Chain saw

[OffshoreUK]

Back in May I purchased a Ryobi 36v chainsaw... I had a reasonable amount of processing to do and in fairness to it and me it did the job... but by early December the motor doesn't function... Now that New Year is over I will pick up the receipt and take it all back to B&Q either for a refund or a repair... either way the Husq looks the way forward.

When I bought my saw I didn't even think of starting the saw up without getting PPE and watching some videos...

It did about the equivalent of two of those and some - maybe about 4 cubic metres of wood??

 

[ozzy1977]

That is prety poor really, less than an hours work and it dies.

 

[OffshoreUK]

That is prety poor really, less than an hours work and it dies.

I was actually quite surprised as well and somewhat disappointed... 2 year warranty and there wasn't any trunk over 14 inches...

 

[Mr Adoby]

The Husqvarna 135 looks nice and will most likely serve you well. I have two 245 and use them both in the woods and at home. And I was on a weekend course to learn the technique and have ppe. Chainsaw boots, trousers, helmet with hearing protection and visor, cell phone, first aid kit and a brightly colored smock. And I inform the neighbor or family when I'm going out and when (if) I come back... And I still have had some bad things happening to me. I have a few scars and a titanium screw in my left foot, for instance... Never ever use a chainsaw if you are tired! That may mean that you only can work short intervals with rest between. But after a while your strength improves.

It is always the first or the last tree that gets you!

The reason for having two chainsaw is that you then are sure to have one if something happens out in the woods. When working with storm felled trees it happens that you misjudge how the tree will move when cut, and the saw can easily be caught. Also you are sure to have spare parts. An alternative to having two saws is to have a spare sword. Then you can remove the saw and let the sword remain while you cut it loose using another sword.

Actually the saw itself is not as important as how good you are at sharpening the chains. It is almost like sharpening a knife, only there are a whole bunch of tiny knives chained together. And it makes a huge difference how sharp the chain is!

I usually bring 3-4 chains with me, and sharpen manually with a file only once or twice and then change to a new chain when it starts getting dull, and sharpen the dull chains at home. One chain lasts perhaps 1-2 good sized trees. Felling, cutting branches and cutting into logs. Also a good excuse for a breather...

I have a relatively cheap electric grinder, chain sharpener, that makes it easy. Perfect angles and symmetry. A low powered chainsaw with a sharp chain is much better than a high powered chainsaw with dull chain that can't cut straight.

If you use the chainsaw with a dull chain you will have to work much longer and harder and you will also most likely wear out the chainsaw quickly. Buying new chains is too expensive. Here you can have your chains sharpened where you bought the chainsaw, but I prefer to do it myself. I would never let anyone sharpen any of my knifes, and I sure am not going to let anyone else sharpen my chainsaw chains! (This may be a silly Swedish woodland quirk that you should ignore.)

 

[Quixoticgeek]

On my land Goatboy I don't need a licence to use many pesticides, or to operate a vehicle come to that - and that's my point. People should have the right to do what they like up to the point that it affects others.

Whilst I am all in favour of freedom to do as one pleases on ones land, and can support the "people should have the right to do what they like up to the point that it affects others", with a chainsaw, if you screw up, it won't be just you it effects.

You have an accident with a chainsaw, and assuming you're fortunate enough to live long enough for someone to make a 999 call, you will have arriving in pretty short order at the very least 2 crew in an ambulance, likely you will also get a paramedic FRU. That's 2, possibly 3 people, who you are putting in danger coming out to provide you with treatment.

(Tangent: I would say that due to the nature of liquids leaching through the environment what you say about pesticides being on your land only, is not really true either, but that is a different topic. )

On the subject of PPE, I do not yet operate a chainsaw, I do however provide labour for a couple of trained chainsaw operators moving logs around, and generally keeping as far from the moving chain as I can. When doing this I wear a petzl helmet. I do this as on several occasions substantial chunks of wood, and even a stone on one incident, flew off the chain, and hit me on the side of the head. My helmet meant that I shrugged it off. The wood chunks would have been an annoying bruise, the stone may have required treatment were it not for the helmet. PPE is there for a reason.

The chainsaw is a deadly tool if not used correctly, and while I do not think that requiring a license for everything is always the right move, where chainsaws are concerned, you cannot be too careful. Do the course, get the PPE, be sensible. If you don't you're putting the members of the blue light services in danger by your own recklessness.

