drop starting

[Ekka]

At college we were not allowed to drop start a saw.

Also I believe OHS prohibits it too, depending where you are of course.

I have mentioned my personal opinion on this but I do not know of a person yet who was injured drop starting a saw. But the irony is, when you are in a tree and your balance and strength for starting are compromised you can drop start a saw ... also, the encouragement of turning the saw off between cuts can only then further increase the volume of drop starts up the tree.

Frankly, all BS to me, especially when up a tree with size 46+ saws, I have them sent up idling and they stay on till I'm down or out of juice. Seems to me too many BS rules written by BS operators or desk bound paper pushers.

 

[njforestfire]

I agree

I drop start the little saws. The saws over 4 CID I usually set on the ground or stump. The ones around 3-5 cubes also get started with the handle under the thigh technique-I'm sure it is forbidden by someone but it works well.

I agree about the little saws and drop starting. The thigh technique is not forbidden but actually a preferred way to start chainsaws among many of us. This method was and is tought in current chainsaw classes around the country. I personally like this method and it is one that I teach during our S-212 course (Wildland Firefighting and Powersaws).

 

[njforestfire]

There has always been a corelation between the sissy type and the nut cracker start. lol
You know, the type that went to school and was taught how to use a saw by some shrubber who never moved beyond a Muckaluck or a Pukalon. lol
Anyway, drop starting is the safest and requires the least expenditure of effect except in confined quarters.
I also drop start my 088 with ease. It is basicly the technique that is used to drop start that counts.
I'm not really condemning the other methods. It is important to use the method that serves one best, however, you have to admit that the between the legs thing looks pretty ghey. I mean I'm sure woman wouldn't put a saw between their breast just to start it, however, it would be a sight.
John

To each his own...and did you ever think about maybe the 'vibrations' feeling good during the inner thigh start??

 

[turnkey4099]

This thread is the same as a lot of them. It comes down to opinions. Each has his own and nobody is likely to change. Me? I used to use the boot on the ground until age crept up and the ground got further away. Now it is the 'inside the thigh'. I never tried the 'drop start'.

Harry K

 

[darkstar]

i could get banned for this one .... saw on crotch is better than viagra hahahahahahahahahahahahah

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

... I can more clearly hear myself singing perverted lyrics to old Stones and Beatles tunes.

I could have gone all day without the benefit of that mental image!

 

[pmuscato]

I used to drop start while climbing, but I got tired of climbing back down to get my saw.

 

[Ax-man]

I'll add a little different twist to this, JMO here, drop starting is hard on the rewind side of a saw, usually drop starting will run the rewind spring just about out to the max losing it's tensile to rewind the rope back if done over a long period of time, the pull rope and the guide wears prematurely because the rewind cord is being pulled out at an angle instead of straight. Short quick pulls between the legs or having the saw on the ground keeps the rope feeding into the rewind pulley straight, less chance of a foul-up too.

Ever since I basically switched to the inner leg method or putting the saw on the ground if it is real heavy my rewind problems have not been so numerious.

Quick fast short pulls between the legs also seem to get a saw started faster than long hard pulls when they are drop started. It all boils down to tuning and good maintence, as to how well a saw will start using either method. Drop starting is a last resort for me but there are some days that is only way to get a saw going, engage the brake, hold the throttle wide open and drop start it.

Maybe it is just me but I don't feel I have good balance or control over a saw when drop starting one. I used to be a drop starter but just got away from it because it is just more fatiguing, especially on a hot day. If your tiring out from trying to drop start a saw, you don't have as good of control over the saw.

Most chain saw cuts are in the thigh area below the waist, wonder how many of those cuts are from drop starting saws ???

Larry

 

[Al Smith]

Well this area of the forum is about injurys.As matter of record most injurys are in the leg areas and the average takes about 90 stiches to close the wound.These things are unforgiving tools.Don't put safety in the back seat,please be careful.

