Who starts their saws with the chainbreak off?

[chowdozer]

About a year ago I sold an MS 310 on ebay to a guy somewhere in the midwest. The saw had less than a tank of gas through it and looked it. I got an email after he got the saw, said the chain didn't turn. Ummm, it's a new saw? Did you pull back on that handguard looking piece in front of the handle? The reply was, the saw works great, thanks.

Didn't leave me with a good feeling selling the saw to him. Hope he didn't hurt himself.

 

[WadePatton]

I use the brake while moving around the site, but never intentionally set it to start the saw. Drop-start.

A chain break is used to separate links of chain.

 

[Diesel JD]

Dean you are right about not tipping out. It was never and issue with my 025...and it rarely is with a 25" bar on the 390, but if I get a bigger saw I may have to be more careful..

 

[woojr]

Starting with the brake comes from that same school of thought that you can't be trusted to take your hands off the lawnmower handle without it shutting down. And drop starting is as close to an automatic starter as you can get. Next somebody will mount something that looks like a tablesaw guard on the bar.
Face it, these things can eat you up if you don't hang on tight. I learned the hard way when a rather high revving Pioneer Farmsaw kicked back after I relaxed and let my thumb wander away from being snugly wrapped around the handle. Nice cutting saw for the time. I haven't let my thumb wander since then. My belief that its the main thing that keeps a groove out of the forehead (good grip and always wrapped thumb). Oh, and a hardhat with a brim ain't a bad idea either.
Have a great day, woojr

 

[madmax]

Guess Im dating my saw's here, but I never use a chain brake when starting mine, simply because they dont have them. But I did see a guy use the brake on his the other day, and IMHO they are dangerous and should be outlawed, all that unexpected whining from the brake,(or possibly the clutch?) caused me to run backward for about twenty feet and almost trip over a oak log, which could have resulted with a broken neck.

 

[Tree Sling'r]

Whats a chain break? hehe - drop start my saws - no break ever.

 

[Gark]

Safety First- I always start it with the brake on. Then very quickly'blip the throttle to idle.
I'm thinking that the clutch wear is less than when I bog the chain down in a fat chunk of oak. The clutch surfaces always outlive the sprocket wear, so far.

 

[buck futter]

exclusively drop start, no brake.

Lucky

 

[Rspike]

WOW ! I cant believe that so many people really drop start there saws . I told my brother he was a moron because "he did that" and had to replace 2 pull coils on his one saw in 3 years , but there again he is a little bit of a rammer head with all of his stuff.

 

[Elmore]

Start it on the ground. I don't use the chain brake. No choke, there is none, Makita DCS520i. One pull start, if I can return the injection valve lever to the original position quickly. Otherwise second pull usually fires it up. It starts at idle. Never drop start but sometimes get it started between my legs...whooo...if it's warm...the engine that is.

 

[pbtree]

I almost never use the brake while starting the saw...

 

[buck futter]

I have never had any failure caused by drop starting. I think the key is to pull the cord out gently until the pawl(s) engage and then snap it.

Lucky

 

[SawTroll]

The last tread I remember on this topic ended up with more than 100 replies - this one is also well underway - obviously a hot topic!

Drop start link

How to start link

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

I think people just like to let eveyone know that they're man enough to drop start, and rebel enough to not use the brake, or in some cases, the break.

 

[geofore]

drop start

Gearhead, you must work around guys that know what they are doing. I'm with MM on this, drop start with trigger pulled and hit leg is the way they do the injury. Guys not proficent (weekenders/homeowners) with saws do it more often than not they don't wear chaps either. I use the chainbrake up in the tree but not often on the ground.

 

[Stumper]

Chainbrakes are for STOPPING the chain not STARTING.

 

[bump_r]

Starting with the brake comes from that same school of thought that you can't be trusted to take your hands off the lawnmower handle without it shutting down. And drop starting is as close to an automatic starter as you can get. Next somebody will mount something that looks like a tablesaw guard on the bar.
Face it, these things can eat you up if you don't hang on tight. I learned the hard way when a rather high revving Pioneer Farmsaw kicked back after I relaxed and let my thumb wander away from being snugly wrapped around the handle. Nice cutting saw for the time. I haven't let my thumb wander since then. My belief that its the main thing that keeps a groove out of the forehead (good grip and always wrapped thumb). Oh, and a hardhat with a brim ain't a bad idea either.
Have a great day, woojr

This brings up a very bad habit of mine that I'm trying to break to this day. When four-wheeling (in a truck, Jeep...) one should keep his thumb above the steering wheel rim with the rest of his fingers. If a front tire engages a stump, rock, particulary tough rut wall or other obstacle, that wheel will turn and in turn rotate the steering wheel quite rapidly. Were the thumb in its "normal" position - opposing the four fingers - it can easily get broken by a steering wheel spoke. Now that I've trained myself to grasp the steering wheel of a Jeep thusly, I find myself "correcting" my left hand's grasp of the front handle of my saw to that I use on a steering wheel. Freaky when I realize what a danger this could be. I then have to "un-correct" my grasp and get that thumb underneath where it can do some good!

Oh, I drop-start with brake off, too. Don't wanna look like a wussy.

 

[Bad E]

Never use it.

 

[NWCS]

my method of starting is
choke saw
left hand on front handlebar like you were cutting
pull till she pops
set controls to normal running position
pull with right hand again, left hand never leaves that handlebar.
your saw is running and if you did it right, has allways stayed in a ballanced position.

the key to this method is a well tuned saw, that does not need any throttle applied to start. if the saw must have the throttle locked open to start the saw needs checked over and issues corrected. i will also note the chain brake stays off on my saws, and in most cases is totally removed from the saw.

 

[Cut4fun]

As a homeowner with 4 saws, 2 with brakes and 2 without. I never use the brakes for starting. Never knew people even used brakes to start them till this thread. Didnt think that was what a chain brake was for, starting.