curious about kick backs??????

[klickitatsacket]

Who has actually experianced a kick back? What were you running for a saw and chain. What were the conditions that caused it? Any injuies? How much experiance did you have before the kick back happened. The reason I ask is I read a lot about it and in all the years I have been in the woods and playing with saws I have only seen 2. One was on a barber chaired alder that kicked the saw out and flung it about 50'. The guy was trying to save the log when he should have ran. The other one was a on a peice of vine maple that pinched. That one required the operator to get 70 stitches in his for arm. His own fault as he was slashing at the vine maple to make a trail.

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

Yep bored into a bit of ceader log to cut the middle out of the log. bringing it round the tip of the bar hit the oak wood i was resting on and it kicked back. Strong enough to set the breal on a 365 fortunatly the 20" bar was contained in the log. The shock and power as it kicked back was a real eye opener.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Ugghh. Vine maple and old alder. I'd rather take on a 120' Doug fir with a 30 degree lean than a stand of vine maple or an old, questionable alder.

Anyway, beyond the little manageable jumps you'll have in a plunge cut or a burired backchain, I've never had a full one kickback or lost control of the saw.

Knock on wood....

Jeff

 

[West Texas]

Dean I've experienced several minor kickbacks limbing on downed trees, which is where I get most of my firewood. In almost every instance it was caused by the tip of the bar extending past the limb I was cutting on and making contact with another limb without my being able to see it. I limb with an 026 and use a light touch on the saw, so the amount of kickback has never been excessive or caused any injuries. And each time it has happened it has made me more alert to what I was doing the rest of the day. I think it could be dangerous if I was really pushing down on the saw or maybe running a larger saw. Also, I run sharp chains and I think a dull chain would tend to kick back more. Tom

 

[upandcommer]

yes got lucky

I primarily do firewood. I was 17-19 at the time of my first kickback i was burried bar deep in an old red oak when for some unknown reason the old mac eager beaver i was useing came flying out of the cut at me luckily the chainbreak was in working order and simply twisted my hand and wrist down into the saw before she caught and stopped the momentum of the saw. I have since gotten bucked (when the chainbreak stops a kickback) about 4-5 times in the 15 years I have been messing in wood. SO there is a lesson to be learned here keep those chainbreaks in good working order and you too could still come back to play another day after a kickback.

 

[mike385]

I have had alot of kickbacks. Sometimes a couple or more a day all depends on what I am cutting. If I am felling large oak or maple, sometimes there are alot of limbs that are bent into the ground and sometimes the only thing you can do is use the tip. I only got cut once and I was around 13. I was limbing a tree and I tripped. Saw went back and I have a set of railroad tracks on my left leg now. I just make sure I am out of the line of fire, and I am always ready for the reaction. There are times that you should fight it and the there are times that you just need to get out of the way.

Mike

 

[DonE911]

Only when milling and thats rare.... never been injured buy a chainsaw

unless you count ache'n fingers from a pull rope.

 

[clearance]

Simple, keep out of the way, do not ever stand over the saw, learn how to use the saw lefthanded, know where the tip is always etc.. No need for safety chain, dorky bar guards, just contemplate what will happen if the saw kicks and then position yourself accordingly.

 

[Diesel JD]

I've had the chain push back and pull in and kick slightly, but I think you mean strong enough that it's very noticeable at least even if injuries are not involved. I have never been seriously injured by a saw. One time I threw a ripping chain and it caught me in the kneecap...I only got a scrape, wouldn't have even gotten that had I been wearing chaps or even long pants. Otherwise....injuries have been messing with the chain when I was sharpening or had it off the saw...I left a real nice bloody trail a couple of times, but I figured out how to prevent that. I try never to push the chain along the bar by hand when I am working with it, instead I push the back of the cutter(non cutting edge) with a screwdriver or similar tool.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Over my 25 year continuous career in the woods I have experience hundreds of kickbacks, some so violent that they split the bar tip and wedged the chain between the tip halves.
None were life threatening nor caused injury. If you haven't experience a kickback, you haven't used a chainsaw.
After many years of continual saw use the chainsaw should become just an extension of your arms, but disasterous results can happen regardless of experience. Knock on wood.
John

 

[timberwolf]

Hundreds of kickbacks John, that is only a fraction of the kickbacks the last liberal government got.

I agree with what you say, cut wood and you are ging to get some tugs and bunts.

The only two major ones I have had, were running the 066 full speed into barbwire on the backside of a tree stump, I could not see why the brothinlaw left a stump 3 and a half feet high, my fault for not looking at the back side before lopping it off. More a nasty pull than a kick.

