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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:25:54 PM EST
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
http://i.imgur.com/9ENfGJD.jpg |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:27:13 PM EST
[#2]
I have some nice keloid scars on my right middle finger due to not following mfrs instruction. A buddy has a nice scar on this forehead from a chainsaw, he did not say more. Educate yourself and be safe. My grandpa was killed by a two man hand saw that was more dangerous than a chain saw.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:27:27 PM EST
[#3]
I saw it happen firsthand to my brother. To this day, I have a healthy respect for chainsaws. I still use it when I need to, but I take my time and am careful with it.
Plunge cuts worry me. 
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:27:28 PM EST
[#4]
Kickback happens violently, I have had it happen on a few occasions (usually when I am too stubborn to quit while tired/exhausted). My larger saw is a Stihl MS 440 with the Stihl RS chisel chains which can be a handful but cuts oh so nice. I have never been injured and usually wear PPE (always wear PPE even if your just making a few quick cuts). I have 3 close friends who have each had a knee/lower thigh sliced to the bone which required several stitches and none were wearing protection. I have a nice chunk taken out of one of my Chippewa steel toe boots and a 2 inch rip in a pair of Carhartt jeans from hurrying and not making careful cuts. As others have said, kickback is just one of the many ways to get injured/maimed while cutting/felling. The face shield on my helmet looks like someone whipped it with a chain a few times which is the result of cutting limbs in tangled blowdowns... cut the wrong one and a limb can whip back at you with a vengeance (have had my bell wrung a couple times
 ). Make planned cuts, wear PPE, and stop when you are tired/exhausted and you are usually ok.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:30:29 PM EST
[#5]
Had a guy with one of the small saws cut the muscles between his neck and shoulder. His head fell over to the left, and he had to hold it upright on his way to the ER. Many surgeries later he is ok. He was reaching up to a branch with the saw in one hand.
On a side note, a friend ran the tip of his saw across the top of his tennis shoe. No pain at all until later. Took meat off down to the bone. A sharp chainsaw will kill you so fast you may not feel a thing. Hollywood slows them down for effect. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:31:08 PM EST
[#6]
I own an old homelite that claimed a limb. Guy was sawing chest level one handed and it kicked and sawed through most his forearm and had to be amp'd. Two hands fuckers. Don't take chances or reach out.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:35:23 PM EST
[#7]
Chain saws are obviously dangerous, but accidents are avoidable. Take it seriously, don’t fuck around, keep the saw offset to your body.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:37:15 PM EST
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I think I read his chain brake had engaged and he had no serious injury. Lucky guy. 
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:39:10 PM EST
[#9]
It happened to my uncle. The saw kicked back and cut his face (cut his glasses in half too) although it was nowhere near as bad as the guy in the above post. I think his accident probably stemmed from "familiarity breeds contempt". He had used saws his whole life, working many years for logging crews in Washington.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:39:58 PM EST
[#10]
Majority of chain saw injuries are left leg, left arm/hand and head. Kickback is real and will fuck you up.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:42:43 PM EST
[#11]
A fellow I worked around had a very,very nasty kickback accident.He was very nearly bled out when an ambulance crew finally got to him.
He nearly lost an eye and he did lose a few teeth...... A chainsaw is one of the most dangerous tools you can buy over the counter..... |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:43:56 PM EST
[#12]
This is where kickback happens. wear chaps because most chainsaw injuries are on the lower legs from not paying attention to the end of the bar. Two hands on the saw and don't put your body in the potential path of the bar. here is some info about saw safety. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:46:49 PM EST
[#13]
All depends on:
How you are holding the chainsaw What it hit while cutting Operator Space or clearance to prevent injuries How old the chainsaw is and if it has a bump stop to halt the chain You could get: Hit in the face Arm Leg Torso |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:48:23 PM EST
[#14]
To all the chainsaw newbs reading this thread. See how many people have first-hand accounts of this happening to people they know?
It happens all the time! A chainsaw is always dangerous. Never be complacent with one. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:48:45 PM EST
[#15]
Speaking of ND's; ever notice how people with no experience with guns or dangerous powertools will pick them up and handle them recklessly, oftentimes without asking?
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:50:32 PM EST
[#16]
Smaller saws spook me a lot more than my big ones.
My little 510 Dolmar with an 18" bar has tried to eat my ass way more than my bigger ones with 24" plus bars on them. The big ones will pop up a bit but not come back at you. I attribute it to more mass hanging off the end to counteract the saw coming up. No way I would ever run a top handle. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:53:29 PM EST
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
To all the chainsaw newbs reading this thread. See how many people have first-hand accounts of this happening to people they know? It happens all the time! A chainsaw is always dangerous. Never be complacent with one. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:53:32 PM EST
[#18]
This guy killed himself doing post-Irma tree trimming.
