Easy Livin’ 3000
Minister of Fire
Hey Giles- Curious about your emphasis on the GFCI protection? What are the biggest concerns?
Should I buy a chainsaw
- Thread starter Birdbrain
- Start date
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Giles
Burning Hunk
GFCI-- Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.
I am not an electrician but have a good knowledge of GFCI usages.
Cutting the cord would be my greatest concern for electrical shock, especially on wet ground.
These are cheap safety items that could save your life. They don't protect the tool, they protect YOU.
Someone more knowledgeable then I may be able to make a better explanation.
I am not an electrician but have a good knowledge of GFCI usages.
Cutting the cord would be my greatest concern for electrical shock, especially on wet ground.
These are cheap safety items that could save your life. They don't protect the tool, they protect YOU.
Someone more knowledgeable then I may be able to make a better explanation.
Prof
Minister of Fire
I think you are getting some top notch advice here for sure. Keep in mind that you already use really dangerous tools--a car for instance. Heck, people kill themselves every year by sticking a fork into a toaster, and you've managed that all right so far. I think you are doing the right thing by researching, asking advice from people who have experience, and so on. You have a much better attitude than I did when I was a brash 20 something year old teaching myself how to use a chainsaw. I guess my take home message here is that you know a lot about how to not get seriously hurt or get yourself killed already and you are just applying this to chainsaws right now. You are asking the right questions in my opinion.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
A chainsaw isn't too dangerous for any thoughtful, patient person to learn to use. The question is whether it's the best tool for your job!
I learned chainsaw safety on saws whose main safety feature was that they took half an hour to start and ran out of gas pretty fast, using the 'stick the pointy end in the tree and see what happens' method. I am not advising this, of course, but it's not an automatic death sentence.
I learned chainsaw safety on saws whose main safety feature was that they took half an hour to start and ran out of gas pretty fast, using the 'stick the pointy end in the tree and see what happens' method. I am not advising this, of course, but it's not an automatic death sentence.
Giles
Burning Hunk
I am really surprised that some believe a chainsaw is no more dangerous then other powered tools?
I have been using a chainsaw for many years and I have had some close calls. I have a machine shop with hundreds of powered tools that are all somewhat dangerous.
Can anyone suggest a power tool that is more dangerous then a chainsaw? If so, I probably have it but I just have a different opinion.
I have been using a chainsaw for many years and I have had some close calls. I have a machine shop with hundreds of powered tools that are all somewhat dangerous.
Can anyone suggest a power tool that is more dangerous then a chainsaw? If so, I probably have it but I just have a different opinion.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
Circle saw!
Although the rate of injuries might just be a lot higher because they're a lot more common.
Personally, I've had more sobering moments with a chainsaw than a circle saw, but I have a LOT more hours on chainsaws than circle saws.
Giles
Burning Hunk
redktmrider
Burning Hunk
Tablesaw! It scares the H E double L out of me every time I use it! Even with the guards on.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
We also have facts- feel free to look it up yourself.
https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/NEISSQuery/PerformEstimates.aspx
https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/NEISSQuery/PerformEstimates.aspx
Pick a date range that suits your fancy. The product code for chainsaws is 1411, and the product code for circle saws is 0832.
That is a fascinating database, by the way. You can drill down to individual reports and find pretty much anyone you know who's been injured or died on the job in there, if you know when and where it happened.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
jetsam
Minister of Fire
Lordy, the word "amputation" appears in a whole lot of those tablesaw incidents. (Press 'View cases online' after you run a query.)
redktmrider
Burning Hunk
jetsam
Minister of Fire
On a lighter note, 1660 is umbrellas.
"38 YOM PRESENTS WITH PAIN IN RIGHT SHOULDER DUE TO RIDING HIS BICYCLE W HILE HOLDING AND UMBRELLA AND FELL. DX: ANTERIOR DISLOCATION - SHOULDER"
"38 YOM PRESENTS WITH PAIN IN RIGHT SHOULDER DUE TO RIDING HIS BICYCLE W HILE HOLDING AND UMBRELLA AND FELL. DX: ANTERIOR DISLOCATION - SHOULDER"
Thank you for the link, could not go there, too weak of a stomach.
