one handing a top handle saw

stirmantrees

i got my license when i was just a young pup, not old enough to work really, and i carried my brothers saw from around back of our property and seered my leg on the muffler. ouch. i think they call that the school of hard knocks.

ya, no licensing here in florida either. probably more gun restrictions and knife restrictions than windthrowns state but nothing for power tools. learned to operate aerial equipment on my own. decent size towers too. crazy i know.

youtube country, yeeeehaaaaaw!!!!!

windthrown

Anyone want to one-hand this saw???

One of several V-8 Chainsaws in the PNW:


Yes, some Americans exceed in overkill.

Eric Frei

In this post is a video of it being built.

V8 Chainsaw (Predator) by Rotax Robert

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stirmantrees

you need a drivers license and seat belt for that thing. Although, it doesnt matter how many hands you have on it, if it kicks back nothing gonna stop it.

you silly hijackers

newguy18

Spent the better part of the day one handing an 020 removing palms,the world is a better place.

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old schooler

stirmantrees

thank you for your service to the greater orlando area. i feal safer now.

petr222

Yes i do,but only on occasions when i cant reach any other way!!!!And only when cutting around feet( with proper boots on of course) or when at arms lenght.
Sometimes no alternative.

newguy18

Not orlando,leesburg.

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old schooler

Eric Frei

There is no licence required here for chainsaws either, you can buy them in KMart and just about any mower shop.

OHS regulation is just that and not a licence or qualification system. If a work place accident occurs OHS may investigate the circumstances and apply fines if things weren't done right.

In just about any accident event the boss or employer is held responsible. In an effort to ensure the worker knows what is the right way to use a saw and that the user is not a lying wanker (redneck) the employer likes to see some certification or qualification.

So the saw user gets some certs for running a saw, he is now competent, and if he does the wrong thing the onus is moreso upon him than the employer.

It's more a "cover your ass" process than a licencing process.

It is OCCUPATIONAL health and safety, therefore not applicable to hobbyists or home owners doing their own thing but for workplaces.

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stirmantrees

nevermind then.

Cut4fun

I thought that was why the top handles were so light weight and balanced in center now days is to be used one handed. Just the makers couldn't come out and be liable saying so.

Only reason I own them for my duties one handed.

Eric Frei

I believe if you took away top handled saws in an effort to make things "safer" you would see injuries increase.

That will be because people will start one handing rear handled saws.

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Bruce Hopf

That5 is basiclly how it is here in Canada, well Ontario at least. If a person uses a chain saw to make money with, such as a logger, hydro worker, and highway workers, they have to be certified to run a chain saw.
I sell the odd bit of fire wood, and by rights, I should be certified, to operate the chain saw, even if it is on my own property the the fire wood is being cut on, because Technically, I'm using a chain saw to make money with.
If I happen to go to a neighbours farm to cut fire wood, from a tree, that was given to me for fire wood, I'm supposed to have a operators licence to run a chain saw, but if I cut fire wood on our land, and the fire wood is for my own use, I don't need to be a certified operator.
Here too, home owners can go out and rent a chain saw, and buy a chain saw, and as long as it is being used on property that they own, they don't need a permit to operate a chain saw, no matter how big of a chain saw is. I don't know how it is in any other province, and maybe Hollmentree (Willard) can let us know how things work out in Manitoba, and a couple of guys from British Columbia, could participate as well. Bruce.

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Martin

Here in BC Bruce it is basically the same in terms of using equipment for a business. As fallers we have to be certified, during which we prove ourselves to be capable of using a chainsaw. I don't think you haveto have a ticket to run a chainsaw in any business but whoever your working for will have to have a written procedure for ensuring that their workers are properly trained for their job. These are usually signed off by the employees and done at least twice a year. Although while the WCB(workers compensation board) is very active here, I know there are alot of companies who have their employees using equipment and doing jobs that they are not properly trained to be using or doing. That's changed for the falling and logging industry here however for the last 5 years or so in the wake of a bad year for fallers and alot or public attention on injuries and deaths in our industry. In the other note, when I'm cimbing I one hand the 200 quite a bit. All my justifications for doing this have already been noted a few times in the thread so I'll save you all the reading. But I will say it's what it's made for! Cheers, Martin

Tree Prodigy

I use my MS200T one handed 75% of the time that is what it is built for cutting w/t one hand & holding or pushing A branch or piece of wood w/t the other lets be reasonable if you lowered every little branch that you can grab and toss you would be making twice the job of the tree unless you lowered multiple branches at once but iv'e climbed several where thanks to A top handle saw I dont need to lower anythin if I wanted to use two hands I would climb w/t A MS361 & I do when chunking med logs .........................

stirmantrees

i do alot of cutting and tossing to. if i roped everything i cut it would def. add an exorbant amount of time to my already underbid environment (central fl that is)
do you use snap cuts?

