Chainbrake optional---fatal mistake 266xp--Complacency is just around the corner!

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slabMan

slabMan

ArboristSite Operative
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Location
G'falls, Washington
This 266xp was owned by a prominent tree topper in the area. One day, he went out on his large property to do some routine tree topping work. He hit is femoral artery with this saw while high up in the tree and bled out before he could get down and died. His wife came home from work and found him there! Husqvarna had the option of a chainbrake [1980's] and many elected to delete it, thinking it slowed the chain speed down [apparently]. I thought I would dedicate a tribute to him with a restoration and some artistic flare and also as a reminder that complacency is just around the corner [or backyard in this case] for those who can easily forget they play with the most dangerous hand tool invented. I dont have any before photos, but this saw was completely stripped down and degreased, cleaned, ported, re-ringed [caber], and replaced with new rubber and exhaust mod. Obviously, this is not your everyday work saw, but could be, as the paint is a monolithic acrylic that will peel off if need be with some work, but it will be a good piece to add to the mancave shelf and a mute reminder to be safe! It runs awesome and has seen the wood too. I left the full wrap as is, because it got bent when he dropped the saw, only doing minor straightening. Well balanced, light saw [considering it is 40 years old]. MATHEW 52; 26--Live by the sword, die by the sword! BE SAFE OUT THERE! View attachment IMG_20221222_151645_800.jpg

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slabMan said:
This 266xp was owned by a prominent tree topper in the area. One day, he went out on his large property to do some routine tree topping work. He hit is femoral artery with this saw while high up in the tree and bled out before he could get down and died. His wife came home from work and found him there! Husqvarna had the option of a chainbrake [1980's] and many elected to delete it, thinking it slowed the chain speed down [apparently]. I thought I would dedicate a tribute to him with a restoration and some artistic flare and also as a reminder that complacency is just around the corner [or backyard in this case] for those who can easily forget they play with the most dangerous hand tool invented. I dont have any before photos, but this saw was completely stripped down and degreased, cleaned, ported, re-ringed [caber], and replaced with new rubber and exhaust mod. Obviously, this is not your everyday work saw, but could be, as the paint is a monolithic acrylic that will peel off if need be with some work, but it will be a good piece to add to the mancave shelf and a mute reminder to be safe! It runs awesome and has seen the wood too. I left the full wrap as is, because it got bent when he dropped the saw, only doing minor straightening. Well balanced, light saw [considering it is 40 years old]. MATHEW 52; 26--Live by the sword, die by the sword! BE SAFE OUT THERE! View attachment IMG_20221222_151645_800.jpg

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Yes, it is sad for sure! I did not know the man, but he was regarded as one of the best climbers/toppers in the area... Cleaning up that saw and giving a tribute is the least I could do for sure!
I now know why the 266xp is one of the best classic saws, as this is the first one I have owned. They did a great job keeping the weight down and the balance of that saw. The 24/25" bar is good but that saw will pull a 28 all day with no issues. Of course, after the 266xp, Stihl raised the bar back then with the 044 and then the best chainsaw war was on! :chainsaw:
 
slabMan said:
Yes, it is sad for sure! I did not know the man, but he was regarded as one of the best climbers/toppers in the area... Cleaning up that saw and giving a tribute is the least I could do for sure!
I now know why the 266xp is one of the best classic saws, as this is the first one I have owned. They did a great job keeping the weight down and the balance of that saw. The 24/25" bar is good but that saw will pull a 28 all day with no issues. Of course, after the 266xp, Stihl raised the bar back then with the 044 and then the best chainsaw war was on! :chainsaw:
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Throw a 16" or 18" on there and bury it in hardwood. Won't skip a beat or bog.
 
No worries with this saw "bogging"... I just think the sweet spot is the 24/25" as far as balance goes...The large diameter exhaust deepens the tone and breathes really well! IMO, the jury is still out on the ratio of Exhaust port/muffler port rule or "85%". Some of the big brains on this site would know more than I on that "rule". Be safe!
 
Sad to hear about your neighbor, being up there in the wind swaying racks my nerves, still too nervous to not calculate every move.

I'm on a phone about to head into the woods with a new saw, spent the past two days doing saw & trimmer maintenance and clearing underbrush. Looks like a chainsaw from Doom, one of the best restorations I've seen-- marinetthe best paint; awesome job.
 
