Chainsaw use - alone

[ovrszd]

I started operating tractors when I was seven. Pulled a small square baler with wagon and Dad stacking using a Ford 641. Mowed hay and raked using an 8N. One thing Dad wouldn't let me do until I was 10 was cultivate corn/beans. He said it was too boring and he was afraid I'd fall asleep and fall off the tractor.

I think people that get freaked out by running a chainsaw alone simply haven't worked alone during their lives. As others have said, having other people around adds to the danger in my opinion.

 

[lilranch2001]

If I didn't use a saw unless someone was around I'd almost never use it.
So almost all the time.

^^^^^^^^

 

[Industrial Toys]

My friend fell asleep on account of his Diabetes driving his 8n a few years ago, pulling a wide roller and drove over himself! Had several busted ribs!

 

[Oldoak]

Yes, but I only drank out of the fast moving water in the creek ahead of the pasture. :thumbsup:

Reminds me of a friend who said he smelled a faint odor of a skunk every time he brushed his teeth in the morning. When the rest of his family said the same thing he checked the springhouse. There it was, a dead skunk floating in the water blown up as big as a basket ball.

It took a large fish net to get it out, a few gallons of bleach and letting the water line to the house free flow for several days and all was good again.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

But a lot of us are the generation that rode in cars without seatbelts, drank water out of a hose or creek, rode in the back of pick ups, rode bikes without helmets and untold number of other "unsafe" things.

I drank from the creeks all the time growing up, even the one thru the woods where the cows were.

Also got hit once from the top branches of a falling tree. I tried to run around to the other side once when dad was cutting, and thoughtt i was far enough away. Dad was pissed, he didnt see me... Learned my lesson.

 

[ericm979]

When I was on thinning crew we were supposed to work spaced out from the other crew members and often the trees were small. But at times we'd get within tree range when we were thinning out taller trees. Then some of the guys would try to drop a tree so the top would just brush the next guy over. Once one of the guys mis calculated and clobbered his target pretty hard. A 6" dbh tree that's 30-40' high carries a pretty good punch out at the end. Everyone got back to work eventually but the one guy was kinda unhappy about it.

 

[goeduck]

I drank from the creeks all the time growing up, even the one thru the woods where the cows were.

Also got hit once from the top branches of a falling tree. I tried to run around to the other side once when dad was cutting, and thoughtt i was far enough away. Dad was pissed, he didnt see me... Learned my lesson.

I remember thinking it would be fun to run fast between the tractor and Wisconsin powered hay baler. I made it fine a few times until dad stopped the tractor. Boy did I get yelled at.

 

[Industrial Toys]

And a little shorter.

Had the top of a Elm tree clobber our brand new tractor. Bend some pretty strong fenders and smashed the lights. So, yes, a lot of energy!

As a 12 year old kid, I knew that is exactly what would happen, but my Dad didn't want to get a longer chain, and thought it would magically fall off to the side.

 

[Jstpssng]

You are my mentor Mike!!!!

OldBalls and Piloon are both doing more than I ever expect to if I get to see 80!

 

[Jstpssng]

Reminds me of a friend who said he smelled a faint odor of a skunk every time he brushed his teeth in the morning. When the rest of his family said the same thing he checked the springhouse. There it was, a dead skunk floating in the water blown up as big as a basket ball.

It took a large fish net to get it out, a few gallons of bleach and letting the water line to the house free flow for several days and all was good again.

I worked with a guy years ago who was trying the "simple life", living with no electricity or running water. One day he told about the spring water tasting bad so he started working the hand pump until pieces of mouse starting coming up. After that he said, the water tasted fine.
A few years later I was cruising timber out of a remote hunting camp that the company had rented. The water tasted terrible so I drove several miles to a spring, while my coworker kept using the water. One Monday we got there and the owner had just gotten done shocking and cleaning the well; he'd cleaned a couple of rabbits, snakes, and other miscellaneous wildlife out of it.

