How often do you lock your chain?

[Mark Bolam]

Bit of both really Le Sanglier, I have my saw on a strop with a rope grab.

 

Doing connies I've had the bloody thing wrapped round my ballbag!

[john p]

Neither do I as I don't want it slamming into my hip if I take an inadvertant swing.

 

do you not find it drops between forks or gets snagged at just the wrong time?

[Le Sanglier]

Thanks, one more question, I have seen some people using strops much longer than their arms reach, anyone know why they do that?

[Le Sanglier]

do you not find it drops between forks or gets snagged at just the wrong time?

 

Yes a bit, if I'm honest.

[Woodworks]

What I was taught 10 years or so back was at the beginning of each day to test the brake at full throttle and to test the inertia brake by dropping the bar onto a log. He said he wanted to see the brake used at all times that I was moving. I confess I have eased back on the first two but it is so easy to apply the brake it seems foolish not to use it. It could just save a nasty accident caused by an unforeseen moment. As for brake ware I have only changed the brake once on my 346 after many 100s of m3 of logs.

[B.C. Tree Services]

yeah i get annoyed with that. constantly battling with the saw pulling it threw unions. love attaching it on when spiking/ dismantling though although havent done for a while as the last two petzel carritools ive had have broken!

[B.C. Tree Services]

cani have some of your firewood please woodworks!

[Chris Sheppard]

I use it as and when I feel it necessary - which isn't as often as I perhaps should.

 

I tend t find I'll use the chainbrake on an arb type job much more than I would in the woods though.

 

I'm never going to advocate someone not using it, but it does seem that how it's taught now, is in my opinion, excessive.

[Spruce Pirate]

To be honest it's more common sense than anything, If im carving up a felled trunk in someone's perfectly flat back garden I tend to use it less compared to being on rough uneven ground surrounded by brash.

 

I think this is the point I was trying to make in my fist post on this thread - Ant, you appear to be competent to make the decision if you need to use the brake or not.

 

In the context of a professional ground saw user I find the habit of clicking on the brake after every single cut excesive and this is what I seem to notice about the way saw use is taught these days. I was thinking about this thread on Friday (had a rare Saturday off yesterday) and did find myself using the brake more often than I thought I did. Not sure if I'm just getting soft as a result of this thread or if I normally use it more than I think I do.

 

Still no one has explained why putting it on with the right hand is so dangerous. Could somone please do so as I genuinely don't understand?

[Le Sanglier]

'cos your hand might miss the chainbrake and touch the chain.