Was out Saturday cutting a few logs. Cut a walnut about 32 inches on the butt which was up on a bank just a little. Read the log, made my face cut then a plunge cut through the middle to hopefully prevent barberchairing. Cut each side in a triangle sort of because it was bigger than saw and then started backcut. Wedged but tree would not fall. Set saw at a 45 deg angle from the backcut and planned my escape route on the other 45 deg angle and really started pounding the wedges.
Anyway, after a few pounds, all in the back cut, here goes the tree over right square over the saw. Butt stayed on the bank and the limbs prevented it from coming down on the saw by 6 inches. After all said and done I reached under tree and got the saw unharmed. Boy that was a close one. Saw was exactly centered under the trunk about 8 ft. from the base. My saw must have said a quick prayer to the man up stairs.
I did the same thing bought 40 years ago good thing the saw was old and wore out had to buy a new one tree got it :o
I've crushed one saw while dropping a section of a tree, and I had a big section of trunk roll over another saw. Both times I could have prevented it from happening. I learned from each mistake I made, and I'll bet you learned something from your close call, too.
Trees will always try to get their revenge on us.
I sawed a hole in my blue jeans Saturday. Have chaps, just didn't put them on. Bad place to be working, not concentrating on what I was doing.
Moral of the story, if you are in thick brush make sure your chain has stopped before you start stumbling around to the next cut.
Mr. Zerojunk, that was a great post. I will try to remember it.
Quote from: ZeroJunk on February 17, 2014, 06:00:14 PM
Moral of the story, if you are in thick brush make sure your chain has stopped before you start stumbling around to the next cut.
Not gonna tell anyone how to run their saws- just want to say, my personal rule of thumb is if I'm gonna take more than 2 steps without "using" the saw, the chainbrake goes on. Takes very little time, it's easy.
Chainsaws are one of the most dangerous tools we use. Look what they can do to hard, dense wood. Soft flesh is nothing compared to that.
Be careful, every time you fire up a saw.
Quote from: ZeroJunk on February 17, 2014, 06:00:14 PM
I sawed a hole in my blue jeans Saturday. Have chaps, just didn't put them on. Bad place to be working, not concentrating on what I was doing.
Moral of the story, if you are in thick brush make sure your chain has stopped before you start stumbling around to the next cut.
I did that too, scared the bejabbers oughta me.
I finished a cut, went to step to the next spot and got tangled up in some kudzu vines. Chain was still spinning down and I sawed through my jeans too. And... into my leg. Now I wear chaps. All the time when brushing, felling and bucking and usually even when testing a saw. Time to put on chaps is about 1 minute. Time to go to ER for stitches is about 6 hours. (and a few bucks)
Quote from: celliott on February 17, 2014, 10:17:01 PM
Not gonna tell anyone how to run their saws- just want to say, my personal rule of thumb is if I'm gonna take more than 2 steps without "using" the saw, the chainbrake goes on. Takes very little time, it's easy.
Me too! ;)
Quote from: clww on February 18, 2014, 06:24:49 AM
Quote from: celliott on February 17, 2014, 10:17:01 PM
Not gonna tell anyone how to run their saws- just want to say, my personal rule of thumb is if I'm gonna take more than 2 steps without "using" the saw, the chainbrake goes on. Takes very little time, it's easy.
Me too! ;)
Agreed. I've ended up flat on my back tripping over brush and limbs. But the saw was idling, with the brake on, on top of my chaps.
Saying "Don't trip over" isn't a safety plan.
If (when) you trip over, be wearing chaps, and have the chain brake on. Then even if you miss one, the other one saves you. ;)
Very good info Chris. I do the same.
I know many of you don't have rocks to deal with. I put my saw down on the ground to move some brush,did not set the brake. I was moving the brush and the saw started to run out of gas.They kinda rev up some when that happens. Maybe the chain needed to be tightened too. The chain started to move and the saw did too. Right across a rock by the time I got to it. I don't let my saw run out of gas,but I could not get to it in time enough, Brake goes on now when I set it on the ground.
So far I've never crushed a saw but I have hung several .Once I had two saws stuck in the same tree and had to get out a third.
