Drop starting saws

[Vincent]

Drop start

I lock the rear handle of the saw between knees. Bar free of touching objects. In the bucket or uneven places I activate the chain brake.
And when the saw is warmed up I drop fire.
Cheers Vicent

 

[Demonical]

I've been running a chain saw off & on since I was 16, so that's like 42 years.

My dad had a beast of a saw, a Pioneer 660 I think it was. Horrid thing, heavy as hell, no vibration dampening etc...

The saw I run now is a Stihl 038 Magnum.

Anyway, the only way I ever start a saw is by drop starting.

I got watching a chain saw operating & safety video the other day, just for something to do, and found out I've been doing it all wrong, for all these years.

Hmmm...

 

[wde_1978]

Old thread, but good topic!

My 40cc are mostly drop started cold & warm.
My two big girls are ground started cold and drop started warm!
My PS-7900 gets strictly ground started when she's wearing the 36" B&C setup!

Fast idle (half throttle on Dolmar's PS-6400 & PS-7900) is never engaged when drop starting my big girls.
Also if my big girls wont fire up on one or two pulls by drop starting they get ground started.

I know, I am doing it wrong!
But hey, drinking and driving is wrong too and look how many do it.
At least I am jeopardizing only my own health instead of others.

NOTE:
I am a lefty, meaning while drop starting I hold the saw by the front handle with my right hand and the pull cord with my left.
Just thought I'll point that out as it seems to be worth mentioning.

INFO:
Related threads:
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/how-do-you-hold-your-saw-when-starting.120245/
http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...op-starting-vs-starting-on-the-ground.192910/

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

Drop starting is about the only way to start a larger saw with high compression and no decomp. My 064 with no decomp hammers the skin off my knuckles when I try to ground start.

 

[Bwildered]

I used to drop start all the time, BUT a few months aga I was standing on a big smooth log & going to knock a limb off, with my left leg in front of the right, went to drop start the saw (044 with high compression) & it never turned over, but rotated around the front handle axis, the bar came down & got me with one tooth on the boney bump at the top of my shin, it was about 38'c that day & the blood squirted out of the cut about 1/2 a meter, then ran down my shin & soaked my sock, lucky for me it never fired in the process, or was on fast idle because I don't think the chain brake was on. I can tell you now that was my last drop start, I got off with a warning.
Thanski

 

[rupedoggy]

I used to drop start all the time, BUT a few months aga I was standing on a big smooth log & going to knock a limb off, with my left leg in front of the right, went to drop start the saw (044 with high compression) & it never turned over, but rotated around the front handle axis, the bar came down & got me with one tooth on the boney bump at the top of my shin, it was about 38'c that day & the blood squirted out of the cut about 1/2 a meter, then ran down my shin & soaked my sock, lucky for me it never fired in the process, or was on fast idle because I don't think the chain brake was on. I can tell you now that was my last drop start, I got off with a warning.
Thanski

This reminds me of the TV commericel where the woman is smoking through a hole in her throat. It is hard to watch and she is telling you not to smoke but still people will do it. Mike

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Drop starting is about the only way to start a larger saw with high compression and no decomp. My 064 with no decomp hammers the skin off my knuckles when I try to ground start.

I'm not a huge guy, I can start big saws fine using proper methods.

 

[Westboastfaller]

Drop starting has said to cause MSI (Muscular skeletal Injuries)
Since the new Falling training Standards I start my saw with the decompression & between the legs.
Much better. Big saws and long bars were always right hand on back handle over a log.

 

[calebng15]

I usually start mine locked in my knee. I can handle it well there, don't have to bend over, and saves on the starter! I don't have any problems starting one there.

 

[rwoods]

I used to drop start all the time, BUT a few months aga I was standing on a big smooth log & going to knock a limb off, with my left leg in front of the right, went to drop start the saw (044 with high compression) & it never turned over, but rotated around the front handle axis, the bar came down & got me with one tooth on the boney bump at the top of my shin, it was about 38'c that day & the blood squirted out of the cut about 1/2 a meter, then ran down my shin & soaked my sock, lucky for me it never fired in the process, or was on fast idle because I don't think the chain brake was on. I can tell you now that was my last drop start, I got off with a warning.
Thanski

Glad the saw didn't start. Not cut but I have experienced the same when I didn't realize the decomp had closed.

Ron

 

[PhilMcWoody]

↑[/URL]]
I used to drop start all the time, BUT a few months aga I was standing on a big smooth log & going to knock a limb off, with my left leg in front of the right, went to drop start the saw (044 with high compression) & it never turned over, but rotated around the front handle axis, the bar came down & got me with one tooth on the boney bump at the top of my shin, it was about 38'c that day & the blood squirted out of the cut about 1/2 a meter, then ran down my shin & soaked my sock, lucky for me it never fired in the process, or was on fast idle because I don't think the chain brake was on. I can tell you now that was my last drop start, I got off with a warning.
Thanski

Great post by the OP should probably be required reading for all new saw owners.

I guess I learned ground start, and locked between the thigh start, from the Stihl manual.
Prefer locked between the thigh start — seems to work well most of the time
But if saw is acting up, then it's ground start only.
The small saw I can't put my boot in the handle, so that's thigh-locked start, also as per the Stihl manual.

I try hard to take it slow and remember what I'm doing -- or be reminded the hard way if I forget to press the decomp on the 372.

 

[wde_1978]

Glad the saw didn't start. Not cut but I have experienced the same when I didn't realize the decomp had closed.

Ron

The DeCo-valve can easily become the source of a botched starting process!
An operator that is used to an engaged DeCo will not expect the high resistance his saw can create in case the DeCo closed or didn't open in the first place.

