How To Be A Chainsaw Hero

[Music] I've loved chainsaws since I was old enough to hear that wine and smell that smoke and watch my dad flipped that thing around like it didn't weigh over about two pounds the way the chips just blow out of the back of a sharp saw the way that a saw will take a big tree to the ground in moments this is the assortment of chainsaws that I have here in my shop all six of these chainsaws have a lot of things in common and a few things that are unique to each one the first thing that I want to mention that they have in common is they are dangerous now you can see that you can sense it you can tell by the sound they make that they're dangerous but when you pick one up there's a couple things that you need to be aware of again I'm going to start with this little husky it's a 136 I'm doing that for two reasons one because it doesn't weigh much and I might talk for a few minutes and the second is because it's likely that you're going to want to buy something about like this if you're a homeowner or do-it-yourselfer if you're someone that's got a few fruit trees or you cut a little bit of firewood or you need to you know fill in the blank it is simultaneously safe because it's light enough to pick up and move around and dangerous precisely because it's light enough to pick up and move around so my recommendation is that you buy one of these new now I buy a lot of used stuff I don't buy used chainsaws unless you are a small engine expert with some experience with chainsaws do yourself a favor and buy a new one it's going to come with a shield with the sheath keep it this thing protects the chain and your kids all right now a chain saw sitting around on a bench if it's sharp will cut you even if it's not running and on the other hand if you drop it or bang it against the edge of table leg or something you're going to knock a point off a chain and the points are what make the difference so back to my assertion that the lightness and maneuverability is simultaneously safety and danger you can hold this you can lift it over your head that's good but because it's like kick back which is what always cuts novices is going to happen in a moment because you have no inertia in the weight of the machine kickback happens when you use the end of the bar and the energy is transmitted away from a pulling moment or a pushing moment to a lifting moment you put that spinning blade in contact with an immovable object it is going to run up that immovable object and it is headed directly towards the centerline of whoever's operating it this leaves a nasty mark now this chain break is now our safety requirement they can't sell a chainsaw not without a chain break to stop that very thing as a saws coming back and getting ready to eat your lunch the chain break is to be engaged with the back of your hand now this is exactly like a guard on a skill saw professionals become impatient and they think it cramps their style and they'll disable it or cut it off and it's a mistake boys it's always a mistake now it's a mistake that I've made but it's a mistake that thing will save you one of the reasons chainsaws are dangerous is because they are used in every conceivable position people use them on ladders people use them standing in trees people use them on the ground and it benches and bending over and overhead and so you're going to be using it in a multitude of you're going to be holding it in a wide range of ways make a mental note if the grip on your top hand moves out of alignment with the chain break make sure you never stop thinking ok if that kicks back the chain breaks not going to stop at this time so there are a few mental markers you have to lay down if you intend to do this without the benefit of stitches okay so let's talk about the difference in kickback risk between a little saw and a big one I'll use this huh this little husky and this John surrett is an example interesting that both are Swedish saws Husqvarna John said it kind of tickles me cuz I'm 50% Swedish okay I don't know if I have there's some sort of a genetic affinity for Swedish saws but let me get this out in the open still is my go-to tool so there must be some Teutonic German in the mix there someplace anyway kickback so the nose of this saw is about 30 inches away from where my left hand is so if the kickback happens oh let me point out my dad removed the chain break okay this is my dad saw chain break had to go old-school we get this if the kickback happens with this saw you have that additional time for your brain to register danger and do something about it that is offset by the fact this is so much more powerful so when this begins to run up a piece when you get out on the nose and don't pay attention or it binds up bad things can happen so the size to danger is not linear in fact in many ways is not even related or relatable so one of these chuck saws is radically different than the other tada this is an electric so for a long time of course I just curled my lip at electric chainsaws and then it gradually dawned on me man if all you're doing is turning a fruit tree cutting a 2x4 you know trimming up your rose bushes you don't need one of these things an electric saw requires almost zero maintenance you plug it in it's going to go if you keep it sharp it's going to cut but don't make the mistake of thinking this is going to cut your year supply of firewood if you buy one like every other tool buy the very best you can possibly afford but for about 9 out of 10 homeowners this is what you need first of all a chainsaw does not have a blade never say that it's so annoying and it will brand you a rank amateur a chainsaw has a ball our and a chain okay there's not a blade to be found anyplace chains come in a white will chains and bars for that matter come in a wide variety of types specifications for different purposes we're not getting into the weeds on that today we will some time I just want to point out that you can buy them to fit an individual bar length okay this is for I think a 26 inch bar or for professional use you can buy chain by the roll miles of this stuff and then you make your own you put your link in you anyhow you make change so it's not magic but it is not blade please never call it that okay so hopefully it's obvious but chainsaws require personal protective equipment those of you who have seen my other videos though right now are saying wait a minute hypocrite wait a minute hypocrite think of me as a doctor that smokes okay just because I should always do it doesn't mean I always do it but I think I should here is the gear chefs put them on some sort of hearing protection ear plugs are great I mean your muffs are great I could never wear this but you got to have a hard hat in the woods ear muffs ear plugs eye protection you've got to have it some sort of gloves to dampen the vibration and protect your hands when you're filing this is not a place to hold back on safety gear if you want to be able to continue to work for the rest I feel pretty bulletproof right now so I've got two saws here I got a little bitty one and my go-to daily driver is still old 44 which I just really like this is for working around the yard my wife has long wanted a chainsaw and I've told her you know that the last thing on the planet I'm ever going to buy you she's a Thrasher she would clear-cut the property but I'm just going to demonstrate the difference in safety between the back of the bar and the front of the bar and the top of the bar so when you buy your chains on you get it out of the box and you mix the fuel and you fuel it up and you start it you're ready to cut something start cutting with this part of the bar it's going to be pulling your chainsaw into the wood the chainsaw will come to rest against the piece it's very safe okay [Music] second safest is the top of the bar which I'll demonstrate right now [Applause] [Music] that is essentially equally safe but you are resisting the energy pushing you out of the log which is pushing you towards a position where you could get a kickback like this [Music] watch how the train that was coming back for five days safety features that will protect me so especially on a small saw you need to develop the momentum or the inertia of the chain and motion before you bring it into contact with the wood that is why you stay away from the tip if you're not fully qualified I'm going to demonstrate cutting with the tip of the saw sometimes you have to do it but this is another one of those conditions where as you bring the chain up to speed and bring it in contact with animal in mobile object the danger increases exponentially [Music] so as you can see the tip of the bar is very important very dangerous don't try it until you get some idea of the forces involved in the strength you've got to have to resist them chainsaw safety is sort of like driving safely so some part of it is control some part of it's controlling a saw but an equal part is understanding the environment that you're using a saw in in the same way that driving a car in a downtown crowd at five o'clock City environment is a different set of dangers than driving on an extended trip on an interstate freeway using your chainsaw up on a ladder pruning a fruit fruit tree and by the way that's almost a death wish unless it is just very light pruning is radically a radically different set of environmental dangers than if you're out cutting firewood or logging or who knows what so my point is chainsaws are usually used in areas of uncertain footing pieces of firewood and bark and limbs on the ground you are cutting things where gravity is going to initiate a fall there's all sorts of uncontrollable forces that are released at that time when a logs on the ground if the ground is not level that log would really like to roll so part of the skill set of staying alive is a chainsaw operator is recognized recognizing the implied threats in the environment that you're taking the chainsaw into use your head it's the best piece of safety equipment God gave you you buy a chainsaw you're going to begin to feel like a man in a way that maybe is new to you and the second thing that's going to happen is when you pick that thing up and pull the trigger there's going to be an intimidation factor that's going to make you feel like a little boy again so you can listen to both those impulses enjoy owning the saw enjoy being smart enjoy overcoming your fear enjoy understanding the risks that you're facing and go cut some wood well yeah now for the record and not strictly out of an impulse to be politically correct to a mass audience women are fully capable of running chainsaws and living to tell my daughter has a chainsaw she's plenty strong plenty smart plenty fast and she has a lot of fun with it but it's an equal opportunity work producer it's an equal opportunity destroyer be careful cut some wood thanks for watching [Music] I'm you [Applause]