I appreciate all the dialogue. Ignorance and tools are not a good combination. At a family gathering last year. Granddaughter ran into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. I said whoa! What are you doing? She said we are going to cut apples. I said no, that one is very sharp, get a butter knife. I went back to cooking. I did not realize she ran out with it anyway, my grandson, younger, too knife, Apple in palm and swung.....cut himself clear across palm!
All blades scare me. My husband was scared of all his power saws, did not want me using them. He never used safety gear, I would buy googles and such, they were never used. My sons don't either. Which I wish they would.
Right now a grandson reading with me all these posts, showed me a foresters supply online. This year I will use hand tools to cut small limbs and whatever. I will continue to learn about power tools and see.
I appreciate all the dialogue. Ignorance and tools are not a good combination. At a family gathering last year. Granddaughter ran into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. I said whoa! What are you doing? She said we are going to cut apples. I said no, that one is very sharp, get a butter knife. I went back to cooking. I did not realize she ran out with it anyway, my grandson, younger, too knife, Apple in palm and swung.....cut himself clear across palm!
All blades scare me. My husband was scared of all his power saws, did not want me using them. He never used safety gear, I would buy googles and such, they were never used. My sons don't either. Which I wish they would.
Right now a grandson reading with me all these posts, showed me a foresters supply online. This year I will use hand tools to cut small limbs and whatever. I will continue to learn about power tools and see.
Easy Livin’ 3000
Minister of Fire
I like your plan.
Of all my saws, my favorite to use are powered by me- my fiskars pruning saw, pole saw, and bow saw. I only use all those chainsaws because I have to. I don't enjoy it. But, I've even been injured by the hand saws! Those injuries have all been minor, though.
I'm a new chainsaw user as of April this year. I pretty much fell into a situation where one was needed due to a massive windstorm in the Olympia, WA area that took out thousands of trees and knocked out power for three plus days. I was visiting my in laws and they had a 100'+ douglas fir that was leaning toward the house and fortunately had a tree service come and take it down before it fell. Because the demand to take down damaged trees was so high the tree service left the remains of the tree in the driveway and proceeded quickly to the next house to take trees down for them.
I had always wanted a chainsaw (who doesn't like to have more tools) but previously never really needed one. I went down to the local Stihl dealer and picked up a little MS211 for less than $300, the rationale being that it was a good homeowner saw that was light and easy to handle. The dealer explained all of the differences between homeowner saws, pro saws, etc and was very helpful. They fired up the saw and fine tuned it before I left, showing me how to adjust the chain tension and explaining the safety features (you will not find someone this helpful at a big box store).
Excited about my purchase and ready to tackle the task at hand I just dove in and started cutting. Having not used a chainsaw but being very familiar with power tools in general I did read the manual to some extent to get a better grasp on the finer details of operation. At the time the MS211 seemed quite powerful and did a good job with tree cleanup. I probably pushed it harder than it would have liked bucking up that douglas fir but instead of forcing it I just let the saw go at its own pace. The 16" bar wasn't enough (the log diameter was closer to 25") so I just spun each piece around to finish the cut.
They key takeaways from that cleanup job:
1. Chainsaws are enjoyable to use but can tire you out.
2. Chainsaws are tools that happen to be dangerous. How dangerous they are is up to the user.
3. Start with a smaller saw. Read the user manual.
4. Be diligent in each step you take. Think about what will happen once the cut is finished.
5. Constantly assess your position for safety and ergonomics to avoid injury.
6. Don't get tired and sloppy. If you are tired take a break.
7. Don't be in a hurry. Let the saw do the work. Stop and sharpen the chain when needed.
Now that I had the chainsaw bug it just so happened we decided to install a wood stove later this summer. I continued using the MS211 to gather firewood and found myself in a situation where it couldn't keep up with the volume and size of logs I was asking it to cut. I continued to become more comfortable using the saw and decided it needed a larger companion for the bigger logs.
A few weeks later and I have a new to me Husqvarna 365 Special, bought from craigslist from the original owner (model year 2000, fresh from a service, clean, included the manuals and a brand new 20" sugihara bar and oregon semi chisel chain). I researched saws for a while and decided to get something older that I could modify later if I wanted, but that would be large enough that I wouldn't get the bug to upgrade again (buy once, cry once).
