Chain brake - helpful or hinderance

[RandyMac]

There is a difference between relying on any safety device and being skilled enough not to do stupid stuff. Some of us used chainsaw well before chainbrakes and when we started seeing them, most were pathetic lash-ups. Any long term saywer will tell you the the new chainsaws are the safest ever, but be stupid and you will get bit anyways.

 

[Anthony_Va.]

There is a difference between relying on any safety device and being skilled enough not to do stupid stuff. Some of us used chainsaw well before chainbrakes and when we started seeing them, most were pathetic lash-ups. Any long term saywer will tell you the the new chainsaws are the safest ever, but be stupid and you will get bit anyways.

I agree with that. The brake should just be a back up for good safety practices. I also have a couple old saws without brakes and have no prob using them. No one should just act stupid, thinking the brake will save them if the SHTF.

 

[ropensaddle]

There is a difference between relying on any safety device and being skilled enough not to do stupid stuff. Some of us used chainsaw well before chainbrakes and when we started seeing them, most were pathetic lash-ups. Any long term saywer will tell you the the new chainsaws are the safest ever, but be stupid and you will get bit anyways.

Yup and when we started there was no chaps either I have not cut my legs in the whole 27 years in the business but it only takes once. I do like my new husky's brakes but remember them old metal ones too

 

[gwiley]

Yup and when we started there was no chaps either I have not cut my legs in the whole 27 years in the business but it only takes once. I do like my new husky's brakes but remember them old metal ones too

Funny to rad that, a friend just gave me an old Husky with a metal chain brake this past Sunday. First time I have actually seen one in person. I'll take some pictures of it when I get home this week.

 

[ross_scott]

A lot of countries have made it law that all saws must have chainbrakes personally myself I would use a saw without a chainbrake if I was just cutting firewood but in the bush I will use one with a brake everytime not because I have to by law but when working on a log landing and you have decks with trees laid out side by side for processing there is huge potential for kickbacks if the bar tip connects with another tree or slash on the ground plus I engage my brake when passing my saw while it is running to someone if they need to cut themselves out of a jam up and I also engage my brake when walking through slash to get to the next tree waiting to be processed

 

[mirkaba]

I was still felling when chain brakes first came out. Whenever somebody would buy a new saw with a chain break they would take it off and save it to put back on if they traded in or sold the saw. Take 'em or leave 'em it just seems to be the way things are going. Someday there will be an "idiot proof" saw. Can't imagine the innovations there. When chainsaw licenses are mandatory I suppose I will be sawing illegally. Bob

 

[Shifty Eyed]

You have a perspective that most on this site do not and a willingness to learn from your past which many cannot.

If I have a choice I will choose one with a two pivot point chain brake, decent anti-vibe, inboard clutch and a plastic gas tank.

You are absolutely correct about the perspective. "Jaded" would proabably be an understatement.

It's very interesting to hear from those who don't care for the brake; and from those who dismiss it altogether.

 

[Billy Jack]

Chain brakes for me please

Except for two saws that have significant family tradition, I have no desire to own or operate a chain saw that does not have a chain brake. One of the two non-brake saws that came from my teenage years actually came very close to taking off two of my dad's fingers. A Poulan Super XXV that he reached out with one hand to cut a very small limb. It kicked back and struck his left hand that was holding the vines/briars back. A more powerful saw with sharp chain would have likely took those fingers off. Not a wise move, but face it, we all do it occasionally. An inertia chain brake would have likely limited the injury even more. I have always remembered that.

 

[BobL]

Instead of working to absolutes like, yes I always do that, or I never do that, operators should consider working to a flexible overall risk management strategy - in the old days it was called common sense. Risk is a combo of stuff like degree of danger, actual use, experience of the operator, and length of exposure etc. Faced with a job to do and a choice of tools I usually pick the tool that will allow me to do the job quickly and safely. Like some have already said, a safe tool used for too long or inappropriately, has high risk. Likewise a more dangerous tool used for a short period with care can have an acceptable risk. For example; if I have to buck a 60' x 30" tree into 10 ft lengths with a choice of a 35 cc 16" CS with a chain brake, or a 90 cc saw with a 36" bar without a brake, I would almost certainly pick up the saw without brake. If the choice is between two similar saws, (except one has no brake) I will generally pick up the one with the brake. So to answer SE's question my answer is no, it's not absolutely essential but it is pretty close to essential in most circumstances.

 

[Mike PA]

I agree with BobL.

I cringe every time I read a guy saying how long he's done something and no one is going to tell him that there is a better way. I don't believe that anyone is 100% safe, 100% of the time, regardless of how often you do something. We become comfortable with the everyday risks we take and sometimes overlook or undervalue the actual danger involved. Take a poll, for example, of the number of people who think they are better than average drivers. It comes out to about 80% who think they are. That simply can't be. We all make mistakes driving, sometimes with bad results. Most of the time nothing happens, but occassionally something happens because we screw up or even for events that are beyond our control. That, to me, is what additional safety features should cover. Few people are more careless drivers because they have a seatbelt or airbag, but these features are there for when crap happens. Same as a brake on a saw - there for when you need it, not there to make up for other shortcomings. I see few reasons to avoid safety features on cars, saws, power lines, etc. I'm not saying that people don't have good, legit reasons for avoiding safety features, I'm just saying that there are fewer legit reasons than people give.

 

[indiansprings]

Chain Brake for Me.

I grew up in the era were there was no chain brakes on saws. My dad taught me to respect how potentially dangerous running a saw could be. He showed me what causes kickbacks. I learned to run one using common sense.
PPE was unheard of in that day and time especially on a farm. You just used a saw carefully. After a couple of years of running one, I got cocky on how fast I could work up a top, needless to say I got bit, nice big long scar on the left thigh. It taught me another lesson, try to have someone with you or a cell phone available if your cutting by yourself. I was by myself, a couple of miles from the house and nearly wrecked the truck getting home.

I've taught my boys the same way my dad taught me, they've both seen my scar and use good safe pratices when cutting, they both know if I catch them using unsafe practices I'll stick my boot up their hiney.

Chain brakes were a great improvement in saw safety, but one should never substiute gadgetry and for safe sawing practices, common sense goes a long way. Given a saw with and one without, I'll take one with the chain brake anyday.

 

[mirkaba]

Chain breaks are there to help minimize more or less minor injuries. Looking back at my buddies that have died in the woods they were: killed by a snag, killed by a boulder knocked loose by the skidder, killed by a log accidentally flipped off the bunk by the loader and one killed when he drove off a switchback on the way to work at 4.00am. Logging is a risky business. All 4 of my friends that were killed were very experienced and good at their job. None were sawed to death. If you work in the woods the biggest risk you probably take is getting up and going to work in the morning.......Bob

 

[BobL]

. . . . . .If you work in the woods the biggest risk you probably take is getting up and going to work in the morning.......Bob

The biggest risk just about any job is "driving to work".