Instruction Manual

0458-790-8621-A
22
English 6 Kickback and Other Reactive Forces
Quickstop chain brake will reduce this protection and also
disable the chain brake, increasing the risk of kickback
injury.
– Never operate your saw without a properly
functioning front hand guard. If the front hand guard
is missing, manual activation and inertia activation of
the chain brake will be completely disabled.
– Never attempt to remove, modify or disable the front
hand guard or any other component of the chain
brake.
￭
￭ No Quickstop chain brake or other chain brake device
prevents kickback. These devices are designed to reduce
the risk of injury, if activated, in certain kickback
situations. To reduce the risk of severe personal injury or
death from kickback:
– Always follow the instructions in this manual and
follow good working technique. For example,
position your body clear of the cutting attachment
whenever the engine is running. Stand to the left of
the cut while bucking, outside of the cutting plane,
see chapter "Holding and Controlling the Chain
Saw", @ 5.6.3.
– Maintain as much distance as possible, and never
less than 45 degrees, between the bar and your
body to ensure that the Quickstop chain brake has
sufficient time to activate and stop the chain before
reaching any part of your body.
– Follow the other precautions provided in chapter
@ 7.
￭ An improperly maintained chain brake may increase the
time needed to stop the chain after activation, or may not
activate at all. For the Quickstop chain brake to reduce the
risk of kickback injury, it must be properly maintained and
in good working order.
– Read and follow the instructions on engaging and
disengaging the chain brake, @ 12, and
maintaining and repairing it, @ 12.3.
2. Low Kickback Saw Chain and Reduced Kickback Bars
STIHL offers a variety of guide bars and chains. STIHL
reduced kickback bars and low kickback chains are
designed to reduce the risk of kickback injury. Other chains
are designed to achieve higher cutting performance or
sharpening ease, but are more prone to kickback and may
kick back with more energy, making it more difficult to
control the chain saw.
STIHL has developed a color code system to help you
identify the STIHL reduced kickback bars and low kickback
chains.
– Cutting attachments with green labels on the packaging
are designed to reduce the risk of kickback injury.
– Matching green-marked or labeled chain saws with green-
labeled bars and green-labeled chains provides
compliance with the computed kickback angle
requirements of the chain saw standards when the
products are in their original condition.
– Products with yellow labels are for users with
extraordinary cutting needs, who have experience and
specialized training for dealing with kickback.
STIHL recommends the use of its green-labeled reduced
kickback bars, green-labeled low kickback chains and a
chain saw equipped with a STIHL Quickstop chain brake for
both experienced and inexperienced operators.
STIHL recommends green-labeled bars and chains for all
chain saws. See your "STIHL Bar and Chain Information"
leaflet for details.
0000-GXX-4119-A0