'With chainsaws - as with guns - you can move from "everything's fine" to "life-changing catastrophic failure" in a second.'[1]'

J

[1] In quotes (' ') as it is the direct words of said chainsaw operator.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I got this http://www.forestandarb.com/Husqvarna_135_Chainsaw.html for Christmas thanks to the advice on here, I have some steel toe cap boots thick gloves and goggles and have had a bit of a play with it.
im next gonna purchase some ppe, but what do I need ? I'm only cutting fire wood etc , do I need a full face helmet and trousers etc or are those for people who work with them everyday ?

The short answer is:

Safety helmet (EN397 or EN12429)
Eye protection (mesh visor EN1731 or glasses EN166)
Hearing protection (EN352)
Gloves (class 0 or better, EN381-7)
Leg protection (class 1 or better, EN381-5)
Boots (class 1 or better, BS EN20345)

The standard thing on the right is what you are looking for when you pick the item up, if it doesn't have that printed or market on it somewhere, put it back and walk away.

Which Helmet or trousers etc... is to much of personal taste to really recommend anything. I use a petzl helmet, but have been struggling to find leg protection and boots in female sizes. It seems most manufacturers don't make their chainsaw boots small enough. This is the main reasons I haven't yet picked up the saw.

J

 

[Adze]

The trousers would have saved his life, when it kicked back it cuts flesh just as easy as wood.

That's the problem in a nutshell... they don't cut flesh as easily as wood, they cut flesh a LOT faster than they cut wood! The only bit of an arm or a leg which puts up anything like the resistance of wood is the bone and that only the same resistance as an equivalent thickness sapling. Chainsaws draw themselves into the cut to reduce the effort required by the operator and the fleshy bit of a limb might as well not be there for the time it takes a saw to draw itself through it to the bone.

 

[Dreadhead]

i recently started using chainsaws whilst travelling in scandanavia to fell and process trees. I have had some basic lessons before, but i insisted on being shown the ropes again and to go through everything i already knew about making the right cuts, footing, and total awareness.

I also never even touched the saw before i was wearing full safety gear, helmet with full face guard and ear protectors, trousers, boots, and gloves. Always started the chainsaw on the ground with two hands, one foot through the handle so it couldnt move, with the safety bar ON. I walk very slowly, shout very loudly to all around me and make sure they know where i am, where i am cutting, and how to back up, and turn it off at the slightest 'feeling' that something may not be right.

And completely agree about the maintenance. I was using someones chainsaw to process their wood for them. They had had the chainsaw for 2-3years, and he had never cleaned it or even opened it up once. I was completely astonished, so insisted on opening it all up and cleaning everything down before i used it. Little things make a biiig difference

Now that was all without going on a proper course, but i am still terrified of what chainsaws can do and am as safe as i can be. But i am still going to take a proper course when i return to the uk as there is still so much i don't know and if i want to continue using chainsaws for the rest of my life (hopefully an injury-free one!) I want to make sure i learn all there is to know about doing it safely so that everyone comes out safe.

In regards to which chainsaw i don't have as much experience as the others who have commented here i am a complete rookie. I found the stihl look longer to start (for me) and the caps are a bit fiddly when refuelling. but it was much easier to tighten to chain when need be. The husqvarna i used was easier to refuel and start, but a bit of a pain to tighten the chain.

 

[Stringmaker]

In the end this comes down to freedom of choice.

You can currently buy a chainsaw with no prior experience, take it out of the box and use it in shorts and flipflops if you choose.

The probability of an incident happening is the same whether you use full PPE or not (given equivalent usage); the risk that the consequences of it would be very serious is the issue. What degree of risk do you feel comfortable with?

If there were sufficient numbers of unticketed users cutting their legs off then rest assured the state would act, like it did with 250cc motorbikes back in the 1970's (RD250 anyone?).

All human activity and movement involves risk; legislation and licensing is all well and good in theory but most drivers (as in controlling the vehicle at the time) killed in car crashes have been trained and passed a test of competence?

 

[ship]

http://www.chainsawspecialists.co.u..._accessory_package_-_special_offer_price.html

got mine here, common sense is the key, I use the PPE I have, stupid not to, BUT, I only use it to cut wood to length on the saw-horse, I wouldn't even contemplate climbing or felling a tree, not enough knowledge to do that without proper training, but each to their own I suppose,

think safe, be safe,

ship

BTW I would recommend the above supplier, no affiliation etc