Husqvarna 414EL Operation Manual - Page 15

GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Will my hand always activate the chain brake during a kickback? No. It takes a certain force to move the hand guard forward. If your hand only lightly touches the front guard or slips over it, the force may not be enough to trigger the chain brake. You should also maintain a firm grip of the chain saw handles while working. If you do and experience a kickback, your hand may never leave the front handle and will not activate the chain brake, or the chain brake will only activate after the saw has swung around a considerable distance. In such instances, the chain brake might not have enough time to stop the saw chain before it touches you. There are also certain positions in which your hand cannot reach the front hand guard to activate the chain brake; for example, when the saw chain is held in felling position. Will my inertia activated chain brake always activate during kickback in the event of a kickback? No. First your brake must be in working order. Second the kickback must be strong enough to activate the chain brake. If the chain brake is too sensitive it would activate all the time which would be a nuisance. Will my chain brake always protect me from injury in the event of a kickback? No. First, the chain brake must be in working order to provide the intended protection. Second, it must be activated during the kickback as described above to stop the saw chain. Third, the chain brake may be activated but if the bar is too close to you the brake might not have enough time to slow down and stop the chain before the chain saw hits you. Only you and proper working technique can eliminate kickback and its danger. Power trigger lockout The power trigger lockout is designed to prevent accidental operation of the power trigger. When you press the power trigger lockout (A) (i.e when you grasp the handle) it releases the power trigger (B). When you release the handle the power trigger and the power trigger lockout both move back to their original positions. (8) Chain catcher The chain catcher is designed to catch the chain if it snaps or jumps off. This should not happen if the chain is properly tensioned (see instructions under the heading Assembly) and if the bar and chain are properly serviced and maintained (see instructions under the heading General working instructions). (9) Right hand guard Apart from protecting your hand if the chain jumps or snaps, the right hand guard stops branches and twigs from interfering with your grip on the rear handle. (10) Vibrations Cutting hardwoods (most broadleaf trees) creates more vibration than cutting softwoods (most conifers). Cutting with cutting equipment that is blunt or faulty (wrong type or badly sharpened) will increase the vibration level. WARNING! Under no circumstances may ! the design of the machine be modified without the permission of the manufacturer. Always use genuine accessories. Non-authorized modifications and/or accessories can result in serious personal injury or the death of the operator or others. WARNING! Overexposure to vibration ! can lead to circulatory damage or nerve damage in people who have impaired circulation. Contact your doctor if you experience symptoms of overexposure to vibration. Such symptoms include numbness, loss of feeling, tingling, pricking, pain, loss of strength, changes in skin colour or condition. These symptoms normally appear in the fingers, hands or wrists. These symptoms may be increased in cold temperatures. Cutting equipment This section describes how to choose and maintain your cutting equipment in order to: • Reduce the risk of kickback. • Reduce the risk of the saw chain breaking or jumping off the bar. • Obtain optimal cutting performance. • Extend the life of cutting equipment. • Avoid increasing vibration levels. General rules • Only use cutting equipment recommended by us! See instructions under the heading Technical data. • Keep the chain's cutting teeth properly sharpened! Follow our instructions and use the recommended file gauge. A damaged or badly sharpened chain increases the risk of accidents. • Maintain the correct depth gauge setting! Follow our instructions and use the recommended depth gauge clearance. Too large a clearance increases the risk of kickback. (18) English - 15