Homelite EL12 - Manuel (Page 3)

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OWNER’S MANUAL
SAFETY
INFORMATION
Continued
• Keep all safety items in place on saw.
Make sure they work properly.
• Do not overreach or cut above shoulder
height.
• Keep solid footing and balance
• Stand slightly to left side of saw. This
keeps your body from being in direct line
with chain.
• Do not let guide bar nose touch anything
when chain is moving (see Figure 1).
Direction
90 °
Quadrant
Figure 1 - Kickback Hazard Example.
Do Not Let Nose of Guide Bar Touch
Object While Chain is Moving
Do Not Let
Guide Bar
Touch Here
• Never try cutting through two logs at
same time. Only cut one log at a time.
• Do not bury guide bar nose or try plunge
cut (boring into wood using guide bar
nose).
• Watch for shifting of wood or other
forces that may pinch chain.
• Use extreme caution when re-entering a
previous cut.
• Use low-kickback chain and guide bar
supplied with this chain saw. Only re-
place these parts with chains and guide
bars listed in this manual.
• Never use dull or loose chain. Keep chain
sharp and tensioned correctly.
PUSHBACK AND PULL-IN
Avoid pushback and pull-in. These
hazards can cause you to lose
control of chain saw. Pushback or
pull-in can cause severe injury.
Cause Of Pushback and Pull-In
Pushback may occur while cutting with top
of guide bar. Pushback will force saw back
towards you. Pull-in may occur while cut-
ting with bottom of guide bar. Pull-in will
force saw in towards wood you are cutting.
These hazards can occur if chain is pinched,
caught, or contacts a non-wood object.
The following steps will reduce the risk of
pushback or pull-in.
• Use both hands to grip saw while saw is
running. Use firm grip. Thumbs and
fingers must wrap around saw handles.
• Do not overreach or cut above shoulder
height.
• Keep solid footing and balance.
• Stand slightly to left side of saw. This
keeps your body from being in direct line
with chain.
• Have saw running at full speed before
starting a cut.
• When cutting, make sure spike of saw is
against wood (pull-in only). See Prod-
uct Identification, page 4, to locate spike.
• Never try cutting through two logs at
same time. Only cut one log at a time.
• Watch for shifting of log or other forces
that may pinch chain.
• Use extreme caution when re-entering a
previous cut.
• Do not twist saw when removing guide
bar from undercut.
• Use wedges made of plastic, wood, or
light alloy (never steel or iron) to hold
cut open.
KICKBACK
Avoid Kickback. Kickback can
cause you to lose control of
chain saw. Kickback can cause
severe injury or death.
Kickback Safety Devices On
This Saw
This saw has a Dual Raker low-kickback
chain, reduced kickback guide bar, and a
SAFE•T•TIP
® anti-kickback device
mounted to tip of guide bar. These items
reduce the chance of kickback. Kickback
can still occur with this saw. Do not remove
SAFE•T•TIP
® anti-kickback device from tip
of guide bar. Do not let tip of guide bar touch
anything when chain is moving.
Properly install front hand guard. This item
can reduce injuries from kickback. Follow
assembly instructions on page 6. Do not
remove front hand guard. Do not replace
front hand guard with substitute.
Cause Of Kickback
Kickback may occur when nose or tip of
guide bar touches an object while chain is
moving. If chain cutter catches on object, a
sudden reverse action will result. The guide
bar will kick up and back towards operator.
Kickback may also occur when wood
pinches chain at guide bar nose. A sudden
reverse action will also result.
The following steps will reduce the risk of
kickback.
• Do not remove SAFE•T•TIP ® anti-kick-
back device from tip of guide bar.
• Use both hands to grip saw while saw is
running. Use firm grip. Thumbs and
fingers must wrap around saw handles.
IMPORTANT: Make certain you
read and understand all Safety
Warnings on pages 2 through 4.
Improper use of this chain saw
can cause severe injury or death
from fire, electrical shock, body
contact with moving chain, or
falling wood.
Saw Maintenance and Kickback
Safety
Follow maintenance instructions in this
manual. Proper cleaning of saw along with
chain and guide bar maintenance can reduce
chances of kickback. Inspect and maintain
saw after each use. This will increase the
service life of your saw.
Note: Even with
proper sharpening, risk of kickback can
increase with each sharpening.
Continued