One forum I was on was populated by a bunch of geniuses .They poo pooed me over that one .What the hey at least I'm honest .
Several things everybody will eventually do .Put a chain on backwards ,cut a rock,oil the gas tank and hang a saw .Anybody who says otherwise is guilty of either handling the truth carelessly or hasn't had much trigger time .
I have a friend whose "call" was not close. He dropped the very first tree that he felled with his brand new saw....on the saw. :-\ He tried to give it to me. :D
John Lambert AKA .Gypo Logger,Franks Planks ,Yukon Sawman used to smash a couple a year.Then put them on E-bay at some outlandish price .More for amusement than anything .
Quote from: Al_Smith on February 18, 2014, 09:22:31 AM
Several things everybody will eventually do .Put a chain on backwards ,cut a rock,oil the gas tank and hang a saw .Anybody who says otherwise is guilty of either handling the truth carelessly or hasn't had much trigger time .
That's a FACT! I've done each one of these in the past four years. :D
I think I may still have a saw stuck at the other end of the pasture. Need to go look.
When I walked into my chain saw repair shop with a pair of pants on with a chain saw cut in them, but not my leg, the repair man would not let me leave without a set of chaps. I still have them to this day.
He told me that I could leave with my saw and go cut all the wood I wanted.
But to remember that the saw cuts at the rate of "72 stitches per second." So don't slip for even a tenth of a second.
Jim Rogers
Quote from: Al_Smith on February 18, 2014, 09:22:31 AM
Several things everybody will eventually do .Put a chain on backwards ,cut a rock,oil the gas tank and hang a saw .Anybody who says otherwise is guilty of either handling the truth carelessly or hasn't had much trigger time .
I haven't oiled the gas tank -- yet. I've made up for it by picking up a saw that I just filled with gas and dumping most of it down my leg, since I forgot to put the cap on.
CElliott I follow a similar rule of thumb i guess you could call. Three non working steps the brake goes on. More often then not the brake is on before even start walking out of habit.
It really does become a matter of habit to just click with your wrist after a cut unless going right into the next one. Like a seat belt IMO.
Just glad it was your saw that almost got crushed, and not you on the other 45˚ path. I doubt that you would fit in that 6 inches of extra space.
I seldom let a chainsaw idle. If I move more than a few steps I shut it off .If it won't restart I find out why .
Quote from: Woodboogah on February 18, 2014, 02:19:38 PM
CElliott I follow a similar rule of thumb i guess you could call. Three non working steps the brake goes on. More often then not the brake is on before even start walking out of habit.
Very good habit.
I work in a big box store and we sell home owner level saws, chaps, head gear, etc. We try to talk every customer into all the safety equipment. Very few will buy them. we will even tell them the cost vs ER visit comparison. "One I don't plan to get into an accident customer" did buy chaps and head gear when he was asked if he had planned to get into an auto accident on his way to the store. "Of course not". Did you wear your seat belt? Point taken.
Quote from: ZeroJunk on February 17, 2014, 06:00:14 PM
I sawed a hole in my blue jeans Saturday. Have chaps, just didn't put them on. Bad place to be working, not concentrating on what I was doing.
Moral of the story, if you are in thick brush make sure your chain has stopped before you start stumbling around to the next cut.
I did something similiar a couple of years back. This was before I even knew about chaps. Was cleaning out a fence row to rebuild it. Somehow got the saw into my leg. Not enough to need stitches. Anyway felt it and looked down and saw the rip in my jeans. First thought, darn I ripped my pants and started back to make next cut. About 5 seconds later the realization kicked in. Then I really ripped open the jeans to see about my leg.
Dad was cutting some locust posts years ago. Sawing up from the bottom and the saw cut his foot. About halfway off. Got into the bone etc. He would not let me take him to the ER till I took him home so he could change clothes. Took about an extra hour to get him to ER. Cast, drains, stitches the whole shabang.
Quote from: luvmexfood on February 19, 2014, 11:28:55 AM
Quote from: ZeroJunk on February 17, 2014, 06:00:14 PM
I sawed a hole in my blue jeans Saturday. Have chaps, just didn't put them on. Bad place to be working, not concentrating on what I was doing.
