Not all chainsaws have inertia activated chain brakes for kickback.
- Thread starter dsell
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Canyon Angler
Addicted to ArboristSite
Ouch. I was waiting to see his head tip over from the stump.
It always sucks when these things happen! Kudos to you for being willing to post your experience for others to get a wake up call. Safety is important and needs reminding, always!
The big take a way was you are a first year wearer of bifocals. That is a huge change in you vision and depth perception. I seen people wear them hiking and trip over contours in the trial because you just can't judge what is down there.
When I'm out training and guiding our sawyers, I stress to always know where your tip is. You were blinded by not having a clear view of your surroundings.
Thanks for posting and hope you heal quickly.
dsell
Addicted to ArboristSite
This happened Labor day weekend and I'm healed now. Since I'm old, the Doc said I had extra material to work with as she cut away the jagged mess! I kept Bactricin on it for 3 weeks and I just stopped putting Vitamin E oil on it a few days ago. It's starting to smooth out, not as lumpy and hard. Still waiting for everyone to bill me for the ER. I considered putting some safety tips on the bars. I don't think it would matter to me because I seldom make a plunge cut. Bifocals suck.
That is scary.
patw
ArboristSite Lurker
I used bifocals for 1 year then switched to progressive lenses, much better
FordGT40
USAF Flight School - 1987
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Back around 2001 my Dad bought me my first chainsaw - it was Poulan Wildthing. It did not have a chain brake, just a hand guard for the left hand. I knew enough at least to realize the chain brake was critical. I immediately traded it in for a Craftsman with chain brake. In those twenty years, I've come to learn a lot about cutting wood and it appalls me at how little I, or my dad for that matter, knew about proper felling back then despite having lived in wood lands since 1965.
I have progressives as well, and while they are much better in so many ways, I found perepherial depth perception isn't one of them. The distortions caused by the variation in focal length means straight lines curve unless you are looking dead on at them. I found walking down stairs to be particularly challenging. Digital progressives are better, but still not perfect in this regard.
treeguy2020
ArboristSite Lurker
Am glad you were not badly hurt and also glad you posted the video, this makes me do a lot of thinking before starting cutting with my chainsaws.
dsell
Addicted to ArboristSite
Thanks, that's why I posted. Just to be clear, that isn't my video. The video is the best example of how violent and quick kickback can be.
dsell
Addicted to ArboristSite
Progressive is all I know. I have two sets, the one in the picture is CR-39 plastic without options. My 2nd set is polycarbonate safety glasses with Crizal, anti-fog, photo gray, and scratch resistant coating. That set is supposed to have the best progressive available. I'll take the CR-39 over polycarbonate any time because they give me better vision and no sweet spots. Example, the top of my poly carbonate lenses are a blur. Either set can make things curve. I also have bad astigmatism in both eyes as you can see in the lens. If I want to see something extremely close up, I have to take my glasses off. Crizal did absolutely nothing for me over the CR-39. The anti-fog appears to just be oily rags that you wipe your lenses with. The photo gray doesn't get dark enough to be good driving glasses behind tinted car glass.
Glad to hear your on the mend. I am curious how long of a bar on the saw? Also was your left arm straight or bent slightly. I was taught to keep your left arm as straight as possible. Weather that would have made a difference I doubt it
dsell
Addicted to ArboristSite
Thanks, are you referring to the video? If so, that's not me. The bar on the Shindaiwa is 20 inch.
No not the video. When I’m buckin I try to keep my left arm straight and my thumb under the handle. I also run 24-28” bars so I’m not bent over. But like I said I don’t think it would have helped hitting the fence. There is no give to the wire so most of the force was transferred back. I have had kick backs a few times but they were not as severe. Being in a hurry and running a dull chain. I have older saws and ones without brakes in my collection. I use them when I’m cutting on a Sunday and not in a hurry. And I keep the chains and good shape. Looking at you saw I wouldn’t have thought twice that the brake wasn’t like the modern ones we use, my 2100 you can tell is definitely not an inertia brake.
thenne1713
ArboristSite Operative
SAFETY TIP: Same tip I gave my teenage son years back, as he was bucking one day: "NEVER align the bar/chain with your CROTCH, if you wish to later have kids, turn 45-90-degrees and align it beside you so that a thrown chain will bypass your main body" He now has FIVE of my 10 grandkids 
Thanks for posting this dsell, the most useful thing about being on the form is not catching CAD …..it’s posts like yours.
Canyon Angler
Addicted to ArboristSite
Better yet (just as with a table saw), never stand behind the "blade."SAFETY TIP: Same tip I gave my teenage son years back, as he was bucking one day: "NEVER align the bar/chain with your CROTCH, if you wish to later have kids, turn 45-90-degrees and align it beside you so that a thrown chain will bypass your main body" He now has FIVE of my 10 grandkids
Then if it kicks back, it won't hit you in the head (or liver).
Holy crap! Glad you lived to share this important information. No matter how safe we think things are there is always that risk. Thanks for sharing.
dsell
Addicted to ArboristSite
I switched to the EZ smart track saw, love that system. So much safer and easier for one person. Makes a nice 8' straight edge for checking things like floor level for hardwood floors too.
That was some scary stuff. For a split second I thought he lost his head. Glad he's alive. I will always be a bar length away from any fence maybe 2 if I'm ever in that scenario. No matter how surgical we think we are with our saws there is always a variable whether it's bucking felling brushing limbing etc the saw is always more powerful than us.
