Manually operated work device

The invention relates to a handheld work apparatus has a housing (20). A guide bar (8) defines a longitudinal center axis (9) and is mounted on the housing. A saw chain (10) is driven along the guide bar (80) which defines a central plane (39). A drive element (17) for the chain (10) is in a sprocket wheel space (47) delimited by a sprocket wheel cover (16). The cover (16) has a longitudinal edge (52) which delimits the space (47) adjacent to a first side (13) of the saw chain (10). The longitudinal edge (52) extending over a predetermined length from the entry region (45) to the discharge opening (48); the longitudinal edge (52) being at a distance (L) to the housing (2) over at least 50% of the predetermined length with the distance (L) being measured perpendicularly to the imaginary center plane (39). The distance (L) corresponds to the chain width (a). The distance of the longitudinal edge (52) of the cover (16) increases at the discharge opening in the running direction (40) of the first side (13). The largest distance (b) of the longitudinal edge to (52) the central plane (39) is at least 110% of the smallest distance (c).