How the General Public Uses Chainsaws

[fabsroman]

Same here except I need XXL in many gloves.... I don't even have big hands.



So far only time I needed chaps was when I caught the end of the saw dawg on my leg while moving my 460. (have a set of big "western" dawgs on it) The chaps didn't do a damn bit of good, tore right through them and got my leg.

So, you really didn't need chaps, but chainmail or platemail in that case.

 

[BobUrban]

Chaps, like kevlar vests, do not stop stab wounds. Cops will shoot the man with the knife before the man with the gun for a reason.

 

[nate379]

Understood. Given how thick they are I didn't expect to get my leg stabbed that easily.

 

[flhpi]

I have chaps that are always on when I cut. Just recently I bought a helmet with built in eye and hearing protection. Lowes has the 80 pack of foam ear plugs that I keep in my truck. I double up hearing protection when I cut. Always have steel toes on but they are not chain saw boots. As far as gloves, I am a slacker. I really need to get some good ones that are protective for chain saw use.

When I was younger I was in the woods with my dad and the saw came down on his leg and gave him a good gash. He is a dentist so we went to the house and he sewed his leg up. After that I have always thought about what could happen out in the woods without anyone around to help.

Whenever I go into the woods to cut or fell trees I let someone know where I am and always have a charged phone on my person, not in the truck. I also call and check in. After watching dad sew up his leg and several local farmers that were found under their tractors I try to use my head for more than just a hat rack.

 

[Machria]

I wonder what vintage of saw he was running? Many modern saws have designed shapes into them to prevent the chain from wrapping around like that. That's one reason the bottom section of the back handle on most saws is flat and wide.



Even bucking logs there is potential for kick-back, kick-out, chain failure and other dangerous situations. Chaps man. The #1 safety item for chainsaw work.

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Glad to see there are no injuries reported in the manly junk area!

 

[Ralphie Boy]

I ended up volunteering to cut his wood for him with my saw

You're a nice guy! If you didn't save his life you most likely save him a limb, and I don't mean tree limb. It was a teachable moment, I hope you took advantage of it.

 

[Machria]

I ended up volunteering to cut his wood for him with my saw.

FYI: I'm about to start working on a huge pile of stuff that needs bucked. I have a big 25" saw, with a brand new SHARP chain, it has no break, I have no gloves, no helmet, no ear protection, no chaps, this is my first time using a chainsaw, and I am a very weak and un-coordinated person.

 

[mikefrommaine]

Make sure to take a video for you tube.

 

[TreePointer]

Don't forget your ladder!

 

[charly]

I pretty much wear it all,, had to for years doing line clearance, NYS DOT tree crew, and another independent Arborist outfit. One thing people tend to forget is to make sure you wrap your thumb around the top handle,, that tends to lock your hand onto the handle..things we were taught in safety classes.. I never cut with the bar lined up with my body, unless I was climbing and blocking down trunk wood,,, then you have no choice.. Knock on wood,,, no cuts for me in over 30 years around saws.

 

[charly]

Don't forget your ladder!

Guy told me some years ago,, his good friend -neighbor came over to help remove a good size limb off one of his trees by the driveway.. His neighbor did the ladder thing,, well as a large amount of limb weight was removed, the rest of the limb sprung up flipping the ladder back sending the guy to the ground were he laid dead in the guys driveway from a broken neck... homeowner felt terrible... Tie in with the proper gear!

 

[schlot]

I wonder what vintage of saw he was running? Many modern saws have designed shapes into them to prevent the chain from wrapping around like that. That's one reason the bottom section of the back handle on most saws is flat and wide.



Even bucking logs there is potential for kick-back, kick-out, chain failure and other dangerous situations. Chaps man. The #1 safety item for chainsaw work.

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Thank God, there isn't any dots around the groin.

Next time I saw, I'm breaking out the Speedo!

