Chain Saw Selection and Basic Maintenance

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey

Has happened to loggers too when saw kicked back.

Not being a logger or chain saw expert I'm a little over careful when using a chain saw.

Every cut gets a quick think on where the feet are, stress on the downed treet, cut and will it pinch, where the tip is and who's around me.

Get a little slack cutting the small branches. Would be easy to swing up, miss and have the blade drop down onto the leg.

Man, I need a good Peavey.

[abc_123]

Happening to self is one thing.

Having another adult place their neck within range of a running chainsaw and then the guy with the chainsaw cutting anyway. I wonder if he had insurance on her.

[Highwayman]

Great thread with loads of useful info. Thank you all for your input. I'm recommending that some of our other sawyers at work take a peak at this. Granted my experience comes mostly from the last couple years cutting for the Forest Service on a few fire lines, we have recently found ourselves overwhelmed with a bark beetle epidemic and 10-12 hours of cutting on a typical day in developed sites (campgrounds, trailheads, etc) just to remove potential hazard trees. We like to refer to them as the "Northern Colorado Red Pine".

In response to BMT's question using a bow saw. While some of our other non fire personnel use them for small jobs I did have the opportunity to work with a 12 foot crosscut saw in a section of wilderness in northern Colorado. Carrying that bad boy for 8 days on a trail making room for pack strings to haul in lumber was an amazing experience. If anyone knows what I'm referring to, we managed to get the saw to "sing" consistently on about the 3rd day.

Again thanks to everyone for a great thread.