 

[crimplene]

I used to drop start my 020 in the tree, but kept punching myself in the nose with the starter handle....( So I stopped and went back to the thigh method

 

[njforestfire]

Regarding injuries on this topic, what I have noticed is a large bruise on my thigh....probably the biggest drawback using this technique. I learned to use mid and lower thigh (near the knee) to 'spread the bruising' out. 2 Weeks doiong saw work on fire lines gets very tiring and all the walking and other crap you gotta pack just plain sucks on the thigh. I did have to use the ground to start a few and God forbid you get caught by the Supervisor doing a drop start.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

The first time i heard the term "drop start" I thought ‘well, that sounds interesting, I’ll try it.’ So the next day I climbed a few feet up a smallish pine, and clipped in. OK, lets set the chain brake, hold the saw by the center top handle, grab the pull cord handle firmly, right. Then I proceeded to throw the saw towards my feet. It didn’t start; it hung dangling by its pull cord, slowly bumping off of the tree.

“Well that sucks! What a stupid idea! Someone’s going to get hurt if they keep starting their saw that way.”

I then retrieved my saw, grabbed the center top handle and pulled up briskly on the pull cord handle. This procedure never needed a name or label, it was simply the only way I had ever seen a saw started.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

2 fliplines vs split tail

Now that I am windfirming way out in the bush and work for someone else it is different. It kind of sucks on the skinny trees but I can understand why my boss wants me to climb with 2 steelcores, I am not to stubborn and am changing my ways a bit.
b

Clearance, I sometimes tie my blakes hitch on the ground, that way when I get to a limb I pull out some slack and fling my climbing line above the limb, then tie in on the short climbing line. Once that’s done I unclip the steelcore, and advance to the next limb using the climbline as a safety. I climb on yale XTC, which is good thick cord, it actually flip lines really well. When you get way up the weight of the climb line pulling on the knot screws things up, I just pull some line up and wedge it between my handsaw handle and scabbard, or tie a midline knot and attach it to my saddle. Of course if someone were to be a as stingy as john they could probably just hold the rope with their butt cheeks

I try not to do this too much, cause it is hard on the rope. But I usually buy a new climbline every year anyway. (edit, flip lining is hard on the rope, not securing it, lol)

This only works if you use a split tail. The great thing is that you don’t need to pack 2 steel cores up the tree with you. plus when your ready to blast the top there's no time wasted tying knots before the big ride.

It also works well on big ol’ cottonwoods or cedars over 6’ through and trees like that. I find that the loop I can throw in the rope travels higher and further away from the tree, thus preventing some hang-ups.

I’ve tried using a steel core safety with 2 ends, each with about a 2 foot lead, but I don’t like the way this flip lines.

I always use the wirecore safety if I’m cutting, but I feel plenty safe with the rope safety if I’m only climbing.

 

[046]

I'm with blue spruce.

in a tree, simply hold on to top bar and pull. on the ground I'll go with foot on saw, then yank. never had any problems starting.

wouldn't even think of starting between legs...

 

[blue]

so if your stood on spikes 40' up, a lanyard holding you in,loggin off a poplar with a husky 395 36" bar how the **** are you supposed to start it without the drop start method?

 

[kf_tree]

i find it alot easier to start a big saw in a tree than on the ground......hold the cord and push the saw away. the weight of the saw does all the work.

 

[bama]

I drop start my saws after they have warmed up because then they start on low idle. I have a 920 and a 621 Jonsered, and after about twenty more years, I will see the reasoning behind starting on the ground all the time. I hold the handle with the left hand and pull with the right. They start 1st pull every time.

 

[treesurgeon]

It sounds like you just stopped free climbing. Is that so? Why would you ever free climb?

If so, you just gave me an incredible insight about yourself.

probably the same reason people free climb cliffs and mountains, their all nuts.

 

[rbtree]

Why would you ever free climb?

Because it is fast...I do it quite often, Tom, in a brushy tree with nicely spaced limbs. Three point rule applies...

 

[Diesel JD]

I'm nopt a pro but have been using a chainsaw for many years. At first always started on the ground, but I have found that drop starting is the easiest method most of teh time. I've always tried to keep my saws in good enough tune that they will start on the first hit. Right hand on the front handle bar, left hand pulls the starter cord, and it fires right up. Everything gets started that way from teh smallest saw to the largest in my stable. I don't see how this could put you at risk for an injury unless during a cold start when the saw is running with the trigger locked for half a second, the bar nose somehow came in contact with something and kicked back on you.