One Handing a Top Handle Chain Saw? Yes or No

Private Tree Ordinances, good, bad, or ugly?

  • It's good for the trees and for me

    Votes: 2 15.4%

  • Good for the trees but a pain for me

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • could be of value but useless in it's present form

    Votes: 1 7.7%

  • a necessary evil

    Votes: 8 61.5%

  • Bad, bad, bad....

    Votes: 2 15.4%
  • Total voters
    13
My vote is yes, because with the short bar, and need to brace one's body, etc., it's more dangerous sometimes to use two hands on a saw.

Some injuries which may be quoted or referred to are irrelevant for a poll like this.

Because cut faces and limbs are not due to using one hand. They would most likely be due to using one hand stupidly.

One hand injury stats can't be looked at on their own.

Anyway, I'm amazed at the number of times I get superior balance by being able to hold a hand behind me for counterbalance, or able to control what the center handle saw is dislodging.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Why does an image of a trigger controlled chainbrake keep buggin me?

Seems like that one doable feature would prevent accidental trimsaw injuries far more effectively than a telephone book of regulations.

Saw's running, you've got electricity to engage or disengage magnetic servos.

Are we in the 21st century yet guys and gals?

jomoco

[/ QUOTE ]Mmmmm, interesting. And I don't think you mean a second chain brake lever over the top handle.
Am I reading this correct when I say you want something like a throttle lever with a 'nub'.
Pinching the lever into a nub at full throttle and pinching it over the overload nub to engage the chain brake?
Who knows. Maybe you are not so far off.
wink.gif
 
Close.

I see it as a pure trigger safety in which the chainbrake is on until the trigger is activated by your throttle finger. A simple electrical circuit which is broken by initial trigger activation in the very beginning of its throw.

So unless your trigger is actively engaged, the chain brake is on, always.

jomoco
 
I see it as a longer trigger throw in which the first 1/4 of its range disengages the brake, then the rest of the range works as usual.

It would take an active intent to keep the brake disengaged by keeping your trigger semi pressed to avoid brake engagement.

jomoco
 
Find it necessary to see numbers at times.
60% at this point for.
60% percent shows me that as an employer/trainer the responsible and right thing to do is to pass on the knowledge, demonstrate and explain one handing.
 
Do ya'll think there should be an ANSI guideline saying that handsaws should only be operated with two hands?

Oxman and I were part of a volunteer pruning day a week ago at Kubota Garden when another climber took a Zubat to her hand, on a knuckle, bad enough to need attention.

While a handsaw would be hard pressed to do as much damage as a chain saw can inflict in an instant, it can still do enough damage to require something as severe as cut a tendon so as to require surgery. I'm sure, on any given day, around the globe, someone has to visit a doc to get fixed up from a handsaw inflicted wound.

Clearly, chain saws should be respected...but to never consider one handing a power saw would drastically cut into my production...on some trees, such as an easy conifer.....

Also, Friday, I got my worst cut from a chain saw in 25 years. It wasn't running, but got caught between my leg and a limb when, in an awkward position, I lost my balance 1.5 somehow, and pivoted somehow around my lanyard. I have a mark a good long, including a minor cut about an inch worth. It will heal by itself in ten days or so...but my pants could use about 7 stitches.
 
There are so many times that one handing my 200 is required to maintain my balance and cutting position, rather than losing my balance point and letting gravity put me under the limb I'm balancing on.

I'm talking about catching or speed lining heads of laterals when your main TIP is high above you on either your right or left hand side.

When you catch that head, the unsprung weight is going to cause the branch you're cutting to rise quite suddenly, this changes the amount of slack in your body line relative to your TIP.

So when I make that release cut with one hand, the other hand is on my body line compensating for the changing amount of slack, so that I can stay upright and balanced as I ride the dynamics of the moment out

I'd look like a friggin idiot if I kept both hands on the saw and lost balance and swag under the limb dangling by my lanyard lik a rag doll, instead of upright on my gaffs and balanced like a pro.

It's only the amateurs that never deal with ride dynamics that insist one handing never be done. They've never been there done that, and therefore should pipe down till they have.

The poll clearly shows that I'm not the only experienced demolition climber that understands that sometimes one handing is requisite to your own safety and well being, in certain situations when you're working upstairs.

jomoco
 
How many of the 'one-hand-anytime' group use a second tie in every time they use a chainsaw, whether one-handing or two?

There are soooo many tales and examples of how one-handing can be justified and accepted. In most of those cases I figured out ways to not one-hand and still maintain production time. Learning how to do this made me a much better climber. This required me to climb to my work instead of taking the time to get some funky position...and..expose myself to unnecessary risk too.

Too often one-handers aren't as good a climber as they could be. Thinking of the chainsaw as a machete leads to machete-like cuts...nicks, stubs and rips.

Read 'too often'...not... 'all of the time'.
 
[ QUOTE ]
It's only the amateurs that never deal with ride dynamics that insist one handing never be done. They've never been there done that, and therefore should pipe down till they have.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not totally accurate... I am pretty sure I heard Mark C. himself say something to the effect of "If you feel the need to one hand, you need to improve your work positioning skills."

Having said that, I am not the caliber of climber that he is, and I sometimes justify one handing for myself or my employees, but that voice is in the back of my head telling me to improve.

Jomoco, your example of the spring loaded limb is a good one, I do the same thing in that situation. I would like to hear how Mark handles those!

-Tom
 
The handsaw tripped final cut is fine in 3-4 inch wood when catching/speedlining heads way out on laterals with a distant upper TIP by all means.

But trying that with 6-12 inch wood is a whole different ball game that demands quick razor sharp cutting HP only found in an MS200 on the pipe.

If you don't compensate for your quickly changing body line slack with at least one hand when that ride starts?

There's no way gravity won't find you dangling on the underside of that limb by your lanyard looking rather silly and disoriented.

Regardless of who you are!

jomoco
 
You are a moron Jomoco... I am so tired of you trying to take something simple, aka cutting a tree down, and making it seem academic. If you cant operate the saw correctly than you are putting production ahead of your own personal safety.

I am happy for your employer since he was obviously able to make you value profits over your life.

If you cant do it right AND fast you arent worth your rate.
 
I get really weary of having to take part in point-counterpoint discussions...it becomes an argument.

My solution for those times of cutting into a slack rope situation...undercuts..hinges...smaller pieces...go to your work.

One easy solution is to setup a second rope through a pulley in the false crotch. Have your primary climbing system snugged up..with a lanyard on too. Have the groundie belay, even just a hot seat, around the butt belay. As slack comes into the climber's system the belayer takes it up....simple and safe...and quick!
 
That'll be the day I put my orientation to the limb I'm lanyarded onto and my upper TIP, into the hands of a groundman 90 feet below me!

Nyet!

jomoco
 
when in those situations where i feel i need to hold the rope to balance on the limb after a head cut the first thing i do is choke my lanyard and clip it directly to my climbing system. i tighten the system up with a little ma on the lanyard via a two to one or if i'm rigging the head off then i have the ground crew apply ma via a grcs or hobbs, then apply ma to the choked lanyard. voila cut away with two hands balance intact in no time at all. if i need a peel cut then i do all these things then i scarf the limb right before my lanyard and cut out about two foot and fire away. the cuts that i feel that need to be one handed present themselves maybe once a removal. they are the ones when in order to finish cut with two hands you are putting yourself into the line of fire upon material release. when that is the problem one hand away and get out of the way.
 
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