Cut hand with chainsaw because never adjusted idle.

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Alex the man.

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Jun 27, 2015
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Indiana
Like all accidents its the hurry that gets you.. I was up in Indiana with my gf and there was a tree her parents wanted cut down so I brought the MS290 and the Husky 350 I had just gotten a carb kit for the Husky so I put that in but I was planning on using the MS290 well I try to start using it and its dying every 10 seconds. So I decide to just use the husky so sharpened the chain and started cutting well it was running good not too lean or rich in full throttle but at idle the chain was moving and I didn't adjust that because I was annoyed the MS290 didn't work so I was in a hurry. Big mistake not adjusting it.

Well I cut that tree up fine but then I trimmed some branches off standing trees and there was this one broken branch that was just out of reach so I got on a ladder and cut it almost all the way then I held the chainsaw with my left hand and because I didn't want the branch to hit me or my gf's dad holding the ladder I pushed it with my right hand when it gave the ladder shifted and my right hand apparently came in contact with the moving chain I wasn't aware of it I was just keeping my balance. In fact I didn't even know I was cut until I saw the blood. Luckily it was just semi deep flesh wound on my pinky and on my hand right below my pinky and very light cuts on my ring finger middle finger and on my palm by my thumb. and it bleed out good so I just super glued it and its good as new now. It could have been a lot worse but at least the chain wasn't moving real fast either.

Its a lesson learned for me.. to adjust the idle and be more careful.. even turning the chainsaw off would have prevented it. But its my own fault and you guys can tell me I'm a idiot for doing it :)
 
Put this in the Life's lessons learned folder. There are a lot of tendons just below the surface in the hand. You seem to realize you got lucky. "Fool me once...."
Heal quick, but remember ;)

edit to add at 6:14:
I tied to walk away, but am drawn back like a moth to a flame.
To work from a ladder is one level of a bad idea, to endanger someone else by allowing them to hold the ladder (or to be anywhere within the vicinity) while you work above them to cut a limb with a chainsaw takes it to a whole new level of bad ideas :wtf:
 
lf your saw is tuned correctly and idle is set to specs the chain should not turn. lf it does the first thing l would look at is the clutch springs as they probably need replacing. l don't like giving advice to anyone who uses ladder and chainsaw in the same sentence......but unless you fix it its not really safe whether up a ladder or on the ground. Chainsaw and ladders are a bad combination.......stay safe and be careful, saws are not forgiving if care is not taken.
 

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