A chain saw is useful for cleanup and maintenance of your yard and garden, but observe some basics for safe and easy operation. Solo Incorporated, which makes chain saws, has these tips: _ When starting the chain saw, place it on level ground at least 10 feet from the gas can and fueling area. Hold the saw down by placing one foot on the rear handlebar while firmly holding the front handlebar with one hand. If your saw has only a top handlebar, hold it firmly on the ground, pulling up on the starting grip. _ Hold the saw firmly with both hands, maintaining a secure grip. This will help you avoid injury from kickback. Don't overreach or cut above shoulder height, and when cutting logs, only cut one at a time. _ In bucking timber, don't stand directly behind the saw while cutting. Position yourself so you'll be away from the direction of the log roll. Hold the saw on the right side of your body (outside the line of sight across the chain) to minimize chances of injury from an unexpected broken chain or kickback. Examine the log for internal stress _ a bowed appearance is an indication _ and avoid cutting the log on the wrong side, which can result in kickback. _ To avoid kickback while limbing, make sure the log is in a secure position and work on the safest side _ usually uphill and away from the fall of cut limbs. To avoid kickback, make sure the guidebar's tip doesn't come in contact with another branch, the side of a tree, or another object. When limbing, bend your knees slightly and position your right leg behind the front carrying handlebar. The left leg should be forward and away from the guidebar's contact range. Avoid standing on limbs, slash or debris. _ Survey the area before felling a tree. Is the trunk sound or hollow and rotted? What's the wind direction and speed? Which direction is the tree leaning in? Is the tree's crown denser and heavier on one side? When you've determined the answers to these questions, figure your escape route, which should be at a 45-degee angle back from the line of the fall. When you have checked this and cleared the small limbs and branches from the bottom portion of the trunk, you're ready to fell the tree. Stand away from the tree and maintain a balanced stance. Then start by making a careful undercut. This notch, cut to a depth of a quarter-inch, will determine the line of the fall and should be positioned at a right angle to the projected fall. _ Wear protective clothing each time you use a saw. These include goggles or a face mask, snug but comfortable work clothing, cuffless long pants, hearing protection, non-slip safety gloves, and boots with steel toecaps.