Clusterfook Brother in Law Wants a Saw...

[bulletpruf]

So, my BIL is a nice guy. He knows I have a bunch of saws and he's been bugging me for one that he can use at his deer lease. I'd like to help him out, but he's by far the most accident prone guy that I know. However, I told him that if he took a chainsaw safety class, in person, I would give him a saw.

Doing a Google search and I'm not seeing any chainsaw safety classes in Houston (that's where he lives). Do any dealerships/companies (Stihl?) offer classes in person? From what I could tell, it looks like they offer courses for companies and municipalities only.

If/when he takes a class, I need to figure out what to give him. Frankly, I'm inclined to give him an 075 with a 3' bar and plugged decomp because he's not strong enough to start it... But I'd probably get him a clean used 024 or something along those lines.

Curious to hear if y'all have any thoughts.

Thanks

Scott

 

[Jed1124]

He’s a grown man right? If he doesn’t know how, show him how to start it, run it, and how to use the chain brake and off he goes. Send him off with some ppe if you can.

If he’s that accident prone no amount of schoolin is going to help him.

 

[rwoods]

Some disaster relief organizations offer chainsaw training. Ron

 

[peak98]

Speaking from experience in dealing with the accident prone and/or incompetent, I suggest listening to your instincts. Some people just should not be allowed to run power equipment or use firearms....

 

[bulletpruf]

He’s a grown man right? If he doesn’t know how, show him how to start it, run it, and how to use the chain brake and off he goes. Send him off with some ppe if you can.

If he’s that accident prone no amount of schoolin is going to help him.

Grown? Yeah, he's about 55.

I'd rather have someone else show him how to run it, start it, etc. Otherwise, if he hurts himself...errr....WHEN he hurts himself, I won't have all the blame.

BTW - I'm not being overly cautious here. Dude has had a bunch of surgeries, bunch of accidents, health scares out the wazoo. Turning him loose with a saw without some real no-sh*t safety training would be like handing a loaded revolver to a drunk monkey...

 

[bulletpruf]

Some disaster relief organizations offer chainsaw training. Ron

Thanks, Ron. Didn't think of that.

 

[bulletpruf]

Speaking from experience in dealing with the accident prone and/or incompetent, I suggest listening to your instincts. Some people just should not be allowed to run power equipment or use firearms....

Yeah, that's about what I'm thinking. But I'm still worried he's going to borrow someone else's saw at the hunting camp and slice off an appendage. If I give him one, at least I can ensure he's had some safety training.

 

[SteveSr]

The only folks that I can think of that require sawyer training are:

Municipalities
Fire Department / rescue
State forest service
U.S. Forest Service
Volunteer organizations that build and maintain trails on State or Federal lands.

The course curriculum is usually either USFS or S-212.

Even the USFS is getting out of the sawyer training business although they are still setting the course curriculum and requirements. They are now relying on "Cooperator" consultants to do a lot of the training that they used to do internally.

I would look for the local sawyer training consultants and ask them if they can get your BIL into one of their upcoming classes.
@Philbert might have some more suggestions.

 

[bulletpruf]

The only folks that I can think of that require sawyer training are:

Municipalities
Fire Department / rescue
State forest service
U.S. Forest Service
Volunteer organizations that build and maintain trails on State or Federal lands.

The course curriculum is usually either USFS or S-212.

Even the USFS is getting out of the sawyer training business although they are still setting the course curriculum and requirements. They are now relying on "Cooperator" consultants to do a lot of the training that they used to do internally.

I would look for the local sawyer training consultants and ask them if they can get your BIL into one of their upcoming classes.
@Philbert might have some more suggestions.

Good info. I'll check it out. Thanks for posting.

 

[full chizel]

Common sense goes a long ways. The funny thing is it’s really not all that common.

 

[s sidewall]

Some disaster relief organizations offer chainsaw training. Ron

Is that after his bil has been there. Husqvarna has a saw I'd let my grandson use, it's cordless and uses a bb chain like on a pull chain lamp. Shouldn't be able to hurt anyone with it.

Steve

 

[Big Red Oaks 4 me]

I'm glad that you like the guy. That says a lot for an in-law. My BIL would perhaps only get a sack of **** from me, and I would be happy to give him that.

 

[Snowchaser]

My bil is about the same. When his dad retired from the fire department, he gave me his old homelite saw that was on his fire engine. I think he was on the same page as me. My bil would have cut his leg off while using his cell phone or sold it for a video game. I wont loan him a saw cause i gotta live with myself (and my wife) if he did something stupid. I just offer to do it for him. Not that it would be very often anyway.

 

[lone wolf]

Grown? Yeah, he's about 55.

I'd rather have someone else show him how to run it, start it, etc. Otherwise, if he hurts himself...errr....WHEN he hurts himself, I won't have all the blame.

BTW - I'm not being overly cautious here. Dude has had a bunch of surgeries, bunch of accidents, health scares out the wazoo. Turning him loose with a saw without some real no-sh*t safety training would be like handing a loaded revolver to a drunk monkey...

Dont do it man!

 

[mbellot]

You probably don't have one, but this should be a safe enough option...

 

[boltonranger]

“I'd rather have someone else show him how to run it, start it, etc. Otherwise, if he hurts himself...errr....WHEN he hurts himself, I won't have all the blame.”

Why would you want any blame at all?

 

[s sidewall]

You probably don't have one, but this should be a safe enough option...

View attachment 729176

He might get cut with that one, look at the teeth, not rounded enough.

Steve

 

[Philbert]

It's hard to find chainsaw safety classes for the general public. Everyone is afraid of liability. The sources mentioned are pretty good.

Preaching to the choir here, but it's often the tree, not the saw, that kills the guy. Or the electric wires . . .

Philbert

 

[Huskybill]

Don’t give him anything that’s gas powered. Get him a battery powered saw first till he proves he can operate it.

I have a buddy like this he cut the copper pipes in the wall under the Sheetrock with a saws all. He is no longer allowed to use power tools.

 

[esshup]

I know exactly what you are talking about. Had a guy I know ask me to come over and take a look at his saw because he couldn't get the chain to spin even though the brake was off.

When I got to him I asked him if he knew he hit his chaps with the saw. "No".......

I'd make sure he had all the PPE stuff too before I'd get him a saw. Luckily for me, this guy listened to me and did just that.