Chain saws.

Watch out we will be on to health and safety again with this thread.

Mike

Don't appear to need one unless you are a professional using one as part of your work, and even then there's quite a few exemptions.

Note that the exemptions include anyone using a chainsaw for the clearance of fallen branches causing obstructions for machines.

It's health and safety gorn mad I tells ya!

Sorry to hear your hand held chopper is not big enough

never had a lot of faith in choppers - a nice folding saw or bowsaw floats my boat. Btw we do have a chainsaw a handy McCulloch like this un

I seem to spend forever resharpening the chain when I use it .Derek

Only if you use them for work - oops, wrong thread.

As every tin pot shed is selling a range of chainsaws with no notices regarding certification I'd agree with that.

However I'd not be happy using one without proper PPE and at least some training on use, the risks and what is considered essential PPE.

They really are lethal machines, even with fast acting chain brakes and the like they can still do serious damage to you when (not if) it kicks the wrong way.

Three essentials:

1. A chain brake (they weren't fitted to the cheapies - don't know if it is a legal requirement these days).

1. A bearing at the tip of the chain bar otherwise the friction between the chain and the chain bar causes severe overheating and rapid wear to both. Without a bearing neither are likely to last more than a few minutes if you attempt to tackle a hardwood obstruction to your route.

2. A good design for quick adjustment with secure locking of the chain bar position to maintain chain tension. My cheapie required constant adjustment due to a combination of the chain stretching and the chain bar slipping in its clamp.

Don't forget the chain oil and the right size sharpening file - with a proper handle on the tang!

-- Fred

Oh yes ...

On or around Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:53:13 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice" enlightened us thusly:

Depends what you're doing with it. Eye protection (specs) is sensible due to flying woodchips. Safety boots are good if you're working near your feet and a GOOD saftey helmet is almost-essential if working overhead - the chain brake works when the bar nose hits something and causes it to kick back, but overhead it doesn't work until after the bar hits your head...

However, I'd not consider a helmet essential for the odd casual sawing a branch across a lane.

Most of what you need to do is be well aware of the potential for harm and make damned sure you know where the sharp bit is at all times, especially when the saw's running at more-than-idle.

Modern saws all have chain brakes and it's not a bad idea to get into the habit of applying it manually whenever you put the saw down, running or otherwise.

I'm a bit leery of "essential PPE". In general, with the exceptions mentioned above, I'd prefer knowledge of how the machine works and what it's likely to do, good awareness of high-risk areas and avoiding having parts of you in dangerous places.

TPTB would argue that you need special safety trousers (these have cunning long fibres that tangle in the chain and stop it), full helmet and face mask, boots, gloves, etc. etc. Now, you don't need gloves if both hands are, as they should be, holding the saw handles - you shouldn't ever have your hand near the chain of a live saw.

There's a tendency to overdo the safety gear in preference to taking good care in how a thing's used, with the result that people become blasé about the risks, because "the saw can't hurt me, I've got all this gear on". Oh yea it can and sod's law will let it find the weakness in the gear to exploit.

I work in the workshop wearing sandals, quite often. I KNOW that if something heavy falls on my foot, it'll hurt, so I take damned good care to know where my feet are and if I do drop something like a hammer I make damned sure I move my feet out of the way. If you have toecap boots, you get used to begin able to kick stuff or drop stuff on them without noticing... until the 70lb concrete block you just dropped lands 2" further back and thus hits the top of your foot, not the toecap...

On or around Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:59:15 -0000, "Fred" enlightened us thusly:

If you're not an expert, I'd recommend the cunning sharpening jig thing to put the file into, as well.

We now carry a small bowsaw, fairly small, light and easy to use.

We also have a small chopper, but rarely use it nowadays.

Chain saw's a bit of overkill I reckon, unless you're using it regularly or really need to shift a tree. ;)

In message , Austin Shackles writes

Well said Austin !!

Nice to see someone else standing up against the "Nanny State"

TBH much of this thread has shown the lack of "nanny state", it's the fear of the mostly fictional nanny state that causes people to get over-zealous. There's no need to stand up to nanny state that's not interested in nannying you, as in the case of personal chainsaw users or Austin shuffling about in his workshop in sandals.

But that only hsappens the once or maybe twice if you don't learn quick.

On or around Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:37:11 +0000, Ian Rawlings enlightened us thusly:

Oi. I don't shuffle.

On or around Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:07:45 -0000, "GbH" enlightened us thusly:

so does dropping stuff on yer toe. but knowing that you've got saftey boots makes you careless, 'cos you know it ain't gonna hurt. Until you miss the toecap, or something too heavy for the boots land on yer foot and the toecap cuts yer toes off.

I've got one and have always been very careful with it so no problems so far.

However, a patient came into the hospital where I work the other day having taken two fingers clean off with one. No pain at all, he says, walking around like nothing had happened. He didn't feel any pain at all when it happened and even drove himself to the hospital. The pain kicked in when he had his x-ray done despite a morphine shot on arrival. The saw mangled the ends of the fingers so there was nothing left to sew back on again unfortunately. He was a professional forester.

I understand there are two types of chain - one with a "blank" in between each blade which clears the work groove and the other which is all teeth but slightly more prone to jamming and kickback. I've used both with no trouble, but please be very very careful with them. The main problem appears to be if the tip of the blade or the top of the blade strikes the work, then it'll kick back. Also, they can blunt easily, and dirt in the work, or getting the blade too near the ground will result in a blunt saw, it only takes a second or two to blunt one to the point of uselessness.

TonyB

I was working in an office once.

To get to the site loos you had to ge through the warehouse--safety footwear and hard hats.

I wouldn't go as far as Austin, and remember that some of the stuff is multi-use. For instance, a decent pair of safety boots should be OK for any outdoor work. Maybe even some hiking. Likewise, an approved hard hat is cheap, and if nothing else can keep the rain off.

Actually, if you're clearing a tree off the road, a bright yellow hard hat and high-vis jacket is vital, whatever the tools you use. And, while it doesn't give you any legal authority, it does help if you have to stop traffic: people see it and have some confidence you know what you're about.

You were sort of doing OK until you got to this bit. The chain brake should be everytime you move your feet and I would suggest at anytime when you aren't actually sawing.