Moral of the story, if you are in thick brush make sure your chain has stopped before you start stumbling around to the next cut.
I did something similiar a couple of years back. This was before I even knew about chaps. Was cleaning out a fence row to rebuild it. Somehow got the saw into my leg. Not enough to need stitches. Anyway felt it and looked down and saw the rip in my jeans. First thought, darn I ripped my pants and started back to make next cut. About 5 seconds later the realization kicked in. Then I really ripped open the jeans to see about my leg.
Dad was cutting some locust posts years ago. Sawing up from the bottom and the saw cut his foot. About halfway off. Got into the bone etc. He would not let me take him to the ER till I took him home so he could change clothes. Took about an extra hour to get him to ER. Cast, drains, stitches the whole shabang.
I was actually working on an old fence line. The fence is long gone but it has cedar trees about 20 inches in diameter but maybe only 30 feet tall and spread out 20 feet all the way to the ground. Plus the ground is about a foot higher on one side where the cows worked it down over the years. Mean spot to work.
I personally have never launched a saw, PINCHED - all the time.
Scariest one I had was when I was in my teens; just started working (first day actually) for a family friend/logger and my job to run a chainsaw in the yard (belimbing poplar) and unhooking chokers from skidder. I was so proud that day; new boots, helmet, chaps & lunch box. Morning went good, then about 15 minutes after lunch I am knockign branches of a poplar and was not looking for "LOADED" branched, those under load from when skidder drags and pushes on branches. NEEDLESS to say I ended up with a hole thru my brand new boots and sock, but not foot - and it would have been messy (right in the arch of foot).
For the rest for the day I was only allowed to release chokers!!!! By end of summer I was running skidder, cause the other genious could not figure out how to show up sober!!!
Quote from: Jim_Rogers on February 18, 2014, 11:57:23 AM
When I walked into my chain saw repair shop with a pair of pants on with a chain saw cut in them, but not my leg, the repair man would not let me leave without a set of chaps. I still have them to this day.
He told me that I could leave with my saw and go cut all the wood I wanted.
But to remember that the saw cuts at the rate of "72 stitches per second." So don't slip for even a tenth of a second.
Jim Rogers
Good thing to remember.
Couple of close calls this week.
Cut a maple and was cutting to length right in a forks. One fork busted loose and drove the back saw handle into the ground about 3 inches and the bar had a gentle bow in it of about 4 inches. Got my little 180 and sawed it out expecting a bent bar and busted handle. All was fine. Lucky on that.
Second my son brought his two dogs( a weinerimer and doberman) down for me to keep the next week. They live in a subdivision and the dogs don't get to run much. The weinerimer has stayed here a lot and knows the farm but the doberman is pretty new to here. Both are rescue dogs. Anyway I went out to cut and they did not come. Just as I was falling a smaller sourwood to make room to cut a big poplar they appeared in the falling path of the tree. The doberman got switched a little by a twig but you talk about two dogs running full blast for home. Would say they had their tale tucked but both tales have been docked. Didnt think they would come out because my long time beagle didn't come out and he is sort of the lead dog.
Guess all's well that ends well.
This was great read this morning.
I got where working alone with my cell is dang near if not more safe than having someone around. People don't realize how fast that top moves. My grandfather laid my saw down last year Husky 142e and sure enough while telling him to get back and arguing with him. The saw was over looked busted the gas tank and handle out it.
Daughter last year scared me and walked up close behind me while cutting up a limb. I can go with two saws, gas, oil and jug of water, cell phone and have uneventful day. Just me and God. Bring a hard head with me then I am having to much to keep up with. Too many people and to many things. However, on tough stuff I pack a buddy.
I dont get hung up very often anymore for some reason. I must be getting better. Ice storm 2009 and Katrina taught me a lot about handling down trees. Watch next week I will get hung up all week.
Step,I can understand that. I have told the wife and friends many time,until they all say I know I know, ;D Never walk up behind me on the tractor. Sometimes I don't look behind me when I back up,if I can remember what's behind me. I may only back up a few feet,but that is enough for someone to get hurt.
I get nervous with downed big trees. Especially the ones that are snipped high on the log. Those things shift and move while working them up.