Kicked back into his neck. A neighbor happened to catch it on video. Guy died still hanging in the tree. http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/town-n-country-man-dies-while-using-chainsaw-during-hurricane-irma-cleanup/2337160 |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 4:56:10 PM EST
[#19]
Back in the mid 1970s I was trimming on my dad and uncle's tree farm near Necedah, Wisconsin and I touched a branch that kicked the saw back and stopped it about 2" from my forehead and hair line. My uncle nearly shit himself. Me too.
Sadly, I had no clue what had caused it, shrugged and just went on. It was about 30 years before I learned about such things. PPE was nonexistent then (beyond leather gloves)--we didn't even wear eye protection. Or seat belts. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:30:49 PM EST
[#20]
I would compare it to shooting a .500 magnum handgun. If you hold it with noodle arms it's probably going to bounce off your head.
Pay attention to what you are doing, keep a firm grip and you will be fine. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:33:34 PM EST
[#21]
Made the mistake once. Mostly because I didn't have enough saw to do the job.
Won't ever do it again. Also I always wear chaps and hard hat w/ face shield now too. I have a 5-6 inch wide scar on my left thigh. The saw went all the way into my leg, 1/2 inch from my femoral artery. Edit: Was stumping a 2/3rds fallen, rotted tree (could stick my finger in it, that rotted.) Tip of the saw bounced off the still hard center. Went right into my left leg. Ended up not being able to walk for about 4 months. Bar wasn't log enough to go all the way through the tree, so the tip caught as I was walking it around the tree to stump it. Stihl M290, 20in bar. I now have a 661 with a 36in bar. If that won't go through it, I don't need to be fucking with it. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:38:17 PM EST
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It happened to my uncle. The saw kicked back and cut his face (cut his glasses in half too) although it was nowhere near as bad as the guy in the above post. I think his accident probably stemmed from "familiarity breeds contempt". He had used saws his whole life, working many years for logging crews in Washington. I feel like limbing a fallen tree is the dangerous part. I stay on the opposite side of the trunk. Whether I am limbing with a chainsaw or an axe |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:39:02 PM EST
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you aren't an idiot, not very. Be careful with what you are doing and wear some chaps. Understand the mechanics of what causes kickback. Easy. Is an actual kickback dangerous? Yes. But it's as easy to avoid as a negligent discharge. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:39:40 PM EST
[#24]
I'm kind of worried about it so what I did was buy a pole saw. Then later on I will get a real Chain saw.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:47:42 PM EST
[#25]
Don't go near it and you'll be fine. The danger is very real
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:54:50 PM EST
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Speaking of ND's; ever notice how people with no experience with guns or dangerous powertools will pick them up and handle them recklessly, oftentimes without asking? That's the "no experience" thing. A.W.D. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:57:34 PM EST
[#27]
I transported a guy Saturday who cut his hand in half down in between his middle and ring finger to the wrist with a chainsaw kick back.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:57:58 PM EST
[#28]
One thing I've always done is stick to the same 20" bar length, since I only use my 272XP for firewood and clearing.
Changing bar lengths adds another variable. I knew a guy that worked in the woods and cut a bent sapling that went off like a rat trap and scalped him We had a local guy pin himself under a log and had to cut his leg off with his pocket knife Always someone getting killed by trees/limbs Be safe |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:58:12 PM EST
[#29]
I believe the death rate for the logging industry is between 100 and 150 per 100,000 workers per year.
The death rate for motorcyclists is around 80 per 100,000 registered motorcycles per yer. Given that loggers probably spend 5x the amount of time logging per year as motorcyclists spend riding I would say that logging is probably half as dangerous as motorcycle riding. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 5:59:50 PM EST
[#30]
My uncle literally took his own head off with kickback.
Unfortunately, my cousin was watching. I don't know chainsaws, but I was told the guy that sharpened it either forgot to put something back on, or put it on wrong. The accident wasn't supposed to be possible, or at least highly unlikely. I met the ER doctor later in life, and was actually friends with his son for a while before I knew he worked on my uncle. He said my uncle was without a doubt the worst thing anybody in that hospital will see in their career. He said at one point he wondered why he was even taken to a hospital. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:21:31 PM EST
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I would compare it to shooting a .500 magnum handgun. If you hold it with noodle arms it's probably going to bounce off your head. Pay attention to what you are doing, keep a firm grip and you will be fine. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:24:51 PM EST
[#32]
Anyone who replies that it is not an issue has no idea what they are talking about or is a willful idiot.
I ran a saw for years and my chaps saved my legs many times. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:25:44 PM EST
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
We had a local guy pin himself under a log and had to cut his leg off with his pocket knife Had to use a stick to SLOWLY release clutch. Stalled a 100 times trying to get moving? I remember that! |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:26:03 PM EST
[#34]
Chainsaw kickback killed a friend of mine's dad. He was a successful doctor in Shelby NC, he bled out on the spot.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:27:26 PM EST
[#35]
I have never heard of this before. I have never used a chainsaw. Thank You OP!
