Thread: Chainsaw Operator's course

As much as I have used Chainsaws over the years and the courses I have been part of I have never been comfortable felling big trees.

We get arborists in to drop the big pines and other stuff at work if it is a big bugger as the bloke who used to do it here has left but I wouldnt say he did it all that safe anyway.

There is an art to dropping big trees and it takes a lot of thought to know where it will go and where to put in wedges etc etc.

Smaller stuff I try to winch out either with the electric winch on the Landy if it isnt very big or a tirfor if it is a fair sized tree but I used to leave the big ones to my old man who worked on the CRB and as a tree feller for the forest commision for years and he tried to teach me but I dont feel confident doing it, too much can go wrong if you stuff up.

Level 1 is Crosscut
Level 2 ???
Level 3 is Tree felling.

That is what the guy who took our course mentioned to us.

Fair enough, L2 would be rip sawing an/or milling probably

Originally Posted by mcrover

Fair enough, L2 would be rip sawing an/or milling probably

I was thinking that it would be lopping off branches. Just a guess though.

I always wanted to run a

what is the correct way to start a saw...

IVe seen dozens of ways...

my personal fave is


1. clear some gound. put the chainsaw on the clear ground and prime it.
2. set the choke (and the high idle if fitted)
3, apply the chainbrake, turn ign on.
4. put your off side foot on top of the saw
5, grab the rip cord with your master hand and pull till the dog engages and you feel compression
6. pull sharply untill saw tries to start or starts.
7. gradually open choke maintaining smooth idle untill fully open
or
7. open choke and pull again.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

I always wanted to run a

what is the correct way to start a saw...

IVe seen dozens of ways...

my personal fave is


1. clear some gound. put the chainsaw on the clear ground and prime it.
2. set the choke (and the high idle if fitted)
3, apply the chainbrake, turn ign on.
4. put your off side foot on top of the saw
5, grab the rip cord with your master hand and pull till the dog engages and you feel compression
6. pull sharply untill saw tries to start or starts.
7. gradually open choke maintaining smooth idle untill fully open
or
7. open choke and pull again.

Im one of the bad people who normally start the saw while standing as you can push the saw away while pulling the cord.

I know this is wrong but ive found thats easier and I like easy.

Again, not entirely safe but I generally dont start it with the chain break on unless it's warm as when they are cold they can be a pain with the extra load as soon as they start.

But your spot on, also I run most 2 stroke stuff on 40:1 as 50:1 doesnt give much lube for the rings and I had quite a few start wearing out prematurely and 25:1 tends to be to smokey.

I have a lot of trouble with the guys getting them to start 2 stoke equipment properly so I typed it up and stuck it in the store room yet they still have trouble.

Dave you failed the chainsaw course!!!! Go to the back of the class.
You didnt have your steelcap boots on!!!!!,Steelcaps dont fit inside the start handle,a toe on the plate isnt secure enough.
According to the tranier who took us you should never start the saw with the chainbrake on,it can snap the crank!!!!He had 2 to show us.
Andrew

When I did the practical side of my c/saw course, the instructor said "Gavin you shouldnt have your head over the bar"
"I know" I replied "And I always will have until I can get a left handed c/saw"

(Think about it)

The instructor was embaressed.....

And I passed the course