In short this was a whole different animal. Never would I recommend anyone to start with a saw in this league. It sounds like a small dirtbike when you fire it up and although its not heavy for what it is, its definitely heavier than the MS211. I proceeded to do some test cuts and it walked through logs like they were nothing. To this day I continue to master the beast and it puts a smile on my face each time I bury it into a log and the chips start flying. I still use the MS211 for smaller logs and removing limbs, for which it does a great job with. There is something very satisfying about using a chainsaw, I don't' really know how to describe the feeling but its as if the saw is summoning me to pick it up and get some work done. I also enjoy cleaning it, sharpening the chain, the smell, the whole experience.
In conclusion it sounds like you have your mind made up. Find a good nearby dealer and see if they have any saws you can try out and learn about. Start small, stay safe, and be confident in your abilities.
yes. but as others have mentioned, use proper protective equipment. Chaps, eye protection, steel toes, etc.
its the little things that get you.
its the little things that get you.
maple1
Minister of Fire
PPE - a must have, absolutely.
First on the list for me is pants or chaps, along with boots. Not ordinary steel toe work boots, but chainsaw boots. (You can use them for way more than chain sawing). If you get side by side with each type of boot and examine what is & isn't protected by each, you should be able to tell why saw boots are a must - would be pretty easy to get your chain into your foot or shin and miss the steel toe. Next would be hard hat/face shield/muff combo. But if not felling, I would would put gloves ahead of that if you have ear plugs & safety glasses. I don't do anything without gloves - don't know what it is but as soon as I try to do something without them I am skinning a knuckle.
So to answer your question - yes.
First on the list for me is pants or chaps, along with boots. Not ordinary steel toe work boots, but chainsaw boots. (You can use them for way more than chain sawing). If you get side by side with each type of boot and examine what is & isn't protected by each, you should be able to tell why saw boots are a must - would be pretty easy to get your chain into your foot or shin and miss the steel toe. Next would be hard hat/face shield/muff combo. But if not felling, I would would put gloves ahead of that if you have ear plugs & safety glasses. I don't do anything without gloves - don't know what it is but as soon as I try to do something without them I am skinning a knuckle.
So to answer your question - yes.
VirginiaIron
Minister of Fire
They are all dangerous. Circular saws and table saws have the automatic gards. Table saws generally have a fixed working station with level footing. Circular saws and chainsaws usually permit the operator to position himself in a compromised position while allowing the tool to remain in motion. I have had close calls with high and low speed- high torgue drills. Imho, any tool requires respect, even a screwdriver, and 20 inches of razor sharp surface can be devastatingly dangerous if you read your log or work area incorrectly.
I wil be in my new house in a couple weeks. I think the dust will settle a little on all my changes. I saw a post somewhere on hearth.com. A man's wife in Canada took classes and has a license. I would like to find a class.
I will go to a couple dealers this winter. I do like my toes!
I will go to a couple dealers this winter. I do like my toes!
beatlefan
Feeling the Heat
Sounds like a great idea Birdbrain. Take a class, buy a small saw and have at it. You’re gonna do just fine. A little common sense goes a long way.
Birdbrain, with all the excellent comments from seasoned wood guys your still not out buying a saw. I assume your new at this and plan on feeding a wood stove. You can get split wood delivered. But it will be hard to get by without a chain saw. You can go with the electrics and cheaper saws to get your comfort level up. But I suggest a higher end quality saw, and you won't regret it.
Next year it will be the splitter.
Next year it will be the splitter.
Jazzberry
Minister of Fire
I know a couple carpenters that can't pick their nose with their preferred hand due to a radial arm saw. I hear more about accidents from a chainsaw due to a helper walking behind the user than from the user getting hurt.
A battery powered saw would be a great start. Next in line is a plug in electric. I have 2 ,a nice 12" saw which really can do the lions share of the cutting ,and a 16 in craftsman electric that can do the really big stuff. I used to have a gas powered saw but frankly with all the starting problems ,gas mixing, ect ect that goes with a small gas engine i just gave up on em. If i run into anything i cant handle ,my son has one of those Huge Stihl saws that just obliterate whatever is in front of them. I wont touch it.
If you wear your PPE and learn from watching the video, I have confidence that just about anyone can be safe saw operator. A little tutorial from a family member or neighbor can be a great confidence builder.
