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Son's First Chainsaw Lesson

Started by firefighter ontheside, January 25, 2023, 03:54:02 PM

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firefighter ontheside

We had some trees in the back yard fall from heavy snow last night.  One was on the roof, but didn't do any damage.  We all went out about 9 this morning to start cutting them up.  I decided it was time my 15 year old son learn to use a saw.  I was reminded of my first time with my dad's old Skil saw with a 24" bar and no vibration system.  He got to learn with my MS261.  I went over safety and physics of how the saw cuts and how the brake works.  Showed him how to start the saw and guided him thru cutting some limbs that were not in a bind.  Then I got him to a point where he could make some cuts thru the trunk.  Ironically when he was about 1 or 2 a tree had fallen in the same spot and he was out there with his toy saw and we took a pic.  Today we sort of recreated that photo, but I had his toy and he had the real saw.  I think he was proud of himself and enjoyed it.


 

 

 

 

 

 
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

doc henderson

Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Spike60

The "then and now" aspect is great. He's even got the same color shirt on!

Husqvarna-Jonsered
Ashokan Turf and Timber
845-657-6395

donbj

Very nice! Get a few fundamental safety procedures in and he just needs practice.
I may be skinny but I'm a Husky guy

Woodmizer LT40HDG24. John Deere 5300 4WD with Loader/Forks. Husky 262xp. Jonsered 2065, Husky 65, Husky 44, Husky 181XP, Husky 2100CD, Husky 185CD

firefighter ontheside

Spike60, my wife said the same thing when she dug out the picture.  "He's even wearing a green shirt"
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

Tom King


DHansen


firefighter ontheside

He said something about that might be the only time he uses a chainsaw.  Little does he know I'm teaching him to use a saw so the next time a tree falls he can use that saw and I can use my other one and we can get the work done twice as fast.  Although if he takes as long to be proficient with a chainsaw as he is with driving it's gonna be a long time.
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

doc henderson

safety first.  it took 4 years to teach my daughter to drive.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

bigblockyeti

That look on your face in the re-creation photo seems to indicate that maybe it wasn't your idea, you'd like the picture taken a bit quicker and time is being wasted?

firefighter ontheside

No, I was on board with it.  She took several pictures, but that one was the one I chose to post.  I just realized he's also wearing the same hear protection as the original photo.  My wife is an audiologist and bought the kids head phones when they were little.  They still fit and are in good shape.
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

Twowithone


Ed

Nice, good to see the youg ones learning.

I remember my first cut with a chainsaw. Guess l was about 12, helping grandpa cut up a broken branch in the apple orchard. 
I asked if l could run the saw....a pos MiniMac.
It vibrated so bad that after I made the cut (3" limb) I gave it back and was really happy to pick up wood and brush...lol.

Ed

chep

That is awesome! Put some chaps on both if you to set the safety standards from the get go. Carharts won't stop a saw

teakwood

No Chainsawpants? I thought they were some kind of protection pants?

the leg protection would be my number one safety device on a learner, before eye and ear protection!
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

firefighter ontheside

No, he wasn't wearing chaps.  It was a quick lesson and I know an accident could happen anytime.  In the future when I let him do some more cutting, I will have him wear chaps.
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

doc henderson

Bill. we have all got a time out on that one!   :)
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Sod saw

.


Here is a question to every one:  If this is off topic, sorry, please feel free to move this post.

I have been told that chaps will work very well to stop a gas chainsaw from damaging you.

I have also been told that chaps will not stop an electric (battery) chain saw because there is more torque than a gas saw.

Do any of you have any personal experience with battery saws and how well chaps will stop them from damaging you?

Thanks in advance.


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LT 40 hyd.          Solar Kiln.          Misc necessary toys.
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It's extremely easy to make things complicated, but very difficult to keep things simple.
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beenthere

So the choice behind the question would be ?? Don't use an electric chainsaw, or don't use chaps? 

Cuz I'm thinking the chaps would stop most damage to the underlying skin, muscle, and bone whether using a gas saw or an electric one. Chaps being better than nothing. 

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

bigblockyeti

Electric (battery) saws do not have more torque than gas saws.

Andries

One guy that I love to watch but am very wary of Total BS content:
https://youtu.be/pZS9A0TPpgU 
Click Bait title but shows an electric saw being denied by some cheap chaps.
A Slavic guy that looks wild and has the "Outrageous Acts of Science" video to prove it: https://youtu.be/r5VSivQe760 
Conclusion:
Gas or electric, the Kevlar will jam up the chain/bar/sprocket in milliseconds. 
I wear'em, get a comfortable pair and just make them part of the routine.
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

Old Greenhorn

Here's another video:
#271 Will Stihl Chainsaw Chaps Stop a Battery Powered Chainsaw? - YouTube

There is a difference between gas and electric in either torque or chain speed and some say you need better chaps for electric, but I have yet to find any data on that. Just wear the protection, because not wearing it is stupid. You can debate how effective the gear really is, but as when I took my initial firefighter training years ago and we learned all about our bunker gear and what it could do (and that stuff is considerably more expensive than any chaps). They told us the difference between wearing the gear and not wearing the gear came down to whether we wanted a closed or open casket funeral when things went wrong.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

aigheadish

This is a neat lesson FFOTS. I have a 16 yo son and a 14 yo daughter that I'm slowly trying to teach some stuff. My boy has only within the past year or so decided he likes doing some of the heavy lifting work and my daughter likes finding and digging up rocks, both are good with me. I asked my son if he wanted to try the chainsaw out and he said no, but that'll only last so long. I also want them both to be able to run the backhoe and they aren't too deep on that yet either. It would be quite handy to have anyone in the family pick up a saw or hop in the backhoe to help get some stuff done. I think maybe, when the weather warms up a bit, we'll have a "on the farm learning weekend" where I teach them and my wife how this stuff works. I guess I should write up some procedures too.
New Holland LB75b, Husqvarna 455 Rancher, Husqvarna GTH52XLS, Hammerhead 250, Honda VTX1300 for now and probably for sale (let me know if you are interested!)

beenthere

I've found that they have to have some interest in doing such things, otherwise it is like pushing a string. Also a need to do things.

Leave plenty of room for them to fill in for you to accomplish jobs. Being around helping when you're making firewood or cutting down trees, or running the backhoe may lead to you asking them to run the saw or run the backhoe. Then accept some lessons.

i.e. if they get a ride to wherever they want to go, then learning to drive might be the last thing on their list of things to learn.

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

aigheadish

You are probably right beenthere. I've done a lot for them when they were growing up, to my own detriment. My wife (their stepmom) has been much better about having me have them do stuff. They default to no, but then slowly warm up to things. My son likes to help when I'm doing backhoe stuff but he's usually on the ground hooking up chains and such. I'd like for him to be able to run it when we are out in the open so I can work on the ground when needed.
New Holland LB75b, Husqvarna 455 Rancher, Husqvarna GTH52XLS, Hammerhead 250, Honda VTX1300 for now and probably for sale (let me know if you are interested!)

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