Be careful when using a chainsaw!!!!

[Ziffystriperchum]

I accidentally nicked the rim of the wheelbarrow while cutting wood with my Stihl chainsaw today. . . . . . . . imagine what it would do to human flesh!?!?!?!!!!

[Ziffystriperchum]

The chain was f’d!

[GrizG]

The chain was f’d!

Nah... you can probably fix it up though there may not be much left of some teeth.  All the teeth do NOT need to be the same size...  Not much different from hitting embedded bolts, spikes, rocks, etc.

[walkabout]

Dangerous piece of machinery for sure..

[DXT]

I always wear chaps gloves and a safety helmet with face shield and ear muffs, all purchased years ago from Brian when he had Sheldon Hill forestry.

[ATS1755]

I always wear chaps gloves and a safety helmet with face shield and ear muffs.

I totally agree. Here's a video on how well the chaps work.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZWsv3Jp8Cs&t=8s

[GrizG]

PPE and formal training go a long way when it comes to chainsaw safety... Taking at least the introductory Game of Logging or Arborist training is well worth the time and money. I took GOL training and hosted a GOL class several years later. Experiencing the class a second time, after cutting hundreds if not a 1,000+ dead, dying or fallen trees, was valuable as I picked up some things that I didn't quite retain from the first time through. I initially took the training so I could do habitat work on DEP and DEC property. That was just before the Emerald Ash Borer decimated the ash trees in the area... There are still a lot of hazard ash trees about to keep me busy!

[bart]

I always wear chaps gloves and a safety helmet with face shield and ear muffs.

I totally agree. Here's a video on how well the chaps work.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZWsv3Jp8Cs&t=8s

I watched a guy shaking as he checked himself after the chainsaw hitting his chaps. It went completely through his chaps, a pair of jeans and a pair of longjohns, never even scratch his skin! Very lucky man. These old pair just bought you a little reaction time, those chaps in the video are a real nice pair.

[MK]

I always wear chaps gloves and a safety helmet with face shield and ear muffs, all purchased years ago from Brian when he had Sheldon Hill forestry.

Even if it’s to cut ONE limb, chaps, gloves and helmet with ear mugs and face shield always! Hard to hunt n fish with missing limbs! 😁

[Ziffystriperchum]

I wear ALL religiously! . . . One winter while cutting, I nicked a piece of wood just in front of the log I was cutting . . . within a milli-second the chainsaw kicked back and the bar and chain smacked the top of my helmet going full speed! . . . so fast that the brake did not engage . . . leaving me hyperventilating thinking of what would have happened if I didn’t have my helmet on!
Chainsaws are No Joke!

[GrizG]

I wear ALL religiously! . . . One winter while cutting, I nicked a piece of wood just in front of the log I was cutting . . . within a milli-second the chainsaw kicked back and the bar and chain smacked the top of my helmet going full speed! . . . so fast that the brake did not engage . . . leaving me hyperventilating thinking of what would have happened if I didn’t have my helmet on!
Chainsaws are No Joke!

Some years back, before anyone but loggers was wearing any type of PPE while working with chainsaws, my uncle had a kick back. He was wearing a baseball type cap at the time. The brim folded down over his face when it was hit by the saw. That worked out pretty good for his face but the saw still took off the end of his nose... A plastic surgeon reconstructed his nose pretty well but even now, probably 40 years later, every time I see my uncle I still see the scars on the end of his nose. I got religion through his experience and always wear PPE!

[SHForestry]

I’ve been in the chainsaw business all my life. I ran Sheldon Hill Forestry Supplies for 28 years taught Level1 and Level 2 for over 15 years. The chainsaw is a very effective tool and also a very dangerous one. Today’s saws are equipped with 3 major safety features. Chain breaks, chain catches and a wide rear hand guard. The most important one being the chain break. All saws have a inertia activated chain break whereas the saws rocketing reaction from kickback sets ofF the breaking reaction to the clutch drum.

Ziff ,this concerns me with your saw not reacting in your experience. A low rating of 15 lbs of inertia weight should have set it off. A violent reaction where it came at you in such force should have stoped it dead. If you haven’t done so already, clean the break band and clutch area throughly with compressed air. Activate the break and see that the band is holding the clutch drum tight with the saw off (Not running) and drag the sawchain and bar across a piece of wood. It should not move at all.

There are ways to check the inertia response too by holding your saw 20 or so inches parallel to a wood surface. Drop the tip of the saw by releasing the top handle and let the rear handle rotate in your hand essentially letting the tip of the bar slamming into the wood surface. That sudden stop at the tip forces the break handle to continue its forward motion essentially activating the break

If you continue to have problems I am more then willing to take a look at it for you. Unfortunately I’ll be leaving for vacation for 2 weeks (Lake George Fishing ....). But after that, your call. Hope this helps.

[Appleman]

I've been farming long enough to know people who have lost body parts and unfortunately their lives not taking safety seriously.  Prior to doing a job take two to plan out your work to do it safely.  If it can't be done safely-- don't do it.  There is always time to be safe in everything you do!

[Kb2112]

I had a near miss last spring, right through my gloves after it dug into a knot.  I was in a rush, and made a stupid mistake.   I got lucky.  Accidents can and will happen. 

[DXT]

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