Chainsaw Chain Brake band.. Breaking

[Liam@Broc]

Hello, 

 

Over the past week all of my employees have broken at least one brake band. Having never broke a band myself I am wondering if there are any pro tips on what to look out for that might be causing excessive wear? They have all broke at the point where the band comes round and begins to wrap round the smaller circle nearer the brake handle. The saws are only 1 month old, all the same make, same model, from the same supplier. They have been going under tough conditions brashing and snedding gnarly sitka spruce though I'd hope to get more than a month out of a band.

 

Given that I did not have as many brake bands in store as spare this will slow the job somewhat, so any advice on the issue would be much appreciated!

 

all the best,

Liam

Broc 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Liam@Broc
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[Stubby]

49 minutes ago, Liam@Broc said:

Hello, 

 

Over the past week all of my employees have broken at least one brake band. Having never broke a band myself I am wondering if there are any pro tips on what to look out for that might be causing excessive wear? They have all broke at the point where the band comes round and begins to wrap round the smaller circle nearer the brake handle. The saws are only 1 month old, all the same make, same model, from the same supplier. They have been going under tough conditions brashing and snedding gnarly sitka spruce though I'd hope to get more than a month out of a band.

 

Given that I did not have as many brake bands in store as spare this will slow the job somewhat, so any advice on the issue would be much appreciated!

 

all the best,

Liam

Broc 

I also have never snapped a brake band but then I rarely  use the chain brake . I will probably go to prison for this but hey ... I'm not saying your guys are like this but have noted that most " young " users seem to snap the brake on at every opportunity and often at high revs . Makes me cringe when I hear it . 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Stubby

[Steve Bullman]

What model is the saw? Have you checked theres not any known issues with that model?

Stubby's possibly right, but if you've only started having this problem recently and with only this model it adds something else to consider.

[MrNick]

Do you think your men are snapping the chain brake on when the saws are flat out?

Quote

 

 

[Dan Maynard]

I've noticed this too, people put the brake on as soon as out of the cut before the saw has run down. It kind of has to be that really because if the chain isn't moving when the brake goes on there is no wear at all.

[Liam@Broc]

Hi Guys, 

 

Thanks for the input, much appreciated.

 

I think we are all thinking the same thing.. operator error. The least experienced of our crew was definitely doing this and it was addressed, I was surprised to see it from the others. I guess I'll need to keep a closer eye on their technique. Possibly a lot of the break coming on mid cut with kick back given the state of these trees.

 

@Steve Bullman They are Husqvarna 550xp II, I have the 550xp and there has never been an issue with the brake. 

[Stubby]

2 minutes ago, Liam@Broc said:

Hi Guys, 

 

Thanks for the input, much appreciated.

 

I think we are all thinking the same thing.. operator error. The least experienced of our crew was definitely doing this and it was addressed, I was surprised to see it from the others. I guess I'll need to keep a closer eye on their technique. Possibly a lot of the break coming on mid cut with kick back given the state of these trees.

 

@Steve Bullman They are Husqvarna 550xp II, I have the 550xp and there has never been an issue with the brake. 

I blame the college that teaches this . Years ago there was no chain brake on a saw . ( I had a couple like this ) . It teaches you to be careful  but not over the top . A bit of mechanical sympathy needs to be taught IMHO .

[Wonky]

Got any pics, of the bands where it broke. Metal has a history of showing the time it’s taken to brake. Ie small fractures/tears or all at once. 
Good close up pics is needed.

it could be operator or it could be a blunt punch stamping the hole and tearing it, thus weakening it.  The thickness of the band has a thinness limit, that would also determine the wear of the band.

it all seems very odd to me !

 

either way I’d be asking husky at some point,, because the last thing you want is for a real kickback to happen and it failed at that point.

 

cheers ??

[The avantgardener]

24 minutes ago, Stubby said:

I blame the college that teaches this . Years ago there was no chain brake on a saw . ( I had a couple like this ) . It teaches you to be careful  but not over the top . A bit of mechanical sympathy needs to be taught IMHO .

No trainer, college or otherwise that have ever encountered has demonstrated using the chain brake constantly at full or half revs, this is simply bad practice and isn’t taught.
The candidates just don’t understand how things work, your lucky if you can get them to put the fuel and oil in the correct parts of the saw.

[Stephen Blair]

You simply need to keep spare chain breaks and springs , problem solved!

  Chain break is there for a reason, every step I take and when saw is finished cutting, I WHACK  on the chain break and I drum it into every worker who has come under my employment if they don’t do it.

  It needs to be second nature, so when the day comes you slip, fall, trip while cutting, you will save yourself a possible trip to the hospital or morge!

  My instructor back in 1995 installed this into us and that was for basic start up and full revs chain break test which I still do to this day on every first start up and also on snedding in every step we took the break had to be on unless the saw was on the opposite side of the trunk.

  When I moved into tree surgery and garden tree work we would all work in close proximity with saws, targets and chippers I carried this on.

From a maintenance point of view, if there is crap around the clutch drum on stihls you will break bands.

  I say to new lads, if the break doesn’t work, neither do you.