How to Recognize Intertial Chain brake?

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WarmGuy

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Jan 30, 2006
519
Far Northern Calif. Coast
I'm going to a garage sale tomorrow that advertises "chainsaws." Is there any way to tell whether a chainsaw has an intertial chain brake by looking at it?
 
if, when you trip the brake it clicks it has the inertia brake. the old brakes were simply manual, you have to force the
lever to engage the brake.
 
To elaborate on what bruce56bb said, push the handguard forward or pull it back. If it clicks, then the saw has an inertial brake. Doublecheck it by trying to move the chain after the handguard is pushed forward until it clicks. If the chain won't move, then the brake is engaged. Triplecheck it by pulling the handguard back until it clicks and the chain moves. Then hold the saw by the back handle with one hand, lift the saw up with the front handle and let it drop so that the tip of the bar hits an obstacle like a stump or other piece of solid wood. If you hear the brake clicking on and the chain won't move, then you know the saw has a working inertial chain brake.
 
HI Eric,

So if I understand you correctly, if you drop the chain saw and it clicks, the inertial brake is on. BUT the handle did not move, right? so the inertial brake is operated bith internally and by the handle? Because I know when I have a severe kickback and the back of my hand pushed the handle forward, the chain brake will also engage.

Please comment.

Thanks

Niels

PS. tomorrow afternoon at Kahler's: New 346XP!!!!!!
 
That's exactly right, niels.

I suspect the reason for redundancy at the handguard is twofold: 1.) it's another layer of protection if the internal trigger fails; and, 2.) access to the break through the handguard allows you to engage the brake manually for added safety when you're carrying the saw or setting it down while it's running. In this way, it serves as more of a parking brake than an airbag.

Have fun with the new saw. Better get your cutting in on Saturday, 'cause it looks like about a foot of wet snow starting on Sunday. Thought I'd be hauling wood by now, but there's still too much snow in the woods up north.
 
Yep,

Saturday is cutting day. I want to get my 5 tanks of gas in ASAP, so I can go back and get the carb adjusted.

Niels
 
congrats on the new saw carp! i am also a new 346xp owner and i love it! what amazes me is the amount
of wood i can cut on a tank of fuel vs. my old 51. it's not that it is more fuel efficient, it just cuts so much
faster.
 
I've noticed that, too. I was used to a Husqvarna 55 and when I started using my new 346xp last summer, I thought maybe the gas tank was smaller because when I was done, it sure didn't feel like I'd cut a whole tank. But it was.
 
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