breaking away

KevinS

KevinS

Branched out member
Location
ontario
I was talking with the boss about the safety of the chainsaw lanyards. We make our own lanyards for saws and we use the brass snaps (200 lbs breaking strength I believe sorry if I'm off on that number). So we are following the rules but we've had the discussion that it doesn't really matter what snap you use because the chain is the first thing that roll or twist or snap out or what ever it does the chain is what gives.

I'm just looking for opinion on this we still use brass and follow the rules of course but it's something to think about

Kevin
 
Are you saying the saw chain will break and release the saw?

Have you hung weights on the snap to see what is the breaking strength of a one example?
 
no i haven't but it is a good idea so far I've trusted the breaking strength thats labeled on it. But yes my bosses argument is the saw chain will be the first thing to give. I've had a couple close calls where thats exactly what happened.

Like one time doing a small crane removal i was doing my snap cut and the crane operator wiggled the piece and pinched my saw and as it broke off my saw was stuck in the piece leaving with the crane until the chain twisted and the bar bent and it popped out I was lucky but it gave first.
 
I'll suspect that there is a significant difference in chain strength between a 3/8 picco on a 192T and .404 like you might have on a crane removal for big wood.

I wonder if you did your second cut on the snap cut above the first cut, rather than the other way around, which I believe gives some protection against getting your saw pulled. I believe it is like tripping a bored backcut from below the level of the bore cut.

Consider what will happen if your saw doesn't break free. You'll have the wood weight and saw weight drop and stop on your harness. I don't know the details of saws going down with the ship, how often they separate from the wood on the way down. In the case of the crane picking it up and going away from you, you could have been pulled until you were stretched between your climbing system and the crane, or if you're just on spurs and a lanyard, you could get drug off the spar, and then be suspended by the bar.

Did you signal to the crane operator to boom or cable up, or was someone else the go between, or...?

Breakaway saw lanyards are cheap, especially by comparison to...
 
On my saw lanyards I've always wanted the snap to be the weaklink. If something breaks I want the rest of the shrapnel to go away not stick near me.

200# is way too much for my comfort.

There is a small d-ring sewn into my TreeFlex and also on my BFII that makes a good anchor point for the lanyard snap. I can't recall the breaking strength but it is just enough not to pull a climber off their stance.
 
Kevin IMO you should consider that the weak link of the snap is the snap opening and the snap itself would hold if the gate opening was not where the force was applied.

consider attaching your lanyard to your harness with a cheap key chain carabiner that you know will hold the saw while working but would definately break under stress...or use a weaker webbing or rope that you know has a breaking strenght test on..

remember that the lanyard is made to break whenever the saw or lanyard get caught on something such as a limb that falls or if the sling of the crane drops the wood and catches the saw.. the saw chain breaking may be a good arguement but only in reference to the situation that you describe, it is unrealistic to think that only one senerio exists...remember in tree work you can not think you know what will happen you need to know what will happen because on every cut you only get one chance.


work safe steve p isa certified arborist
 
Thanks guys and yes i screwed up my cut and that's why my saw was stuck. But there's some good suggestion i appreciate the replies.

I got just a regular bronze 13/16" x 3 1/4" dog leash snap on a swivel with a swl of 150 lbs so with a safety factor of 5 it's rated for 750 lbs and if its safety factor is 10 it rated for 1500 lbs.

I just did that math for the first time and that's nuts for a break away snap. I'm going to look into this more I'll try to keep everyone posted if your interested.

Kevin
 
check this out your gonna love this idea i have been using. i have 2 lanyards on all my saws. one is a short one and the other is long enough to hang below my feet. the small lanyard has a ring which clips into the snap on my saddle. the long lanyard is connected to a large keychain ring on the snap. that way if my saw catches a snag, the key chain ring will just pry open and break off the snap.
 
cool thanks we use a steel ring half the way through the lanyard but again not sure the rating but i will get all that figured out
 
i have had my chainsaw caught up in a kerf on a mismatch cut tate snapped off, rip the chain clean off my saw, but iv also used the bucket to enter a large spar pole to then ascend and remove the top, when i got out i left my chainsaw in the bucket just behind me and stood on the spar, then the ground crew started to pull the bucket away as i ascended, well the bucket went instantly back pulling me hard because my chainsaw was still in the bucket, but the thing that saved me wasnt the snap or the breakaway lanyard, it was the connection point on my belt, most of those loops are rated low so i say it doesnt matter the snap or the lanyard materealr, just where you clip i on to. that the way i figure itsince i know they will break because sometime you gotta take the 395 into a tree and i dont want my lanyard or snap to fail just because i got a big saw.
 
rfwoodvt (post #226236) Chainsaw lanyards (thread)

[ QUOTE ]
A note on the carritool as a break away device: IT WORKS EXCELLENTLY!

I was trying to jump cut an 8 inch horizontal Acer saccharum limb (I know, not supposed to do that) and created a saw snatcher.

As my saw and lanyard accelerated away to the ground I braced myself for a heck of a yank that never came. The carritool opened up and away the saw went.

I have no idea if dropping the saw would have the same effect, and hope it wont, but certainly in a saw-snatcher scenario it functioned beautifully.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good thread! Good post! Good idea! There's a picture (by Tr33Climb3r) in the thread, too.
 
I use a safety bungee lanyard always, it gives good flex if the saw does get stuck in a crotch or something, and mine has two rings, one to let it dangle low and make cuts, and one to clip it to my hip. No matter what, i always unclip my saw from my belt when i get into big wood so if it does get stuck, im not attached to it!!!
 
does anyone remember the lanyards fresco had about 8 years ago ...they where red bungee type, but instead of girth hitching to your saw they came with seatbelt style clips,, canany one find those anymore,
 
i always use a bungee lanyard. had it pulled a couple times when doing a very large willow removal recently, not significant, but like the idea that if a big friend (250lbs) was to jump onto my saw, it would break away without too much damage to myself
grin.gif
i like the key ring idea, seems like a simple solution!
 
I use a rated to break away bungee for small saws or none at all for big saws.

Two times I have had the saw go with the cut and time slowed down for me to acknowledge I needed to just let it go and brace, lucky each time the saw released nice with no event.

I want to know, not hope, it is going to break away if it needs to go.

Some folks will make fun of you for even using a saw lanyard. They do have a point. I have never dropped a saw since I started climbing.

One could argue they might be more dangerous as I did see one climber take a ride so crazy he threw the saw away to brace and the thing flew around the world over his head a few times. Don't know how it missed his head. Can't say I ever imagined it possible. Made me think twice about using a lanyard.

A guy I knew actually used to climb with a nonbreak away lanyard and he would just let the the saw hang down by his feet running the whole time! Of course he did have the break on! I think he wanted originality points.
 
The caritools are miserable, I had a large one snap off on me just moving through the tree and getting it snagged on a limb. A little TOO weak for my tastes.
 
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