How close have you come

[WranglerX]

If you are getting tired, fatigued, or getting distracted..... SHUT OFF SAW AND PUT IT DOWN..... It requires your full undivided attention.... Fortunately for me with 8 years of occasion use and only one incident, cut tree at base wrong and foliage of tree hung up in other limbs of other trees and trunk pushed me back about 5 feet, all I could think about in process was to get rid of RUNNING saw, tossed it away from me, I was uninjured, but it took $147 in parts and labor to fix the saw... Better to fix saw than me....Yeah tossing the saw was probably dangerous too, but it was just how I reacted at the time....Any time you walk away from a incident unscratched is a blessing, revel in it and think about what went wrong...

Dale

 

[jd2130]

When I'm chainsawing, every time before I push the throttle, I ask myself "is my footing secure?" If you don't have secure footing, you are putting yourself in a dangerous position because you could easily slip and cut something you don't want to cut.

 

[GrumpyJoe]

One time a few months ago I had just got home from working a 3rd shift overtime. I was I thought just a little tired but I wanted to get this tree cut up. Told the wife where I would be and went outside. Started cutting with no problems. Cleaned off the smaller limbs then started on the trunk. Didn't notice probably cause I was tired but the trunk was bound up pretty good. First cut thru the trunk the saw kicked straight out thru my legs and the engine smacked me right in the family jewels. Realizing what happened but not feeling it at first I shut it off. Then the pain set in. I set the saw down and kinda half knelt half stood for what seemed 2 hours. The next thing I know I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look and see my wife next to me with cell phone in hand. She took my ear phones off and told me she had seen what happened. Asks if I'm bleeding and am I ok? I told her no blood and I think I'm ok. She helped me to my feet and started walking me to the house. I told her I need to at least put the equipment away. She tells me that stuff is not going anywhere. It's nap time for you. Looking back I can laugh about it but really thinking about that... That pretty stupid on my part to try to get that tree cut up being that tired. There is a difference between being tired from lack of sleep and tired from working all day. Consider myself lucky that day.

 

[John_Mc]

Back when I was young and dumb I cut a pair of chaps almost in half while doing powerline R/W maintenance. The saw went through them like butter but I felt them pulling so picked the saw up just as it went through my jeans and put a 1 inch slice in my kneecap.

How old were those chaps? The protective fibers can get weakened if they have been oil or fuel soaked (washing them before they have sat in that oil/fuel-soaked condition for an extended period will help preserve their life).

Also, once you have cut the protective fibers, they should be replaced: that cut doesn't just mean you are not protected in that specific spot. You are not well-protected for a significant distance on either side of the cut - for more than a foot on either side of a significant cut in the fibers. The protection is not because the fibers are "cut-proof": the protection relies on having long, unbroken fibers that get pulled out and clog the saw, eventually stalling it. The idea is that the clogging/stalling happens before the saw has done too much damage.

 

[John_Mc]

Game of Logging Upcoming Events

Best to check with the individual training organizations, since the national GOL site does not include much about their individual franchises' upcoming training classes.

For example: Northeast Woodland Training (in VT/NH) has their course calendar here

The training franchises in other areas may have their own web sites, or you can email them at the contact info provided at that GOL- USA site Garandman linked.

 

[John_Mc]

Husqvarna has a few good instructional videos. If you search for "Husqvarna instructional chainsaw video" you'll find some good ones.

Linked to the Husqvarna instructional YouTube series in post #17

 

[Garandman]

Stihl also has a 12 video series.

Chain Saw Safety & Maintenance - YouTube

I find limbing and bucking to most unpredictable: some good tips in this one:

 

[jd2130]

Linked to the Husqvarna instructional YouTube series in post #17

Sorry John_Mc, I wasn't trying to over post you. I'm new here and still learning the ropes. I don't know much about tractors but I do know about chainsaws, so I was trying to provide the tiny bit of useful wisdom I have on this site.

 

[KennyG]

30+ years of using a chainsaw and never a scratch or a close call. One of my characteristics is caution/cowardice.

 

[Garandman]

30+ years of using a chainsaw and never a scratch or a close call. One of my characteristics is caution/cowardice.

At Army jump school they tell you, “A scared man is a careful man, and if you’re not scared jumping out of an airplane at night, you’re crazy.”

The statistics are sobering. 36,000 chainsaw injuries per year requiring hospital visits, and the average number of stitches is 100.