Opinion- Drop Starting vs Starting On the Ground

[mitch95100]

Sorry dont mean to post another pointless thread on here but im asking opinions today.
Drop Starting Vs Starting on the ground.
What are your guyses personal preferances? I always hear about how people say dont drop start its very dangerous and all that stuff, and i agree it is very dangerous, But like with my 044, 066, and ms660 I cant start them on the ground! I pull and it just about yanks the saw out of my hands. So thats why im asking what method do you guys use?

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

The search function yielded this: http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/120245.htm

 

[stihlrookie]

No drop start for this guy

I have always either started on the ground or hold the saw between my knees. I don't see how you can barely hold onto the saw by placing it on the ground, are you doing it correctly? Right foot goes on the rear handle, left hand placed firmly on the front handle, pull starter rope with right hand. Drop start is dangerous and also places unneccesary wear on the starter rope since you cannot control its course out of the hole, ie. the rope wears out sooner IMO. Since we are on the subject, I also have the chain brake set when I start.

 

[2dogs]

I am very much against drop starting where you hold the front handlebar with the left hand and pull the statrter with the right. There is no control of the saw when it starts and the bar will swing around due to centrifugal force. It also is takes time to switch hands to throttle down with the brake on or off.

If you mean holding the rear handle with the right hand and pulling the starter with the left while the nose of the bar is on a log (or hangs free if you are climbing) then I am fine with that. The throttle lock may or may not be used because you can us the throttle trigger with the finger.

Starting on the ground is good too especially with a big saw/long bar. Just watch the nose. I use the between the thighs method very often especially while working in water or tall grass. This method is shown in the Stihl saw manual and while it is not desribed well it is a great way to start a saw.

 

[7oaks]

I have always either started on the ground or hold the saw between my knees. I don't see how you can barely hold onto the saw by placing it on the ground, are you doing it correctly? Right foot goes on the rear handle, left hand placed firmly on the front handle, pull starter rope with right hand. Drop start is dangerous and also places unneccesary wear on the starter rope since you cannot control its course out of the hole, ie. the rope wears out sooner IMO. Since we are on the subject, I also have the chain brake set when I start.

Only if your foot is narrow enough to get it into the handle. Mine isn't!

 

[2dogs]

The search function yielded this: http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/120245.htm

Smart man here.

 

[stihlrookie]

Only if your foot is narrow enough to get it into the handle. Mine isn't!

Yep, ON the handle is what I said, not in. I know the prescribed method is to place you foot IN the handle but if it won't fit you adapt your method to suit.

 

[paccity]

on most of my saws i drop start, but i hold wrap handle in right hand starter in left. i am right handed but it's comfortable and safe for me. big saws and long bars are on a log or stump right on rear handle pull with left . some of my large mag saws are on ground knee on top of saw. feet won't fit in rear handle's so that's not an option for me. but as for drop starting it's been safe for me so far. just pay attention to what your doing wile starting is the best advice i can give.

 

[dingeryote]

I personally put on a stylish multi colored Kevlar body condom, and steel plated helmet, and seek out perfectly level ground before placing the saw down with the Brake on, attach the bar guard with 17 zip ties, lay a log on it, and then tie a 200' rope to the starter handle, back up 198' and start my saw safely from a distance...

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[branchbuzzer]

I personally put on a stylish multi colored Kevlar body condom, and steel plated helmet, and seek out perfectly level ground before placing the saw down with the Brake on, attach the bar guard with 17 zip ties, lay a log on it, and then tie a 200' rope to the starter handle, back up 198' and start my saw safely from a distance...

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

No ear protection?

 

[homelitejim]

I don't drop start and I don't start my saws on the ground, I just hold them and pull the rope. I had a McCulloch 250 that needed 3 1/2 hands and a log or stump to start unless you wanted to re tune it in the wood every time you started it. 90% of my saws don't have chain brakes and the 10% that do I never use but I teach my boy to use it until he is sufficiently proficient in the operation of a chain saw.

 

[Justsaws]

Only if your foot is narrow enough to get it into the handle. Mine isn't!

Hook the hoof over the back handle. I have no saws that my boots come even close to fitting into the rear handle or on the itty bitty platform. I just place the back handle in front of the boot heal.

It is more difficult with the top handled saws.

 

[Ambull]

With my Mac SP125/101b, drop starting is the only option for me. 130cc's, high compression, and no decomp.....

Here is a vid.

[video=youtube_share;imVCsFHAx-g]http://youtu.be/imVCsFHAx-g[/video]

 

[alderman]

I'm a between the knees guy myself. I have better control of the saw with this method. I will also ground start on occasion but I don't like to do it on a cold start because I don't have as much control and I get the moving chain in the dirt sometime.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Justsaws]

I personally put on a stylish multi colored Kevlar body condom, and steel plated helmet, and seek out perfectly level ground before placing the saw down with the Brake on, attach the bar guard with 17 zip ties, lay a log on it, and then tie a 200' rope to the starter handle, back up 198' and start my saw safely from a distance...

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

This could all be fixed with bacon and butter, except perhaps the "stylish multi colored body condom". No known cure.

 

[TonyRumore]

I drop start all mine, no compression release, except for the 084's......I put those on the ground.
I don't bother with the chain brake either. We never had them in the early days, and it was never a problem.

The only time the saw will swing around is when you're trying to drop start a saw with a bar that is way too long for it.....or I guess if you're just a #####.

 

[barneyrb]

I used to drop start any saw I had or worked on, now I've got to have surgery on my left shoulder to repair a rotator. Yeah, keep on drop starting and then tell me about it when you are 50 years old.

 

[abureels4me]

even girls can start them on the ground.:hmm3grin2orange:
Starting a Chainsaw! - YouTube

 

[BigJ]

I used to drop start any saw I had or worked on, now I've got to have surgery on my left shoulder to repair a rotator. Yeah, keep on drop starting and then tell me about it when you are 50 years old.

I don't find starting on the ground any easier on my shoulders and it feels like I'm ripping the AV of the saw apart on the higher comp saws. Never seen a video of a guy starting a saw on the ground while working in an area with extreme grades, either...they always seem to be able to find a nice flat, super clear area...

I'll take a rotator over a herniated disc from starting a saw on the ground any day of the week.

 

[Ambull]

I don't find starting on the ground any easier on my shoulders and it feels like I'm ripping the AV of the saw apart on the higher comp saws. Never seen a video of a guy starting a saw on the ground while working in an area with extreme grades, either...they always seem to be able to find a nice flat, super clear area...

I'll take a rotator over a herniated disc from starting a saw on the ground any day of the week.

Especially on a modded large saw with advanced ignition timing. If you don't get the crank turning fast enough, it will go backwards when it fires, and rip the cord right out of your hand. Now that will tear a rotator cuff in a hurry.