 

[BlackOps]

all the time. no one to be around when i work and if i had to have company to work i would not get anything done. i just try to be as careful as possible. after all i am very reclusive. so....

 

[MH8675309]

Like many others there is no one around to take and we heat exclusively with wood. I have gotten more careful over the years though. We've got dead ash trees here in Michigan and unlike when the elms died out these trees seem to rot right at the base. They can be really unpredictable even if notched right. Take your time (think it through) when you're cutting it down and make sure you've got at least 2 different paths going in opposite directions (away from the line of fall,,,) cleared of brush to get away when it starts to fall.

 

[goeduck]

About the only good thing about working with someone else is you always have someone to blame when you do something wrong

Seriously I do not even like my dog around when I am doing work and NEVER when using a saw. I cannot focus on being safe if I have to worry about where the dog is. Same with kids and wife.

 

[MossRoad]

I find that when I'm cutting firewood, and someone else is stacking/splitting it, they tend to keep working their way towards me while the saw is running, to the point that you know they want to grab the pieces as soon as they fall on the ground. I know they want to help, but they just keep inching closer as time goes on. And I have to tell them to back away, take a break, stay back, etc... several times. It just makes me too nervous to have helpers when I'm using the saw.

 

[goeduck]

^^^ right, they could also easily trip and fall onto the saw.

 

[ovrszd]

About the only good thing about working with someone else is you always have someone to blame when you do something wrong

Seriously I do not even like my dog around when I am doing work and NEVER when using a saw. I cannot focus on being safe if I have to worry about where the dog is. Same with kids and wife.

My 9 year old dog goes everywhere I do. He's been involved in dozens, maybe a hundred or more tree fallings. He's actually experienced enough to get out of range. Once in awhile he'll not fully understand what I'm doing. I've taught him "sign language". I can holler at him and point in the direction he needs to go and he does so. Or if he's coming toward me, hold up my hand palm toward him in a stop motion and he'll stop and sit down where he's at. Not all humans are that smart......

 

[goeduck]

My 9 year old dog goes everywhere I do. He's been involved in dozens, maybe a hundred or more tree fallings. He's actually experienced enough to get out of range. Once in awhile he'll not fully understand what I'm doing. I've taught him "sign language". I can holler at him and point in the direction he needs to go and he does so. Or if he's coming toward me, hold up my hand palm toward him in a stop motion and he'll stop and sit down where he's at. Not all humans are that smart......

Great job training ! My Border Collie - Whippet cross (energy of a Border Collie, speed of a Whippet) is like a pinball machine in fast motion. She obeys well but as soon as I look away she is somewhere else.

 

[/pine]

I find that when I'm cutting firewood, and someone else is stacking/splitting it, they tend to keep working their way towards me while the saw is running, to the point that you know they want to grab the pieces as soon as they fall on the ground. I know they want to help, but they just keep inching closer as time goes on. And I have to tell them to back away, take a break, stay back, etc... several times. It just makes me too nervous to have helpers when I'm using the saw.

Was channel surfing last week and came across 'The Curse of Oak Island'...the brothers (if you are familiar with the story) were using an obviously brand new Sthil chainsaw...they were cutting some oak logs for dating etc...one brother was running the saw and the other brother was actually gripping the end being cut off with his fingers just inches from the bar...and he was leaning down and in with his head easily within bad kickback range...
...not sure where to look to see if they got berated on social media sites for the stunt...what makes it even worse is the brothers are always pointing out how keenly and prudent they are doing things in their search for treasure etc...

 

[Industrial Toys]

Many people are their own curse.

 

[lilranch2001]

My 9 year old dog goes everywhere I do. He's been involved in dozens, maybe a hundred or more tree fallings. He's actually experienced enough to get out of range. Once in awhile he'll not fully understand what I'm doing. I've taught him "sign language". I can holler at him and point in the direction he needs to go and he does so. Or if he's coming toward me, hold up my hand palm toward him in a stop motion and he'll stop and sit down where he's at. Not all humans are that smart......

Most dogs are smarter than many people!