Videos on chainsaw safety?

I am interested in the videos too! -

Fred in NC

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Re: I am interested in the videos too! -

John Lucas

>Me too, we are going to try to set up a chainsaw safety demo for our club when the weather gets better so we can work outside. I haven't cut off anything yet with the chainsaw and it would sure be nice to continue that way.

Re: Videos on chainsaw safety?

Ruth in S.Cal

>Carole, When I got my first chain saw I had two lessons. Living on an island in teh rain forest of BC, surrounded by trees, the local landscaper gave me a lesson. I also got a lesson from the place where I bought the chain saw, they supply chain saws to the fallers.

In addition, the Husky instructions had a very good safety write up. I know this isn't a video, but if all else fails, try finding someone who is a tree faller.

FYI, the Glendale Woorturners club is having a session onf chain saw safety, perhaps you could encourage your local club to do teh same.

r

Re: Videos on chainsaw safety?

Richard Allen

>Hi Carol

Husky had a free chainsaw safety video. It is primarily concerned with the felling of a tree. There is also a section on safety equipment. The last time I looked for the free video I couldn't find it on their web site. You may want to look around or perhaps contact Husky to see if the free video is still available.

I could make you a copy of the video onto DVD if you arrange to get a copyright release from Husky for such a purpose.

This is NOT a video on chainsaw safety for woodturners.

Good Luck

Richard

Re: Videos on chainsaw safety? *LINK*

Russ Fairfield

>Stihl has several videos available. Check local dealer or go to their website


http://www.stihlusa.com/knowhow/knowhow_lit_video.html

Re: Videos on chainsaw safety?

Dick Hines

>Go talk to my little brother before he starts planting. He can show you how to use one.

Better yet ! -

Fred in NC

>Take your video camera and make a video, and then we will buy it .......

Re: Videos on chainsaw safety?

Paul Porter in Phoenix, AZ

>There is an article in the latest issue of American Woodturner about chainsaw safety by Jacques Vesery. He even adds a little humor.

If I followed the safety instructions that came..>

RonZ

>..>> with my Echo chain saw, I'd repack it and return it to the store. They caution against anything and everything.

Thanks, guys and gals

Carole in VA

>I probably will get the Stihl video and talk to Dick's little brother. In fact I think I am going to buy a Stihl saw. I tried one with the Easy2Start feature and was absolutley amazed at how easy the thing was to start! By the time I get my old Crapsman started, I am too tired to cut any wood. I also liked the no-tools chain tensioning feature of the Stihl.

Re: Videos on chainsaw safety?

Dale Stansbery

>Before you make your first cut, you need to outfit yourself in safety gear. Include helmet with face and ear protection. safety chaps, steel toed shoes, and good gloves. That all costs about as much as a medium sized saw, but one mistake without it, and the cost would have been trivial.

About the time you decide you don't need good work boots, you'll run a Hawthorne needle into the top of your foot. DAMHIKT!

Re: Thanks, guys and gals

Jorge Castaneda ~ Downeast Maine

>Carole,

The Stihl or the Husquvarna (?) both have that easy start mode and both are good saws, the woodcutters in my neck of the woods used to use Jonsereds until the Husquvarna came up with the easy start thing and they switched. Don't get a bar any longer than needed, to cut a 32" tree, and that is a very large tree, all you need is a 16" bar.

The John Deere was meant for farmers and they had a big guy in mind, I have no idea how young you are and how much you weight, my advice is get the lightest saw that you can pick confortably, remember that that saw is going to feel heavier and heavier as you work.

Choose one with the narrowest kerf, that will cut in easier and will need less power.

I use a Husky 353 with a 16" bar, I am a very skinny and old guy, I think it weighs around 13 pounds.

Are you thinking of felling trees? felling is not as dangerous as limbing and bucking. Felling can be dangerous if you have no idea of which way a tree wants to fall, wind conditions, many variables, so stay away from it until you have observed closely an experienced person.

