How unsafe is non safety chain?

[joecool85]

I bought my first loop of non safety chain today. HV35, 12" of it for my 36cc Poulan/Craftsman. It seems to cut marginally faster (about 15% faster in a timed cut on a 6" log) than the safety chain I had on it. So it's not really that much faster to me and it seems easier to stall the clutch too (although I can get use to that, it's not a huge difference there).

My big question is how much more unsafe is non safety chain? I'm careful with my saws, always wear my PPE (helmet when felling, ear and eye protection, gloves and chaps), and I try to keep the bar tip away from stuff while cutting. I just don't want kickback to happen, ever, ideally.

 

[Former Saw Builder]

I bought my first loop of non safety chain today. HV35, 12" of it for my 36cc Poulan/Craftsman. It seems to cut marginally faster (about 15% faster in a timed cut on a 6" log) than the safety chain I had on it. So it's not really that much faster to me and it seems easier to stall the clutch too (although I can get use to that, it's not a huge difference there).

My big question is how much more unsafe is non safety chain? I'm careful with my saws, always wear my PPE (helmet when felling, ear and eye protection, gloves and chaps), and I try to keep the bar tip away from stuff while cutting. I just don't want kickback to happen, ever, ideally.

If you not watching where the tip of your saw is and it kicks back and bounces off your noggin it will feel the same as non-safety chain...


:greenchainsaw:

 

[Wirenut2266]

Accident is an accident. I bet both cuts will feel just as nasty! I don't think the kickback can be any more aggressive. But my ars is 6-4", 255 lbs. So I feel pretty safe, saw NEVER goes above my chest level if possible.

 

[joecool85]

If you not watching where the tip of your saw is and it kicks back and bounces off your noggin it will feel the same as non-safety chain...


:greenchainsaw:

But wouldn't it be less likely to kick back if the tip hits something and you are running safety chain as opposed to non safety?

 

[Former Saw Builder]

But wouldn't it be less likely to kick back if the tip hits something and you are running safety chain as opposed to non safety?

It may not be quite as forceful but it is still coming at you with a vengeance.

Practice good habits it's much safer then any chain your going to buy.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

One ouch will be approved by OSHA, the other not.

Take Care

 

[joecool85]

It may not be quite as forceful but it is still coming at you with a vengeance.

Practice good habits it's much safer then any chain your going to buy.

I do practice good habits, so I should be fine I guess. Sounds like safety chain isn't as safe as people make it out to be.

 

[Former Saw Builder]

I do practice good habits, so I should be fine I guess. Sounds like safety chain isn't as safe as people make it out to be.

PPE and good habits will keep you as safe as your going to be while operating a chainsaw. Good luck

 

[SawTroll]

...
My big question is how much more unsafe is non safety chain? I'm careful with my saws, always wear my PPE (helmet when felling, ear and eye protection, gloves and chaps), and I try to keep the bar tip away from stuff while cutting. I just don't want kickback to happen, ever, ideally.

Not at all, if you are as much as remotely close to know what you are doing.........:censored:

 

[pbuehning]

One ouch will be approved by OSHA, the other not.

Take Care

Too Funny - LMAO

 

[reachtreeservi]

Non-safety chain does cut better (faster)
Where non-safety chain comes into it's own is when you bore cut.
Hard to do with the safety chain.

And the safety chain is much harder to create kickback with , and when it does it is less force-full.


In my opinion , if you think you might need safety chain, you probably do.

No matter what the chain, if there is an accident, it is 100% operator error.

 

[bluequill56]

One thing I hate about safety chain is filing rakers when sharpening. Too much stuff get'n in the way.

 

[djmercer1]

can you get a good variety of the larger chains in a safety version?

 

[Spotted Owl]

Flesh and bone will be removed by either. Lots of bood will leak out too.

Good habbits. Don't do anything stupid. Keep your nose clean and away from places it shouldn't be. PPE.

That should get you through just fine with nonsafety chain.

Ideally no kick back would be everyones goal. Reality, drive a saw long enough and things are gonna happen. Kickback should scare the crap out of ya no matter what chain you have, that saw flyin back toward your head is a big warning that you have just done something wrong, possibly drastically wrong. When it happens look for the reason before just blindly sinking your saw back in a cut.

As far as stalling, the drags maybe just a touch low making things a tad grabby, ya even new just out of the box will be like this on occasion. Get everything inline, good and sharp and you should be able to cut like a banshee compared to the so called safety variety.



Owl

 

[Philbert]

In my opinion , if you think you might need safety chain, you probably do.

See, and I would say that unless you are sure that you need chain without the reduced kickback features, you should use the low-kickback chain.

Let's stop calling it 'safety chain' - it creates an expectation that it is less likely to cut you, which is just not true. It is designed to reduce the likelihood of kickback when used with an appropriate bar. That's it.

Philbert

 

[superfire]

nope

safety or non safety does not matter which you run. either can bite you. it all boils down t one simple thingy the operators skill with a saw

 

[CaveSaw]

Kickback above the head?

Accident is an accident. I bet both cuts will feel just as nasty! I don't think the kickback can be any more aggressive. But my ars is 6-4", 255 lbs. So I feel pretty safe, saw NEVER goes above my chest level if possible.

I've seen lots of warnings about not cutting above one's head. Always thought it was about not dropping branches on myself. Is there an increased kickback risk sawing above my head too?

 

[superfire]

above the noggin

cutting above ones head is more likely to have the saw get outa control those of us with traing an the right saw do on the job,but a lot of safety gear is used to make it a little safer. i have one cut handed with 044 and 28" bar above my head a couple times and it was very dangerous(DO NOT TRY IT). i know it is tempting to be lazy and tempt fate, you would be better to use the right tool or have a pro do it. ALSO DO NOT USE A LADDER!!
http://www.break.com/index/dude-gets-smashed-from-tree.html
be safe and wear ppe and ask for help if do not know what to do

 

[stevethekiwi]

if you fit "safety chain" to a bar, go and have a look at the nose and slowly rotate the chain, watching how the chain rolls around the nose. note the safety tie strap rises up as it rounds the tip (due to the shape of the link being set back from the rear rivet), making the cut less effective because it interferes with the drag / cutter height. this reduces kick back because the tooth cant cut FA when using the nose.

this is also why its damn near imossible to nose bore with safety chain. the chain also weighs more and interferes with chip clearance


stk

 

[jeeptj19992001]

there is a 5 day waiting period before you can buy a non safety chain.