chain brakes on chain saws

[Fast Kaw]

what is the reason for this?

I mean seriously. All I see in it is some kind of safety device for fools and on top of that a super pain in the ass to remove and re-install the clutch cover.

This is a Husky saw that I am talking about.

What's the pro's and con's of removing this garbage and leaving it on?

Folks that cut for a living, chime in as you can, other coments welcomed as well

[Hugh G. Rection]

If the saw kicks back on you a brake could save your ass.

Or it might not.

[Fast Kaw]

"If the saw kicks back on you a brake could save your ass."

I have to double check but..., I believe the brake(lever/gaurd) has to be pushed all the way "forward" to tighten little band around clutch bell.

How the hell could that possibly save one's ass in a kick back situation?

Again, I could be wrong in the direction of engagment/applicaton of brake.

What I was told by another individual wasthat whilst climbing trees, it's supposed to keep chain from moving.

Well fuck me, I would'nt be climbing a tree with running saw to begin with.

I was just curious as I'm arguing with another on this.

[Master-Cylinder]

It is to keep you from sawing into your forehead when you do something stupid. Mostly there for city boys who didn't grow up with a chainsaw in their crib.

Don't even have to dick with the thing when I take the cover off my Stihl.

[dr650]

I use the one on my Stihl like a parking brake.

Click it on when I need to take more than a step or two.

I cut out in the woods a lot, lots of shit to trip over.

I also use when I want to set the saw down for a second, and don't want to shut it off.

I've never had it function and save me from a kick back.

Tom

[Smitty]

I have used a lot of chain-saws as a full time farmer & as an instrument man to a survey firm to to help in survey work. What I see is the push forward bar was with the chain with to much slack Think of a m/c in the same form with lack of tension in the rear chain. Both the same. Also a bit of lube can be of some help.

We had a corporation of a town, realizing we were into a lot of hacking away, so they supplied a chap with a chain-saw, with no adjust spanners. In 30 minutes or less the chain had jammed on the bar due to lack of the ajustment bar. So he was happy to walk out of the hip deep snow to the Corporation & so less work for him. We did the work with a hatchet along with a machette.

[Smitty]

As an ex-fruit orchard I used my chain saw to where I wore several of them out through extensive use.

I had purchased this other orchard & come Autumn I had to drop some shot tree. I went up 12 feet on my girette, to open the cage, for safety, to sort of step out & hitting this old large tree, when suddenly I am laying on the grass, having fallen out of the tree or the cage of the girette, to hit the ground. So yes the chain saw was still tickeing with the bar & chain-blade inches from my face. So yes as a farmer we take a lot of chances in life believe me.

[im2fast4uguys]

It's a safety device and a very valid one.

[Fast Kaw]

sure looks like it's hard on the clutch bell/housing ad even on the crank when saw is running/cutting wide open and a branch contacts saw and engages the idiot device/brake and halts chain while clutch pack is fully,centrifugally engaged.

[speednut13]

the most dangerous power tool in america

[Wretch]

the most dangerous power tool in america

Right after the automobile.

[BilletMan]

Chain brakes are VERY effective and perfectly designed to be almost entirely invisible to the saw's use......IMO, you would be a fucking ignorant idiot to tear it off of the saw.....

They work VERY well in the rare instance that you fuck up....a chainsaw will forever change your whole life in about a tenth of a second....

[dr650]

There are not very many minor chainsaw accidents.

Tom

[Hugh G. Rection]

There are not very many minor chainsaw accidents.

Tom

Buddy of mine did just that. He was trying to cut off a stump in his front yard. Saw kicked back and got him in the leg. Damned near cut his foot off at the ankle. Off work 18 months and when he was released by his doctor his job refused to take him back because his leg is still fucked up.

Bad deal fo sho.

[Fast Kaw]

Chain brakes are VERY effective and perfectly designed to be almost entirely invisible to the saw's use......IMO, you would be a fucking ignorant idiot to tear it off of the saw.....

They work VERY well in the rare instance that you fuck up....a chainsaw will forever change your whole life in about a tenth of a second....

So you think in one of those rare instances that it's needed the operator could apply/engage it in time? I can't see that myself.

[BilletMan]

So you think in one of those rare instances that it's needed the operator could apply/engage it in time? I can't see that myself.

It automatically engages itself, dummy! Go find a youtube video or something. The saw kicks and the very hand/arm that you're about to cut off (in addition to your face) reacts with the kicking saw and it stops. No, they're NOT counting on your drunken ass to activate it!!

