Anybody used a chain saw?

[puglogic]

Heck if I know where best to put this, so I'll plant it here. So to speak. :)

I have to rent a chain saw tomorrow to get some firewood from the local national forest firewood sale. But I've never used a chain saw. I've heard it can be dangerous (uh, yeah, I get that!), and wondered if anyone had any tips for being extra-careful with it?

[Zigzagman]

A few thoughts...


I think the most important thing is to not get in a hurry.
Wear boots or heavy shoes or else you will more than likely smash a foot.
Pay attention to how the material is laying so that you do not pinch your saw.
Plan an escape route if your are cutting a standing tree.
Hold the chainsaw with two hands.
Do not cut with the tip of the saw.
Never cut above chest height or from a ladder.
Let the saw do the work - do not press or force your cut. If it is not cutting good then time to resharpen the chain.
Keep the saw out of the dirt or you will quickly dull your chain
Don't cut near power lines
When you cut a tree make a hinge cut on the side of the tree that faces the direction of your planned fall. The cut a little higher on the side that you are standing. Go slow and you will see the tree about to fall. I personally like to cut to that point that then just give the tree a shove instead of just cutting all the way through. Always, always plan an escape route and go slow.
Be sure and keep the chain lubed (bar oil)

Once you get a little practice it is quite easy but don't get lazy and become careless.

Peace

[CathyA]

Be careful that your chain doesn't hit the ground, or something other than the wood, because it may kick back really hard.
Wear a hard-hat with a face guard.
As Z said, don't cut with the tip of the saw.
I don't know how long you'll have the saw, but keep the chain tight and lubed. I'm not speaking from personal experience.....just what I know through DH.
Always have firm footing.
Always plan for a kick-back and be prepared to not just scream and throw it. :)
Just be aware of everything the entire time you're using it!
Are you supposed to cut trees down, or will they already be on the ground? I wouldn't advise you to cut anything down. It can be very tricky and do the opposite of what you expected. Surely, they're already cut down.
Good luck!!
P.S. Can you rent a smaller chain saw?

[rodeosweetheart]

Go smaller, not larger, as your arms will get tired very quickly, and smaller is safer.
Wear ear protection, as you can damage your hearing. Second Cathy's recommendation for hard-hat, face guard, or if you will not do that, wear safety glasses.

With a smaller chain saw, I cut all of my firewood one winter from fallen logs, and I am 55 year old female, so it's not that hard and not that scary.

While I did keep myself and my house warm all one winter, I have yet to carve those bears and eagles you see, so I'm hardly an expert!

[Float On]

Face protection guard, ear protection.
I'd start with small sessions and not jump into a day long job - you're just asking for trouble. Chainsaws can be heavy, chainsaws can get real heavy when your arms get tired. "Know your chainsaw" - renting one is going to take a learning curve.
(My dad still does forestry conservation work for our state - I get the chainsaw lecture every year).

[puglogic]

Thanks, everybody. These are all felled trees, cut into 4-8-foot lengths already. So it's just whacking them into smaller pieces for the woodstove (and eventually splitting them.)

I guess I'm just a little afraid of all the horror stories - I'm not a sissy around power tools, but they do seem a little scary in the videos I've watched. And I don't have a helmet/face mask thing....unsure even where to borrow/rent one of those.

Wish me luck!

[ctg492]

My funny story of chain saw, not much help but..Hubby has had a smaller Chain Saw for 25 years, I swear the response was "oh my saw is too small for that tree". So for a gift I went to the dealer and said what is the most popular saw,(Minding you we had just had a terrible ice storm in the area) so when he showed me the saw that will cut a 40 inch tree it probably was the most popular at that given week. Hubby looked at me like I was crazy when I gave it to him. He fired it up to cut a tree, he said Everything got blurry, wood chips flying everywhere, and then it was over, joking he does not remember much it was so much power.
So I guess do not get one with more power then you really need :)

[bae]

I use an axe for most of my felling, it lets me pay more attention to how the tree is thinking about falling, and carve in more complex hinges to aim the tree where I want it to go. I also use axes for limbing. A good axe, like a Gransfors Bruks, properly dressed and sharpened, is a pleasure to use.

I have an industrial-strenght Stihl chainsaw, that I almost never use. It's noisy, smelly, I have to remember to keep fresh fuel and oil handy for it and drain it when not using it for periods of time, and worry about ethanol destroying the thing. It's basically a nuisance that I only drag out when I have a *lot* of work to do.

This weekend though I got a Stihl 180 *electric* chainsaw. I'd always thought an electric chainsaw sort of missed the point, but the chainsaw store guy loaned me one to try. Most of my cutting where I'd want to be speedy and efficient is of small trees, already felled and dragged over right next to my woodpile, and I do have power there. I'd normally used a crosscut saw, which works fine, builds muscles, and is a bit slow - there's a reason they invented the chainsaw :-) This electric one has plenty of torque and power, cuts great, isn't noisy, and doesn't smell. And with the bio-oil bar/chain lubricant, it's even vaguely green to use.

I wouldn't dare think of using the electric one out in the forest, even if you had power handy, I'm pretty sure the cord would cause you serious issues, but for relatively level, clear ground by your woodpile/shop, it seems to be a frugal win - no fuel to buy, no engine to maintain, nice and quiet.

[puglogic]

Thanks, bae! All went well, but I'd like to have something for close-to-shop use as you mention. Wonderful tips.