Chain saw safety

[Looking4new]

You guys with chain saws need to get yourselves some chainsaw boots, too. They are sold up here in the north country and are mandatory IF you work in the bush.

 

[s219]

Just have a few beers to relax yourself before running the saw. Don't want to be too stressed out.

 

[CobyRupert]

Just have a few beers to relax yourself before running the saw. Don't want to be too stressed out.

:drink: :thumbsup: roposetoast:

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Just have a few beers to relax yourself before running the saw. Don't want to be too stressed out.

A beer before bowling improves my scores, it relaxes me and smooths my follow through. Any more and the scores go down. Point is, the accidental death rate from bowling under the influence is about zero. What I don't want is to be relaxed while cutting with the chainsaw. Save the beers for when the saw is put away for the day.

 

[big bubba]

"I don't fit any of these profiles so I am not too concerned about an accident....should I be?" jdgreen227

well...accidents don't really care what kind of track record or safety knowledge you have. you're wise, though, in your approach. are you wearing the mylar? type chaps? someone around while you're cutting to assist if something happens? keep being safe with your prudent approach...

 

[JDgreen227]

Put the saw and the tractor away for the day and NOW I can relax and enjoy my adult alcoholic beverages. No, I don't have someone near by unless 800 feet away counts, and I do have my phone with me as the tractor (and it's a hydro so I don't need a foot clutch) :laughing: and I have first aid equipment back there and wear steel toe boots....and my GF knows where I am and she can drive the tractor if needed...but yes....I really should get a pair of chaps.

 

[CobyRupert]

Got a pair of chaps last year, after 17+ years of running a chain saw without issue. Within 4 uses..., yep, they now have nice little slash on them. So...did I get more relaxed wearing them? (And no; no alcoholic beverages were involved. I hope everybody knows the comments above are a joke right?!) Or, my theory is they are much thicker over winter pants, that the chain would of never nicked them if I didn't have them on. Yep, that's my story and I'm sticking with it! But seriously, it's doesn't "hurt" to wear them. For me, that time when the chain "made contact" and another (when chain wasn't spinning), showed me one of my worst habits is when I pull the saw out to walk elsewhere and I swing the bar vertical and close to my knee, but saw revs might still be spinning down. Fixing your bad habits is easy, learning what they are is not.

 

[JDgreen227]

CobyRupert makes an excellent point about letting the saw return to idle and the chain not moving before you move to another cut....I frequently carry my saw horizontally with the chain still decelerating, although the bar is horizontal....one of the bad habits I need to discontinue. THANKS for the heads up.

 

[JoeL4330]

I've used many chainsaws over the years ...almost exclusively Stihls ...but when I bought a new one, recently, I discovered what, to me, is a safety glitch ...Stihl bills it as a "feature" ... it's the soft start feature ...pulling the cord doesn't directly start the saw, it "accumulates" energy, which is then released to start the saw. The "feature" is you can pull the cord like a lazy man and the saw will then start energetically ! But, there is a (variable) lag between when the cord is pulled (and returns) and the saw "decides" to start.

If find this disconcerting, if not dangerous ...but, then, I'm from the old (equally dangerous) "drop start" school. ( yeah! I hear you)

 

[Cat_Driver]

Did you see that show AX Men last week. For those that think it's "all fake" one kid cut off a couple of toes and was bleeding like a stuck pig through his boots in a chain saw accident. They never did come back and say how bad it was, but this kid was a " pro" and it happened to him. When you get too comfortable stuff happens. I was just carrying my chain saw, it was off I was wearing cut off pants, it rubbed against my calf and took off a good chunk of meat from my leg. Been scared of it ever since.