It kicks back and is headed at your flesh at full speed. It's your limbs that are holding the saw that activate it, without your drunken input! Got that? Good. I'm not singling you out as a drunken saw operator. ALL chainsaw operators are DRUNK! I've burned 100 gallons of chainsaw fuel while drunk as shit!!

Leave it the fuck alone, they're anticipating your drunken ass using that saw...

[RobBase]

THESE are the best safety device to have when using a chainsaw.


Last year had 2 guys on my crew, while cutting down scrub trees on hills, hit theirselves in the close vicinity of their femoral artery with a brand new Stihl saw. The kevlar weave worked perfectly and they came out of it injury free.
Of course, I never let either of them use a chainsaw on that job ever again.

[Fast Kaw]

It automatically engages itself, dummy! Go find a youtube video or something. The saw kicks and the very hand/arm that you're about to cut off (in addition to your face) reacts with the kicking saw and it stops. No, they're NOT counting on your drunken ass to activate it!!

It kicks back and is headed at your flesh at full speed. It's your limbs that are holding the saw that activate it, without your drunken input! Got that? Good. I'm not singling you out as a drunken saw operator. ALL chainsaw operators are DRUNK! I've burned 100 gallons of chainsaw fuel while drunk as shit!!

Leave it the fuck alone, they're anticipating your drunken ass using that saw...

I know man. why I was asking questions

[Fast Kaw]

THESE are the best safety device to have when using a chainsaw.


Last year had 2 guys on my crew, while cutting down scrub trees on hills, hit theirselves in the close vicinity of their femoral artery with a brand new Stihl saw. The kevlar weave worked perfectly and they came out of it injury free.
Of course, I never let either of them use a chainsaw on that job ever again.

I have a pair of those too. They dont have a brake in em though

[Master-Cylinder]

THESE are the best safety device to have when using a chainsaw.


Last year had 2 guys on my crew, while cutting down scrub trees on hills, hit theirselves in the close vicinity of their femoral artery with a brand new Stihl saw. The kevlar weave worked perfectly and they came out of it injury free.
Of course, I never let either of them use a chainsaw on that job ever again.

I have a pair. Wore the shit out of them during the hurricane clean up.
I started at the top of the pile of knocked over trees and cut my way down.
Had a 100ft length of tangled mess about 20ft wide. Wore my steel toe boots too.

[Snail]

Children.....kick back occurs when the top part of the bar tip hits something, or when the saw binds on the top part of the bar.

Chain brakes are a good thing. Particulary when you're limbing or bumping knotts. I leave them on my saws, and I've worn out more saws and cut more timber than any of you, probably more than all of you combined.

I like the chain brake on my climbing/topping saw as well for passing the saw between my climbing rope and my body, its a comfort to be able to do that. Wasn't always so, and once a long time ago I slipped and cut through about a third of my climbing rope, while 100' + in the tree. Fortunately my climbing rope had a cable core.

Leave the brake on the saw.

[Lota Fun]

I agree, leave it on. My saw doesn't have anything like that, old Mac 10-10, great for small stuff and limbing. I've never had a problem, only once did I grab a bit O denim, no flesh.

I gotta tell ya snail, I've cut as much as you in one year, but that was just the one year, after that I stopped cutting fire wood. Maybe not, maybe just a close second. Or a year you only cut firewood for yourself.........

I've done my share.

[XXFirefighter]

naw....
Take it off...
AND... Grind down those bumps in front of the cutters on the chain too...
They aren't needed...

[Fast Kaw]

naw....
Take it off...
AND... "Grind down those bumps in front of the cutters on the chain too..."
They aren't needed...

I did that to a chain a moon or two ago and that fucker would literally drag you through a log

I'm by no means a lumber jack pro but I have cut a few trees up in my short lived 48 years

[Buelldozer]

Excellent answer from the man who would know.

Children.....kick back occurs when the top part of the bar tip hits something, or when the saw binds on the top part of the bar.

Chain brakes are a good thing. Particulary when you're limbing or bumping knotts. I leave them on my saws, and I've worn out more saws and cut more timber than any of you, probably more than all of you combined.

I like the chain brake on my climbing/topping saw as well for passing the saw between my climbing rope and my body, its a comfort to be able to do that. Wasn't always so, and once a long time ago I slipped and cut through about a third of my climbing rope, while 100' + in the tree. Fortunately my climbing rope had a cable core.

Leave the brake on the saw.