Experienced a violent kickback

[fearofpavement]

I was cutting trees out of a fence line at a residence and was sawing off about a 7" stub (I had already cut the top part of the tree off. These trees were growing next to or into a chain link fence. I had pried the fence wire up and was cutting the stub off below the fence (I thought) when the tip if the bar hit an embedded piece of wire. the bar came out of the cut at the speed of light, tripped the chain brake and then hit the fence (sorta all at once). That was a sobering experience. I was down on my knees at the time and suspect that if the bar hadn't encountered the fence it may have swung around enough to whack me in the waist. For those that think they can handle a kickback or get out of the way when it occurs, believe me that it was over by the time I realized it was happening.

Data: Saw was a Stihl 026 running .325 yellow Stihl chain on a 16" bar.
I was wearing a hard hat and Labonville full wrap chaps. I have been using an 026 for more than two decades and don't ever recall anything that violent occurring. Be careful out there.

 

[Arrowhead]

Glad you didn't get hurt.

 

[Gologit]

I was cutting trees out of a fence line at a residence and was sawing off about a 7" stub (I had already cut the top part of the tree off. These trees were growing next to or into a chain link fence. I had pried the fence wire up and was cutting the stub off below the fence (I thought) when the tip if the bar hit an embedded piece of wire. the bar came out of the cut at the speed of light, tripped the chain brake and then hit the fence (sorta all at once). That was a sobering experience. I was down on my knees at the time and suspect that if the bar hadn't encountered the fence it may have swung around enough to whack me in the waist. For those that think they can handle a kickback or get out of the way when it occurs, believe me that it was over by the time I realized it was happening.

Data: Saw was a Stihl 026 running .325 yellow Stihl chain on a 16" bar.
I was wearing a hard hat and Labonville full wrap chaps. I have been using an 026 for more than two decades and don't ever recall anything that violent occurring. Be careful out there.

Another believer. Good. I'm glad you weren't hurt.

There are some people who have never had a kickback and don't really believe it can happen. They're wrong.

Kickbacks aren't if. They're when.

 

[7sleeper]

Great reminder!

Thanks for sharing!

rep sent!

7

 

[1Alpha1]

Glad to hear that you are okay.

There's a saying........"For every action, there's an opposite and equal re-action".

Well......that might hold water for most situations, but when it comes to chainsaws, there's nothing equal about it. :msp_ohmy:

 

[mdavlee]

Short bars like that seem to move a lot faster than a longer bar. I've had a long bar bounce so hard boring in that it tripped the brake. Had a little 20" bar jump up and make my wrist trip the brake. It didn't come close to my body but it jumped up a foot or more instantly.

 

[chadihman]

I've never had a saw kick on me yet thank God. I don't know if it helps but I always hold the saw expecting it to kick. I try and keep my wrist curled up as close as possible to the brake handle thinking it should hit my wrist sooner if it kicks. Glad your ok man!

 

[jus2fat]

My brother (RIP) used to always laugh-kid me about how I hold my left hand on the handle.
(it's like angled 'forward' as in like close to the brake handle and I don't grip it real hard)

I dunno makes me feel better / safer and I've only had a couple accidental kickbacks that were stopped QUICK.

Brother was always "wide open in a hurry"...had a kickback one day that stopped just before hitting shoulder.
(he also was 'bad' to cut almost directly in front of his body and it always worried me that he did this)

Scared the crap out of him...he slowed down from then on...and kept his left wrist closer to the brake.

And 'FOP"...really glad you didn't get hurt..!!

J2F

 

[Spots]

My dad had a kickback on a small stihl about 25 years ago. He was cutting locust into fence post and it kicked back. He caught it with hisnhand tonkeep it from hitting him in the face. Extremly nasty, torn up hamburger meat of a hand, and took a long time to heal. Thats the only accident hes had in 48 years of running a chainsaw, but its not the only kickback. That was his first and now he does things much differently and taught me how to be safe when I started cutting. Kickbacks can kill

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

 

[mountainlake]

I always hang on tight with both hands, I cringe when I see a vid of someone holding a rear handled saw with one hand which a few one here are guilty of. Steve

 

[Stihl 041S]

Another believer. Good. I'm glad you weren't hurt.

