always wear protective gloves when performing maintenance on the chain.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE Note: During normal saw operation, the temperature of the chain increases. The drive links of a correctly tensioned warm chain will hang approximately 1/16 in. (1,58 mm) out of the bar groove. Note: New chains tend to stretch; check the chain tension frequently and tension as required. 1/16 in. (1,58 mm) CAUTION A chain tensioned while warm may be too tight upon cooling. Check the “cold tension” before next use. Never tension a warm chain before storing as chains shrink when cool.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE Note: • Inspect the drive sprocket for wear or damage when replacing the chain. Have the drive sprocket replaced by an authorized service center if there are any signs of wear or damage. • If you do not fully understand the correct procedure for sharpening the chain after reading the instructions that follow, have the saw chain sharpened by an authorized service center or replace with a recommended low-kickback chain.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE • • • Lift the file away from the steel on each return stroke. Put a few firm strokes on every tooth. File all left hand cutters in one direction. Then move to the other side and file the right hand cutters in the opposite direction. Remove filings from the file with a wire brush. CAUTION Left hand Cutters A dull or improperly sharpened chain can cause excessive motor speed during cutting, which may result in severe motor damage.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE Side plate angle • Correct 80° – Produced automatically if you use the correct diameter file in the file holder. • Hook – “Grabs” and dulls quickly; increases the potential of kickback. Results from using a file with a diameter too small or a file held too low. • Backward Slope – Needs too much feed pressure; causes excessive wear to the bar and chain. Results from using a file with a diameter too large or file held too high.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE • After lowering each depth gauge, restore original shape by rounding the front. Be careful not to damage • Restore Original shape by Rounding the front • adjusting depth gauges. Maintaining the guide bar Every week of use, reverse the guide bar on the saw to distribute the wear for maximum bar life. The bar should be cleaned every day of use and checked for wear and damage. Feathering or burring of the bar rails is a normal process of bar wear.
TROUBLESHOOTING If you still have questions or an unresolved issue after going through this troubleshooting guide, or just want to speak to a Kobalt product expert, please call our customer service department at 1-888-3KOBALT (1-888-356-2258), 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., EST, Monday – Friday. PROBLEM Bar and chain running hot and smoking. POSSIBLE CAUSE 1. Check chain tension for overtightened condition. 2. Chain oil tank empty. Motor runs, but chain is not rotating. 1. Chain tension too tight. 2.
WARRANTY 5-YEAR HASSLE-FREE WARRANTY This 80 V Lithiuim-Ion Cordless 18 in. Chain saw is warranted to the original purchaser from the original purchase date for five (5) years subject to the warranty coverage described herein. This 80 V Lithiuim-Ion Cordless 18 in. Chain saw is warranted for the original user to be free from defects in material and workmanship. If you believe that the 80 V Lithiuim-Ion Cordless 18 in.
