broken chain while cutting

SouthSoundTree

SouthSoundTree

Treehouser
Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Messages
5,958
Location
Olympia, WA
It finally happened to me. I broke a chain while cutting. I was just starting a full throttle cut with my 192T when the chain flung off. Nobody was in the "line of fire", maybe got a tomato plant. I forgot to find the chain to see what's what. I felt like the chain breaking and the strong sun and heat told me to pack up and head out. I'll find it later to see where it broke.
 
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Factory spun chain. I haven't seen it after the fact, yet. I'll find it and post a pic if possible.

I've seen two cracked tie straps where they are the tandem part of the chain.

It wasn't a new chain, and wasn't in the chain box with damaged drivers from throwing the chain. I'd cut other limbs that day, then just as I was entering the cut, I heard an unfamiliar noise, and not the characteristic sound of a thrown chain.
 
I've broke chains before, usually it's were they're joined. It's part of the reason I don't ever let someone stand in line with me while cutting. Seems if there's a lookey lou around that's right where they like to park their ass.
 
I had that happen on a factory loop of Windsor 3/8 low profile chain on a top handle when I hit a nail on barn clean up.
 
I've had them fly straight off the end of the bar before. More often then not they'll get hung up. I've also been cut from a broken chain before. I think it got caught up on the catcher and whipped around and slapped me in the leg. I was wearing falling pants but it got me around the back of the leg and didn't tear, just slapped me and a few teeth made small punctures.
 
When I first started using a chain saw in the late 60's we had a Homelite Bow saw. I was using it to cut a small tree that was laying on the ground and the chain must have hit a rock.

The chain broke and flew off down the hill, through the woods with a whispering sound...I always think of that as the sound of death.

No one taught me but I made up this rule on my own...

I do not ever let anyone stand in front of my saw while I am cutting.

Folks that are watching a log being cut always seem to want to stand in front of the saw. A broken chain will kill them...or only maim them if they are lucky.

Make 'em watch you from an angle.
 
I've had two chains fly off my 192 while in a tree. Both were due, I'm almost certain to damaged drive links. I've had them hang in a cut and when snatching the saw free, the chain inadvertantly gets bent at the bar tip. You hammer/flex them back as straight as possible, but I figure the stress weakened the drive links and after enough time/use, they fail. That's my theory. I had a sprocket fly all to pieces on my Husky 372 a couple of years ago. First and only time I ever had that happen.
 
Due to availability problems, sometimes I have to modify an Oregon tie strap to work on a Stihl chain, drill out the holes a bit. It can weaken the link, and a couple have broken. No injuries or anything so far, juat a pita.
 
So this segues into the 'when to replace sprockets' thread!
BEFORE they break your chain!
 
Toms' idiot groundies run those danged saws and never check nothing .He's sent them over with rims so worn they won't hardly hold a chain ,once with a bearing missing on a clutch drum .

That one broke two clutch shoes .Good old "McGiver " Al fixed it .Just dig through about 100 pounds of saw parts,something is bound to work .:roll:
 
I broke a sprocket on my 3120 last Monday, I think it was an el cheapo "Arbormax." I got a bunch of sprockets from Baileys just a month ago, and I'm not sure this is one of those (can't recall, sprocket doesn't look too worn...other than being broke in half), and the chain was bent afterwards.

I thought I had hit a nail or something, but couldn't find the offender, then realized half the sprocket was gone.

Hoping it doesn't happen again Saturday, big job heavy reliance on that saw.
 
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