Kickback Questions?

[Jkebxjunke]

here's the shirt I use... along with a peltor chainsaw helmet, a pair of competition chaps (double thickness) and steel toe boots.

yup.. I look pretty stupid.. but I don't care

actually looks like a nice shirt.. i would not be afraid to wear it .. it might also help keep me from getting shot by the crazy hunters that are hunting on my property from the back who have no clue to where they are or cant read a sign

 

[stihl sawing]

yup.. I look pretty stupid.. but I don't care

Nope, I would think you are a really smart and safe guy.

 

[Lloyd H]

anti kick back chain

Don't be afraid to use anti kick back chain, espescially (sp) if you run older saws without chain brakes, It will cut wood quite nicely and nearly as fast as the aggressive stuff and as others have said keep it sharp. I have been cutting wood for a lot of years and I still think safety chain is the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[kevin j]

good illustration told to me that I never forget:
When the chain is moving, it's called a chainsaw.
When the chain snags and stops, it's called 60 mph caterpillar tracks.

when the chain stops, the motor and sprocket are just like any track drive and it is going somewhere fast.

k

 

[Scootermsp]

You are right!

actually looks like a nice shirt.. i would not be afraid to wear it .. it might also help keep me from getting shot by the crazy hunters that are hunting on my property from the back who have no clue to where they are or cant read a sign

I wear an orange T-shirt in the summer mostly because if I have another person working with me cutting You are much less likely to accidentally swing your saw in the direction of someone wearing orange. Come October you'd have to be an idiot to be in ANY woods without Hunter Orange!

 

[Scootermsp]

good illustration told to me that I never forget:
When the chain is moving, it's called a chainsaw.
When the chain snags and stops, it's called 60 mph caterpillar tracks.

when the chain stops, the motor and sprocket are just like any track drive and it is going somewhere fast.

k

And if you are SMART (wearing chaps) that sprocket will look like a birds nest from the kevlar that tangled the snot out of it (A real PINTA to clean BUT....A severed leg is a little LESS convenient) The bottom line is wear your PPE....I've got 2 saves on my left leg over the years !!!!!

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Some really good words of wisdom posted here. Safety is no accident.

Mistakes and carelessness happen more when you are tired.

My (left) big toe is still attatched after a kickback accident while limbing on the ground. Trying to get the last of it done before running out of daylight. I keep the shoes as a reminder to keep the tip away from anything, to stay focused when cutting and the day only has so many hours in it.

 

[Jkebxjunke]

I wear an orange T-shirt in the summer mostly because if I have another person working with me cutting You are much less likely to accidentally swing your saw in the direction of someone wearing orange. Come October you'd have to be an idiot to be in ANY woods without Hunter Orange!

yeah.. even though I own the 40 acres of woods behind me.. I wont go to the back of the chicken houses early or late unless I really have too... even though they are illuminated pretty well.. but there are hunters out there who are already 'lit' if you know what I meanopcorn:

 

[Jkebxjunke]

And if you are SMART (wearing chaps) that sprocket will look like a birds nest from the kevlar that tangled the snot out of it (A real PINTA to clean BUT....A severed leg is a little LESS convenient) The bottom line is wear your PPE....I've got 2 saves on my left leg over the years !!!!!

Some really good words of wisdom posted here. Safety is no accident.

Mistakes and carelessness happen more when you are tired.

My (left) big toe is still attatched after a kickback accident while limbing on the ground. Trying to get the last of it done before running out of daylight. I keep the shoes as a reminder to keep the tip away from anything, to stay focused when cutting and the day only has so many hours in it.

I have been guilty of the no ppe.. back when I started sawing I didn't even wear ear plugs... neither did my dad. last year it was gloves , helmet, face shield, and muffs... now I have added chaps to my inventory.. and steel toes I guess as I get older I get wiser. and reading all the fine advice from the posters on this board -- and even some experts.. ( at what i am not sure--- JUST KIDDING) :jester:
And don't saw when tired.. that's when mistakes and accidents happen.
as for equipment I have added plastic felling wedges to my arsenal and got to try them out with felling and bucking a tree... man what a difference they made... I got that from here and on tv .. that 'Ax Men' show...

 

[A. Stanton]

I think fatigue is a major factor in any accidents. And regarding kickback, I learned something last week: the blade doesn't always come back to get you; sometimes the handle can too. Last week, while, cutting, I don't know how it happen, the handle of my 440 popped straight back and got me in the shine. I'm still trying to figure out how it happened. Had it been 2" higher, I would of got it right in the knee cap.

 

[046]

Yikes!!

were you wearing chaps?

I think fatigue is a major factor in any accidents. And regarding kickback, I learned something last week: the blade doesn't always come back to get you; sometimes the handle can too. Last week, while, cutting, I don't know how it happen, the handle of my 440 popped straight back and got me in the shine. I'm still trying to figure out how it happened. Had it been 2" higher, I would of got it right in the knee cap.

 

[icanfixit]

good post......

I am not an expert, but I do read and i do fear. I have been cutting for about 15 years now. I still look at the tree I'm cutting down for a good half hour, before attempting to fell it. I have had a couple of kickbacks,pinches, trees falling the wrong way ect,ect. But I always had fear and a prepared way out. Keep things clear around you is my biggest thing...........

 

[avalancher]

I am not an expert, but I do read and i do fear. I have been cutting for about 15 years now. I still look at the tree I'm cutting down for a good half hour, before attempting to fell it. I have had a couple of kickbacks,pinches, trees falling the wrong way ect,ect. But I always had fear and a prepared way out. Keep things clear around you is my biggest thing...........

You examine a tree for a half hour before knocking it down? Not trying to be a butt here, but in most of any kind of drop the dangers or hazards are pretty obvious. I cant imagine taking a half hour per tree, it would take me all day last weekend just to do the looking!
Just look for your path for the tree, path for your escape if things go wrong, and drag your saw,maul, and wedges to the tree and start knockem down. If things go wrong, a half hour of examining things arent going to change anything.

 

[logbutcher]

+1 for BillyBob: Who woulda known that there was a "safety shirt" ?
Some fine advice here: technique AND PPE. Excellent reminders for us slackers---"...just going to cut this small sapling...."

Some more tips from the front, with plenty of solid stuff from the Game of Logging ( GOL )and Certified Professional Logger ( CPL )programs run in most states. ( Like: when you stop learning, don't come down for breakfast ) :

1. Yes, plan the fall and escape paths ( cleared ). Know how the beast will move with your cutting. Watch those bounce-backs.

2. Wedges ( not "wedgies" stupid :monkey: ) can direct even serious leaners 180 degrees. Use them in your arsenal--the plastic ones for cutting are cheap. And they make the most dangerous part of felling quiet, controlled.

3. Use your chainbrake...anytime you move more than a step. Use the chainbrake. Start the saw with it on in the famous crotch start. Simple to get used to forearming the brake when moving around. Ask my knee about the 8 stitches when a sloooow at idle chain kissed it ( no chaps, tired, stupid, hot, too much saw (440 ) for a tiny cut )

4. Be humble with the tool. Give it a name like Bambi, or Elizabeth, or....:greenchainsaw: