Are *ALL* chainsaws dangerous?

Soldato
Joined
7 Sep 2008
Posts
5,700
They are one of my biggest fears
Due to some pretty bad horror films

Blooming hands killing tonight
Spent almost 7 hours outside with a hand saw. Took a long time
To work on a hedge.
My hedge trimmer just could not cut through the thick lellyandi

plus it is just too high up!

are they all really dangerous? Electric ones vs petrol etc

i wonder if someone on here could convince me
 
The dangers are various

1) jamming, which is the one even pros fear, where the weight shifts of the tree onto the blade and stops it, Generally pros wont have this happen as they read the tree but its always possible and when it happens the energy has to go somewhere.
2) not being stable and your weight shifting whist operating the tool, wheres it going to go now?...
3) working at height with all the normal associated difficulties

But mainly the most dangerous tool is the one operating the tool ;)

When you say saw do you mean a bow saw or a normal wood saw. You want a bow saw for that type of work, but points above still apply, they are damn sharp as well to human flesh, but they wont remove a limb/head with misuse
 
Yes they are dangerous,

Probably best to do more research on hand saw types and blades, i find you need to try a few different ones to find a good match for a job.

So one type might jam badly and be hard work and one might rip through nicely
 
To be honest I think a chainsaw is only as dangerous as the person using it.

It's normally when you get complacent and don't follow the correct practice that accidents occur. The type of work you're using the chainsaw for makes a huge difference also.

But I think if you respect the chainsaw and operate it with two hands at all times and remain conscious of what it is you are doing and what could go wrong you will be fine.
 
There's no law requiring you to undertake training before using a chainsaw.

Which is interesting given the hazards of using one and the hazards you create with one.

They're not complicated though, I went on a few days training course in a commercial wood with all the safety gear (hat, visor, ears, kevlar gloves, legs, steel toecap boots) learning to do assorted cuts and felling properly, recovering from issues and avoiding them in the first place and also maintenance because its normal use involves a lot of wear and dirt. Chainsaws drink oil and more oil mixed with fuel and need the chains sharpening about every half hour of sustained use. They still "cut" (badly) when blunt but the chips are more like dust as the dull teeth grind into the wood at speed.

A chainsaw isn't unpredictable you can be a safe operator if you have a bit of training and are aware of all the risks.

I wouldn't immediately think of a chainsaw for working at height on a hedge...
 
Certainly not something to be complacent about - family friend got himself in the leg with a chainsaw, IIRC he was working in a tree and fell from a fair height as well but awhile since I heard about it. Dragged himself to the nearest neighbours house which was around 100m away and only survived because the neighbour was an army trained medic. He did pretty much everything wrong by all accounts.

Also had fun with my dad working at height with a chainsaw when things went wrong - fortunately he had the presence of mind to release the trigger.
 
A guy I work with got an electric one, I'm sure he said it stops pretty quick if it has any issues. Also he's not very practical and still has all his limbs so they can be that dangerous.
 
Spent almost 7 hours outside with a hand saw. Took a long time
To work on a hedge.
My hedge trimmer just could not cut through the thick lellyandi

how thick though ? - pruning anvil loppers with mechanical advantage are effective , you get a disease free clean cut, at the optimal point to actually cut it ...
(rather than skimming people do with hedge trimmers) - and 'satisfying' to use.
 
They are one of my biggest fears
Due to some pretty bad horror films

Blooming hands killing tonight
Spent almost 7 hours outside with a hand saw. Took a long time
To work on a hedge.
My hedge trimmer just could not cut through the thick lellyandi

plus it is just too high up!

are they all really dangerous? Electric ones vs petrol etc

i wonder if someone on here could convince me

Get a pole saw. It's a small chain saw at the end of a pole so it's far away from you.

I got the cheapest one out of screwfix was like £35 at the time. And I've actually cut down 7 trees with it through the trunks. So I would say it would be the best thing for you. It's very powerful albeit it's usually used for cutting through thick branches.
 
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