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Women and Chainsaw's

Started by mrselfreliance, October 15, 2017, 02:36:56 PM

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mrselfreliance

Ok, so here's the situation.  My father and I currently cut and process our firewood together.  Always a great time.  My sister just moved back to our home town and will be heating with wood. 

Obviously women use chainsaws, but my father being protective of his daughter, has a fit every time she mentions she wants to get a saw to cut her own wood with us.  I'm all for it as long as she also buys all the safety gear and takes her time to learn properly.

Anyways, just wanted to hear from other Female chainsaw users or from anyone who know chainsaw wielding women.  Any tips for my sister?  And any ideas on how to get my father to relax? 

Background info, I run a MS261, would probably recommend her an MS241 with 16" bar.  Our trees are not that big here.   Keep it light for her.  She's 30 and in really good physical shape, so she can handle it. 

Thoughts?

sawguy21

I have known women who are very competent with a saw like our own @Sprucebunny. Is she willing to buy a saw and ppe, get proper training and show up ready to work? He might not be happy but what can he do?
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

sablatnic

Why not. I have seen women who were horrible with chainsaws and I have seen women who extremely good with them - just like men.
She has to learn, that they are dangerous - all the time. And even more so when they are started!
And tell her to stop before she gets tired - when people get tired, they start fumbling and making errors!

Pants or chaps, a good helmet with ear muffs and visor. And the Stihl 241 would be a good choice for a saw.

DelawhereJoe

If she doesn't want to spend the money on a pro saw to start with a Echo 352 at around 8.8 lbs would be a good starter saw. I think thats what I will be starting my son off with once I feel he can listen well enough. I've already got him mowing with the zero turn mower. I may be getting a Stihl 170 or 180 from my brother once he moves to an apartment so there is a chance that will be his first saw. But either of those would also be a good starter saw that don't weigh a lot and in the event of a accident its not as high of a hp saw as the 241.
WD-40, DUCT TAPE, 024, 026, 362c-m, 041, homelite xl, JD 2510

Coconut

Hey guys Coconuts daughter here :) I have been running an ms261 for two years now with out incident and can honestly say I LOVE it and my dad and I have recently bought a Clark 665d skidder together. My advice to her firstly is make sure that your hair is completely out of the way as it could become caught in the saw ( I have very long hair and I use a stretchy bandana ) Secondly be sure to start slowly and stop when you get tired you may only do a half day but you will get better over time. Lastly listen to your teacher even if you think you can do something better your way and if you are having an off day do something else instead like splitting blocks or hauling brush, and ALWAYS where cutting pants, boots, safety glasses and hearing protection.
PS.
Driving skidder is waaaaay better than big brothers four-wheeler :) 

Jeff

Welcome Coconuts daughter!   :)   
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

sprucebunny

A person needs to think about pinch situations and size up every cut. Chainsaws are dangerous; don't rush.
Love my small Stihls. Also about 8.8 pounds.
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

Caloren

My wife learned how to use a chainsaw when she was about 40-45 while helping the kids clean up her Dad's place after the loggers were done with it. That is harder work than felling the trees!
Stihl MS 170, Stihl MS 310, Stihl 028 AV Super, and half a dozen other no-accounts! Cat D4 D.

Maine372

any person is capable of running a chainsaw safely and productively regardless of their gender. in fact, I once read an article about women equipment operators. studies showed that they were less abusive to the equipment than the men. so perhaps they are better than we are?

I feel the students approach has already been discussed; safety gear, lighter saw, knowing your limits, etc. I would like to address the teachers perspective. it can be very easy to dismiss a female training in a male dominated industry. the attitude with which you approach training her may make or break the situation. avoid jargon and over complicated terms that will make you sound cool but go right over her head. that wont help, it will just confuse her. remember men and women think differently, so she might not get it the first time you explain something. don't say the same thing over again, try to say it a different way.

I have learned that I cannot teach my wife. this doesn't mean that my wife cannot learn, but that she learns differently than I teach. if my wife wanted to learn to run a saw, I would honestly send her to someone else I trust to teach her safely, because I know we don't work well together in that capacity. so if it doesn't seem to be working, you might need to put her under another's tutelage.



Texas-Jim

There are two people in my shop, the other one besides me is Genny. Shes a great mechanic and not a bit afraid of a saw. Only time she ever backed up was a MS880, shes smart enough to know its a tad much for a 130  pound girl. A saw is just as dangerous if your a guy or a girl. I have been running and working on them over 40 years and I still pull on my old chaps. Its dangerous but we can make it as safe as we want to. Let her run one and encourage her to do it right.
What we do in life echoes through eternity.

barbender

I never have gotten around to training my wife to run a saw. I even bought her a little Tanaka saw one year, but it runs poorly so it put a damper on my plans. I think she's completely capable, though. Start them off on a small saw and wearing all the PPE, I don't think there's anything to worry about.
Too many irons in the fire

Ron Scott

Have had several woman felling and bucking on logging jobs over the years and on forest firefighting crews. They performed very well. Also note the Forum's Axe Women thread here and do a Search for "Lumber Jills" for comments on past threads for Women and Chainsaws.
~Ron

DDW_OR

Quote from: mrselfreliance on October 15, 2017, 02:36:56 PM
.....My sister just moved back to our home town and will be heating with wood.......

Obviously women use chainsaws, .... she wants to get a saw to cut her own wood with us.  I'm all for it as long as she also buys all the safety gear and takes her time to learn properly.......Keep it light for her.  She's 30 and in really good physical shape, so she can handle it......

