How many of you have had chainsaw accidents?

[derecskey]

After reading a recent thread here, I'm wondering how many of you have experienced significant accidents. Please respond to the poll even if you have NOT had an accident so that we might all get some kind of idea as to how common accidents are.

 

[sapratt]

I don't think we're all a bunch of crazy people with chainsaws.

 

[derecskey]

Oh, and even if you were wearing safety chaps, if the saw hit your leg and stopped the chain... and your blood pressure rose even a little, count it a yes.

 

[Outdoorsman]

Oh, and even if you were wearing safety chaps, if the saw hit your leg and stopped the chain... and your blood pressure rose even a little, count it a yes.

If you want to count it that way, then I've had 3.

1) Was cutting with another guy & his saw spit a chain. Hit me & scared the living crap outa me, but not a scratch.

2) Chain broke and wrapoed around my leg, got a couple tooth sized bites on that one & another change of shorts.

3) Saw kicked back and gave me a permanent notch in left knee cap + 17 stitches. Strange part is that one hurt the least, I kept cutting it hurt so little, until I noticed the blood in the snow........

Sounds like I'm a crazy perhaps but those things happened over many years 35+ years running saws. And back in the day saws were not as safe as they are now.

 

[Backroads]

I've experienced kickbacks but never drawn blood. Knicked my thigh once but didn't go through my jeans. I consider myself lucky.

 

[Gator eye]

Ive had a close call on my upper leg....I got chaps now.

Also close call on my toe...knicked the end of my boot once.

This is embarassing how stupid, irresponsible, and lucky I was....
But....
Biggest scare I ve had was limbing a tree I just dropped. I was cutting the small stuff off and pulling it out and putting it in a pile. I cut off a limb and turned to grab the limb and put it in the pile and my 4 year old daughter walked up behind me at the same time. When I turned I hit her in the neck with the bar and chain..... I thank God that the chain on a stihl stops so fast after you left off the throttle. It didn't cut her but did leave a little red mark and knocked her on her butt.

This close call still gives me chills when I think about what could of happened. We still cut wood as a family but both me and the wife watch the kids a little closer now, and it scared the kids enough that they know to keep there distance while the saw is running.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Wow- that is scary. When I was a kid- my dad and I were out with a neighbor and his kid. The dads were cutting, the kids were loading the truck. The neighbor was notoriously careless and turned hitting his son in the chest with the flat of the blade- the chain was moving a bit. The kid backed up, then pushed the blade away with one finger. Got a couple holes in his sweatshirt, but no cuts. The dad just kept cutting.

 

[woodconvert]

Closest i've come to an injury was last week. I was cutting some branches and the damn chain came off the bar. I have NEVER had that happen before...in fact i'm still kinda baffled by that one...but no blood, no foul. Had it been an old saw without the rear chain catch i'm sure there would have been some blood.

I did watch my dad run a saw through is foot when I was a youth. He got greedy on a cut and wasn't paying attention to where his foot was in relation to the chain (obviously) and ZING. Nasty nasty gash too but somehow he didn't get into any tendons or bones. You only have to see the results once of a saw cut to flesh and you do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen to yourself.

 

[woodconvert]

This close call still gives me chills when I think about what could of happened. We still cut wood as a family but both me and the wife watch the kids a little closer now, and it scared the kids enough that they know to keep there distance while the saw is running.

DAMN...i'd still be losing sleep. That's precisely the reason I will only cut alone (I keep my cell on me though). There's a lot going on or there can be and keeping track of other people would wear me out.

 

[PS3696]

Ive had a close call on my upper leg....I got chaps now.

Biggest scare I ve had was limbing a tree I just dropped. I was cutting the small stuff off and pulling it out and putting it in a pile. I cut off a limb and turned to grab the limb and put it in the pile and my 4 year old daughter walked up behind me at the same time. When I turned I hit her in the neck with the bar and chain..... I thank God that the chain on a stihl stops so fast after you left off the throttle. It didn't cut her but did leave a little red mark and knocked her on her butt.

This close call still gives me chills when I think about what could of happened. We still cut wood as a family but both me and the wife watch the kids a little closer now, and it scared the kids enough that they know to keep there distance while the saw is running.

My wife would have never let me live that down. She would have changed me from a Rooster to a Hen with my own saw!!

Thank God no one was hurt!!

 

[savageactor7]

WOW! Gator eye...Holy Cow! Wish I didn't even read that....now I have to get back to brush whacking to get that out of my mind.

btw I sure hope you thanked God for sparing your loved ones....here's betting your daughter is named after a saint.