Thanks, I am glad you are thinking about potential saw emergencies, just before you are 'going into the woods with a new MotoSierra'. Complacency can be a bad thing when running a saw. Be safe.
 
New saw didn't run well in wood, sputtered under load so I used a smaller saw and finished a log. Before dinner I ran into town and got fresh ethanol-free gas, read up on the new saw after dinner, maybe the chain was too tight, will try again today.

Thought about your neighbor while in the woods, it sounds like chasing dollars might have got him (going too fast to get the job done and move to another job). Those little mistakes add up, I had several myself, certainly not criticizing your neighbor, every day I learn something and yesterday was, "i do it that way because I've always done it that way and it's always worked." Thinking of your neighbor I canned a few habits, so thank you for sharing.

Tomorrow I'll bein front of a computer monitor and can take a good look at your saw restoration, looking forward to seeing it.
 
New saw didn't run well in wood, sputtered under load so I used a smaller saw and finished a log. Before dinner I ran into town and got fresh ethanol-free gas, read up on the new saw after dinner, maybe the chain was too tight, will try again today.

Thought about your neighbor while in the woods, it sounds like chasing dollars might have got him (going too fast to get the job done and move to another job). Those little mistakes add up, I had several myself, certainly not criticizing your neighbor, every day I learn something and yesterday was, "i do it that way because I've always done it that way and it's always worked." Thinking of your neighbor I canned a few habits, so thank you for sharing.

Tomorrow I'll bein front of a computer monitor and can take a good look at your saw restoration, looking forward to seeing it.
 
That was the kicker...He was professional arborist and was doing a routine tree job on his own property at home and his wife came home from work and found him there after he bled out from femoral artery sever. So I doubt he was in a hurry, if anything he was too laid back about it. I suppose it is analogus to the statistic of "most car accidents happen within 5 miles from home", kinda thing. IE letting their guard down, as they say.
 
I'm sorry, maybe I missed something. I don't see what a chain brake has to do with a cut in a tree. If I cut my leg that bad the first ting I would have done is thrown the saw out of the tree, wrapped my flip line through my crotch and tried to slow the bleeding. Might not have made it anyway. But the last thing on my mind would be bringing that saw down with me. We had a few climbers come to work with us, and as they were chunking a tree down, they let their saw idle on their lanyard. That was a cardinal sin on our job site. You got one warning, the second time you got a $20 bill, for the cab ride home. I used a Homelite Super 1050 , 36" bar, and no decomp up in trees, and that thing was a bugger to start every cut. But, I'd rather fight that saw than my Dad, he owned the company.

Sorry to hear another guy didn't make it home.
 
slabMan said:
That was the kicker...He was professional arborist and was doing a routine tree job on his own property at home and his wife came home from work and found him there after he bled out from femoral artery sever. So I doubt he was in a hurry, if anything he was too laid back about it. I suppose it is analogus to the statistic of "most car accidents happen within 5 miles from home", kinda thing. IE letting their guard down, as they say.
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There is another true to life stat, in almost all dangerous lines of work. Most injuries are by new guys that don't know better, and old guys that get complacent.
 
That is why the full wrap handle is bent...I am sure he dropped it as he had more important issues to TRY and fix. The lack of a chainbrake may or may not have contributed to his fate, nobody will ever know that.
 
Apologies for the previous bad typing on the small phone (and also the bad typing about to occur :surprised3: ).

It does look like Doom 1.0 themed paint. The saw in Doom 1.0 is a McCulloch Eager Beaver 2.0 and looks rather plain given the low-resolution graphics, so excellent job on making the saw look better than in the game!

And again, sad to hear about your neighbor's fate. You have made a great tribute saw.
 
rarefish383 said:
There is another true to life stat, in almost all dangerous lines of work. Most injuries are by new guys that don't know better, and old guys that get complacent.
Click to expand...


Getting too comfortable is definitely a danger. Felt it many times, myself.

Even routine and casual shouldn't be so comfortable as to be thoughtless.
 
HumBurner said:
Getting too comfortable is definitely a danger. Felt it many times, myself.

Even routine and casual shouldn't be so comfortable as to be thoughtless.
Click to expand...
I agree! When operating machines becomes second nature and one gets used to the saw, it is easy to forget that is only half the battle. Trees always throw something at you that you have never seen before and if you dont get injured, you get reminded of the dangers all over again.
 

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