Husqvarna 455 Rancher - Manual (Page 9)

English – 9
GENERAL SAFETY PRECA UTIONS
• In the felling position the left hand is in a position that
makes manual activation of the chain brake impossible.
With this type of grip, that is when the left hand is placed
so that it cannot affect the movement of the front hand
guard, the chain brake can only be activated by the inertia
action.
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 inetria activated chain brake
always activate during kickback in the
event of a kickback?
No. First your brake must be in working order. Testing the
brake is simple, see instructions under the heading Checking,
maintaining and servicing chain saw safety equipment. We
recommend you do before you begin each work session.
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 to 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.
Throttle lockout
The throttle lockout is designed to prevent accidental
operation of the throttle control. When you press the lock (A)
(i.e. when you grasp the handle) it releases the throttle control
(B). When you release the handle the throttle control and the
throttle lockout both move back to their original positions. This
arrangement means that the throttle control is automatically
locked at the idle setting.
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).
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.