Who have been saved by their chain brake?

[boda65]

I am just wondering how many people here have been saved from potential injury by having their chain brake work as designed.

I'll start by saying I think chain brakes are a wonderful idea, and I have never disabled or removed a chain brake. I just cut my own firewood and am not a professional. However, my saws are older and several have no chain brakes. The crapsman (poulan 2000) is even a top handle with non safety chain. Maybe I am lucky, maybe careful, or maybe just stupid lucky, but I have never had anything resembling kickback. I try to be aware of where the tip is and I wear chaps and helmet/ear protection/face shield.

Many here seem to get apoplectic about the idea of someone running any saw w/o a chain brake. Maybe if it ever happens, I'll change my mind. Of course, it would be too late then Just curious what the general consensus is.

 

[FELLNORTH]

i have never even had a chainbrake engage during operation!

 

[joe25DA]

Only 5 of my saws have them. I learned on a Poulan S25DA with 3/8 L P non safety chain. Those saws are known to kick since its a top handle. No brake there so my dad always said to keep your left arm stiff. If you do that and your careful you can run a saw safe. This is good practice on saws with brakes too. Don't get a false sense of security just cause the saw has a brake.

 

[Streblerm]

I just cut firewood and do homeowner stuff, but I've never had a chainbrake engage, nor have I ever experienced uncontrollable kickback. Is there a knocking on wood smiley?

Some of my saws have brakes and some don't. When I use one without, I try to be even more aware of what I am doing. I always keep one eye on the bar and tip and try to keep a firm (not death) grip and keep good form. I try to recognize situations where kickback could occur.

A chainbrake is kind of like chaps or a seat belt in a car. A lack of one wouldn't absolutely prevent me from using it, but it sure would make me more careful.

 

[mike385]

I have been saved from harm many times because of a chainbrake. Mostly when bucking up behind my skidder. Not many times actually in the woods and felling though.

You don't necessarily have to contact something with the tip. You can also have a kick out or back when the chain is still spinning and it gets pinched. You won't get this with a small homeowner saw but anything 60cc and bigger it can be a problem.

 

[dave k]

Last year three climbers in the UK where killed due to kickback injuries to the neck area whilst working up in a tree. From what I read at the time on another board it appeared that it may have happened as a result of using the 200 T one handed ? We will never be sure but I suspect that if using both hands the chain brake may have saved them. Do I use both hands ? not often I should know better.
Having a chain brake is only part of the story safe working practices are, in my very humble view, just as important.

 

[SkippyKtm]

I was bucking a log back when I was in my 20's when I was dumb as a tree stump, (about 20 years ago... sigh). The chain was kinda dull, I was pushing without having my thumb wrapped around the top handle, which is I know is a bad thing...( I was using my thumb to apply extra pressure!). The upper quadrant of the bar tip contacted the log; she kicked back (my fault again!), my hand slipped off the top handle, and smacked into the brake handle and it did its job..IT SAVED MY A$$!!! I probably woulda cut my forehead in half or something!
One of my buddies, who is a logger, used a saw with a broken chain brake and he lost 4 months of work and has a very deep scar (it almost looks like he lost some muscle tissue) in his left forearm to show for it.
I wont use a saw without one! Even though I have never had another kick back since.

 

[afblue]

Glad to hear they have done there job for most people. I have never had it save me, or at least not yet, but I have made it a common practice of mine to purposely engage the brake when I have the saw running and I am not within a few second of cutting into a log, keeps the chain safe when fighting deep brush when limbing a tree top getting it ready to be skid out to the processing area.

 

[TDunk]

Been saved once by a chain brake. Was ripping a round in half. Rolled it over and started an under cut to finish and it kicked back. The chain took a little skin off my nose but that' was it. Had the chain been spinning when it hit me it would have been a lot worse.

 

[toddstreeservic]

saw a kid in college almost split his head in half. His daddy was a logger so he thought he was hot stuff. Saw kicked back and nicked the brim of his hard hat. If the chainbrake hadn'y engaged he would have been dead.

 

[JBuck]

Had my 361 engage while I was limbing a tree and hit the tip against the one next to it. It kicked back, I don't think my wrist hit the break but could have. As it happened pretty quick. But I had a good grip on it and it didn't get too high, just snapped up quick.

 

[MCW]

I've had the odd hard kickback but I've never had a chainbreak engage.
Most of my kickbacks are straight back at you like rifle recoil and not the tip kicking back and up.

 

[injun joe]

well it kinda saved me but it sure did wake me up. i was using my 390 with a 28'' bar and it kicked back like it came up out of the cut but luckily i was paying attention and i pushed down on the front handle hard so the bar whacked the top of the round.but i do remember the chain brake engaging during the kick back. i am reassured to know my chainbreak still works.

 

[wvlogger]

i have been was bucking a log and doing a bore for no pull bucking and the saw kicked out when i wentt to the bottom and came back at my right shoulder. little skin off little blood but it was fine

 

[logging22]

Chain brakes saves lives! Logging for 15 years and have lost count on the number of times that it has saved my butt. Would never use a saw without one. Have a number of friends that have bad scars and worse because of chain brakes not working right or lack of brake itself. Again, they save lives. Long live chain brakes!!!

 

[pioneerguy600]

I have been operating chainsaws for quite some time, started cutting in the woods around 1961. Used chainsaws for many years that had no chainbrakes. Bought Sachs Dolmars in 1985 and they were the first saws I owned that had chainbrakes. Have a lot of hours felling, limbing and bucking and the only saws that have had the chainbrake activated is the MS 440`s, they are inertia chainbrakes and the least little quick rearward movement causes them to engage. Otherwise only getting the chainbrake handle tangled in brush while limbing has engaged the brake. At no time has a chainbrake engaged from a real kickback or kick up.
PIONEERGUY600

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I have been saved a few times including having a saw lightly bounce of my helmets visor, heart stopping moment, soon followed by be throwing the saw at the guy who had cut the drags down 5 mins before.

 

[wigglesworth]

I have had 1 kickback that was hard enough to actually set the brake off. I never lost control of it, and it never really kicked up, but it was hard enough to set the chainbrake. WRAP YOUR THUMBS!!!!

 

[GASoline71]

Only 2 of the many saws I own have chain brakes... neither one have saved me from anything.

If you're relying on the brake to save your butt... then you need to consider a different option on how to cut wood.

Gary

 

[Taxmantoo]

soon followed by me throwing the saw at the guy who had cut the drags down 5 mins before.

Is "drags" Kiwi for rakers or depth gauges?