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standards) may increase kickback forces as well as the
propensity for kickback and increase the risk of kickback
injury.
– Please ask your authorized STIHL servicing dealer
to properly match your chain saw with the
appropriate bar and saw chain combination to
reduce the risk of kickback injury.
■ Reduced kickback bars and low kickback saw chains do
not prevent kickback, but they are designed to reduce the
risk of kickback injury.
– STIHL recommends green-labeled bars and green-
labeled saw chains for all chain saws and all users.
■ Even if your saw is equipped with Quickstop, a reduced
kickback bar and/or low kickback saw chain, this does not
eliminate the risk of injury from kickback.
– Observe all safety precautions discussed in this
manual to avoid kickback situations.
a. Low Kickback Saw Chain
Some types of saw chain have specially designed
components to reduce the propensity for kickback and the
force of kickback if it occurs. STIHL has developed low
kickback saw chain for your chain saw.
A "low kickback saw chain" is a saw chain that has met the
kickback performance requirements of ANSI/OPEI B175.1
(for Canada: CSA Z62.3) when tested according to the
provisions specified in ANSI/OPEI B175.1 (for Canada:
CSA Z62.3).
WARNING
■ Some low kickback saw chains have not been tested with
all chain saw and bar combinations. There are potential
chain saw and bar combinations with which low kickback
saw chains can be used which have not been specifically
certified to comply with the 45° computer-derived kickback
angle of the chain saw standards.
– STIHL recommends green-labeled bars and green-
labeled saw chains for all chain saws and all users.
– Please see your STIHL Bar and Chain Information
leaflet for the appropriate bar/saw chain
combination.
22
7 Kickback and Other Reactive Forces
– Please ask your authorized STIHL servicing dealer
to properly match your chain saw with the
appropriate bar and saw chain combination to
reduce the risk of kickback injury.
■ A blunt or incorrectly sharpened saw chain may reduce or
negate the effectiveness of design features intended to
reduce the propensity for kickback and kickback energies.
Improper lowering or sharpening of the depth gauges or
changing the shape of the cutters may increase the risk
and the energy of kickback.
– Always cut with a properly sharpened chain.
– Read and follow the instructions on sharpening a
saw chain, @ 24.4.
■ Any chain saw mounted with a bow guide is potentially
very dangerous. The risk of kickback is increased with a
bow guide because of the increased kickback contact area
and because the design of bow guides places the upper
portion of the bar closer to the operator's body. Low
kickback saw chain will not significantly reduce the risk of
kickback injury when used on a bow guide.
– Never mount a bow guide on any STIHL chain saw.
b. Reduced Kickback Bars
STIHL green-labeled reduced kickback bars are designed to
reduce the risk of kickback injury when used with STIHL
green-labeled low kickback saw chains.
WARNING
■ When used with other, more aggressive saw chains,
green-labeled reduced kickback bars may be less
effective in reducing kickback.
– STIHL recommends green-labeled bars and green-
labeled saw chains for all chain saws and all users.
■ For proper balance and in order to comply with the chain
saw standards:
– Use only bar lengths listed in this manual, @ 27.
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