Bad chainsaw habits

Szajer

Szajer

alive with pleasure
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
456
Location
St. Pete Beach
My number 1 is watching folks yank that starting cord with such force- pulling laterally, and until their hand and arm reach toward the heavens.

I was trained to never pull beyond 16" and to pull vertically. I've got a bunch more -but I'll let others have a go first.





If this type of thread exists, then please dump ----and have mercy.....
 
Whatever it takes to start it. If it won't start the nice way, then it's time to get medieval with it. Ie one hand on the back handle, throw the bastard to the floor whilst pulling the cord skyward.
Works for the 560 when it's playing hard to get.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3
My employer feels the same way. That's why he's replaced to pull cords on a saw that has 1/3 the starts of mine.

Recent cord check on mine, still looks brand new. ;)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
Yep. You're right, he's the boss. And the boss needlessly breaks his equipment "on the job" which cost time- which equals money.

With a business model like that, I don't think too many of us out there can afford this. Not to mention how poorly it reflects to the customer when you tell them that you need to run and get parts for a careless mistake you've made. While the homeowner is thinking; better be done & gone before the wife gets home, we got a life to live, dummy.
 
Surprised you would work for someone like that. I mean someone you consider a dummy (or was that me?)
If my 560 cord breaks I pick up another saw and carry on.
Any reason why you're not running you're own business?
 
I honestly don't care how people start their saws, as long as they get them started.
As for pull cords, the price of a new cord won't break my economy.
Besides, I always keep extra sets for all saws and weedeaters in each truck along ith all the other extras that one needs to get through the day.

I don't much care for people running dull saws, which all my apprentices have found out over the years.
 
Yep, thumb not wrapped. Saw instructor hit unwrapped thumb with a stick until student figures it out.

And yep, drop start. Both drop starting and unwrapped thumb gets you a failing grade when certifying, so I try to never do these things.
 
OK, I'll bite.
Someon please explain to me what is so bad about dropstarting a saw.
 
I don't have any bad habits, only professional ones ;)

I hate people who slam the chain brake on with the saw at full revs ( unnecessarily ) . Destroys the chain band
 
Well, take it for what it is worth, but our instructors told us that if you loose control of the saw when drop starting, the saw can contact the thigh or foot. The idea being that the trigger is being held down and the chain brake off. Not definitive proof i know.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15
Another one that "grinds my gears," is- people that run saws close to their vitals.

Case and point: we've all been there, up as far as we need to go on a spar, with a final cut —being the top ---and instead of simply stepping up another two feet, you'll see them just reach for the cut. And that reach puts the saw precariously close to the throat.

I was trained to have the saw -always, at waist level. More control with your shoulders and arms in a more natural position, utilizing the body mass and core to focus strength in that motion.



As for name calling- no, I don't do that. Never have. The "dummy" reference was made to illustrate what customers think of those who —muck about. I thought I made that clear.
 
So you don't have any vital organs at waist level?



Jim, just set the chain brake when drop starting and it is perfectly safe.
 
Drop starting is the only way I start saws. Maybe I shouldn't, but its worked pretty good thus far. I see a lot of men place the saw head in their crotch and yank it started. I commend them. I cant quite get the hang of that.

What I do hate is when nembies drop start a saw and don't use a firm grip. One hand yanks, and the saw swings wildly in the other hand. I see that monkey business and tell them "hold the saw like you are in charge of IT or place it on the ground and start it." My other peeves with saws habits revolve around loose chains, dull chains, cutting crooked, etc. My rule is that if the saw is cutting less then perfect, shut it off and address the issue. As a result, I don't spend much on saw bars year to year. I sometimes wonder how we do tree work 5 days a week and don't go through bars quickly. I really think it goes back to any of my guys over the years knowing that I bug out if I see a saw being run in less then perfect working order. I even tell guys, "If it feels sharp, run one stroke across each tooth just to be sure". Im a weirdo I guess. I sharpen saws that are already sharp constantly.I often swipe once aacross each tooth when I am fueling up. One stroke takes me no time at all. I actually think I use less chain by doing so.
 
