STIHL 044 Chainsaw Owners Manual

Important Safety Precautions for Chain Saw Users A. Kickback Safety Precautions take several steps to keep your cutting jobs free from accident or injury. 1. With a basic understanding of kickback, you can reduce or eliminate the element of surprise. Sudden surprise contributes to accidents. Keep a good firm grip on the saw with both hands, the right hand on the rear handle, and the left hand on the front handle, when the engine is running. Use a firm grip with thumbs and fingers encircling the chainsaw handles.

A firm grip will help you reduce kickback and maintain control of the saw. Don’t let go. Make sure the area in which you are cutting is free from obstructions. Do not let the nose of the guide bar contact a log, branch, or any other obstruction while you are operating the saw. Cut at high engine speeds. Do not overreach or cut above shoulder height. continued on the back inside cover 6. Follow manufacturer’s sharpening and maintenance instructions for the saw chain. Only use replacement bars and chains specified by the manufacturer or the equivalent. Reduced kickback bars and low kickback chains are designed to reduce the risk of kickback injury. Ask your STIHL dealer about these devices. !Warning! Kickback may occur when the nose or tip of the guide bar touches an object, or when the wood closes in and pinches the saw chain in the cut. Tip contact in some cases may cause a lightning fast reverse reaction, kicking the guide bar up and back towards the operator. Pinching the saw chain along the top of the guide bar may push the guide bar rapidly back towards the operator. Either of these reactions may cause you to lose control of the saw which could result in serious personal injury. Section 5.12 of ANSI B 175.1-1991 sets certain performance and design criteria related to chainsaw kickback. STIHL has developed a color code system using green and yellow to help you select a powerhead, bar and chain combination that complies with the kickback requirements of the ANSI Standard. See the sections entitled “Safety Precautions ” and “Specifications ” of this manual. Do not rely exclusively upon the safety devices built into your saw. As a chainsaw user, you should 7. 8. 2. B. Other Safety Precautions 1. Do not operate a chainsaw with one hand! Serious injury to the operator, helpers, bystanders, or any combination of these persons may result from onehanded operation. A chainsaw is intended to be used with two hands. Do not operate a chainsaw when you are fatigued. Use safety footwear; snug-fitting clothing; protective gloves; and eye, hearing, and head protection devices. 3. 2. 3. 4. 5. Contents Main Parts of the Saw Definitions Safety Precautions – The Operator – The Saw – The Use of the Saw – Maintaining and Storing the Saw Mounting the Bar and Chain Tensioning the Saw Chain Checking Chain Tension Fuel Fueling Chain Lubricant Filling Chain Oil Tank Checking Chain Lubrication Chain Brake Information Before You Start Starting Oil Quantity Control Taking Care of Guide Bar During Break- in Period During Operation After Finishing Work Storing the Machine Air Filter System HD Filter* Winter Operation Electrically Handle Heating* Adjusting Carburetor Motor Management Spark Arresting Screen in Muffler Checking Spark Plug Replacing Starter Rope and Rewind Spring Checking and Replacing Chain Sprocket Ordering Spare Parts Maintaining and Sharpening Saw Chain Maintenance Chart Specifications STIHL Incorporated Federal Emission Control Warranty Statement.