Do you use a chainsaw breakaway lanyard?

climbingmonkey24

climbingmonkey24

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
United States
Do you guys use a breakaway lanyard for your saw? I never have but have thought about it. Seems like a good safety protocol. I do a lot of crane work and the inevitable is sometimes the saw gets pinched when taking a pick.

I haven't given it much thought until Soundtree pointed it out in a picture I posted in work photos how I should get one.
 
I do the same as Jehinten, but have the accessory carabiner between the harness and lanyard for less danger of recoil snapping. As with a break away lanyard system, I want everything, but me, to go down and away wth the tree part.
 
I used to use pieces of old 1/2” climb line (20 years ago) then one day while taking a very large spar out of a big oak I was removing I mismatched my back cut a little bit and it tried taking the saw with it. The piece was about 20” dia and 40’ long with a big spread. I got the saw out of the cut at the last possible moment and have been using breakaways since. That scared the hell out of me. I’ve never had it happen since then but I figure at least now I’ve got a chance if it happens again. Here’s something that blows my mind: I have seen videos of guys who don’t use a lanyard at all. That seems like reckless behavior to me, what if you drop that saw? Best case scenario you just bought a new saw. Worst case you just killed someone.
 
I do when I’m climbing but I’ve never used one in a bucket truck ... no actual reason, it’s just never been a thing where I work. I often hold the 660 by one hand while blocking down wood (pushing off round with 1 hand while holding the saw in the other)
 
It's not a bad idea. I use old half inch rope with a dog leash snap on the harness end. They aren't super strong, but, since they aren't rated, I don't know how strong they are. They might break before I do, might not. Another thing one can do is clip the lanyard to a weaker connection point on the harness. My harness has a couple loops on it that are only rated for 15 lbs or something like that. However, I usually have my saw cliped to my side d. Due to careful cutting, it has been a long time since I got my saw ripped out of my hand. But this thread has me thinking.
 
Lanyards suck one more thing to untangle. Dont use caritools or similar plastic biners. Dmm locking vault, Rock Exotica transporter, or my setup Rock Bi-wire. Ansi z133 makes us put lanyards on saws 15 pounds and up.
 
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Yes I use breakaway lanyards. Switched over to the TreeStuff breakaway (it has two snaps that are supposed to break at 350#) once I started having trouble getting Buckingham to make batches of lanyards custom length for my long arms.

Trick to extend too short of a lanyard a bit is to girth hitch a saw strap with ring onto the harness end.
 
To those with keychain biners anywhere in the lanyard, watch out! I used to have a non locking biner on the end of mine, connecting it to the harness. It unclipped itself the one time i ditched my saw to balance on the end of a wobbly limb i had just reduced. Locking biners dont dump saws!
Had to replace the whole top handle.
I dont have a break away, just use one of those tiny drayer staps.
 
Another thing to be aware of with the keychain biners is that the ones with a little bar across the end of the gate that goes through a notch are much stronger than the smooth nosed ones. I have one that regularly survives two man 3-to-1 tension when tying things to my truck.

Anybody use a key ring or two as a breakaway component? I think I might start.
 
A small piece of rubber hose to lock the keychain biners and a rubber grommet under the barrel of the screwgates to help keep it from unscrewing.
 
I had the lanyard ring on the back of an echo break off once. Saw fell about 80 feet and hit a log. It was not recoverable. We couldn't even find it all. Thank goodness it didn't hit a person.
 
RBJtree said:
I had the lanyard ring on the back of an echo break off once. Saw fell about 80 feet and hit a log. It was not recoverable. We couldn't even find it all. Thank goodness it didn't hit a person.
Click to expand...

Check out these lanyards. A few of my coworkers use them and they girth the handle and lock in with a carabiner which you can then use to hang up the chainsaw on your saddle. It takes a tiny bit longer to install on the saw but it seems like an otherwise safer design.

I have also witnessed saws (up to 660s) coming down from height and it’s a rude awakening that while chainsaw lanyards aren’t strictly PPE ... they are for the ground workers

REECOIL Full Reach Chainsaw Lanyard

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Why anyone would want to use a breakaway saw leash is beyond me? Ruined saws, and or severely injured or dead people on the ground? WTF!
Making cuts that don't drag your saw over the falls is just another skill that a good Treeman must process. Sounds like some of us need to work on our cutting skills?
 
We know. Be good or die trying. (Pardon the dramatization.)
That philosophy actually does lead to some prowess.

I haven't had one grabbed in a long time. It has happened before. With a big piece, maybe in an awkward spot with a bar that just isn't quite as long as you need, I can see it happening and ending poorly. Those bars are pretty strong pulled from the tip. I've never been in a pickle from it, just had to drop my saw and let it it float off and fall into my lanyard a couple of times. I have also never climbed and cut for a crane. Everything about that seems like it requires additional consideration.
 
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