chainsaw safety
 

hi folks,

I inherited a chainsaw several years ago (Stihl MS 200T) with no use for it at the time. Now I have a house up here and have use for the saw. I would like to start off by learning to use it properly and safely.

does anyone know of any safety courses in lakes region for such a course? I'd prefer something in person and supervised, rather than an online course.

Thanks,
Rick

What brand?
What model?
How old is the chain saw?
Have you started the chain saw yet?

If it is a Craftsmen. Throw it away.

Any dealer of the brand will be happy to show you how to work the chain saw.
Safely.
Get some safety glasses.

Do not use any gasoline with ethanol in it.

They do make wonderful electric battery chain saws now.

thanks for the reply, professor,

brand described above- Stihl MS 200T, which I understand supposed to be a good and sought after saw. I have not started it. I will stay away from ethanol, which I have recently started doing for all of my small engine equipment. If buying, I would go electric, but since I have this and my needs will be infrequent, I use what I have.

any dealer you'd recommend (I'm in Meredith)? I've seen them at hardware store, but would prefer a dedicated equipment store if possible.

A dealer will show you how to start it, but there are tips and tricks to each type of use that you'll only pick up by watching videos and using it.

What will you be cutting, and how safe do you want to be? I wear steel toed boots, chaps, glasses, and rubberized gloves every time I saw. When felling or working in the woods, I wear a logger's helmet.

Chain and oil maintenance, keeping it out of the dirt, and, most importantly, keeping wood from moving or touching the tip of the bar are essential.

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The Stihl 200T was made between 1971 and the 1990's. Very popular with arborists as it is a top handle saw that I believe is excellent for limbing, etc. Not sure of your uses, but I know this type of design would give me pause vs. a more traditional saw. These do command very high prices on eBay as used saws. If you are into occasional use, you should look at used prices and maybe find that you could sell your older saw, buy a new STIHL battery saw, and still have $$$'s in your pocket. Just a thought. However, no matter what you decide, a very sharp chain can make all the difference in performance and help to reduce injury. Places like Gilford Home Center are servicing Stihl dealers that should be a great help and close by. I use Stihl exclusively and find their equipment to be top notch....and comparable to Husqvarna. But really consider the battery option.

I have never heard of a chain saw safety course. Not trying to be snide so please don't take it that way, but honestly you can probably find a ton of how-to's on youtube or Tik-toc that will get you good information/tutorials.

Are you looking to cut up branches or fell large trees? That saw is designed as an arborist saw for climbers to limb with. its specialized in nature and very finicky. They are known for carb and crank seal problems.

Personally, I would sell it as another poster stated and buy a new battery saw, like a Husqvarna or Stihl, and in a traditional style. I have a Husqvarna T536LIXP top handle battery saw for limbing and love it. I plan on selling my gas saw and buying their traditional style saw (540 I XP). Tired of dealing with 2 stroke problems.

Not in the lakes region but I know people who have done courses with https://www.woodlandtraining.com/courses/ and found them very helpful.

ugh, I wrote a long reply that got lost somehow- in short- I want to be very safe. i used and electric one to fell a few small trees. my property has some downed trees to cut up. some flat, some leaning. my use will be occasional but I know that there's a lot I don't know, up cuts, relief cuts... avoid the tip....

I've thought about what you're suggesting. didn't know how real some of those bay postings were- $400 (for broken ones) up to $1100! use will be some property clean up as described above, then occasional use. thanks.

Sounds like you should sell that saw, grab an MS250 with a 16" bar and some safety gear and start doin' some cuttin' after watchin' some basic how-to vids.

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Correct.

Dump it. Sell it.
Too old and will cause too much aggrevation.

The Gilford Home Center mentioned. Take it there to see if it will start. They may do this for free or small charge. Or may not touch it at all because of age.

Get a new one. One that starts easily.

To sell. Use C/raigslist. Or E/bay. Shipping would be quite high for shipping.

Yes there is a following for these saws but those who follow them have taken them apart multiple times and know how to get them going and keep them going. Too old for a novice.

For the novice. The electric with 2 batteries would be perfect. The easy start gas ones are fine. But still a lot of pulling if not used on a regular basis.

And always use safety glasses.

In a previous career I ran a large L&G dealership in Concord and sold literally thousands of chainsaws.
First thought, I agree with the others that a top handle saw is not a good choice at all, there is far too little distance between your hands to safely control it. I have 5 saws right now and all serve a specific purpose but my top handle saw is the one I am most cautious with ...but still it does have a purpose. For around the house or for light firewood cutting puposes it would dfinitely be my last choice to use. It is meant primarily for one handed use by professional arborists or in a hoist lift.