 

[tjoyce511]

Used a '75 Homelite with a 20" bar for a long time -- no chaps, no accidents. Purchased a new Stihl Model 29 about 6 years ago when the Homelite died. First year, had a couple of minor dings to the knee (few if any stitches), and still no chaps. Next year, cutting thru a stack of small trees, I got the knee a little higher on the kneecap -- this time a lot more blood, but like someone else posted -- it didn't hurt much at all. When I noticed that my pant leg was getting wetter with blood, I tied a handkerchief around my knee and started to walk back home, hoping to get cleaned up before my wife saw it and freaked-out (the wood lot was about 1/4 mile away). Well, my darling wife decided to take a ride with my 4 year-old daughter to "suprise" dad. The conversation, went something like this:

Daughter: "Looks like dad is walking funny. What's that tied around his knee?"
Mom: "He looks like he's trying to hide something"
Daughter: "Hey, that looks like a red handkerchief around his knee"
Mom: "Oh my God, Oh my God"
Mom pulls the car up next to dad. Dad opens the door
Dad: "Hey -- it's not as bad as it...."
Mom: "Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God -- get in the car...we're going to the ER. Oh my God"

Luckily, it really wasn't "that bad" -- maybe a dozen stitches, clean cut, no internal damage.
The next day, I purchased a pair of chaps and have used them ever since.

 

[glacialhills]

A short story... Was in the Navy and was tasked to clear brush from around a runway with about 20 other guys. The chief PO gave us about a 30 second demo of how to run the saws."this is the gas, this is the choke you pull this and go down like this" He was pushing with all his might on a branch no bigger than 3" and barely making dust. After that he asked who wanted to run the saws and who wanted to haul the brush to the dump truck. All the guys wanted to run the saws, But growing up cutting wood with my uncle and seeing the condition of the saws I didn't want any part of those things.(Now, before you ask why didn't I say those saws were dull and dangerous remember this was the navy and a Fireman Apprentice doesn't go telling a Chief that he doesn't know what he is doing, or doing something wrong.) Anyhow, I was one of the only guys that raised his hand to haul brush. The other guys moaned when all the saws where spoken for and had to be loaders. So about an hour or two in, one of the guys was trying to push on a branch with one of those "Jason" saws and finally got through the branch and went down half way through his leg and Knee. I will remember till the day I die the high pitched scream he let out. (shudder) like a little girls scream. And the blood, oh the blood. I am sure the guys that soooo wanted to run a saw were glad they didn't. After that we all got an hour lecture of how to run a chainsaw safely. What a CYOA US Navy moment. Anyway I have never(knocking hard on the oak table) had a saw mishap.

 

[WoodMann]

Fortunately I have not had an accident invilving the saw, not yet anyway...........

 

[JRP3]

I try very hard to keep the saw off to one side when I cut to not be in line with the blade. After reading some of these stories I'll try even harder. :ahhh:

 

[burntime]

Just finished sharpening the saw, picked it up (not running) and reached down and moved a log...lost balance a little and bumped the inside of my forearm just under the wrist. Did not think anything of it and started cutting, when I went to wipe the sweat off of my forehead my eyes burned...after sqwinting I realized when I bumped the bar that I hacked myself up. 8 stiches total. I guess I can sharpen a chain! Other than that I have had the chain come off and nip my leg. I still foolishly do not wear chaps.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Ive had a close call on my upper leg....I got chaps now.

Biggest scare I ve had was limbing a tree I just dropped. I was cutting the small stuff off and pulling it out and putting it in a pile. I cut off a limb and turned to grab the limb and put it in the pile and my 4 year old daughter walked up behind me at the same time. When I turned I hit her in the neck with the bar and chain..... I thank God that the chain on a stihl stops so fast after you left off the throttle. It didn't cut her but did leave a little red mark and knocked her on her butt.

This close call still gives me chills when I think about what could of happened. We still cut wood as a family but both me and the wife watch the kids a little closer now, and it scared the kids enough that they know to keep there distance while the saw is running.

Kids and pets (and some adults) really don't belong anywhere near a running chain saw.

 

[burntime]

Agreed Eric, when I am cutting the wife keeps the kids in the back yard or in the house. The lab also stays back from training, but darned if she does not run up everytime I shut the saw off. When I reach for hit she runs 20 feet and sits and waits again!

 

[DaveBP]

Worst chainsaw accident I've had was not the saw itself but a sapling sprung over beneath a blown down hemlock I was limbing. When the bar tip cut that sapling it shot out from under the tree and hit me right on the kneecap and I went down as though I had been shot. Never even saw it under there. Despite helmet, muffs and chaps there is always a way to do something careless and get hurt. Had to stuff kevlar back into those chaps twice but never any blood. Love those chaps (in cool weather!).

 

[Eric Johnson]

The bent-over saplings are called springpoles. The best approach is to cut them down before you fell the tree. If you have any degree of confidence that the tree will fall where you intend, clear a path for it and save yourself a lot of grief and possible injury. The best way to take care of a springpole is to make a series of cuts at the place where it bows, letting off a little tension with each cut. The kneecap is pretty bad, but the worst place to get hit is in the groin on the face.

 

[burntime]

EWWWW I have Never hit my groin on my face! That would have to be a big log to fold you like that %-P

 

[derecskey]

Yeah I don't think I have a groin on my face.

 

[woodconvert]

Yeah I don't think I have a groin on my face.

I have seen some pretty grim videos off the internet that sound pretty close to the description though.... ;-)

 

[Eric Johnson]

Are you guys making fun of me just because I happen to be different? (or can't spell).

 

[woodconvert]

Are you guys making fun of me just because I happen to be different?.

Different?...i know many people with a groin on their face....