‘Chainsaw kickback’ is a phrase that is used when discussing operating chainsaws. To ensure absolute safety, it is extremely important to ensure you’re well versed in what it means and how to handle it. To fully prepare for chainsaw kickback you first need to understand what it is, how it happens and how to avoid it.
Step 5: If you are using your saw for felling or crosscutting, boring the chainsaw bar into the trunk may be the best way to cut. Step 7: Pay attention to the nose of your chainsaw bar and how it is positioned. Step 9: Use narrow-nose bars, such as Oregon Double Guard bars, to ensure maximum kickback safety.
Kickback is the term to describe the unexpected upward motion of the guide bar. Kickback – the rapid upward motion ofh te guide bar that can occur when the saw chain, near the nose of the top area of the guide bar, contacts an object such as a log or branch, or the backwardm otion that can occur when the wood closes in and pinches hte saw chain in the cut. The most common and probably most violent kickback occurs when contact is made, either accidentally or intentionally, in this “Kickback zone.” In some cases the blade tip may move upward and back toward the operator who could suffer a very serious or fatal injury.
Below, we’ll explain chainsaw kickback as well as the kickback zone, causes of kickback, preventive measures, and how to avoid kickbacks in the first place altogether. Chainsaw chaps are preferable because they are chainsaw resistant and are also specially designed to protect the left side of your leg, which is another prime target for a kickback. There are many ways to avoid a potential chainsaw kickback.
The reason it has this name is that the chainsaw tip is the most common part of the chainsaw that can cause a kickback. If you’re cutting with a chainsaw and the wood closes around the chain tightly, it can cause a chainsaw kickback to occur. Chainsaw kickback is the most common type of chainsaw injury that people encouter.
how to avoid chainsaw kickback Related Question:
What causes kickback on a chainsaw?
There are two circumstances that can cause kickback when using a chain saw. The first occurs when the moving chain at the tip or the nose of the guide bar strikes an object. The second situation is when the wood closes in, pinching the saw chain in the middle of the cut.
What is the most common chainsaw injury?
The most common hazards associated with chainsaws are injuries caused by kickback, pushback, and pull-in. Kickback is the most common and poses the greatest hazard. Kickback occurs when the rotating chain is stopped suddenly by contact with a more solid area throwing the saw rapidly backward toward the operator.
How do I stop my chainsaw from binding?
To stop your chainsaw from getting stuck, make a cut on top of the log or tree that’s preferably one-third of the log’s diameter. Use your chainsaw to cut from the underside until you meet the initial top cut. Always stand on the side when cross-cutting to prevent injury.
What should you not do with a chainsaw?
Don’t Cut With Improper Blade Tension A overly loose or tight chain also wears out the drive sprocket and causes rapid chain and bar wear. To determine if your chain is properly tensioned, pull up on the chain. The drive links should still be in the bar groove. If the links come out of the bar, the chain is too loose.
Does riving knife prevent kickback?
If you get board with some funky grain or a knot it could easily still bind up on the blade and kickback even with a riving knife. A riving knife is a great feature and will prevent most kickbacks, but you still need to use proper technique and not stand directly behind the blade because it can still happen.
Do you need anti-kickback pawls?
It should go without saying that no one safety device can make a saw 100% safe. While anti-kickback pawls will reduce your risk of injury or equipment damage do not neglect to act carefully and to use other safety equipment.
What are metal bucking spikes on a chainsaw?
Bumper Spikes: This series of sharp metal spikes protruding from the saw near the base of the bar provide leverage for easier, more controlled sawing. Jab the spikes into the log, then pivot the bar downward to guide the chain through the cut.
How common are chainsaw accidents?
They can also quickly cause severe injury or death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 36,000 people are injured by chainsaws annually. Medical costs for chainsaw injuries based on these facts amount to about 350 million dollars per year.
Where do most chainsaw injuries occur?
Approximately 40 percent of all chainsaw accidents occur to the legs and well over 35 percent occur to the left hand and wrist.
What’s the safest chainsaw?
Chainsaws are useful when doing work on your home, but they can feel dangerous to use. It’s not too bad if you know what you’re doing, but it’s so easy to make one wrong move—and then it’s game over. Enter the WORX JawSaw.
Can you cut with the top of a chainsaw?
While it’s designed to cut with either the top or bottom of the blade, just about anything that comes in contact with the top half of the end tip of the blade (known as the kickback zone) can change the cutting momentum and cause the saw to slam back against you.
Should you run a chainsaw at full throttle?
Engine Protection Generally, two-stroke chainsaw engines are built to conveniently run at full throttle without an engine breakdown. Therefore, running at any throttle speed below the full throttle is not advised.
Can you cut sideways with a chainsaw?
While a properly working chain saw helps you cut hours off your work time when felling trees or cutting logs for firewood, it can also be a dangerous tool when things go wrong. When a chain saw cuts sideways, it’s a clear indication that things aren’t as they should be.
Can you use a chainsaw to cut tree roots?
Once you’ve sliced the stump almost all the way to the ground, continue cutting it — and the soil — diagonally and at different angles. Don’t go more than a foot into the soil. Chainsaws are powerful machines, and you don’t have to worry about dirt damaging it or knocking the chain off.
What does a chainsaw brake do?
One of the most important chainsaw safety features is the chain brake, which stops movement of the chain in the event of kickback during operation. The chain brake is activated when the front hand guard, located near the saw’s upper handle, moves rapidly toward the chainsaw operator.