Settle a bet

I think i saw it mentioned here in this discussion, but i cant seem to find it:

We feel comfortable with a running saw hanging off our saddle which at times will inadvertently touch a part of our body, other equipment, and the like.

The foggy part is that I cant seem to think of a real reason as to WHY I would touch it, but if that odd reason came, i WOULD feel comfortable doing so. If anything, just for the fact we in this industry have a great deal of faith in our equipment, whether it be relying on a biner, climb line, or a chain break and throttle lock.

I am sure i will get attacked for this, but that's how i see this discussion.
 
[ QUOTE ]


The foggy part is that I cant seem to think of a real reason as to WHY I would touch it, but if that odd reason came, i WOULD feel comfortable doing so. If anything, just for the fact we in this industry have a great deal of faith in our equipment, whether it be relying on a biner, climb line, or a chain break and throttle lock.

I am sure i will get attacked for this, but that's how i see this discussion.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nothing wrong with a quick check of the chain tension while idling with the brake on.
 
[ QUOTE ]

Is this a generational issue? Am I becoming 'old' because I have vivid memories of saws without safety features? Has there been a confidence in technology creeping into our work practices?

Many years ago Bailey Hudson wrote an article for TCI magazine about his observations of 'new' treeworkers getting sloppy in their work practices because of having all sorts of 'safety' features incorporated into their routine. Except for safety glasses I operate like I'm working without any safety protection. All of my PPE is there as secondary or even tertiary protection. Proper work practices are primary.



[/ QUOTE ]

No, it is not a generational issue. I am 24 years old, all the saw i have ever used have all had functional throttle interlocks, chain brakes, and chain catches, i have never operated a saw with out these features nor will i ever. I am saying this because i find it slightly offensive that because i have always used safety features that it makes me complaisant. Just like in any profession you have to teach common sense. Use all safety features available to you, and don't put your self in harms way out of laziness. Turning off and restarting a saw is a very easy thing to do. So to sum up, no i would never touch an idling saw by anything other than both handles.
 
Waldo,

I sure wasn't tossing stones ;)

I guess that I'm in the first generation to come into the profession with chainbrakes, safety chains, anti-vibe, etc. added to saws. Even though I started out using McCulloch's and Homelites when they were Kings I could see the value in having safety features.

Jomoco...yup...it looks like I lost the bet...and I'm stunned by how many people think that this is a proper and safe practice. Whew...no wonder we have such an accident rate. It makes me sad to hear the justifications.

I like how Rick brought in firearms protocols into the discussion. this should be a very parallel thought process. Too bad it isn't.
 
Any satistics to share with us?

Either people aren't doing it or they aren't getting injured when they do. Sure don't hear much on injuries happening in that way.
 
NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOO!!

It's a very bad practice, like looking into the barrel of a loaded gun as long as the safety is "ON".

And also an emphatic NO to leaving the saw run whilst it dangles high off your saddle where the bar can contact your leg or foot, if it hangs on a long lanyard well below3 you then maybe, but it's not that hard to pull the little rope to restart the thing.

Would you place your body under a car with the wheels off and only one hydraulic jack holding it up?

Do you reach into the garbage disposal as long the switch on the wall is turned off?

If you set the park brake in your big truck whilst on a hill with no curb, do you trust that brake completely or do you set a wheel chock?

There is no reason to touch the chain while the engine is running, it's far too easy to restart with a pull of the cord - if you can't do that then get a new job.
 
Nice Raven!

I always shut off my saw after a cut in the tree, for peace of mind and to conserve gas so I don't run out at the worse possible time.

The idea of my saw running below me on a long lanyard gives me the creeps for many reasons. Primarily because of how easy it would be to disengage the brake by bouncing off a lower limb on the engage/disengage lever. Of course as Murphy would have it, that would be the very time the saw starts running out of gas and revving up of its own accord!

jomoco
 
[ QUOTE ]
What do you guys do in a bombs-away hemlock or pine? Your elbows must be killing you, pull starting a saw a few hundred times over.