The other time was cutting some fire wood in smaller branches out near the end a longer bar and caught the end of a short stick of fire wood mid point on the belly of the bar, popped the saw up pretty good and fired the firewood stick into my shin.:censored: Maybe not the best idea to be making firewood sticks in the branches with a longer bar, the longer the bar the more things it can get into.

 

[blackoak]

It's been several years ago, but a good friend of mines brother had top centered his truck on some brush. He was laying on his back trying to cut the truck free. His saw kicked back into his face. He had to walk about a 1/2 mile to the nearest home. When he knocked on the door the lady that lived there answeres and fainted when she saw him. He walked in and found a phone and called for help. Over 200 stitches and some reconstuctive surgery he healed up prety good. For awhile he was an ugly sight.That wasn't to smart of him, but at the time I probably would have done the same thing, but not now. I myself have had minor kickbacks, but never been hurt.

 

[Sprig]

Many, many kicks, especially while I was doing millwork, clearing out plugged conveyors (oh joyous fun that is I tell ya) cutting into heaps. As clearence mentioned, always be aware of the potential cut zone and stay out of the bite. Had a couple of close calls but never let go, wrenched my shoulder once and got bit mucking on a chair I was making when I stupidly did a plunge cut standing at the side rather than behind, cost me a pair of jeans, 7 stitches, a lot of embarassing bs'ing to the boss. Been said before, best safety gear is between your ears. I am esp careful when bucking in log piles even though I still stand to the side, it can be hard on the saw. My 08s never had a chainbreak, I'm extra careful with it as it is slow and lots of torque which imho is a potential danger even though the chain is always (well most of the time lol) very sharp. Little screamers still make me nervous, though of course I'd never admit it. Common sense and control.

 

[oldsaw]

I'm assuming you mean a "saw tosser", not just a buck, jump, or other annoyingly minor form of kickback. You know, the one on the video...no. Always managed to keep it in the cut. I'm usually nearly paranoid careful, especially with the 066.

Mark

 

[Leebo]

Ugghh. Vine maple and old alder. I'd rather take on a 120' Doug fir with a 30 degree lean than a stand of vine maple or an old, questionable alder.

Anyway, beyond the little manageable jumps you'll have in a plunge cut or a burired backchain, I've never had a full one kickback or lost control of the saw.

Knock on wood....

Jeff

For those of us who don't live in the northwest, would you describe what "vine maple" is? I've never heard of it. Thanks.

 

[klickitatsacket]

sorry guys. Couple things to clarify. First- when I say kick back I was referring to a saw that comes dangerously close or at least comes back at such force that it wakes you up and leaves the cut. I guess I have never concidered the little bumbs or chatter a kick back. I cut firewood (when I get the chance) with a 28" bar and skip chain and only use the tip of the bar 90% of the time. I don't like to bend over. I get the occasional bump and chatter but I have never had a saw fly out of the cut. Even in the woods falling pulp wood or cutting cedar. I've had saws pinch and push back a bit. Maybe this is concidered a kick back. I just always thought of a kick back as a saw that came back out of the cut.
For those who do not know what vine maple is. Vine maple is a bush type tree that can grow up to 30' high and up to 10" in diameter. It grows in clumps like hazel nut trees do. The thing that makes them bad is all the internal presures. They will bend from their own weight but still maintain their shape. So when you cut them they have a tendancy to spring back with a huge amount of force. (we loved them for making bows as a kid) they grow in a tangle that you can not beleive and if you are trying to go through them when it is wet you are going to hit the ground. They get slick as ice when wet and then they are springy and just a night mare to travel through. The best natural fence in the world has got to be vine maple with evergreen blackberry bushes growing over the top.

 

[clearance]

O.K., 48% of people so far have never experienced a kickback, like Gypo says, if you've never experienced a kickback you haven't used a chainsaw, like I figure, lots of armchair quarterbacks here. Leebo, vine maples are small maples that usually grow in multistemmed bunches, pretty red leaves. It sucks to cut with a saw, a hoe with a thumb is awesome.

 

[Mange]

Elm's....
Old English park Elm!!!!!!!!!
The fiber in the wood looks like the spyders web......
Tension in everything regardless of how it lay's.

Iv'e been pulled overthe logs, thrown several meters up and even back, Iv'e thrown saws up to 15 meters, and used all types of saws and bars in these buggers.

To prevent kick back you need charp chain and brain. You need to cut carefully and learn how it feels when it starts to go wrong.
Alway's stand on the left of your saw and not directly over it.
Hold it firmly, but not in kram like maner. Be carefull and stay away from all kinds of Elm.