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:29:02 PM EST
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Chain brakes will stop the chain, but not the saw's inertia. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:30:30 PM EST
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It's no big deal on saws up to 60 or 70cc. But when you get into the big boys, it's a whole different story. Tony Run an 85cc + with a chisel chain and get back to me. Lol at harry homeowner giving advice regarding their Poulan. 
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:31:40 PM EST
[#38]
Happened to my mom. 6 stitches between her nose and left eye.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:38:29 PM EST
[#39]
I've seen the aftermath of a kickback. There are plenty of loggers around here.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:40:51 PM EST
[#40]
I bought a Echo 590 when I needed a bigger saw to clean up my property after a tornado November 5th of this year. Lots of Arfcommers came over and spent a day helping me clean up.
I let my 25 year old nephew run my new saw for a short time while I ate lunch. I told him that saw wanted to kill him and it was thirsty for blood. It is very powerful and to be careful, and this is a kid who has run saws since he was young. He was fine and I was fine running a saw all day long. Not once did it kick back more than a soft push, but that was due to bar positioning and not dumb luck. Kick backs are extremely dangerous to those who don't know what they are doing. They are not that common amoung folks that I am used to working with. They are simply not that hard to avoid. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:52:20 PM EST
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/3561/DSC_0623_JPG-394493.jpgFor the record, a bow saw! i own 4 bow saws and as long as you use them as intended and do not treat it like it is a strait bar you are good. You must always keep the dogs engaged in the wood. The chain pulls the saw into the wood. I also have a host of stihls as well with anything from a 14in bar up to a 28in. Always wear boots, long pants, chaps, helmet and no loose fitting clothing almost forgot they are nolonger made because the federal government outlawed them
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Posted: 12/18/2017 6:53:05 PM EST
[#42]
I own 3 chainsaws.
Never experienced kickback, but was aware of it. I always respect the saw... staying out of the arc of the bar and am always aware of where the tip is. That said... I was completely unaware of how fast and violent it is. Thanks for the educational replies, pics and videos. You guys just made me respect my saws on a whole nuther level and may have prevented an accident or complacency. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 7:33:07 PM EST
[#43]
I had my chain brake to trip one time. It's very sobering.
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Posted: 12/18/2017 7:34:52 PM EST
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
No--not even close. The only way to be safe from a kickback is to not contact the dangerous part of the tip to any surface. "Noodle arms" or not, no one is strong enough to overcome the forces generated. Running a saw isn't about he-man nonsense, but rather, about common sense and caution. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 7:35:46 PM EST
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you aren't an idiot, not very. Be careful with what you are doing and wear some chaps. Understand the mechanics of what causes kickback. Easy. Is an actual kickback dangerous? Yes. But it's as easy to avoid as a negligent discharge. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 7:57:10 PM EST
[#46]
Co-worker was using his chainsaw at the top of a ladder stretched out.
Saw kicked back , looped in his hand and fell to the ground. He was scared shit-less , climbed down and took his hat off to wipe off sweat and sawdust and the bill of his hat had a deep notch cut in it. He dropped to his knees and felt sick. A few more inches and it was all face or head. I run a an 18" saw with chisel chain and its more prone to kick back , had it happen once the the electronic brake killed it instantly. I never lost the saw but it happens in a blink of an eye. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 8:01:59 PM EST
[#47]
Quoted:
When I go online, whether it's blogs, articles, YouTube, etc., everything is "zomg chainsaw kickback you will split your head open every time you're in the woods" or "if you don't do X, Y, and Z your saw will kickback into your jugular vein and you will die" Compared to real life, I have never met anyone particularly concerned about it. Sure, most men with chainsaws try to be safety conscious (to a degree) but of all the warnings and convos and talk I've never heard anyone specifically mention kickback. I understand it's a legitimate and real concern, but how often does an uncontrollable kickback occur? If you know how a saw works.... The fact that you asked is s big clue as to where you fall |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 8:11:28 PM EST
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
the electronic brake killed it instantly.  I haven't heard of an electronic brake. What kind of saw?
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Posted: 12/18/2017 8:18:57 PM EST
[#49]
Uncontrollable kickback can occur any damn time. I cut slab wood in a rack/crossbucks and have had saw kickback on me, 20 bar yellow chisel saw chain. Can't be limp wristed running a saw.
A poor soul in my backyard was up in a tree cutting limbs wen the saw kicked back, he bled out in the tree. |
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Posted: 12/18/2017 8:19:52 PM EST
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
http://i.imgur.com/9ENfGJD.jpg |
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