Good age for a saw

[Treeaddict]

What were your kids ages when you let them try a chainsaw? My 9 yo has been asking but I told him we’d have to see how adept he is at 12 years of age. He could use the 18v Makita to start with. I try to always accommodate when they wish to perform a task and make it to where they can do it safely. Running a saw is the exception though.

 

[lxskllr]

My boss is 65. I wouldn't trust him to run a saw safely :^D

 

[Raj]

I'm not one to comment.

 

[Nutball]

If you can teach them to fear it, they might get a feeling for what they can safely handle when they try it.

Maybe test their safety and responsibility with other things first?

And keep an eye on your cherry trees.

 

[lxskllr]

Whatever age they show focus and attention to detail is the right age I think. Chainsaws are very unforgiving of carelessness. A nice manual saw would be a good gift, and starter saw. It's good enough to get stuff done without it feeling like a huge chore, and it can help teach responsible handling and operation since they can still bite, but the consequences usually aren't as severe.

 

[Jonny]

My knee jerk reaction says 9 is too young, but I’m sure there’s a few of that age that are responsible enough.
It depends more on the child’s personality and ability to focus than the age. There’s plenty of grown ass men that shouldn’t use one.
12 sounds good.

 

[lxskllr]

I think I was 8 or 9 when I got my first hatchet. Still have it! It's my climbing axe when I think I'll need something to chop, or beat wedges with.

 

[Treeaddict]

They do good with climbing, handsaws, and hatchets. You’re right about the fear factor. A healthy fear is a nice survival skill. I’ll let him use the Silky a little more to make sure he continues to follow rules. The chainsaw will be something he can look forward to as well as a privilege to be earned. Good stuff. Thanks for helping me get it mentally sorted.

Seems like a lot of you had some pretty sharp objects at a young age!

 

[treebilly]

I’ll agree with the “depends on the kid”. I was wielding sharp objects at 6 or 7. I also grew up around that stuff. My dad was always cutting or chopping wood.Chainsaw was around 12. I was supervised of course. I believe now it was his plan to teach me young so he wouldn’t have to do it any longer. I’m 43 and still cut and split his firewood for him
I made the mistake of asking to mow the lawn when I was 8. He had me master the weed eater first.

 

[Treeaddict]

Nice to hear you still have your first hatchet John

 

[Jomo]

Way back when, my first employment at a reputable commercial firm, had the foreman handing me a new handsaw to prune aloft with.

He was brilliant because with just a handsaw he'd be able to to determine whether
I knew Jack about pruning or not before much damage was inflicted, to either me, or the tree.

Real old school good advice IME, worth passing on to family n friends.

Jomo

 

[Jonny]

I believe now it was his plan to teach me young so he wouldn’t have to do it any longer. I’m 43 and still cut and split his firewood for him
I made the mistake of asking to mow the lawn when I was 8.

I got 4 brothers. We grew up on a place with a pretty big driveway and about 3/4 of an acre of lawn. It wasn’t until we moved out that dad finally bought a snowblower and riding mower.
Childhood full of shovels and push mowers.

 

[SeanKroll]

She did some finishing and smoothing of the waterfall with the 4" pistol electric chainsaw over last weekend.

Almost 10yo.




An idea:

Cut off all the teeth on an old chain and talk about positioning and allow revving and mock cutting a limb.



Get kerfs for firewood rounds started in a log with a forgiving work surface.

Run the toothless chain in the kerf and such.

Move to a real chain when ready.

Your stress level and the kids' will be better.


Electric are nice.

 

[SeanKroll]

I got 4 brothers. We grew up on a place with a pretty big driveway and about 3/4 of an acre of lawn. It wasn’t until we moved out that dad finally bought a snowblower and riding mower.
Childhood full of shovels and push mowers.

Do you all have good work ethics?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Kids vary in size and weight and strength. Seth got CS experience with his own chaps, helmet etc. Started him with a 36cc saw.
All my kids start with a hand saw and Manual pole saw first.
When they start climbing, no saw involved till they understand rope aloft and then with me in the tree next to them pruning with a hand saw. They are advised that a hand saw can be just as dangerous as a chain saw.
I teach them to sharpen the saw with a jig. They lean how to gas and oil. I teach them how to safely start the saw. Usually, if my kid can start a 50-60 cc saw for me to warm it up, they are ready to take a lesser saw with proper PPE on our property And first buck wood not under tension. Then felling cuts. Then limbing and bucking. Once proficcient on the ground at home (not a custys) they get to climb with me aloft as well and guided through the process. I think Seth was 14 or 15, but a big boy. Levi 16 is just starting his saw training for bucking.

 

[Nutball]

Non aggressive angles on chipper chain is good to start with too. The rounded cutters somewhat resist cutting softer materials while full chisel will easily snag and pierce.

 

[Jonny]

We do I think.
We had a couple childhood jobs that as we outgrew them, we passed it on to the next youngest. One of them was picking up dog crap and taking care of afternoon feedings at a dog kennel. Might’ve been a dishonest loophole, but the owner said it was considered farm labor, and therefore could hire as young as 11, and pay below minimum wage. Also a pretty long Buffalo News route was in our family for about 14 years, but my Dad always drove us to deliver the Sunday papers. Much heavier and a lot more of them.

So all in all, I guess I’ve always had some manner of employment since I was 11. My brothers the around the same.

 

[Jomo]

The danger's that some kids have the aptitude n physique to run a chainsaw n some don't n never will......

Jomo

 

[Treeaddict]

A good work ethic is as (if not more) important than knowledge IMO. Obviously, a combo is better. It’s not easy to instill that ethic (for me anyway) when there are so many distractions and luxuries.

I love the idea of a toothless chain for handling and progressing to a very non aggressive safety chain.

That’s great Sean that she was out there with you. Making memories and learning

 

[Nutball]

A good work ethic is as (if not more) important than knowledge IMO.

I think I disagree with that statement. Knowledge can help good work ethic, but more importantly safety. If you aren't smart enough to work safely, then work ethic won't be much use.

 

[stikine]

16 or 17 for me, don't exactly remember. It would probably been a bit sooner if we had a chainsaw at home. But that said I was already into circular saws etc prior.
My first experience with a chainsaw was when I was working for a YMCA camp doing some trail work and general maintenance. My instruction was only how to start the saw ( jonsered 621) and nothing else. No ppe, ear or eye protection. Lucky I only niped my pants from a worn out clutch that let the chain spin when idling. Things have progressed many fold since then but as a parent or instructor you must cover all the bases... chainsaws are probably the most dangerous power tools out on the market.

 

[Cobleskill]

I grew up on a farm driving tractors and working around large animals when I was 5. Circlular saws and chainsaws were not allowed. I picked them up on my own. Not the safest method for sure. I knew the danger factor and had a good grasp of the mechanics involved. I think about 14 for skill saw and 16 for chainsaw. I still get nervous cutting on a table saw. That exposed blade gives me the heeby-jeebys. Never used one much.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm pretty much self taught for all my outdoorsy and/or tool stuff. My father didn't have a good grasp of the physical world. He was smart, but for some reason the third dimension eluded him. After he died, I'd run into one of his repairs, and just shake my head. It sorta worked after a fashion, but there was an obvious(to me) repair that would have been just as easy, and much better. He took up woodworking after he retired. He was terrible at it, but he gave it hell, and enjoyed it.

Anyway, the point is... Was there a point? I think there was a point... Oh, yea, I tend to avoid machines that can F me up. That's one of the reasons I got into chainsaws late. That, and I'm generally inclined to use manual tools. I have a table saw from my father. Never turned it on. I also have a planer, and a bandsaw that needs fixing, but will never be fixed by me. I've gotten comfortable with a chainsaw, and if a job can't be handled with that or a handsaw, I don't usually do it.

 

[SeanKroll]

We do I think.
We had a couple childhood jobs that as we outgrew them, we passed it on to the next youngest. One of them was picking up dog crap and taking care of afternoon feedings at a dog kennel. Might’ve been a dishonest loophole, but the owner said it was considered farm labor, and therefore could hire as young as 11, and pay below minimum wage. Also a pretty long Buffalo News route was in our family for about 14 years, but my Dad always drove us to deliver the Sunday papers. Much heavier and a lot more of them.

So all in all, I guess I’ve always had some manner of employment since I was 11. My brothers the around the same.

Not surprised!

 

[Burnham]

As has been noted, to me it's not only a matter of attitude and mental maturity...it takes some physical strength to safely manage handling a chainsaw. Think controlling a minor kickback, for example. And fatigue can cause any of us to get sloppy with handling...and that could come on much quicker in a youngster.

So there has to be attention paid to that side of the equation.