Most of the accidents happen limbing or bucking, for limbing the pro's use a smaller saw and for bucking, which means cutting the trunk into sections for the saw mill or whatever, observe somebody close by and ask question, before or after the cuts, not during a cut, the dangers are heavy sections falling on your feet or falling and rolling towards you, so positioning yourself out of harms way is the key, of course you have to keep an eye and be completely conscious of where is the saw is and make sure it never will get near your body, and the secuence of the cuts, some times you have to start from the bottom up and then finish from the top, or the other way around, the saw can get pinched and you will need another saw or an ax to free it, learn about wedges too and by all means wear a face mask, a hard hat and ear muffs. The Husky dealer in my town sells a unit that incorporates all three.

Like with any cutting tool you will have to learn to sharpen the chain, I use files and file lightly but frecuently.

It is not that hard to learn, but you need to keep your concentration and know when not to do it.

Go for it!

Jorge

Re: I am interested in the videos too! -

Barry Turner

>John, I think I read on some newsgroup that Stihl representatives would sometimes do chainsaw safety demo's for the asking. That might be worth looking into.

Re: Thanks, guys and gals

RonZ

>Before you jump to get one, check the recalls and consumer satisfaction via Google search.

I'm not putting down Stihl nor do I have any vested interest in Echo but there was a high percentage of people happy with their Echo and complaints about their Stihls. They also said it was a 2:1 ratio in price. There were also a lot of Stihls on recall lists and none of the Echo chain saws were recalled.

I turn for a living so I got what I believed was the best lathe. I don;t do lumberjacking so I bought the best saw in the mid range, Echo.

Do you have Grumbine�s DVD? *LINK*

David Sophusson, Custer Wa.

>Hi Carole,

Bill has a nich chapter on cutting bowl blanks. If you want more info you might about using chainsaws you might want to get the DVD from Stihl at the link below

Chainsaws can be a dangerous tool but like any tool it needs to be used with respect and your Full Attention. I admire the fact that you are so safety conscious about using your tools and always ask questions when you are unsure about something.

Okay so I�m a life long user and have been using chainsaws for almost 40 years. I�ve cut down hundreds of trees and turned them into firewood for my own use and selling as a side business. My main saw and favorite to use is my Stanley hydraulic chainsaw, but that�s waaay to pricy for the average home user. For 25 years I had an Echo that after much use and abuse finally died. So a couple of years ago I went shopping for a new small saw. I first went to Lowes and checked out the Husky�s. I know a lot of folks feel strongly and really like their Husky�s but the first time I picked one up it scared me. There is so much anti-vibration built into them that the tip of the bar moves all over the place and I felt like I had no control over it. Since I mainly wanted a saw for doing mostly trimming limbs and for cutting bowl blanks it was unacceptable to me. My Echo dealer that was close to me closed up shop and retired so that was out. I went to the Stihl dealer that is very close to me and settled on a Stihl MS250C which I like but seems to have way to much plastic for my tastes but I guess they�re all like that now days.

When you go out to buy a saw the most important thing you want to look for is that it has an inertia chain brake, kickbacks are a pain and I have the scars on the back of my hand to prove it.

When using your saw make sure the area is reasonably clean. Never make a cut if you�re off balance or in an awkward position. Know Exactly where your tip is before, during, and after the cut. All it takes is one little nick into another piece of wood or something and that bar is going to come right back at you. Keep both hands on the saw at All times when cutting, you cannot cut your hands if they are holding the handles. If you cannot make your cut with the dogs engaged into the wood, say for instance your cut is going to be somewhere between the tip of the bar and the motor, make sure you know where the tip will be if the chain catches in the wood and pulls the saw into the cut. Remember you don�t want that tip anywhere near something that will cause it to kick back.

When you buy your saw get the simple little sharpening kit that matches your chain. Sharpening a saw is very easy. After every tank or two give each tooth about 2 strokes with a file. Keep in mind that you want to file all the teeth evenly throughout the life of the chain. By that I mean if you take two strokes off of one tooth you take two strokes off of all of them. If you have a couple of teeth with nicks in them don�t take 5, 6, or 7 strokes on them to make them sharp. It�ll all work out after a couple more sharpenings. Also people don�t know or they just don�t mention that to maintain the chain you also need to file the rakers every once in awhile. I will usually file mine about four times during the life of the chain.

