Can chainsaws be more safe?

[pete_08]

I'm currently carrying out a bit of research into the safety of chainsaws for my MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering Degree.

 

Chainsaws cause a lot of injuries every year and can seem a bit dangerous to the beginner. 

I am aware that there are safety mechanisms in place such as the chain brake, operated by hand or via inertia, however people still get injured.

It would appear that naturally applying the chain brake by your left wrist in a dangerous situation comes with training and/or experience.

My understanding of the inertial brake is that it requires an reactive force by the user, which again comes more naturally with training and/or experience. 

 

Would an electronic device that can sense abnormal movements (sudden changes in angle or position) and apply the brake quicker than the novice user make the chainsaw a more welcoming tool for the beginner?

 

I understand that the chainsaw may still hit the user, however injury would be reduced by a multitude as the chain will have stopped.

 

I am open to any comments or further advice.

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, pete_08 said:

I'm currently carrying out a bit of research into the safety of chainsaws for my MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering Degree.

 

Chainsaws cause a lot of injuries every year and can seem a bit dangerous to the beginner. 

I am aware that there are safety mechanisms in place such as the chain brake, operated by hand or via inertia, however people still get injured.

It would appear that naturally applying the chain brake by your left wrist in a dangerous situation comes with training and/or experience.

My understanding of the inertial brake is that it requires an reactive force by the user, which again comes more naturally with training and/or experience. 

 

Would an electronic device that can sense abnormal movements (sudden changes in angle or position) and apply the brake quicker than the novice user make the chainsaw a more welcoming tool for the beginner?

 

I understand that the chainsaw may still hit the user, however injury would be reduced by a multitude as the chain will have stopped.

 

I am open to any comments or further advice.

Your not quite right on the inertia brake bit . It does not require a reactive force by the user . Its a reactive force all right but but usually totally uncontrolled by the user . A kick back for example will set the brake on before the operator knows whats happened .

[bmp01]

1 hour ago, pete_08 said:

Would an electronic device that can sense abnormal movements (sudden changes in angle or position) and apply the brake quicker than the novice user make the chainsaw a more welcoming tool for the beginner?

 

Yes,  almost certainly quicker and more effective than the near useless devices fitted to DIY market saws. Professional saws already a step up from DIY saws but again I'd expect electronic device would be quicker to react compared to mechanical system. 

 

Worth noting a correction to your understanding : The existing chain brake (if operating correctly) should automatically operate under various conditions, ie. the "kickback" senario. The user does not manually apply the brake in this case. It is the inertia of the chain brake lever that resists movement while the nose of the guidebar (and chain) accelerates quickly past the object it has "snagged" on. You need to find a youtube video or animation to understand fully.

 

I'd suggest the main cause of injury will be down to lack of experience, no training, no appreciation of danger, stupidity etc. People who find chainsaws a "more welcoming tool" are already in a more dangerous place than those who don't !

 

 

[Stubby]

1 minute ago, bmp01 said:

 

Yes,  almost certainly quicker and more effective than the near useless devices fitted to DIY market saws. Professional saws already a step up from DIY saws but again I'd expect electronic device would be quicker to react compared to mechanical system. 

 

Worth noting a correction to your understanding : The existing chain brake (if operating correctly) should automatically operate under various conditions, ie. the "kickback" senario. The user does not manually apply the brake in this case. It is the inertia of the chain brake lever that resists movement while the nose of the guidebar (and chain) accelerates quickly past the object it has "snagged" on. You need to find a youtube video or animation to understand fully.

 

I'd suggest the main cause of injury will be down to lack of experience, no training, no appreciation of danger, stupidity etc. People who find chainsaws a "more welcoming tool" are already in a more dangerous place than those who don't !

 

 

See my post above 😁

[pete_08]

Thank you for the replies and in sights.

 

Do you still think that a device that stops the chain early would result in less injuries for the inexperienced user even if the user is doing something that you may regard as stupid

[Stubby]

6 minutes ago, pete_08 said:

Thank you for the replies and in sights.

 

Do you still think that a device that stops the chain early would result in less injuries for the inexperienced user even if the user is doing something that you may regard as stupid

You would be hard pushed to stop the chain quicker than the inertia brake .  Try it. Get your saw , rev it up and poke the nose of the bar hard into a log . The brake will come on instantly ( provided it is in working order ) the saw will recoil in your hands some what but the chain will be stopped dead before it gets anywhere near you .

Edited October 27, 2021 by Stubby

[pete_08]

That is fair. 
 

My problem is that there are still plenty of chainsaw injuries every year. It is difficult to find data on the types of injuries caused with a chainsaw but I would assume it would be from lost control and mostly by beginners. 

[Stere]

I remember something about a different system think it was this:

 

 

 

STIHL Quickstop Plus

 

STIHL Quickstop Plus is an additional braking feature found on select STIHL chainsaw models. This features allows the chain brake to be manually activated from the rear handle. Whenever the operator releases the rear handle, the chain brake engages. Chainsaws with Quickstop Plus are indicated by the letter “Q” in the model name.

 

Nevered used a saw with it on.

 

Must of being shite?

 

EDIT:

 

Other systems/ ideas are thoose low kickback chains that cut abit rubbish and  bars with covered tips.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2021 by Stere

[Stubby]

2 minutes ago, Stere said:

I remember something about a different system think it was this:

 

 

 

STIHL Quickstop Plus

 

STIHL Quickstop Plus is an additional braking feature found on select STIHL chainsaw models. This features allows the chain brake to be manually activated from the rear handle. Whenever the operator releases the rear handle, the chain brake engages. Chainsaws with Quickstop Plus are indicated by the letter “Q” in the model name.

 

Nevered used a saw with it on.

 

Must of being shite?

Husqvarna did something like that on a 346xp I seem to remember . Not popular and I think it was dropped .  You wont beat a standard chain brake in good working order in the case of a kickback  IMHO .

[Stubby]

5 minutes ago, pete_08 said:

That is fair. 
 

My problem is that there are still plenty of chainsaw injuries every year. It is difficult to find data on the types of injuries caused with a chainsaw but I would assume it would be from lost control and mostly by beginners. 

Just clumsy feckers who don't know what they are doing I would suggest .