Why shouldn't I "air start" my chainsaw???

[Fried Chicken]

And by "air start" I mean holding the saw in the left hand, and pulling the cord with the right hand.
To me it's the most ergonomic, fastest, and most reliable way to star the saw, but apparently the federal government will lose its **** they see you do this?? (OSHA and other federal lunatics - lawyers).

They suggest putting the saw on the ground, putting your foot in the handle, and pull starting the saw that way.

Even my imagination struggles with this one.... scenario 1: the pull start simultaneously binds, AND the saw starts and shoots to full speed, pivoting around your left hand and tilted into your leg and your leg that gets sawn off?

Scenario 2: the saw starts and the pull start mechanism wraps around the pull string, pulling your right and the saw towards one another, and then when your right hand hits the saw it bashes it up, somehow doesn't trip the chain stop, and into your face?

Is this a bigger concern with larger chainsaws? I just don't get any of this

 

[singinwoodwackr]

And by "air start" I mean holding the saw in the left hand, and pulling the cord with the right hand.
To me it's the most ergonomic, fastest, and most reliable way to star the saw, but apparently the federal government will lose its **** they see you do this?? (OSHA and other federal lunatics - lawyers).

They suggest putting the saw on the ground, putting your foot in the handle, and pull starting the saw that way.

Even my imagination struggles with this one.... scenario 1: the pull start simultaneously binds, AND the saw starts and shoots to full speed, pivoting around your left hand and tilted into your leg and your leg that gets sawn off?

Scenario 2: the saw starts and the pull start mechanism wraps around the pull string, pulling your right and the saw towards one another, and then when your right hand hits the saw it bashes it up, somehow doesn't trip the chain stop, and into your face?

Is this a bigger concern with larger chainsaws? I just don't get any of this

And, try that on a small saw with size 13 boots, lol
Been drop starting for 40yrs, still have both legs and all 10 toes.

 

[coffeebrk]

If you have your chain break on when starting then you're fine.
People get lazy and get hurt. As far as not "getting it", the problem with the unimaginable is it's difficult to imagine.

 

[echomeister]

I hold saw in right hand and pull with the left. Bar is pointing away from me this way.

 

[HansFranz]

the problem with the unimaginable is it's difficult to imagine.

Imagine that!

Thanks

 

[Michael E]

The reason is that you start a dangerous cutting maschine without a fixed position. It might move in any direction.

The problem with air starting is not that it kills every single time, but that is not safe every single time.

If you don't want to start your saw on the ground, you can hold the back handle between your thighs, one hand on the handle, one hand on the starter. Much safer and works very well.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Maybe I am not understanding.

I pick saw up with left hand at top handle. I take right hand and pull on T handle to start. Bar is facing forward and I am standing.

Thought that is how most folks start a saw.

Now safety type folks tuck rear handle between leg thighs and hold handle and then start standing up or on ground with foot aka toes of boot in foot pad rear handle.

 

[altatim]

The most dangerous thing about a starting a chainsaw is the operator...

 

[Marley5]

Been drop " air " starting for 50 years.
Bending over and shoving a boot in handle can cause back issues and a trip hazard.
No, I do not speak at OSHA Seminars

 

[Fried Chicken]

This just further confirms that reddit is full of retards (shocker).

Been dealing with these psychopaths my entire life; the safety psychopaths who scare you out of breathing as a projection of their own insurmountable insecurity.l

 

[HavinFun]

When you take chainsaw safety classes that are required for recertification of insurance and professional licenses, you get yelled at for drop starting. I don’t do it any more and follow their training advice. But, go watch the young YouTube experts showing off their chainsaw skills. The carelessness that some of these guys show is downright dangerous when doing drop starts. Saws are waving all over the place then roar to life at full throttle inches from knees with no chaps on. If that works for you, more power to ya’.

 

[Mad Professor]

If you have the chain brake on it's pretty safe.

If you don't not so much.

 

[Okie]

The owners manuals and OSHA suggest starting the chainsaw on the ground so as to help reduce the chance of HOT CUP OF COFFEE IN THE CROTCH SYNDROMES.

 

[Fried Chicken]

Oh and just to be clear, I want to actually shame this person:

Here's its post

Since I can't actually do it directly on reddit, having been banned for questioning the sacred altar of transgenderism (despite several degrees qualifying my speaking on the matter). I wanted to call him a retard directly, of course, but that word has long been banned (the "r" word is the new "n" word. I wonder when we'll get through the whole alphabet). In so doing reddit has solidified itself a safe space for retards.

 

[Cricket]

My mother made her living for quite a few years, trying to fix people that rare things happened to.

They're rare - but they're 100% a PITA all the way up through devastating, to the ones they happen too.

That said, I've been known to drop start saws - partly because I'm too short to get a full pull sometimes - but I don't do it while denying that it's dangerous.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

If you can’t control a saw while drop starting it then yes, it isn’t a good idea.
Id like to hear from the osha crowd how they suggest starting your saw when tied into a tree. I’ll wait.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Been drop starting chainsaws since 1962, both big and small saws and not even one close call. If one cannot figure out how to do this then continue with the monkey humping a football style, of start it suits the capacity of the operator.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Been drop starting chainsaws since 1962, both big and small saws and not even one close call. If one cannot figure out how to do this then continue with the monkey humping a football style, of start it suits the capacity of the operator.

Id love to watch someone try to start my non-decomp 288 with 200# compression without drop-starting

 

[pioneerguy600]

Id love to watch someone try to start my non-decomp 288 with 200# compression without drop-starting

Control is the catch word , not likely a good method for the limp wristed crowd.

 

[Fried Chicken]

The reason is that you start a dangerous cutting maschine without a fixed position. It might move in any direction.

The problem with air starting is not that it kills every single time, but that is not safe every single time.

If you don't want to start your saw on the ground, you can hold the back handle between your thighs, one hand on the handle, one hand on the starter. Much safer and works very well.

Yeah but you have a chain brake. I don't even use it, b/c I've never had anywhere close to a problem except when the cord binds... but the chain brake doesn't matter there as the saw doesn't start when that happens.

I also know my saw quite well, so I know if it's cold and I have it on high idle, it'll take a few seconds before it starts spinning up. If it's hot, I can get away with starting it in idle. If it's somewhere in between and I have to start it in high idle so it immediately starts spinning, I just pay extra attention when air starting it.

I guess the spinning chain in high idle could hit your leg.