I have never had one break on me, but I'm sure it has happened to someone. If you've experienced this, let us know how it happened and if there were any disastrous results.
Ever break a chain?
- Thread starter Old2stroke
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I had one break and shoot out of the saw like a rocket, It was a chain that came on a used saw I purchased and I knew it was in bad need of throwing away but I test cut with it anyway. That cured me of ever using a questionable chain again, someone standing near could have been seriously hurt. One end of the chain embedded itself 3 inches in the ground and the other end wrapped around part of a log embedding the drivers into the log.
Back in my old Poulan 42cc days, I hit a piece of fence wire in a hedge. Chain just stopped, think it hit the aluminum chain catcher. I was surprised to see the chain out the bottom of the clutch cover, thought it had tossed the chain, but it was broke. No drama as far as I remember, but it was 20 years ago.
Broke one 375 72dl on a 361 at WOT in the heavy brush. Hit a fish tank frame in there and threw it about ten feet. No harm done.
Years ago I had a 2100 ripping a log in half and the chain broke and came back at me and just clipped my leg, - back in those days I neve wore safty gear but got away lucky, just left about 5 tooth marks in my flesh under my jeans, bled a bit but interesting scars, you could tell i was using 404
I wasn't there for it, but my brother had a 2100 wearing a 42" bar break a freshly spun loop of .404 when he fired it up in the morning. It wasn't on the new joint, so idk what happened to break it. Fortunately it missed him, but it shook him up pretty good.
I broke one on a 920/930 Jonsered equipped with a 24" bar. Very little drama.
Mark
Mark
Chain catchers, gloves, and chaps are your friends.
The big, flat area under the rear handle is also designed to protect the operators’ hands from whipping chain segments.
With harvester chain, individual links can break off, penetrate windshields, and kill operators. Called ‘chain shot’.
https://www.oregonproducts.com/en/product-support/harvester/harvester-safety/c/harvester-safety-s
Philbert
The big, flat area under the rear handle is also designed to protect the operators’ hands from whipping chain segments.
With harvester chain, individual links can break off, penetrate windshields, and kill operators. Called ‘chain shot’.
https://www.oregonproducts.com/en/product-support/harvester/harvester-safety/c/harvester-safety-s
Philbert
Yes, it was just a faulty link that gave out and even with the chain catcher, it shot out like the shavings.
No injury and was pretty weak discharge for being at wide open throttle, so the chain catcher did it's job.
Mad3400
No injury and was pretty weak discharge for being at wide open throttle, so the chain catcher did it's job.
Mad3400
The chain or the fish tank
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Had a brand new chain break while doing very routine bucking. It had less than one tank of gas on it. No ill effects other than ruining my day because it was my only spare and the one it replaced had hit the tensioner limit.
Broke one riding my bicycle when teenager. Very big drama. Have 3 sons so no permanent damage.
I had one break on an old Asplundh bucket truck, it was the rotation chain !!!!! Also, I have seen them break on climbing saws when the climber gets the bar pinched and rocks it out bending and stretching the chain a lot.
LuDookie
ArboristSite Guru
I’ve never had one break but I never like to run them until I get to the wear marks. If I get 50% out of one, that’s a lot of trees.
I have seen broken chains with very little use. Not always worn chain.
Sometimes, a small pitch chain run on a larger saw. Sometimes due to really low depth gauges. Sometimes quality?
Philbert
WI_Hedgehog
You bought a WHAT???!!
That's why I run quality chain from a known source, not eBay bargain-basement whosachunk.
I also check the oiler output regularly and how wet the chain is, keep tabs on the chain tension, bar temperature when something is "different", etc.
I also bought quality chainsaw pants, gloves, and a helmet with face screen--though that's mainly for preventing branch-whip to the face.
Thanks for the thread, it's a great reminder to stay reasonably prepared.
LuDookie
ArboristSite Guru
With as much as I’ve cut and as much abuse and impact that chains see, it’sa wonder I haven’t seen it. I’ve thrown a many!
Most that I have seen have been a break at the rivet hole of a cutter or tie strap.
The Oregon ‘Maintenance and Safety Manual’ suggests this may be from an ‘improperly spun rivet’.
But each chain in the manual lists a maximum recommended displacement. Smaller pitch chains have lighter ‘chassis’.
And some large depth gauge settings hav to shock load a chain.
Philbert
The Oregon ‘Maintenance and Safety Manual’ suggests this may be from an ‘improperly spun rivet’.
But each chain in the manual lists a maximum recommended displacement. Smaller pitch chains have lighter ‘chassis’.
And some large depth gauge settings hav to shock load a chain.
Philbert
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I always ask to see the drive sprocket.
That shock load has to be tremendous when considered in aggregate, even with the depth gauges set right. Cutter not in contact with wood, just air resistance, then hitting wood, tremendous load for a tiny fraction of a second, and all of that gets translated to the rivets. Not a big whack with a big hammer, but definitely a tippity tappity from a small hammer, every time the cutter enters wood. That's a lot of little tiny whacks. Can easily see work hardening and cracking happening. A drive sprocket applies torque and load relatively smoothly, compared to teeth hitting wood.
Interesting, not something I'd thought of.