Szajer said:
Another one that "grinds my gears," is- people that run saws close to their vitals.

Case and point: we've all been there, up as far as we need to go on a spar, with a final cut —being the top ---and instead of simply stepping up another two feet, you'll see them just reach for the cut. And that reach puts the saw precariously close to the throat.

I was trained to have the saw -always, at waist level. More control with your shoulders and arms in a more natural position, utilizing the body mass and core to focus strength in that motion.



As for name calling- no, I don't do that. Never have. The "dummy" reference was made to illustrate what customers think of those who —muck about. I thought I made that clear.
Click to expand...

Sure, no biggy:)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20
stig said:
So you don't have any vital organs at waist level?
Click to expand...

Comparatively speaking, no.

The throat, from what I'm told, hold numerous arteries and also our main source for sucking air-- air is good.

At the waist, we're protected by our gear, clothing, fatty tissue, muscle etc.... The vital organs are nicely packaged deep- in such a way, as to giving you at least a fighting chance at life.
 
stig said:
I honestly don't care how people start their saws, as long as they get them started.
As for pull cords, the price of a new cord won't break my economy.
Besides, I always keep extra sets for all saws and weedeaters in each truck along ith all the other extras that one needs to get through the day.

I don't much care for people running dull saws, which all my apprentices have found out over the years.
Click to expand...

Surprising, Stig, that for as much as you rely on efficiency, you don't mind unnecessarily breaking starter cords and wearing the starter mechanism (my assumption is that if you bottom out the cord, you break it eventually). Its not the starter cord cost, its the time to get it from the truck, change it, and put all the tools away, especially if you have to go to the far away truck.

I was always taught a short, quick pull.

I got the last start on my cord (wrong size spare, so I couldn't change it) as I went in for the flush cut on the crane.


This leads into my next beef, someone that forgets to say that something is almost broken, broken, loose, etc. A stitch in time saves nine.
 
SouthSoundTree said:
Surprising, Stig, that for as much as you rely on efficiency, you don't mind unnecessarily breaking starter cords and wearing the starter mechanism (my assumption is that if you bottom out the cord, you break it eventually). Its not the starter cord cost, its the time to get it from the truck, change it, and put all the tools away, especially if you have to go to the far away truck.

.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong. I don't go breaking cords intentionally.
I just thought someone pulling too hard on a cord was a weird thing to get your panties in a twist over;)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #24
Funny way of looking at it -panties in a knot :D

But as the loud mouth at the local tavern who talks smack to the wrong guy and gets his bell rung. And as he lying in an emergency room with a fractured skull, broken jaw, cervical herniation - thinking too himself, geeee he sure got his panties in a bunch.

This type of work has literally thousands of variables, some unseen, others avoidable. I simply think it would make sense to tighten up any loose ends that we can.
 
I know you don't, Stig.

Just another part of treating your machine right, and using it right, so you don't have problems, to me, oh, and I am the one who end up fixing it. Its frustrating for me to have a saw sit (and I don't have but 7 saws) until I can get a cord and for me to have time to fix it.

What is the best way/ trick to thread the cord through Stihl starters, aside from the right diameter cord? I have had good luck, and also a few foul words trying to get it through. I try to not make a burnt mess out of the end after cutting. Should I wait to melt it at all until I have it threaded in the starter wheel mechanism? Maybe I have had the wrong diameter on the last one or two, but still got them to work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

theTreeSpyder
Cosine, my friend
2 3
Replies
50
Views
4K
theTreeSpyder
theTreeSpyder
flatlinesup
Milwaukee M18 Saw (and forum intro)
Replies
22
Views
2K
chainsawer4741
C
theTreeSpyder
Moss's hand sewn process
Replies
18
Views
2K
Pinhead Squirrel
P
M
Introduction and posting description of first time felling a non-tiny tree
Replies
24
Views
4K
Sgriff
Sgriff
A
Revolutionary "new" tree climbing tool. Upgrade your tree game and on ground!
2 3
Replies
62
Views
10K
Burnham
Burnham
Back
Top