Echo 310 is also a good saw
https://www.echo-usa.com/Products/Chain-Saws/CS-310

if you have 120v then i like the Homelite.
http://www.homelite.com/catalog/chainsaws/UT43122
i keep it next to the sawmill and firewood processor. lite and powerful

Note: the chain and bar are interchangeable, so i put a 16 inch bar on the 310 and use the same chain.
"let the machines do the work"

HolmenTree

Quote from: mrselfreliance on October 15, 2017, 02:36:56 PM
Ok, so here's the situation.  My father and I currently cut and process our firewood together.  Always a great time.  My sister just moved back to our home town and will be heating with wood. 

Obviously women use chainsaws, but my father being protective of his daughter, has a fit every time she mentions she wants to get a saw to cut her own wood with us.  I'm all for it as long as she also buys all the safety gear and takes her time to learn properly.

Anyways, just wanted to hear from other Female chainsaw users or from anyone who know chainsaw wielding women.  Any tips for my sister?  And any ideas on how to get my father to relax? 

Background info, I run a MS261, would probably recommend her an MS241 with 16" bar.  Our trees are not that big here.   Keep it light for her.  She's 30 and in really good physical shape, so she can handle it. 

Thoughts?
Don't bother with thecMS241 give her a a MS261 to use.
I see your in Canada. So I suggest the best training  for your sister is have her take a qualified training course.
I was a instructor for this company a few years back, we trained many green horn women how to cut and with a MS441...
One of their intructors is from New Brunswick and they also have a woman instructor.
Sign her up.
https://www.arborcanada.com/courses/Chainsaw-Safety-Cutting-Techniques/
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

gspren

  20 some years ago when I bought my trusty 044 it was "set-up" and demonstrated by Cindy, the chainsaw mechanic at our local Stihl dealer, I wish they were still there.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

John Mc

The non-profit I'm involved with here in VT has sponsored several "women only" Game Of Logging chainsaw safety courses. They've been well attended. I know a couple of the participants and have cut firewood with them since they have taken the course. They were obviously still new to using a chainsaw, but I'd have no hesitation cutting firewood with them. (In fact, a couple of them I'd rather work with than some of the guys I've been around in the past - you know the type: think they know everything, but are an accident waiting to happen.)
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

HolmenTree

In 1975 when I worked in our Conlin Lake logging camp there was 2 Manitoba women who were a piecework crew (1 faller, 1 skidder operator) They were a good crew. Averaging 25 to 30 cords a day in 40-45 ft  tree length spruce topped at 3.5" .
They ended up heading out to the coast of B.C. Never heard from them since.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

d1hamby

Take her to the saw dealership to try out some saws in her hands and see what she likes before deciding for her. Let her help you to make a decision with her input on what she likes first.
Own a Stihl 362 16" 0.050" carbide and steel, and 25" 0.063" Stihl 020T
Stihl KM131R, 130R and KM56R with several Brush Cutter and Weed Trimmer heads. Pole Pruner (with 10", 12" w/wo Carbide, and 16" bar&chains) , Blower, Modified 135° Hedge Trimmer, Straight Edger, Bed Edger, Tiller Kombi attchment

ladylake

 

   Don't discount those 40 cc chainsaws, I use them around the mill a lot and I have 50 to 90cc saws to chose from.. There's vids on youtube  where a 241 cuts almost as fast as a 261. Ready to cut a 40cc is a lot lighter. Steve

Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

HolmenTree

Yeah lot's of souped up saws on YouTube that don't run the next day after blowing up.
Anyone (women included) who think a MS261 is too heavy, should not be running a chainsaw for their own safety and peace of mind  :D
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

ladylake

 

Have you tried a good 40cc saw yet.   That 3/8 nk chain makes them cut good. Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

HolmenTree

Quote from: ladylake on October 21, 2017, 05:00:41 AM
 

Have you tried a good 40cc saw yet.   That 3/8 nk chain makes them cut good. Steve
Steve, I have a good 39cc saw a Husqvarna 338XPT and a older 35cc Stihl MS200. Both I run the Stihl 3/8" 63PS chain and they cut excellent. Even on my MS261CM ll

But they're top handles and top handles are perfect doing aerial work.
But small 40cc saws are slowly getting squeezed out by the latest battery powered saws, which make alot more sense in owing when someone wants a saw that small for better efficiency.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

ladylake


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz_GvM5IdTU

  Not a lot of difference, the smaller 2 were muff modded.  Steve


Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

Savannahdan

Excellent topic and welcome to Coconut daughter.  Glad she jumped in.  I wouldn't have thought to comment about long hair, especially since mine is thinning and thinning....  After Hurricane Matthew last Fall I got a red oak from a neighbor around the corner.  His wife got tired of the tree, grabbed the guys brand new Stihl and cut the tree down.  When I asked about that she commented that she had to work a chainsaw during another hurricane years ago.  What I didn't like was the chain had not been adjusted properly and was hanging about 3 inches off the bottom of the bar.  Also, she didn't have any PPE.  The guy couldn't find the scrench and didn't even know what I was talking about.  I showed him the proper way for tightening the chain and told him to let me know when he was going to use it again so that I could give him some instructions/training on using it.  I also told him to get some PPE gear like I had on at that time.  BTW, the tree has made some nice boards for woodworking projects.
Husqvarna 3120XP, Makita DCS7901 Chainsaw, 30" & 56" Granberg Chain Saw Mill, Logosol M8 Farmers Mill

thecfarm

Scary when someone don't know what you talking about when it comes to chainsaws.  :o
I run what I call my small saw,a 50cc efco. And I like that saw. That saw sees more wood than my bigsaw,372 husky,due to me just thinning my land for firewood. The big one may cut them down,but the small ones limbs them out.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

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