NCD (New Chainsaw Day!)

[DrumBob]

I had to rent a chain saw once to remove a dead shrubbery and I was extremely nervous using it. It only took about one-two minutes to cut it down and that was it. I took it right back to the rental center. I wanted no part of it and never want to operate another chain saw again. They are extremely dangerous if used incorrectly. Spoken by a man who almost cut off the tip of a finger with a hedge trimmer. I avoid power tools of all kinds.

 

[Opsimath]

my co-worker removed the guard from his skill saw the proceeded to cut into his calf! Not pretty. Basic lesson" you need to be smarter than the saw!

Why would anyone ever remove a guard of any type from any kind of mechanical cutting device?!!

 

[GAD]

Why would anyone ever remove a guard of any type from any kind of mechanical cutting device?!!

You would be amazed what some people do when it comes to power equipment and tools.

 

[Canard]

Why would anyone ever remove a guard of any type from any kind of mechanical cutting device?!!

The kickback guards on inexpensive to middling grade table saws along with the plastic debris guard attached to them often make the saws more not less dangerous. It is very common to take them off. There are other ways of staying safe - feather boards and good safety gear. The guards on the big expensive cabinet saws are a different story - very often they do work and don't get in the way.

 

[Opsimath]

An excellent question!

The advice of the chainsaw manual is in part to forestall litigious injury lawyers, a CYA clause. I have a small aluminium step ladder which has a safety warning on each and every of its relatively few steps - the warning more or less translates as Don't use this ladder if you are an idiot. The warning is there for the protection of the manufacturer and not the protection of the users/purchasers of the ladder. The advice of the chainsaw manual is similar, I think.

So how do you learn?

Persist with the confusing manual.

Watch Youtube videos. Here is one of many, many such videos available:




Here is another:




Take a day/morning/afternoon course (as has been recommended above). In the past, I have seen such courses being conducted in a Home Depot parking lot. Ask dealerships if they offer or can direct you towards such courses.

Thank you for the videos. I just spent over an hour with chainsaw videos. Plenty of safety info, and finished up with a 45 minute video showing a variety of felling cuts. I didn't mean to watch the whole video but it was really interesting and very informative with regards to wood tension and how to direct a fall. Not that I'll be cutting down anything as big as what those guys were cutting but they explained the cuts, the angles, how much to cut, how much hinge to leave, how to sight the fall, and why the tree would take the direction they wanted. It's an entire science!

 

[Guildedagain]

A chainsaw manual absolutely does teach how to cut trees, and correctly. They also get into complicated "plunge cuts" etc. Read it.

 

[beecee]

Thank you for the videos. I just spent over an hour with chainsaw videos. Plenty of safety info, and finished up with a 45 minute video showing a variety of felling cuts. I didn't mean to watch the whole video but it was really interesting and very informative with regards to wood tension and how to direct a fall. Not that I'll be cutting down anything as big as what those guys were cutting but they explained the cuts, the angles, how much to cut, how much hinge to leave, how to sight the fall, and why the tree would take the direction they wanted. It's an entire science!

Go slow, fear it at first, respect it as time goes on. They are great tools to have but even a somewhat experienced operator like me can screw up. (I wouldn't show the picture of my leg even if I had taken a picture). I now stop when I feel I'm getting cocky or over confident in my abilities with it. Breathe, think, go Slow....You'll do fine.

Please be advised that the advice given in the sentences above are not from sources deemed reliable and are not to be construed as blah blah blah

 

[Opsimath]

In spite of years of experience I whacked my leg a couple years ago. Only my world class athletic reflexes, rapier whit and charming good looks saved my humble self from a major injury vs a minor chomp...ruined a good pair of 501's tho....(see Chaps).

Thanks for the tips. Too bad about that pair of 501's, and of course sorry your leg got whacked at all. It's good to have world class athletic reflexes and rapier wit at your disposal, but no doubt it was your charming good looks that was most contributary in your salvation. Do you suppose incomparable breathtaking beauty would serve as well? Asking for a friend...

 

[Cougar]

I finally got me a chainsaw -- pretty much a necessity up here, especially if a tree falls across the road. So I got a Ryobi 14" battery operated. Works amazingly well! I ain't felling trees... yet... but we do need firewood....

 

[Opsimath]

I finally got me a chainsaw -- pretty much a necessity up here, especially if a tree falls across the road. So I got a Ryobi 14" battery operated. Works amazingly well! I ain't felling trees... yet... but we do need firewood....

Nice! My projects take 39 to 40 forevers to get off the ground, but I have gathered the safety gear, managed to get the battery charged, and read part of the manual, getting a mental grasp on the direction of the chain on top and bottom of the bar, pulling, pushing, etc. I was ready to fire it up but couldn't find my chainsaw oil.

I'm close to being ready to try my hand at felling a few trees. Small ones, though.

 

[Stagefright]

Nothing promotes a good nights sleep better than chainsaw chores. +1 on the safety chaps. I had to learn the hard way.

(safety chaps aren't as effective with electric saws. I'm not sure about battery powered versions. Its a torque thing.)

 

[geoguy]

This video shows a pair of nine-layer Stihl chaps versus both gas-powered & battery-powered Stihl saws.

These chaps worked effectively with both saws, but maybe some thinner chaps wouldn't work as well?

 

[Cougar]

I was ready to fire it up but couldn't find my chainsaw oil.

I was surprised it goes through that oil pretty quickly. Gotta keep checking the fill level.

 

[Cougar]

(safety chaps aren't as effective with electric saws. I'm not sure about battery powered versions. Its a torque thing.)

I don't know either. I didn't get no chaps. Of course, as the instruction manual said, your positioning and stance off to the side is very important.

 

[Stagefright]

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.

Mark Twain