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I would never argue the use of personal protection equipment (PPE), but sometimes common sense and good ole experience can trump the necessity of too much of it. I generally always wear ear protection, gloves and eye protection if I am using any sort of loud cutting equipment. I've been using my chainsaw for 30+ years and have yet to try on a pair of chaps. I will tell you that years ago I nicked my thigh once with the chainsaw, but again, that was due to lack of common sense on my part, I just wasn't focusing enough. I was just standing and looking at where I was going to make my next cut and let the spinning saw rest on my thigh. STUPID!
It's my personal choice not to wear chaps, not because I don't think they are a good idea, they are. But because I feel comfortable now that I can avoid making the same mistake, and I only cut a certain amount of wood every year so I'm willing to accept the low risk. If I was using my saw everyday, I'd probably change my mind.
I do make sure I wear ear and eye protection though, because there is simply no way to avoid the harm that loud equipment with flying bits of wood and sawdust does to your eyes and ears. That is where the common sense comes in.
Wearing chaps is like wearing a seat belt, is it smart to wear them? You bet! Do I always wear a seat belt? I usually do when I'm in my car (it's the law after all),,,,,,,, but I don't when I'm riding my motorcycle.

Disclaimer (Kids, don't try this at home)

 

[MasterMech]

Glad to see there are no injuries reported in the manly junk area!

Thank God, there isn't any dots around the groin. Next time I saw, I'm breaking out the Speedo!

You wait, there is someone out there dumb enough .....

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[charly]

You wait, there is someone out there dumb enough .....

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I was looking for that earlier,, someone had emailed it the other day.. Caption said I know, no hearing protection or safety glasses.. good one! Good post!

 

[Machria]

Hey, I asked you guys to keep that picture of me private!@!

 

[Como]

My thought is that injury would be less with chaps that without. That is, if I were using an proper electric saw with a brake, etc. However: Stihl MSE 140 - $350. Chaps - $100. Helmet system - $65. Chainsaw gloves - $45. Plus sales tax on all that comes out to over $500. Yes, some of these can be found for less on Azamon, but I think I will stick to letting other folks buck the wood, i.e. tree guys and gardeners who stick pre-cut wood on the curb, or advertise it on CL. Even if I have to pay for wood sometimes, the outlay at any one time is far less. And since we just use the fireplace to warm up the den, it's not mission critical.

I have a lot of respect for you guys that do this properly. I just don't want to make the investment to do so, and I'm not willing to to "cut corners" with a chainsaw. Not ever.

Peace,
- Sequoia

I see you have an X27, so do I.

However in terms of risk I would put that highest, followed by the splitter and then the chainsaw. Now I do not normally fell trees, if I did the tree would be first.

Helmets can certainly be useful, but not for bucking or splitting. Moving split wood maybe if there is more than one of you. I do not have chaps, but acknowledge there usefulness. I do have steel capped boots, my injuries so far have been bruises to lower legs from being banged by blocked wood. I need to get some shin guards.

 

[charly]

I see you have an X27, so do I.

However in terms of risk I would put that highest, followed by the splitter and then the chainsaw. Now I do not normally fell trees, if I did the tree would be first.

Helmets can certainly be useful, but not for bucking or splitting. Moving split wood maybe if there is more than one of you. I do not have chaps, but acknowledge there usefulness. I do have steel capped boots, my injuries so far have been bruises to lower legs from being banged by blocked wood. I need to get some shin guards.

I wear my hard hat when ever I run my saw plus I use the ear muffs for hearing protection.. A co-worker on a tree crew told me of a kick back that happened to him in which his helmet took the brunt of the bar coming back...he said if he had no helmet on,,, his ear would have been history.. I got to see the helmet,,, one lucky guy... the bar had hit the right front part of the helmet and ran down the side a bit, stopping short of his shoulder.

 

[Como]

I wear my hard hat when ever I run my saw plus I use the ear muffs for hearing protection.. A co-worker on a tree crew told me of a kick back that happened to him in which his helmet took the brunt of the bar coming back...he said if he had no helmet on,,, his ear would have been history.. I got to see the helmet,,, one lucky guy... the bar had hit the right front part of the helmet and ran down the side a bit, stopping short of his shoulder.

