Stihl MSA 160 C-BQ Product Instruction Manual - Page 16

English All STIHL chain saws are now equipped with a Quickstop chain brake that can be activated by inertia. If the forces of an occurring kickback are sufficiently high, the hand guard is accelerated toward the bar nose even without hand contact. See the chapter entitled "Chain Brake" of your instruction manual. Warning! Never operate your chain saw without a front hand guard. In a kickback situation this guard helps protect your left hand and other parts of your body. In addition, removal of the hand guard on a saw equipped with a Quickstop chain brake will deactivate the chain brake. Warning! No Quickstop or other chain brake device prevents kickback. These devices are designed to reduce the risk of kickback injury, if activated, in certain kickback situations. In order for the Quickstop to reduce the risk of kickback injury, it must be properly maintained and in good working order. See the chapter of your instruction manual entitled "Chain Brake" and the section "Maintenance, Repair and Storing" at the end of these Safety Precautions. In addition, there must be enough distance between the bar and the operator to ensure that the Quickstop has sufficient time to activate and stop the chain before potential contact with the operator. Warning! An improperly maintained chain brake may increase the time needed to stop the chain after activation, or may not activate at all. Low Kickback Saw Chain and Reduced Kickback Bars STIHL offers a variety of 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 obtain higher cutting efficiency or sharpening ease but may result in higher kickback tendency. STIHL has developed a color code system to help you identify the STIHL reduced kickback bars and low kickback chains. Cutting attachments with green warning decals or green labels on the packaging are designed to reduce the risk of kickback injury. The matching of green decaled powerheads with green labeled bars and green labeled chains gives compliance with the computed kickback angle requirements of § 30 of UL 1662 / ANSI B175.1-2000 when the products are in their original condition. Products with yellow decals or labels are for users with extraordinary cutting needs and 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 STIHL Quickstop chain brake for both experienced and inexperienced chain saw users. Please ask your STIHL dealer to properly match your powerhead with the appropriate bar/chain combination to reduce the risk of kickback injury. Green labeled bars and chains are recommended for all powerheads. See your "STIHL Bar and Chain Information" leaflet for details. Warning! Use of other, non-listed bar/chain combinations may increase kickback forces and increase the risk of kickback injury. New bar/chain combinations may be developed after publication of this literature, which will, in combination with certain electric chain saws, comply with § 30 of UL 1662 / § 5.11 of ANSI B175.1-2000. Check with your STIHL dealer for such combinations. Warning! Reduced kickback bars and low kickback chains do not prevent kickback, but they are designed to reduce the risk of kickback injury. They are available from your STIHL dealer. Warning! Even if your saw is equipped with a Quickstop, a reduced kickback bar and/or low kickback chain, this does not eliminate the risk of injury by kickback. Therefore, always observe all safety precautions to avoid kickback situations. Low Kickback Chain Some types of saw chains have specially designed components to reduce the force of nose contact kickback. STIHL has developed low kickback chains for your powerhead. 14 MSA 160 C