How often do you lock your chain?

[Stereo]

I get the p taken out of me when me and Dad go out cutting up wood. I'm not trained but I wear full PPE have a well maintained saw and have read and digested as much safety stuff as I can. I do plan to go for tickets when time allows, just for working on the farm, not for profit. I don't attempt anything I'm not happy with.

 

I tend to engage the chain brake when I start the saw and pretty much whenever I have to move 1 foot more than a few inches. I've got a decent Huskie so it's nice and easy and I do appreciate on older saws it was less easy to snap it on with your wrist.

 

But Dad tends to stagger about among the fallen stuff on uneven ground with the saw swinging in one hand close to his leg and not only that he has a habit of blipping the throttle whilst doing this, presumably from years ago when saws wouldn't keep idling. He never uses the chain brake.

 

Is it something that you pro boys use a lot? I pretty much think if you are not sawing the brake should be on.

[WorcsWuss]

I still use it how I was taught when I did my tickets, which is pretty much the same as you choose to do it. Like you, it's default is engaged and I take it off to cut....

For the time it takes to guarantee no nasty accidents when repositioning I reckon it's worth it. I'm a big fan of the chain brake!

[Stephen Blair]

Chain brake all the way!!

[Gus McWilliam]

I'm much the same. For half a seconds effort I could save my life? No brainer.

[Matthew Storrs]

Been using a saw professionally for 9 years, I still put the brake on if I walk any kind of distance using it, it only takes a trip and a blip of the throttle to make a mess of you.

[oldwoodcutter]

hardly ever used to use it,but i certainly do now.If ime moving and the saws running,then that brake is on.

Edited April 9, 2013 by oldwoodcutter

[geoff]

As the rest,I use it all the time,& always check a saw before starting,handing it to others,or recieving one myself.

[Taupotreeman]

Same as the others. tripped over a couple of times in thick brash with the saw running and landed on top of the thing. It's then you're glad you snapped the brake on.

[Bob Slade]

Always knock it on, your a fool if you don't. but how many of you check that it works by dropping the tip of the bar onto wood to see if it engages???????

[agrimog]

if I have to move any more than one step, the brakes on, its an automatic action, and yes I check it works before i start in the morning, the saw makes me my money so i look after them, there cleaned after every shift, and checked ready for the next, its the way I was taught....look after your tools first, then yourself.