Chainsaw Safety

!±8± Chainsaw Safety

Using a chainsaw is often seen as a hazardous activity at the best of times but if you use common sense and a few rules the chainsaw shouldn't be a dangerous tool.

Use protective clothing, etc In all circumstances you should wear a good set of gloves -- ideally specialist chainsaw gloves with a reinforced panel on the back of the hand. If you're using a chainsaw for more than a minute hearing protection should be mandatory. A hard hat should be worn and steel-toecapped boots. Leg protection (chaps or full trousers) should be worn if you plan to be cutting downwards. The Health and Safety Executive recommends that all chainsaw operators carry or wear a first aid kit, rather than relying on a first aid post some distance away. Your first aid kit should include a dressing suitable for large wounds -- chainsaw injuries aren't likely to be fixed by a plaster.

Don't put your body in the kickback arc. If the saw kicks back as it will do at some point, the tip of the chain bar will follow an arc whose centre is approximately at your left hand. If you hold the saw so that you are cutting downwards, with the blade in line with the centre of your body the tip of the blade will move towards your face if it kicks back. The way to use a chainsaw is to put the work between yourself and the blade. If you can't do that, stand well to the left of the arc.

Think about where the piece of wood will fall. Hopefully you aren't going to put any part of your body under something that will fall on you when it is cut, but you might be surprised how quick a heavy log rolls away from the trunk when it is cut. If it is possible, you should position yourself uphill from where the wood will fall.

The tree might not fall where you plan. Even if you cut the requisite hinge, there is always a chance that the tree will fall unpredictably. Practice makes perfect but the tree should be pulled in the direction you want it to fall. Generally you need ropes and pulleys for this.

Knowing the limits of your equipment should help keep you safe. And common sense will go a long way to keeping your chainsaw activity relatively safe.

Chainsaw Safety

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Who Is Top Of The Chainsaw Tree?

!±8± Who Is Top Of The Chainsaw Tree?

Stihl has long been at the top of the chainsaw tree although many would argue that Husqvarna is right there with it. It's an interesting rivalry with both brands having their loyal band of followers.

2006 has been a productive year for Stihl who have confirmed their status in the world of chainsaws with recognition in the October edition of Consumers Digest. No less than four of it's chainsaws received "Best Buy" commendations which is no mean feat considering the magazine doesn't hand out these type of accolades lightly.

Stihl's Innovation

One of the major reason's that Stihl has remained top of the tree is it's ability to continually usurp technology and come up with outstanding innovations. One of these is what they call the Easy2Start feature which makes starting the world's most dangerous power tool an effortless exercise. In fact, it's suggested that just about anyone can start a chainsaw with this feature although for good safety practice, it might be a good idea to let the kids keep playing with the toy models.

Husqvarna: Looking To The Future

Meanwhile, Husqvarna isn't laying idle in it's endeavours to stay stride-for-stride with Stihl in the chainsaws race. It also has smart start technology which from a chainsaw users point-of-view is "just what the doctor ordered." Why? Well, when dealing with such a volatile and dangerous power tool as a chainsaw, the less effort one has to expend in operating it the safer it is.

Husqvarna recently announced one of it's new breed of chainsaws designed for the homeowner market simply called the 240. One of the features of this machine, due for release next year, is it's excellent anti-vibration system which again, gets into the area of user comfort. Fatigue is a dangerous hazard in the use of any large power tool but more so with chainsaws. In the past, large vibrating chainsaws meant the operator was continually expending vital energy in maintaining his machine at a smooth a level as possible but in doing so, fatigue and tiredness would creep in which would ultimately lead to carelessness and accidents in many instances.

Producing Better Chainsaws

It's interesting to see the larger companies now producing machines aimed at the homeowners. Chainsaws were once the domain of the professional lumberjack but with technology evolving at a rapid rate, particularly during the last decade, smaller, yet powerful chainsaws are being produced. This has seen a virtually untapped market emerge in the shape of the non-professional user and manufacturers have been quick to seize the initiative and cater to them.

The big players like Stihl and Husqvarna will continue to go neck-and-neck in their endeavours to remain in front which means only one thing; consumers will reap the benefits through increased and better technology.

Who Is Top Of The Chainsaw Tree?

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