A chainsaw is like any other tool, in the hands of a pro to the inexperienced eye it may look extremely dangerous. On the other hand if it�s in the hands of a fool it probably is dangerous! It would be nice if you could hook up with someone in your area that is skilled with a saw so that you could watch and talk to them about using one. Although I haven�t seen the DVD from Stihl, for 5 bucks it may be a great bargain. And always use you PPE!

Sophie, who still has saw chips in his shoes from felling and bucking up a couple of dying birch trees in his front park last weekend.

http://www.stihlusa.com/knowhow/knowhow_lit_video.html


Stihl DVD

Re: Do you have Grumbine�s DVD?

Carole in VA

>Sophie, that is the same saw I am supposed to look at tomorrow. What size bar do you have? I am thinking I don't need more than a 16 inch bar? Do you like the Easy2Start thing?

Yep. Keep watching it over and over!

Carole in VA

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Check this site.......

W.C. Turner

>You can get a free video called, "Sensible Woodcutting", by going to ww.forestapps.com Video's put out by Husky.

Corrected Link *LINK*

Jorge Castaneda ~ Downeast Maine

>try again here


Husky

Re: Do you have Grumbine�s DVD?

David Sophusson, Custer Wa.

>Hi Carole

I got my saw before they came out with the Easy Start thing but I have tried one awhile back and it�s a pretty nice feature I think you�ll really like it. Last year we bought a new string trimmer and Becky wanted one that she could start so we looked at ones that had the Easy2Start system on the two cycle trimmers. Although it worked pretty good Becky found out that the four-cycle trimmer with out the Easy Start was even easier for her to start, go figure. But my chain saw without that feature there is no way she can start it. It�s amazing that she can�t start the little saw but she can fire right up the big Stanley....it�s electric start...hehehe :-) I think Jennifer used it when she was here.

I�m still not sure how I really feel about the no tools bar system on my saw. At first I thought it was a great idea but I still worry about breaking that plastic nut to loosen the bar, it gets pretty tight sometimes and I have to crank on it a bit to the point that I think I�ll break it but so far so good. Also that little star wheel can be a little hard on the thumb when trying to take up the slack in the chain. Make sure you try it at the dealer a few times before you lay your money down my thumbs may be a little stronger than yours. If you have a good dealer they should have no problem letting you start, run, adjust chain tension, and even remove the bar and chain and replace it. Also have them go through showing you how to clean the bar and making sure the oil holes are clean.

I got the 18 inch bar only because I use the saw mostly for trimming limbs from the tree after I fall it. The longer bar lets me trim without having to bend over, I�m an old man don�tcha know and I don�t have the back that I used to. ;-(

Also make sure you get a couple of plastic wedges, the first time you pinch your bar in a cut, and you will until you learn the ropes, you will be cussin�.

Over all I�m really happy with the saw but as you can maybe tell I�m a little leery of all the plastic but so far it�s holding up extremely well. I�m pretty hard on my saws in fact if I trip on a branch or something the first thing I do is toss the saw. So far it has taken some hard licks and just keeps coming back for more. As you can see in the pic below I live in the woods and after a good windstorm there is a lot of cleanup to be done. For me owning a chainsaw is not a luxury it�s a necessity and just a way of life.

I think you�ll be really happy with it, it�s a really good little saw.

Sophie, tis the season to be sawing fa la la la la la la

Got it today

Carole in VA

>Got the 18". Love that Easystart...just a gentle pull like you are drawing a bow and it starts right up. Didn't have any trouble with the chain tension knob. The dealer threw in an extra chain too. Showed me about cleaning the oil holes, etc. He was out of wedges though so I will pick up a couple somewhere else. Ordered the free Husky video on chainsaw techniques and safety (didn't tell them I bought a Stihl!) and am looking forward to next weeks turning chat which will be chainsaw use and safety.

Which model Stihl did you buy?

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

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The 250C with 18" bar

Carole in VA

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