Martin

Yes, all the time

newguy18

I use snap cuts when chunking down small wood,under 8 inches,after that i block down while pushing with one hand,and i'm not scared to admit it.

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old schooler

shaun05

I am guilty of doing it most days. I have cut myself. Only after I cut myself did an older climber take the time to explain to me the finer details of when not to cut with one hand and how to do it so that you did not put yourself at risk.

What is really odd is that only about 4% of climbers answering the poll said they didn't do it so that means 96% of us do use a saw one handed and no one is getting trained in how to do it in ways that reduce the risk of harm. If we do it then let's encourage proper training to reduce the risk rather than pretending it is not being done and then learning from our mistakes.

Since getting appropriate instruction it has changed the way I use a saw one handed and I am sure that I will never cut myself again.

shaun05

Here are some of the rules that I now follow

1. Never reach under or over the saw with the other hand. NEVER no matter how small or light the branch may be. (The saw works as well in the left and right hand so swap hands or reposition yourself)
2. Never use the saw where it can kick back and hit you or your climbing gear.
3. Always hold a branch you are cutting at least 500mm from where you are cutting.
4. If you are blocking down put a wedge on a lanyard into the back of the cut before you cut and push (this usually avoids the need to push whilst cutting, with the cut finishing and then the push starting.)
5. Never use a saw with one hand if you cant switch it off with the hand you are using

stirmantrees

good response.
i think it prob. falls into one of those liability realms with lawyers and lawsuits that will keep it from being trained. i do believe the manufacturers have the no one handy clause in the manuel book that many of us do not read when we buy the new 200t, etc......
if the manufacture says no no, then training it specifically under an organization it would take one yoyo to get hurt and sue the org. for their knowingly teaching and training someone an unsafe practice... of course people get cut every day with 2 hands on the saw. I am not able to produce a statistical argument for my case but.... i think used sparingly...which i do not.... can make certain situations safer....
i think your right though... training would be good.... i am sure strength would be a key element imho....

Therrin

+1!!!!! A very well-thought out and excellent set of rules.

the ms200T is very easy to switch off using one handed operation. One-handing has its place in the techniques used while climbing, but I rarely find it necessary to do so while on the ground.

Experienced workers who use this technique is (in my opinion), one thing.
People who do it while not understanding why exactly they're doing it that way are operating unsafely.

I never reach across my saw while its running, and when I one-hand I always make sure the bar isnt in a position that it can kick back and catch either me or my equipment.

Tilia

some of the crown reductions and high detail pruning work that i often do, there is often times where it would be near impossible to not do so. i cut, hold and throw alot too when reguired.

Pat h

Yes - when working out of bucket truck. City street trees. Often have a small specific drop zone.
Does cause sholder strain / pain.

99% two hands ,99.9% two tie in points ,when climbing.

Cheers

TGCIII

atta'boy! jump on in with....one arm?

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JohN Dee

Bahaha, man you make me laugh. Step cut a frond?

As for the dead wooding, it all comes down to the elegance of your climbing.

Most times I use two hands, but the times I do one hand, you can bet your sweet ass my other hand is no where near that saw. It is systematically placed on my high line.

Snap cuts are a great technique also, I encourage all to use them more.

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KevinE

Well, I'm no climber, but I use my top handle saw/s everyday. For me, it is crazy to one hand where there are twigs everywhere around where you are cutting. I also don't like holding & cutting small sticks at all. The thought of that saw skating up the branch wakes me right up! The bigger branches don't cause me issues; I can (& do) cut & push or snap cut. I recently bought a little Makita 22cc TH saw & it has changed the way I look at things. It is about the same power as a HT75, so the risks are very low. I've started to "one hand" with it, because it's so light & even if it did "kick", it would be a very small kick. There again, I don't have to worry about cutting my tie in lol!

Hard-as-Stihl

why would you ever have to on hand a saw when pruning a palm? 0_o
i have pruned coconut palms and big washies with large skirts and never one handed my saw. if your harness has a floating bridge you just move to one side and invert alittle that way you can reach the skirt while maintaining your 2 attachment points. ill try to post a video soon.

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Stihl
MS192T 14"
MS200T 16"
MS261 16"
MS440 25"

Husqvarna 359 20"
394XP 32"

Poulan P3314 14" ( new hire/groundy saw)

Hard-as-Stihl

heres what im talking about. you can maintain 2 attachment points while being able to reach below you with both hands on the saw.

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Stihl
MS192T 14"
MS200T 16"
MS261 16"
MS440 25"

Husqvarna 359 20"
394XP 32"

Poulan P3314 14" ( new hire/groundy saw)