Started using a chainsaw around age 9 or 10...
I grew up on a farm in North Missouri, and we burned wood nearly every day the weather was below freezing in winter... so we would cut pickup loads of wood in the fall, enough for a few tons in the basement, and more stacked outside. I started using a yellow
Mac-
10 (
probably a 18-20 inch bar) around age 9 or 10, to cut up trees on the ground, after Dad had dropped trees in a clearing. Before that, I had a "kid sized" single-bit axe (
not a hatchet) with a bit of curve near the handle end, to remove branches and pull them over to a brush pile. After we got a load of wood home we would remove a basement window from the frame, and toss wood in the basement till we got about 4-cords stacked to the ceiling, and put the rest outside. We did have a propane furnace too; but burning wood could reduce the amount of propane we used by 75%... even though winter temps could be -25F to -30F in colder parts of winter. (
lowest I recall was -38F without wind-chill, when I was a kid) As some of you probably know, one advantage of having a wood stove in the basement, is that the floors upstairs stay warmer all winter.
Some parents now wouldn't dream of letting their kids use a chainsaw at age 9... but living on a farm, we helped with any work we could as a kid, and were taught at a very young age (1) Pay Attention to what's going on, and be safe. You don't need to be the one *running* the chainsaw or tractor to get hurt. (2) Respect the equipment. Use it right. It's not a toy. (3) Remember to watch other people while you are working, not just your own little space. (4) THINK before you do something. What's going to happen next? Don't take risks. Where is the tree's weight going to drop ? .. whether it's just a branch on the ground that shifts two inches and pinches your blade, or a whole tree that may fall too close for comfort.
That sort of awareness and attitude is useful -whether you are 10yrs old or 60.