The highest unexpected starting resistance I ever encountered was on my PS-6400.
I had blown it off with pressurized air at work and once back home attempted to start her to make sure everything is OK.
I nearly ripped my arm out of my shoulder, or so it felt!
The saw was hydro locked!
Blowing it off with about 6 bar (industrial) pressure must have pushed excess fuel from the carb into the cylinder - the saw was impossible to turn past TDC. I pulled the soaking wet plug, turned the engine over a few times and let it sit w/o the plug for a while to let it breathe.
After that the saw started, a bit unwilling and smoking like a crowd control smoke grenade, but it had the usual resistance again.
I did never encountered hydro lock till that moment, it was a painful experience.

I did a ground start when that happened, saw flat on the ground, right foot in the rear handle, right hand on front handle, left hand on the pull rope.
I think I would have rather preferred the pull rope ripping off instead of all that force ripping my joints!

 

[rwoods]

wde_1978, no argument from me. The safety risks and benefits to using the decomp cancel each other out over time IMO. Really safe when used - really dangerous when unexpectedly not used.

Ron

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

I used to drop start all the time, BUT a few months aga I was standing on a big smooth log & going to knock a limb off, with my left leg in front of the right, went to drop start the saw (044 with high compression) & it never turned over, but rotated around the front handle axis, the bar came down & got me with one tooth on the boney bump at the top of my shin, it was about 38'c that day & the blood squirted out of the cut about 1/2 a meter, then ran down my shin & soaked my sock, lucky for me it never fired in the process, or was on fast idle because I don't think the chain brake was on. I can tell you now that was my last drop start, I got off with a warning.
Thanski

I did the same thing with an 028 super. Except I wasn't drop starting it. It came up off the ground at me like a damn badger. Buried a tooth in my damn shin too. People tell me "you're lucky it wasn't running". then I say if it was running I wouldn't have been trying to start the godamn thing! Lol

 

[wde_1978]

I did the same thing with an 028 super. Except I wasn't drop starting it. It came up off the ground at me like a damn badger. Buried a tooth in my damn shin too. People tell me "you're lucky it wasn't running". then I say if it was running I wouldn't have been trying to start the godamn thing! Lol

Did You check Yourself for rabies?

One can do everything by the book and still get hurt or experience a close call because of an out of the ordinary and unexpected situation, issue, faultyness, ...

It is good to follow the rules, but it is better to have an guardian angel work overtime!

I've had my fair share of close calls, some even life threatening, though unrelated to chainsaws.

 

[2broke2ride]

I grew up watching my dad do nothing but drop start his old macs. Now I have his old macs and I have carried on the tradition. If I'm starting a saw on the ground it is probably being a ***** and I'm wore out from pulling a couple hundred times.

 

[rd35]

Sorry folks, but I have always drop started my saws. Just as 2broke said, I have been known to drop to my knees and pin one to the ground when I have pulled my guts out trying to start a problem saw. But that is only because I was too tired to effectively crank it by dropping it anymore. I will have to admit I need to hit the gym because my 066 is a bit hard to drop-crank these days.

 

[jrs_diesel]

I usually ground start when the engine is cold. Then either between my legs or ground start while I am working.

I've never drop started my chainsaw, and likely never will.

 

[windthrown]

I

I got watching a chain saw operating & safety video the other day, just for something to do, and found out I've been doing it all wrong, for all these years.

Hmmm...

Nope. You have been starting your saws correctly, and the way they were designed to be started: by drop starting. Even at the Stihl saw demo in Eugene at the logging show about 10 years ago? They were all drop starting at the demo saws the way I learned when I was 12: with your right hand on the top handle, left hand on starter grip, push your right arm out and down while pulling up on left grip. You are much better balanced in this position, and the saw was actually designed to be started this way. If your saw is between your knees, you are off-balance. If your foot is in the saw back handle and you are kneeling, you are way off balance. It is actually a lot easier to start a saw by drop starting them, and IMO, there is less chance of injury drop starting a saw. The 290 I had would snap back and yank on my wrist when I tried starting it on the ground. I sprained my wrist that way and stopped starting saw on the ground, when I tried starting my saws "the OSHA way" for a while a long time ago. With my 660 if I am tired, I will ~sometimes~ set it on a stump to start, with my foot in the back handle. But that is rare.

I have never seen a pro or even good amateur arborist, sawyer or faller start a saw any other way other than drop starting here in the wild west in my entire life, EXCEPT when OSHA was around, at a logging demo, or at a safety training event. Or some noob or rookie starting saws at some chipper jobs I have been at with my Bandit chipper.

BTW: at the Stihl demo and at several Stihl shops that I have bought saws at, they actually multi-drop start saws in a repetitive motion that I have yet to master. I pull one at a time, they pull three times in a row. I am sure there will be gobs of flap over this, as there always is on this site. I also assume that the brake is off whenever I start a saw, and I usually start my saws with the brake off. I learned to run saws that did not have chain brakes (neither did my last Oly and Jred saws).

 

[Rockjock]

I start saws 30 times a day at least, between selling them and repairing them and NEVER drop start at work. Against the shop rules and against Stihls rules. ( boss is big on safety ) The saw demo is the same every time. On the ground, brake on. Once warm the crotch stat method. Legally we are liable if we demo the product incorrectly. What the customer does when they take it home is their business. Often when I am doing some " extra " side work I will start the saws on the ground. and once again, once warm crotch start. Why take the risk? The ER is full of jabroni's that drop start, use ladders, cut drunk etc..