Chainsaw use - alone

[Garandman]

Hit my chaps for the first time last weekend. Pulled out of a log, let it idle down, and before putting the brake on, leaned over to push a branch out of the way with my left arm. While leaned, the chain caught the chaps at the middle of my thigh. No damage to me and a useful wake-up reminder never to rush or cut corners.

Before that, saw hadn't run for a while so brought it inside by the fire to warm it up and get it started (and before adjusting chain).

 

[shovelmike]

I'm glad you were wearing chaps! I always wei mine when cutting ever since a very close call.

 

[yomax4]

Had a close one yesterday too. Pulling out to avoid a pinch and snagged my baggy pants leg. Chaps were folded up nicely on my 4 wheeler rack. Yet another lesson learned. That's 3 now for me.

 

[lilranch2001]

3 strikes and you should be OUT

 

[goeduck]

Right. 9 lives are for cats.

 

[two_bit_score]

Don’t push your luck.

 

[HenryIV]

All the time. Keep your phone on you and I keep a 2 way radio too. If you get crushed by a tree you're done anyway. also did 22 stitches when I tapped the blade into my shin about 20 years ago so I wear chaps now. I have a ton or tools and dangerous hobbies, welding, routers, on and off road motorcycles. boom things, and a tractor of course. I sold big industrial tools for 20 years and worked in and around industrial plants my entire adult life.

The chainsaw is the most dangerous., because the environment is unpredictable and full of things that want to whack you, crush you, fall on your head, roll you over while you are holding a 3.5hp knife of death. I imagine a big cost of every saw is liability defense for those who don't know or care and then get injured. Arborist work is inherently dangerous, more than eating food or driving a car which also has inherent risk. Sometimes this work has to be done alone.

• Don't work when you are tired.
• Don't work when you are distracted by people, other animals, or heavy thoughts.
• Never take your eyes of the bar.
• Keep both hands on the saw or shut it off.
• Keep your saw sharp, and working great or repair/replace it.
• Use the manufacture's chain, bar, bar lube, 2 stroke oil. These are designed as a system.
• Wear helmet, gloves, steel toes, chaps, eye and ear protection.
• Older guys need to slow down and work within their physical limits.
• Younger guys need to slow down and work within their EXPERIENCE limits.
• Watch those YT videos from your manufacturer, they represent decades of expertise.
• Be the guy that really KNOWS what he is doing because he is educated, and learns from others mistakes.
• Look up into the tree and see what could fall on you when you cut.
• Check the tree to see if it will collapse as you cut on it.

I've cut big trees, climbed up and topped trees in my 50s. Plunge cut, and cut through tornado damaged acres of oaks. I still have two eyes, ten fingers, ten toes and most of my teeth and I can still hear what matters. I earn with my brain and my health, but I live with my physical being, so I protect myself.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Was cutting firewood alone yesterday. Left beacon running on E-Gator. I figured, at least if I expire, like from a heart atack, they might find my corpse faster, especially at night, with the beacon going.

 

[AWSubie]

If I died out on my property there would be no corpse to find. The coyotes would be feasting!

 

[goeduck]

If I died out on my property there would be no corpse to find. The coyotes would be feasting!

If I died out there I am not sure the coyotes would eat that much old shoe leather. :laughing:

 

[Wagtail]

If I died out on my property there would be no corpse to find. The coyotes would be feasting!

Here it would be the Tasmanian Devil.

They're a fantastic scavenger... and one of the reasons to find a lost bushwalker quickly, 'cause if they die out there there'll be nothing left to find.

Tasmanian devil, facts and photos

 

[Industrial Toys]

Maybe a good reason to wear one of those big gaudy belt buckles. Engrave your name and DOB on the back. Something the coydogs can't swallow. Keep it shined up so it might catch the sun when the S&R helicopter passes over.

 

[turnkey4099]

I'vde been cutting firewood since 1967...alone. I do leave word where I will be working but that will onlyi help after I've been gone at least a day. If I don't show up at coffee call in the monring, someone might come looking. Close calls? One, due to stupidity, Cutting down an old willow tree, made falling cuts but didn't look up. Big, as in about an 8" limb fell right in front of me about 3 feet away butt first.

Scariest was about a month ago. I'm 85 now so after about 2.5 hours work I dtake a coffee break sitting on a log. Stood up, took one step and a tree the land owner wanted to save fell landing right where I had been sitting. Almost brushed my back coming down. Examination showed it had been a sprout off the side of an old stump. I had been clearing brusdh around it - must have cut some kind of a prop limb. It did smash the clutch cover on the saw, a wonder it didn't totally smash the saw. I had to cut two rounds out of the tree to free up the saw.

 

[two_bit_score]

I'vde been cutting firewood since 1967...alone. I do leave word where I will be working but that will onlyi help after I've been gone at least a day. If I don't show up at coffee call in the monring, someone might come looking. Close calls? One, due to stupidity, Cutting down an old willow tree, made falling cuts but didn't look up. Big, as in about an 8" limb fell right in front of me about 3 feet away butt first.

Scariest was about a month ago. I'm 85 now so after about 2.5 hours work I dtake a coffee break sitting on a log. Stood up, took one step and a tree the land owner wanted to save fell landing right where I had been sitting. Almost brushed my back coming down. Examination showed it had been a sprout off the side of an old stump. I had been clearing brusdh around it - must have cut some kind of a prop limb. It did smash the clutch cover on the saw, a wonder it didn't totally smash the saw. I had to cut two rounds out of the tree to free up the saw.

You live dangerously my friend.


.

 

[fatjay]

I chainsaw almost exclusively alone and fortunately have never had an issue. I do take full advantage of the bucking teeth though, which gives me a lot more control.

 

[Garandman]

I'vde been cutting firewood since 1967...alone. I do leave word where I will be working but that will onlyi help after I've been gone at least a day. If I don't show up at coffee call in the monring, someone might come looking. Close calls? One, due to stupidity, Cutting down an old willow tree, made falling cuts but didn't look up. Big, as in about an 8" limb fell right in front of me about 3 feet away butt first.

Scariest was about a month ago. I'm 85 now so after about 2.5 hours work I dtake a coffee break sitting on a log. Stood up, took one step and a tree the land owner wanted to save fell landing right where I had been sitting. Almost brushed my back coming down. Examination showed it had been a sprout off the side of an old stump. I had been clearing brusdh around it - must have cut some kind of a prop limb. It did smash the clutch cover on the saw, a wonder it didn't totally smash the saw. I had to cut two rounds out of the tree to free up the saw.

Daaaaammmmnnn!