What happens when you throw a chain

[hybridkarpower]

Has anyone here ever thrown a chain while running your saw ?

What's the actual consequence or damage ? Would the chain whip back & smack the user or just simply gets caught up in the chain catcher ?

 

[sawbid]

It can get dangerous REAL QUICK, but chance are if you're in the wood, the chain "shouldn't" fly back at you. *In my experience*

Todd

 

[Hedge Hacker]

ive never had one come back and hit me but i have had a few drivers on the chain break.

 

[Slamm]

Wow, I've thrown lots of chains, and I've nevered had anything exciting happen. I just put them back on and go to cutting wood.

Sam

 

[gtsawyer]

Worst that happened to me was throwing a chain and then having to dress the bar and lightly grind a few of the drive teeth before using it again. My own fault as the chain was a bit too loose and then pinched it when dropping a horizontal limb...

 

[Zombiechopper]

Wow, I've thrown lots of chains, and I've nevered had anything exciting happen. I just put them back on and go to cutting wood.

Sam

me too. They just come off and kinda fling up under the saw and hit the underside. Its not real spectacular when it happens. Long chains could whack ya I suppose

 

[Anthony_Va.]

I had a little Husky 345 throw it's little 16" chain on me one time and it tore my pants at the pocket. It hit my pocket knife but I don't think it would have tore into my skin anyways. Every other time it's just popped from the bar and been hanging there. It will bugger up your chain catcher if you have the metal one and it can become sharp on the edges and snag you while cleaning the saw. I like the roller catchers better. Flung the chain on my 660 the other day on a small limb. First time I flung it since I installed the the roller. It barely made a scuff on the roller and no damage to the chain at all.

 

[gdhome2]

Had one flip off and cut into my pants once, luckilly they were the double thick type and the chain didn't get through to my skin. Left a nice reminder hole in the pants to remind me to wear my chaps. Otherwise just a nuisance when it happens because you have to put your chain back on and refile if got buggered up.

 

[dingeryote]

Last one I threw, was a 28" loop of LGX that had already been on the "Ugly pile" for missing several teeth.
I reckon I got about 40-45yds out of it, as it hit the opposite bank of the ditchline and a ways down.
LGX irritates me. LGX that looses a dozen teeth on one nail, get's launched.
Best throw so far, was a loop of .325 RMC2 I got at a yard sale.
Those extra guard links seem to aid aerodynamics.:hmm3grin2orange:

OH!!!
Ya mean chain coming off the bar?

Usually they just flop, but have had one or two get buggered up in a knot and smack my thigh. Usually while limbing in tangles, and not paying attention to chain tension like a dork.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Justsaws]

Has anyone here ever thrown a chain while running your saw ?

What's the actual consequence or damage ? Would the chain whip back & smack the user or just simply gets caught up in the chain catcher ?

Case damage and side cover damage to the saw is fairly common. Drive link burrs, and far less often bar and sprocket damage. Chain catchers work and suffer greatly from their ability.

Usually the chain "tangles" up on the sprocket. If the saw is being used for brush clearing or limbing(bar length is exposed) and held with the side of the bar horizontal to the ground the chain can whip around a lot more before tangling up on the sprocket. Any times the chain is thrown or broken while not buried in wood it becomes more dangerous than if the chain is contained by the surrounding wood.

 

[BobL]

yeah I've thrown a few, The worst one was on a CS mill where the 60" bar was fully buried in wood. The chain came off and jammed in between the bar and the wood with the drivers still just touching the drive sprocket and the drive sprocket sat there grinding away the bottoms of the drive links. Result was 6 drive links badly peened and ground away and a 6 drive link length of chain had to be replaced.

 

[Justsaws]

yeah I've thrown a few, The worst one was on a CS mill where the 60" bar was fully buried in wood. The chain came off and jammed in between the bar and the wood with the drivers still just touching the drive sprocket and the drive sprocket sat there grinding away the bottoms of the drive links. Result was 6 drive links badly peened and ground away and a 6 drive link length of chain had to be replaced.

Hmmmmm, were you holding the saw at the time or perhaps employing the auto-milling mode?

 

[pbtree]

Wow, I've thrown lots of chains, and I've nevered had anything exciting happen. I just put them back on and go to cutting wood.

Sam

Ditto for me.

 

[BobL]

Hmmmmm, were you holding the saw at the time or perhaps employing the auto-milling mode?

Here's the full post with pics and banter
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=123778

 

[taylor6400]

I did have a chain come back and hit me in the leg just below the knee. Tore a hole in my pants but no skin damage...and burred drive teeth.

 

[Adam_MA]

I've thrown a couple personally. On all but one, I had to look down to see why the saw revved up so quickly because I didn't even know it came off. The other one though, was a 28" loop that came off, hit the catcher, then flung under the saw and caught me just above my belt line. Left me a good gash in my skin (probably could have used a stitch or 4) and a nice bruise.

 

[SawTroll]

me too. They just come off and kinda fling up under the saw and hit the underside. Its not real spectacular when it happens. Long chains could whack ya I suppose

:agree2: Usually no drama, but a few dings in he saw and a little damage to the chain. More damage to the chain if the sprocket is a spur one.

If you have bad luck, the chain may smack a hole in a plastic fuel tank, or even hit your right hand, if the saw is an old one with no handguard on the rear handle.....

 

[slowp]

Frequently. On a bow bar saw I used to have to run, it would happen a couple times a day. I'd just slap the chain back on. With the Barbie Saw and Twinkle, it happens and I have to file the burrs off the chain before it will work again.

I've only been hit once and it hit where the chaps do not cover, but there was a rivet on my Carhartts that took the brunt. It felt like getting hit by a whippy branch.

It will usually occur when you have an audience.

 

[Arrowhead]

Wow, I've thrown lots of chains, and I've nevered had anything exciting happen. I just put them back on and go to cutting wood.

Sam

:agree2:

 

[ropensaddle]

Thousands of times and still have my appendages Cutting brush is almost unavoidable imo.