Gooserider said:
I would move up to the Pro-chain as soon as I could, as even that is now designed with a fair amount of anti-kickback features, just not as much so. Remember that "safety chain" isn't - it will still do you serious damage if misused, it can still kick back under the right (wrong) conditions, etc... Seems to me like the shrinkology people might even be concerned about the name generating false overconfidence in it's anti-kickback performance.... It really ought to be called "REDUCED kickback" - with emphasis on reducing it, NOT eliminating it... You will be far safer using pro-chain and keeping material from getting into the kickback danger zone than using safety chain with bad cutting habbits...
The key thing that makes "safety chain" safer is the "bumper links" that most such chain has in between the cutting links. These links are supposed to not get in the way on the straight sections of the bar, but stick up far enough to "bump" the chain away from digging into the wood if you touch it on the curved tip of the bar (the upper half of which is the "danger zone") and thus reduce the chances of a serious kickback. The problem is that the bumper links also prevent effective "plunge cutting" or other cutting with the tip of the bar - which is a useful, albeit somewhat advanced, technique.
One use that I often do when bucking (and see others doing as well) is when bucking a log on the ground, I cut from the top as far down as I can (or dare) and then roll the log over to finish the cuts, which I do by using the top of the bar to continue the existing cut UP and out of the log rather than starting a new cut down from the top with the bottom of the bar and hoping they line up perfectly... Works great with pro-chain, not as well w/ safety chain. (Note that this WILL sometimes give minor kickbacks if you aren't lined up with the existing cut well enough, but it isn't a problem if you have a proper hold on the saw)
Pro-chain and some of the less radical "safety chains" don't have the bumper links, but have differently shaped "rakers" that are alleged to produce a reduction in the likelyhood of kickback over the old traditional style chains, but not reduce the ability to cut with the tip as much.
In my limited personal experience, using modern saws with narrow bars, modern designs, etc., I have not found that pro-chain has a significantly bigger problem with kickback than safety chain.
Gooserider
Nemesis and binary here Gooserider et al ...sorry that I don't have the time to be online hours every day to respond to often bad advice and the usual flames.
Let's start with the more dangerous advice: the design of "safety chain". As you say "in (your) limited experience.." with chainsaws, what you call "pro chain" does have a major danger with kickback with inexperienced users with limited experience.
They are a different animal from LOW KICKBACK chain. What the manufacturers call " non-safety chain" ( Stihl marks it yellow ) is engineered for efficiency in the right hands.
"Safety chain" ( Stihl marked green ) is engineered as LOW kickback chain. The "bumpers" definately do NOT "BUMP the chain anywhere. Just partially prevent the chain from KICKING Back with extreme torque out of a cut.
And please, NO ONE ( not even the Mr. Machos here ) can avoid kickback with "a proper hold on a saw"; forget it. There are too many foot-pounds of force to manhandle a kickback at WOT. It is technique, training, experience, thinking that is not gotten online or a few hours cutting a pile of wood in someone's yard.
The "plunge cut" ( really termed "bore") is learned . It is usually called "bore cutting"--part of professional and safe techniques for felling and cutting. I've bore cut good size trees with a "by accident" use of a Stihl green "safety chain"; when sharpened right and rakers to the specified height, they bore as well as any of the yellow non-safety chains. Slower, yes. Come and watch ?
Sorry: a slice of reality that certainly will not sit well in this crowd. Given in the wish that some will at least get out and try and not be always right.
JMNSHO