There are some people who have never had a kickback and don't really believe it can happen. They're wrong.

Kickbacks aren't if. They're when.

Well put.

Like telling folks they are too close to a suspended load.

"If the chain breaks I could get out od the way"

Yeah. They'd crap their pants when it broke from the noise.

Glad the OP wasn't hurt.

 

[Stihlofadeal64]

Well put.

Like telling folks they are too close to a suspended load.

"If the chain breaks I could get out od the way"

Yeah. They'd crap their pants when it broke from the noise.

Glad the OP wasn't hurt.

+1 for me. I've been very fortunate. I know my time will come. Glad you are ok man! :msp_ohmy:

 

[ZeroJunk]

FWIW. There was a salesman that worked for one of the electrical supply houses in Roanoke. I talked to him a bit on the phone but his name escapes me cause it has been probably 30 years ago. Anyhow, the story as I heard it was that he got the saw tangled up in some vines and it kicked back. Only thing I know for sure is that it came back, caught him in the head and killed him.

 

[olyman]

Another believer. Good. I'm glad you weren't hurt.

There are some people who have never had a kickback and don't really believe it can happen. They're wrong.

Kickbacks aren't if. They're when.

yep..and how many have you seen,,that DONT have the saw, to their side, when sawing?? if that mutha kicks, with a person standing dang near direct behind it,,wellllll

 

[jus2fat]

yep..and how many have you seen,,that DONT have the saw, to their side, when sawing?? if that mutha kicks, with a person standing dang near direct behind it,,wellllll

That's what my big brother used to do (post #8) and it really worried me...

When he got the big kick-back.. he just happened to be a bit off to the side. REALLY did a number on his mind..!!

I believe if he was behind saw like usually (almost directly behind)...the bar might well have hit him in the head.

Those Stihl and Husky helmets with the visors for ~ $40 are really worth the $$ IMHO...especially in strange places.

J2F

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Chainlink is the worst for kickbacks. Phil actually had a great post on 101 where we were talking about the advantages of a sawzall with a pruning blade over a chainsaw in situations like that. There are situations where a chainsaw is not always the best tool. Glad it was just a "fear" and not an injury. Jeff

 

[tramp bushler]

The most important thing is to keep your thumbs wrapped around the handles. . You don't have to squeze the juice out of them just hold them comfortably and correctly. . There are a lot more dangerous things than a chainsaw. Like what your cutting. . You don't need to hold the saw funny. Most of us older guys started cutting a while before chain brakes were invented. And longer bars are a great help. A 260 should have a 20" bar on it. Or longer.

 

[RandyMac]

The most important thing is to keep your thumbs wrapped around the handles. . You don't have to squeeze the juice out of them just hold them comfortably and correctly. . There are a lot more dangerous things than a chainsaw. Like what you are cutting. . You don't need to hold the saw funny. Most of us older guys started cutting a while before chain brakes were invented. And longer bars are a great help. A 260 should have a 20" bar on it. Or longer.

them little bastids are the worst for kickback.

if you want a thrill that will leave a lasting impression, try a big saw walking out of a bound cut. That can make kickback seem trivial.

 

[stihlonlynow]

My grandfather told me 30 years ago that the light saws with short bars kick harder than the big saws with long bars. He taught me how to use a saw. It was an 801. With a 20" bar. I just posted last night to keep those thumbs wrapped.:msp_thumbup:

 

[jus2fat]

The most important thing is to keep your thumbs wrapped around the handles. . You don't have to squeeze the juice out of them just hold them comfortably and correctly. .

Exactly..and well put - - one should hold a chainsaw handle bar...somewhat like one should hold a pool cue...

Lightly mostly with with thumb and index finger...and other fingers just like 'support'...like just helping to hold it up.

When you "grab / grasp" a handle...you're working against the designed purpose..because it's harder for the brake
handle to "trip" on a sudden kickback..and will just throw your arms up in the air and the bar /chain back towards you.

Better to let your left hand trip the brake quickly..Stihl says it's also a centrifugal brake..but I wouldn't count on that..!!

J2F