Tree cutting accident

[Torvy]

My baby sized Mikita(s) has a bar brake, just like all saws do. But having that is not a panacea

Echo has that, too. It is nicer when in an "OH crap" moment, there are fewer things to go wrong.

 

[etpm]

Speaking of chain brakes, many years ago, close to thirty, I was watching a friend using his chain saw. Every time he set his saw down or when he would let it idle for a little bit, he would set the brake. He would just hit it with the back of his hand. At that time all the saws I had were older saws that did not have brakes. And all the years I had been using chain saws I had never had a serious kickback, I had always been quite careful after seeing the aftermath of kickback injuries. Well, when I bought new saws they had the brakes and I started to emulate my friend and made sure to use the chain brake whenever I wasn't cutting. Then, about 4 years ago, I experienced my first kickback while using a saw with a chain brake. The saw barely kicked back, the chain never got any closer than 1 1/2 feet from my face, but that chain wasn't moving at all so even if it had contacted my skin the injury would have been slight. I REALLLLLY like chain brakes. They save chains and they prevent serious injuries.
Eric

 

[ArlyA]

Speaking of chain brakes, many years ago, close to thirty, I was watching a friend using his chain saw. Every time he set his saw down or when he would let it idle for a little bit, he would set the brake. He would just hit it with the back of his hand. At that time all the saws I had were older saws that did not have brakes. And all the years I had been using chain saws I had never had a serious kickback, I had always been quite careful after seeing the aftermath of kickback injuries. Well, when I bought new saws they had the brakes and I started to emulate my friend and made sure to use the chain brake whenever I wasn't cutting. Then, about 4 years ago, I experienced my first kickback while using a saw with a chain brake. The saw barely kicked back, the chain never got any closer than 1 1/2 feet from my face, but that chain wasn't moving at all so even if it had contacted my skin the injury would have been slight. I REALLLLLY like chain brakes. They save chains and they prevent serious injuries.
Eric

The safety program I attend said to set it the secound you are done cutting. I do that today.

 

[etpm]

The safety program I attend said to set it the secound you are done cutting. I do that today.

I did have a couple guys tell me that they don't set the brakes because they don't want to wear them out, they are worried they won't work when needed. But when you use one you can tell if they are stopping the chain instantly. My saws always stop the chain RIGHT NOW. If I saw the chain stopping slowly I would service the saw. But boy, do those brakes ever work! Maybe I don't use my saws enough to wear the brakes out, after all I am just a homeowner using his saws on his 10 acres, not a professional who uses a saw all day. Still, even if I was a pro I think I would be using that chain brake just to keep my chain from cutting dirt in case the saw was idling too fast.
Eric

 

[ning]

Speaking of chain brakes, many years ago, close to thirty, I was watching a friend using his chain saw. Every time he set his saw down or when he would let it idle for a little bit, he would set the brake. He would just hit it with the back of his hand. At that time all the saws I had were older saws that did not have brakes. And all the years I had been using chain saws I had never had a serious kickback, I had always been quite careful after seeing the aftermath of kickback injuries. Well, when I bought new saws they had the brakes and I started to emulate my friend and made sure to use the chain brake whenever I wasn't cutting. Then, about 4 years ago, I experienced my first kickback while using a saw with a chain brake. The saw barely kicked back, the chain never got any closer than 1 1/2 feet from my face, but that chain wasn't moving at all so even if it had contacted my skin the injury would have been slight. I REALLLLLY like chain brakes. They save chains and they prevent serious injuries.
Eric

I've pretty much trained myself that if I'm setting the saw down or pausing I flick my left wrist forward, probably what you're talking about like your friend. I don't even think about it, it's just part of the flow. As long as you don't try to run the saw through the brake it should have really minimal wear on it because (assuming you don't have a ridiculously high idle set) with no slipping there shouldn't be any wear except a very brief skid when you apply it (presumably from an idle...)

 

[Fixastuff]

I think yall are confusing saw brakes with the way most electric saws stop the chain immediately when you let off the trigger without hitting the stop.

It would be useful in the videos where people are cutting limbs on a ladder and the limb knocks the off and they're falling with a spinning chain on the gas saw.

 

[CalG]

Chain brakes won't stop a falling limb.

But do go out and test your brake handle action. On both my Husky and the Mac 10-10, The brake gets activated just about the time the saw chain would be about 2 inches into my throat. Of course this depends on how I hold the saw, but when making high limbing cuts, Be-ware!

I always wear a forestry helmet with the shield down after making this test and observation.

I still don't like the head phones when cutting standing trees, I cant hear when things are going badly. Cutting off the pile is different, I'm not worried about "silent Death From Above".

 

[Hay Dude]

I learned from my father. One of the many things he told me over & over is never cut a log resting even slightly uphill from you. Always try to be above the log.

My friend that owns a tree company has a 60+ yr old employee that didn’t follow that rule. He was cutting a log and it cut loose and rolled up his leg, seriously injuring him. Just happened a few weeks ago cleaning up trees from the same wind storm I was cleaning up.

I am unable to feather my saws the way I want with gloves on. My safety glasses always seem fogged, making my ability to see poorer.

I have a forestry helmet, but it seems to get taken off after about an hour.

I always recommend safety equipment, but after cutting over 1,000 trees down, bucking thousands more and cutting a lot of firewood, too I guess I’m gonna ride dirty the rest of the way.

I did just remember I cut my knee with a chain saw and required stitches about 25 years ago.

I gotta get better At safety.

 

[WinterDeere]

.

Another plus for my electric. Blade stops when trigger is no longer depressed. No slow down, it stops cold.

Do note that most chaps won't stop most electric saws. Read your warning labels, know what your PPE does... and doesn't do.

I wear a helmet when felling trees, but other than that, it's usually just safety glasses and good logger's boots. I do wear chaps when it's cold enough that they don't make me sweat, or if I'm out all day in the woods (dedicated cutting day), but will admit I do most of my cutting without. I heat a very large home with firewood, so much of my year revolves around felling, bucking, splitting, stacking...

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I learned from my father. One of the many things he told me over & over is never cut a log resting even slightly uphill from you. Always try to be above the log.

My friend that owns a tree company has a 60+ yr old employee that didn’t follow that rule. He was cutting a log and it cut loose and rolled up his leg, seriously injuring him. Just happened a few weeks ago cleaning up trees from the same wind storm I was cleaning up.

I am unable to feather my saws the way I want with gloves on. My safety glasses always seem fogged, making my ability to see poorer.

I have a forestry helmet, but it seems to get taken off after about an hour.

I always recommend safety equipment, but after cutting over 1,000 trees down, bucking thousands more and cutting a lot of firewood, too I guess I’m gonna ride dirty the rest of the way.

I did just remember I cut my knee with a chain saw and required stitches about 25 years ago.

I gotta get better At safety.

"Ride dirty the rest of the way" LOL! Hilarious!

We can all do better with safety. Baby steps.