Channel: Essential Craftsman

Views: 1,000,420

Rating: 4.8548441 out of 5

Keywords: Chainsaw, Stihl, Training, Forestry, Safety, How to, Cutting wood, firewood, Husqvarna, saw, Instruction, tips, hamstring, kickback, femoral artery

Id: kzuijFHquQk

Length: 13min 46sec (826 seconds)

Published: Sat May 06 2017

Reddit Comments

[u/fernguts]

Excellent video for beginners. I'm going to watch some of his other ones.

I have the same Husqvarna (the first one he picks up). It's a very versatile little saw.

[u/electrosaurus]

Good video, there can never be enough chainsaw videos educating on bar position awareness.

However, given it's aimed at novices there is no way he should be demonstrating a drop start; worse a drop start where he is holding the throttle, with the chain brake off. Although many professionals do it, really the only place that a drop start should be done is when up a tree (on the ropes etc). Even then it should be holding the front handle with the brake engaged.

He should be advocating starting it on the ground with a foot through the rear handle or held between the knees.

[u/svensktiger]

Will you please x post to r/OSHA? We need more proactive stuff like this there. Let me know.

[u/unfknreal]

Wow, Charles Grodin looks great for his age! Glad to see he's found something to keep him busy in retirement!

[u/krisk1759]

Great video if you're intimidated by learning to run a saw. They are a lot of fun once you are comfortable. I have 10 years of experience running them (17-27) and I've never had even a close call if you keep all the things he talks about in mind.

[u/joshclay]

*Safety basics of operating a chainsaw

[u/Pal_Smurch]

If you're a novice, I would recommend that you use nothing shorter than a 20" bar. The shorter the bar, the quicker the kick-back.

My uncle, a long-time chainsaw user, was pruning on a ladder, and had a kick-back throw the bar into his left hand, chipping his middle finger almost completely off (yes, he was cutting one-handed).

[u/Tyrog_]

Never used a chainsaw, probably never will but that was super interesting!

[u/[deleted]]

MFW he sets the chainsaws down and the chain is touching the dirt