I use full chisel and have never had a noticeable kickback, certainly nothing like that, now my main saw is 50cc Makita and probably 30% down on sea level performance due to the altitude. I would have to be leaning over with a loose hold, using the tip of the bar by the look of it etc etc.

I googled kickback and the first photo was of a neck injury, so a helmet would be no use.

Ear muffs, well my chainsaw is not that noisy and I prefer to be more aware of what is happening around me. I also would not have it on full blast all the time, I do not mill.

 

[ArsenalDon]

bucking with no chaps and eye protection is just insane...the ear protection not there is just dumb. if felling with no head gear stupid. the lack of maintenance is just ignorant.

 

[ArsenalDon]

I ended up volunteering to cut his wood for him with my saw.

maybe that is what he was going for?!

 

[ArsenalDon]

Just FYI, chaps wont stop an electric saw.

Kevlar chaps WILL stop a chain saw...trust me, I owe my leg to kevlar chaps. way back when my neighbor lent me his, talked me into them, I got a pair and a week later was limbing and bucking and whooops, slipped off a limb and straight to where my femoral artery is, chaps probably saved my life and my leg for sure.

 

[Machria]

Well, I'll agree with two things combo said. One, I never wear hearing protection, a small chainsaw 18" is really not that loud. I drive a twin diesel boat, THAT is loud!

As for kickback, I hear and see it talked about all the time. I've been using a chainsaw since I was about 16, not professionally and not often, just a few times a year to either clear a tree from a storm, or to make firewood. And after all those years 30+, I have never experienced any kickback that was more than moving the saw blade 2 or 3 inches. So I always wonder what the fuss about it is. Maybe I'm just careful, or a wimpy cutter...? I don't know. I do take my time and am careful. But I always wonder why all the talk about kickback. Now I could name 3 or 4 other things that I do see happening easy, loss of balance, falling, loosing grip of saw, not paying attention..... Those are the things that worry me.

 

[Como]

maybe that is what he was going for?!

That was my first thought, if female a certainty.

Just had a Baileys flyer come through, chaps will be on my buy list, I have a while before I will be cutting next so will wait for their next free postage.

Looks like we will at last last get some snow.

 

[Como]

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Bar nose kickback is one of the more common causes of serious chain saw injury accidents. The Technical Services Department of OREGON®, Blount Inc. offers a free safety seminar program to our customers in the United States. If your organization uses chain saws, and if safety for your people is a high priority, look into our Service School Program.
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Kickback may occur when the moving chain at 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 or bar nose contact can, in some cases, cause a lightning-fast reverse reaction, kicking the guide bar up and back toward the operator. Pinching the cutting chain along the top of the guide bar may push the guide bar rapidly toward the operator. Either of these reactions may cause you to lose control of the saw, which could result in serious personal injury to yourself or to bystanders.
The top of the tip of the chain saw guide bar is known as the KICKBACK DANGER ZONE. When contact is made with an object such as a branch or a log, there is a danger of a sudden bar nose kickback reaction.
Modern chain saws are equipped with a variety of devices intended to reduce the risk of injury from kickback or from other causes. Among these are the chain brake, the front (left) hand guard, the bar tip guard and low or reduced kickback saw chain and guide bars. To assure the protection afforded by these devices is maintained, it is important your chain saw is properly and fully assembled, and that all components are securely attached and functional.
No matter how your saw is equipped, OREGON®, Blount Inc. recommends that low-kickback chain be used on all saws unless you have experience and special training for dealing with kickback. Ask your chain saw dealer for OREGON® low-kickback chain meeting ANSI requirements of standard B175.1.
Before using any chain saw, thoroughly read the manufacturer's operating and safety instructions.

So what is the special training they talk about? I must try and induce it next time, in a controlled small way of course.