[/ QUOTE ]

My Silky's don't have pull starters :)
 
Well... it sounds like don't touch chain while saw at idle has won. Or at least you won the bet right Tom D? Making a little side cash on the ol' buzz.
grin.gif

No exceptions? Not an any case? It's just not worth the potential disaster.

Alright... so also, never reach around to the other side of a cut with hand touching cut, and touching bar tip with thumb. Measuring how much further to cut. Instead do what? Start on the far side of cut, move body towards end side of cut to finish. Or whatever else works.


Raven, all-time favorite movie, I'm gotta go watch the whole thing now.
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Sorry, that was stupid; I just need to get my post count up a bit, so sometimes I wander into the "lesser threads" and make outlandish claims.

[/ QUOTE ]

I rarely tread in these lesser threads, I found this by stalking your posts. I still got a chuckle out if your initial post about shaving with a chainsaw, but you have much better material than that. Post count be damned, I need my Archdruid humor razor sharp.

SZ
 
I have checked chain tension on a running saw. I have also felt the bar and face cut on the far side of the back cut with the saw running. I actually never really thought about it. Now that it's discussed here, I suppose it is a possible danger. And, of course, I have to admit that laziness is the reason for both. I guess I'll be rethinking these practices.

However, I do see value in having a running climb saw on your hip. And let's face it, the dangeris really the same. Maybe worse since you don't have your finger touching the throttle for control. I can understand restarting for every cut/few cuts except for the pine tree scenario mentioned above. We do a lot of Ponderosa Pine removals. I agree that I would be starting and shutting down the saw literally hundreds of times during a pine tree removal. This would actually slow us down (by how much, I'm not sure yet). And the argument of using a handsaw for pine limbs doesn't hold water when we're talking about mature ponderosa pines. I like silky saws as much as the next guy, but as good as they are, they're no 200T. This leaves me with two options. Leave the saw running and hanging on a long lanyard below my feet, or shutting down and starting a couple hundred times. I don't like the idea of the saw swinging wide and low bouncing off the trunk and my climb line (hard on the saw and my rope I think), so I guess I'll be finding out how much starting and stopping slows me down.

Wouldn't mind getting a hold of a top handled battery-powered saw so I could see how she works for limbing and pruning.
 
Jomoco made a good point about the saw running out of fuel and revving up.

Reminds me of a training school, I went to, where the teachers where getting us students to use the chain brake at all times, even when placed on the ground, because there was a so called story where some dude didnt activate the chain brake before putting it on the ground and the saw ran out of fuel but not before briefly revving up,sending the saw uncontrolably into the dudes achillies heel and cutting it bad.

Now this may be a scare tactics story to teach us but the saw does rev high when running out of fuel and it just could happen at the wrong time.
 
Over revving happens because the saw leans out as the last drops of fuel come up the line along with more air. Do this too often and you'll burn up the saw.

Over my years I've heard all of the rationalizations and justifications for hanging a running saw off a long lanyard. To my ears they all sound less than good. In the occasional time like when dumping a chunk I can see let it dangle if the climber needs both hands to complete a single operation. After that...yard it up and kill it.

If there's a concern about musculo-skeletal injuries then change the way you start saws. Drop starting vrs. pulling on the cord with the saw imobilized is awkward at first but years down the road your wrists, elbows, shoulders and neck won't be jacked up...then, what would you give to get back those mini-injuries.

The guy who I learned from reached around a trunk to see if he'd cut through...yup...he did...and nipped his finger. Off to the ER for a few stitches. Stooopid! That was a lesson I learned over 30 years ago and the lesson is still valid.

I'm really stunned to hear how common it is to touch a bar/chain with the saw running. I'm glad that there is a comfort here to be able to admit the practice though.

When I got the Jonesred 70e to go over last week I cleaned it first. Then I was going to start it so I turned on the switch, set the choke and went to do a knee-crotch start...ooops! No chain brake...on the ground to toe the rear handle. Before the time of chainbrakes I drop started a LOT. Now...uh uh.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom