Chainsaw Kick Back And How To Avoid The Dangers
Chainsaws are being used by more and more people as wood heaters grow in popularity. Even the smaller sized chainsaws with motors at 1.2 kW, which equates to 1.6 HP, are extremely powerful. Therefore, it is necessary to learn the basic safety features of your chainsaw and how to get out of trouble if things don't go to plan, which happens all too easily, and the chainsaw gets out of control.
What is Chainsaw Kick Back
When cutting into wood, the chainsaw bar guides the chain through the cut. The teeth are designed to make wood chips that are discharged as the bar moves down through the wood. Due to the force of the spinning chain, the bar is naturally pushed in an upward direction. That is why it is important to have sharp teeth that results in the chainsaw self feed. Self feeding means that the bar is pulled down into the wood that is being cut. However, if the chain on the tip of the chainsaw bar hits an area of wood that is extra hard, such as a knot, the end of the chainsaw bar wants to follow the natural upward force. If the chain jams, which is easy to occur, this can cause the bar to fly in an arc upwards and toward the operator. This is a very serious situation. If the operator is in line with the arc, the chainsaw can cause serious injury or even death.
The chainsaw kickback could also occur if the wood being cut moves and pinches the chain at the end of the chainsaw bar. In this situation, the forces in play result in the bar of the chainsaw being hurled upwards and back toward the operator. In both of these situations, the chainsaw kick back happens so quickly, there is little chance of getting out of the way.
Safety Procedures Too Prevent Chainsaw Kick Back
Chainsaws have safety features built in to help prevent serious injury from a kick back situation. However, before I consider these, it is more important to learn safety procedures that you can adopt to minimize the chance of injury.
When operating the chainsaw, always position yourself to the side of the bar making the cut. A rule of thumb here is that if you cant see the side of the chainsaw, you are too close to the center. Positioning yourself to the side is the first important safety tip. Next, avoid cutting logs that are unstable and that could drop in the centre where you are cutting. This should prevent the chain from getting pinched and trying to fly back at you. Be aware of wood that has knots and inconsistent grains, especially hard wood, as this type of wood has greater potential to cause kick backs.
Make sure the teeth of the chain are sharp to promote efficient and safe cutting, and make sure that the depth gauge is not too low, as this can cause the chain to grab at the wood being cut, potentially causing kick backs. Here are chainsaw sharpeners for sale.
Safety Features of Chainsaw to Help Avoid Kick Back Situations
Chainsaws these days are designed with a chain brake. The chain brake is activated by the top hand guard, which is the guard in front of the main handle on top of the chainsaw, being pushed forward. It can be used manually, especially when the operator wants to lock the chain for safety reasons. It can also be activated automatically when the chainsaw experiences a kick back situation and the hand guard hits the left hand of the operator, as it is thrown off the main handle, locking the chain. Some brands of chainsaws also have a locking mechanism if the chainsaw is thrown violently upwards. When buying a chainsaw ask about this.
In summary, a chainsaw kick back can happen to anyone, no matter how experienced, but if you follow appropriate safety procedures and use chainsaws with built in safety features, the chances of you getting hurt should be significantly reduced.
What is Chainsaw Kick Back
When cutting into wood, the chainsaw bar guides the chain through the cut. The teeth are designed to make wood chips that are discharged as the bar moves down through the wood. Due to the force of the spinning chain, the bar is naturally pushed in an upward direction. That is why it is important to have sharp teeth that results in the chainsaw self feed. Self feeding means that the bar is pulled down into the wood that is being cut. However, if the chain on the tip of the chainsaw bar hits an area of wood that is extra hard, such as a knot, the end of the chainsaw bar wants to follow the natural upward force. If the chain jams, which is easy to occur, this can cause the bar to fly in an arc upwards and toward the operator. This is a very serious situation. If the operator is in line with the arc, the chainsaw can cause serious injury or even death.
The chainsaw kickback could also occur if the wood being cut moves and pinches the chain at the end of the chainsaw bar. In this situation, the forces in play result in the bar of the chainsaw being hurled upwards and back toward the operator. In both of these situations, the chainsaw kick back happens so quickly, there is little chance of getting out of the way.
Safety Procedures Too Prevent Chainsaw Kick Back
Chainsaws have safety features built in to help prevent serious injury from a kick back situation. However, before I consider these, it is more important to learn safety procedures that you can adopt to minimize the chance of injury.
When operating the chainsaw, always position yourself to the side of the bar making the cut. A rule of thumb here is that if you cant see the side of the chainsaw, you are too close to the center. Positioning yourself to the side is the first important safety tip. Next, avoid cutting logs that are unstable and that could drop in the centre where you are cutting. This should prevent the chain from getting pinched and trying to fly back at you. Be aware of wood that has knots and inconsistent grains, especially hard wood, as this type of wood has greater potential to cause kick backs.
Make sure the teeth of the chain are sharp to promote efficient and safe cutting, and make sure that the depth gauge is not too low, as this can cause the chain to grab at the wood being cut, potentially causing kick backs. Here are chainsaw sharpeners for sale.
Safety Features of Chainsaw to Help Avoid Kick Back Situations
Chainsaws these days are designed with a chain brake. The chain brake is activated by the top hand guard, which is the guard in front of the main handle on top of the chainsaw, being pushed forward. It can be used manually, especially when the operator wants to lock the chain for safety reasons. It can also be activated automatically when the chainsaw experiences a kick back situation and the hand guard hits the left hand of the operator, as it is thrown off the main handle, locking the chain. Some brands of chainsaws also have a locking mechanism if the chainsaw is thrown violently upwards. When buying a chainsaw ask about this.
In summary, a chainsaw kick back can happen to anyone, no matter how experienced, but if you follow appropriate safety procedures and use chainsaws with built in safety features, the chances of you getting hurt should be significantly reduced.
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