Some general generic quick tips that might help;
1. Be sure that your thumb on the forward hand is opposed to your fingers and wrapped fully around the grip, not along it as you might on a steering wheel. This is rule #1 when it comes to preventing a potential kickback.
2. Kickback occurs mostly of the top front corner of the bar tip and seldom anywhere else. Know where that front quadrant is at all times!
3. Have multiple chains and as soon as one begins to feel dull either change it or sharpen it. A dull chain is far more prone to kickback. Plus if you keep the chain continuously sharp it will last far longer. The teeth are a hardened layer over a mild steel layer and once a loop begins to dull you will be wearing the softer under layer away rapidly. To get a rounded chain to hold an edge again you will need to file back all the way to the point the you are again working on the tempered outer material.
4. Safety equipment is paramount! At the very least have and use steel toe boots, safety chaps, and a good chainsaw helmet.
5. If you are felling a tree pay attention to the color and condition of the chips you are producing as you cut. If the chips begin to darken and look wet be very cautious because it means that the tree is internally rottedly and may not fall where you intend.
6. To repeat again, watch the tip, watch the tip, watch the tip!
As stated there are plenty of great (and not so great) videos online about chainsaws, but to find the better ones do a search for Humbolt notching. The Humbolt is basically an inverted notch notch and it does take a little more effort, but it also results in the tree falling both accurately, more gently, and with a tendancy to kick outward away from the stump and the faller. Also pay particular attention to the videos explaining :barber chairing" as that can be potentially very dangerous, but easily avoided.

There is little that makes me happier than being in my woods working with my saws and Kubota and harvesting timber for my sawmill, while at the same time improving the forest. The above tips hould give you a start towards the same reward, but the key tip is to do exactly what you are doing; learn all that you can before starting, respect the danger of the work, and think and focus on every move you make ahead of time.

Final thought and in agreement with some of the previous suggestions, some of the new electric chainsaws are truly wonderful for occasional home service! But be sure to go consider purchasing a quality line from a servicing dealer rather a piece of box store throwaway junk

Correct. Agreed.

Visit a quality line dealer. Local. Will always be there to help.
Skip the big box and mail order.
Local dealer.

UNH Extension
 

UNH Extension ( https://extension.unh.edu/ ) periodically offers chainsaw use/maintenance/safety courses. I'd check with them.

Pine vs. oak: it is so much easier to cut through pine. Oak is very tough, while pine is unbelievably easy to cut.

For cutting pine, a hand saw will cut it surprisingly fast.

For cutting oak, a hand saw will give you an appreciation for the fast cutting power on the chainsaw.

How to avoid chainsaw accidents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2arMD1iTJ4 (oops, cannot get this link to work?)

You know it is very possible to use a chainsaw to cut up a 20-year old hot tub and avoid paying the Energysavers' ridiculous high $500-price to remove it. Using a chainsaw you cut an old hot tub into four sections and take it one section/day to the local town transfer station construction debris as residential no-fee disposal. ..... :D

Couple pointers:
Consider a PPE kit above all else. No matter what, dull or sharp, if that chain is rotating it can certainly cause much harm to the user.

Do not use the tip of the bar for cutting....at least not right now since we are talking about limited saw experience.

Try to avoid cutting anything that's loaded or anything that's under some type of pressure waiting to spring back into place. You'll either get whipped or pinch your saw. Both can make for a long day.

If the saw has any delay in throttle response, get it tuned.

Full throttle on cuts.

Two hands for now regardless of the saw being a top handle.

Always engage the safety brake whenever you're not cutting. Whether the saw is running or not, safety brake.


If you are still looking for training on proper usage in the next couple/ few weeks feel free to contact me. I have plenty of saw work to get some practice with and I'd be happy to give your saw a once-over as well.

Just a note that you've offered a fair amount of help to forum members here—including me—over the years. Thank you for that.

Also, a couple other additions to the new "kit": wedges for keeping your bar from getting pinched, a trauma bandage and associated first aid stuff, and absolutely hearing protection.

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Rick

You are smart to ask about a safety course. The chain saw is the most dangerous tool in the tool box. When I need something cut up I hire someone. It’s not worth screwing around with a chain saw for me but I recognize we are all different.

Good Luck!

There's many good videos on youtube. I'd bring it to a local Stihl dealer and have them go through it and sharpen the chain if need be. Check with them... https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2021/...peration-women

Whaaat??!! Women are allowed to operate chainsaws? What will they think of next?!

Chain Sharpening ?
 

Looking for local sources for chain saw sharpening.
Gilford, Laconia, Belmont area.

A bit further than you asked, but I've had good luck here:

Bob's Sharp All
381 NH-104, Meredith, NH 03253
(603) 279-8792 https://g.co/kgs/2pbNpZ

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Bob's directly is fine.
Just note that any blade can be dropped off at most local hardware stores for sharpening. The local hardware stores mostly just send blades to Bob's anyway.

I find it fascinating that most are smarter than many bun wearing men... :)

…..and probably equally smart as most non bun wearing men.

You won't get any debate from me...:)