Another one handing a saw thread

[flushcut]

Done it, do it, but it's a choice made in the moment and not my SOP. Like everything else, it is a personal choice and no one gets hurt except the cutter.

Unless your groundies have to rescue your bleeding self, or your loved ones have to deal with your pain, downtime, unemployment and possibly worse.

But still its a personal choice............. And its good fodder to keep the injuries thread going.

Sooo... How do you really feel?

 

[lego1970]

This topic has been beat to death so I won't get into should you or not, but if your asking what close call or incidents have occured while one-handing. I nicked my lanyard one time and my finger another time while one handing. The lanyard incident was in a vine covered tree and the branch popped up instead of down after the cut pushing the saw towards me and nicking my lanyard. The finger incident happended while taking down a limb for a neighbor after I had a few too many beers. Probably should of told him I'd get it down the next day but it was simple 15 minute job so I thought what the heck, I'll do it real quick. I don't know what I did wrong but I do remember climbing or should I say stumbling up the tree and thinking "man, I might be too drunk for this". If you one-hand be careful around vines and don't do it while drinking. There you go, that's my two pieces of advice.

 

[mic687]

I do not see how if you do this work on a regular basis that you can always two hand cut. I do one hand some on about every tree I work on, but I try to limit it. I saw a youtube video of a guy doing alot of one handing with a big saw and it was just scary, like a bad accident waiting to happen. I just did a Blue Spruce last week in the wind so I put on a stiff leg using my rope puller to hold it while I cut the notch then back cut and my groundie gave the rope a yank when the gusts died down. I think one handing is a nessary evil but like many have said when you half your hand hold double your concentration.

 

[flushcut]

I put on a stiff leg using my rope puller to hold it while I cut the notch then back cut and my groundie gave the rope a yank when the gusts died down. I think one handing is a nessary evil but like many have said when you half your hand hold double your concentration.

Is that what I think it is? You left a long stub, tied it off at the end and pulled from below?

 

[mic687]

Is that what I think it is? You left a long stub, tied it off at the end and pulled from below?

What I call a stiff leg in this case is a rope tied off to the top I am removing nothing special just like you were going to pull it out. The only difference is that I secure it to another tree with my puller with just enough tention to hold it in place while cutting so that the wind will not effect it. I also use them for extra security when dropping a spar close to a house. Two ropes one for pulling and the stiff leg just to hold a leaner while cutting. There may be another name for this I am not sure but I have used it to pivot leaners away from a house. Next time I do it I will get a pic.

 

[flushcut]

What I call a stiff leg in this case is a rope tied off to the top I am removing nothing special just like you were going to pull it out. The only difference is that I secure it to another tree with my puller with just enough tention to hold it in place while cutting so that the wind will not effect it. I also use them for extra security when dropping a spar close to a house. Two ropes one for pulling and the stiff leg just to hold a leaner while cutting. There may be another name for this I am not sure but I have used it to pivot leaners away from a house. Next time I do it I will get a pic.

Got it thanks!

 

[BC WetCoast]

I agree with the above poster though - I one hand my 200t pretty mcuh 80% of the time while in the tree and every climber I've ever worked with does too. You do see guys straight out of climbing courses and greener than the trees they work on two handing every cut, and doing every other thing by the book too - 2 or 3 tie in points, 2 handed saw use, lowering every branch by rope etc. It is safer, no doubt... but then, those guys take 10 x as long to get a job done ;-)

There's no question that 2 handing a saw is safer than one handing. But then, if you use a saw safely you've got a pretty good margin there even one handed. If you've go a good understanding of the forces in play with saw work then you're ahead a good ways. I think a lot of guys state side are running 14 or 16" bars on their 200t's, and reaching *right out* and cutting with the tip, and when undercutting obviously they are well into kickback territory. I run a 12", wont use the tip or the push side of the saw one handed, only 2 hands for those ops. I do must pull cuts one handed though.

Shaun

You may one hand all the time, along with everyone you know, but get caught one handing at my company and you get a two day unpaid holiday, with immediate termination for the second offense.

So obviously it is more than those who just came from climbing courses who think this is not a great idea.

And who is going to be more concerned about production than the bean counters who run the company.

 

[arborsoldier]

Two handed cutting, like all safe working practices (two handing, multiple TIPS, PPE) were born out of people getting injured. Bottom line is that one handed cutting, even with a top handle saw increases you risk for injury or worse. Having said that I know that we've all done it. Personally I try to avoid it as much as possible. In some instances one handing is just a substitute for repositioning and is caused by trying to hurry or just being lazy.

:agree2:
Good post. Couldn't agree more.
I'm guilty of "one handing it", and more times than not, its for production.

I agree with these guys. I too had one handed for years. Then I found myself faced with the need to set the example I believe in leading by example, therefore I had to change in order to expect those who work for me to change. The old saying of "I've done it hundreds (or thousands) of times and never got hurt" certainly applies, but it only takes one time. We have implemented a policy here, every employee has been given their final warning, one hand a saw and you are terminated. Surprisingly, for the most part they have conformed. I'm sure it still goes on from time to time, but I haven't caught anyone in a year and a half. And I spot check the crews frequently.

 

[pdqdl]

Shucks, sometimes I even one-hand. Not any more often than I have to, as you might expect!


http://www.arboristsite.com/attachm...e-climbing/108155d1252159048-dl-hand-back-jpg

Like the op said, this is just another one-hand saw thread; my previous comments: http://www.arboristsite.com/commercial-tree-care-climbing/108306.htm#post1704752

 

[imagineero]

funny enough, we were chipping yesterday for another crew, and their climber couldnt get his 200t going so he went up with a husky 340 (one of my favourite huskys by the way) and did a pretty big celtis take down. He was up in the tree for maybe 5 hours, and was pretty good about going 2 handed. A couple of time during the day though he did have a little slip and had to let go to steady himself with one hand. One handing a top handed saw is way better than one handing a rear handled saw ;-)

I do totally agree that 2 hands is the safer strategy at all times though.

This hasn't been a great couple of weeks in aus, last week a guy in my area with quite a lot of experience got pulled into a chipper and lost both legs up to the knee. Another guy I've worked with cut himself on the leg with a chainsaw while ripping a log to get it down to a size it would fit in his chipper. Not a serious injury, but it easily could have been.

Shaun

 

[TREDUDE51]

One hand cutting is a non issue for the pros.The WIND causes problems and I won't climb if the wind is blowing over 20mph.On windy days either work on the ground or go home.A bored day at home is better than a day in the ER...

 

[prentice110]

I am knocking on the wood floor as I type. I have been climbing with a chainsaw for almost 15 years, and using a bucket regularly for 10. I have never come close to having anything near what I would even consider being an incident due to one handing a saw. I just point it away from me incase it kicks. 90% of my aerial sawing is one handed.(with a topping saw).

 

[treeslayer]

One hand cutting is a non issue for the pros.The WIND causes problems and I won't climb if the wind is blowing over 20mph.On windy days either work on the ground or go home.A bored day at home is better than a day in the ER...

A 20 mph wind and you don't go up?:msp_ohmy:

you'd starve in the midwest, maybe 40 mph.........:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[prentice110]

A 20 mph wind and you don't go up?:msp_ohmy:

you'd starve in the midwest, maybe 40 mph.........:hmm3grin2orange:

And here in the midwest sometimes that 40mph will knock an hour or 2 off the aerial time, if its working with you:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[airman]

I dont like climbing in the wind, especially with a crown full of leaves!

 

[fishercat]

I probably cut one handed most of the time.

Doesn't bother people as much as one I do a no hander.

 

[deanminor35]

Been lucky

Knock on wood but I have been doing tree work for 12yrs 6 of the 12 in utility line clearance. Around 60 to 70% of the time cutting with one hand,so far only close calls. The top handle trim saws feels to like this is the way this type of saw was intended (just don't let the boss see it) to be used. When i first started 12 or so years ago we one handed Stihl 009 thought we where in heaven,this type of trim saw is where all of my close calls have came from. Where I work if safety man sees u one handing a saw then u get to look for a new job. If u rope every thing and never one hand a saw well the fact is that you never get anything done!!!

 

[pdqdl]

...If u rope every thing and never one hand a saw well the fact is that you never get anything done!!!

I don't know about that...I never saw anything that should be thrown or "held & dropped" that couldn't be speedlined. When you use a speedline for getting the wood to the ground, you can cut bigger than you can safely hold, you rip through the wood faster than with two hands, and you have better control than "cut & toss".

Of course, if you go up the tree with no intention of using more/better equipment, then you will always conclude that one-handing is the only way to go.

http://www.mytreelessons.com/user/speedline - unkown author.gif