MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
I use a wedge all the time bucking the bigger wood. It just makes thing easy and that's what I'm shooting for 'cuz Imma lazy bastid.
SkwerI
Treehouser
Yup, me too. In the last few years I've gotten to where I don't like cutting up big wood on the ground unless I have a wedge handy. Too much work trying to 'beat the pinch' or having to stop and deal with the inevitable stuck bar. With the wedge it's sooooo easy. Just cut 2/3 of the way through, tap the wedge and finish the cut (without hitting the dirt). The wood always falls away from your bar.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Easy peasy! 
J
Jamin Mayer
Guest
My experience too. Now, I'm not a perfect sawyer, but I can't remember the last time I have thrown a chain. In my early days I probably threw about a half a dozen chains. Usually, because of a improperly tensioned chain.
I have hundreds of tree removals under my belt (not much compared to some of y'all) but, I don't have much storm work under my belt. Is it simply because of tensioned wood causing the chains to throw more often?
Or, is it a combination of twisting with a improperly tensioned chain and tensioned wood?
Burnham
Woods walker
I reckon tensioned bigger wood means more frequent binding...binding leads to attempts to get the saw unbound...which leads to twisting the saw in the kerf...which leads to throwing chains. Smaller wood under tension has the same thing going on, with the additional likelyhood that smaller wood will do the twisting for you, throwing chains.
And in both cases having a loose chain greatly increases the thrown chain incidence rate.
And in both cases having a loose chain greatly increases the thrown chain incidence rate.
rbtree
Climbing Up
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2005
- Messages
- 1,924
Same here, Jer. About 1990. It was a 36 inch dbh hemlock lodged in a maple at a 45 degree angle. Had lines on it, after limbing it and cutting it back to where it was lodged. Stuck two saws trying to cut it off the stump...didn't have any blocks or a way to lift it back in those days. Shoulda used several wedges, and some other method of cutting.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
My Partner is always throwing chains, I try and get him to keep an eye on his chain tension... butttt...... LOL. I rarely throw chain anymore save for brushing. Buck brush is notorious for pinching bar and chain. Soooo many pinch points. Another thought is the bar. Always make sure your bar is dressed well along with you chain tension. I worn bar can add to chain twist and throw the chain. In my experience anyway. We have a lot of storm trees here in the lower Sierras. Especially the live oaks. You have to read the stress points about every cut. My guys laugh at me for talking to the tree before I start my cutting. Guess its my way of reading the tree and saying my prayers.... LOL.
pantheraba
More biners!!!
Welcome to the House, CurSedV. Nothing wrong with talking to a tree...we should respect our elders...most have been here a lot longer than us.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Thank you for the welcome Gary. 
It's good to be here....
It's good to be here....
Cobleskill
Treehouser
I never had any problems throwing chains untill they slimmed the bars down. It doesn't happen often, but it never used to happen. It is usually a twig that does it for me.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
LOL at the twig .............. I dont have the twig issue..... but sometimes a 3 inch branch can make life interesting.... LOL
Guess that can be considered a twig in some of the stuff we do ..LOL.
Guess that can be considered a twig in some of the stuff we do ..LOL.
R
Rotax Robert
Guest
Another Thought
Many good points were made in this thread and certainly all are valid but thought I might might throw in one more. Many here run modded saws ie: muffler mods.
I know many who run a larger sprocket say 8 pin/tooth verse 7 pin/tooth. When running a 8 pin/tooth sprocket the diameter of the sprocket is larger than the heel of the bar, so with this application the chain is not engaging back into the bar rails for a considerable distance causing a greater chance of throwing a chain.
While this is more common in racing applications where we run 9,10,11 or even 12 pin sprockets the heel of the bar must be taken back/modified so the chain does not travel though mid-air to great of a distance which greatly increases the chance of a chain throw.
Just another thought from a guy who tops his trees about 2 feet from ground level.
Many good points were made in this thread and certainly all are valid but thought I might might throw in one more. Many here run modded saws ie: muffler mods.
I know many who run a larger sprocket say 8 pin/tooth verse 7 pin/tooth. When running a 8 pin/tooth sprocket the diameter of the sprocket is larger than the heel of the bar, so with this application the chain is not engaging back into the bar rails for a considerable distance causing a greater chance of throwing a chain.
While this is more common in racing applications where we run 9,10,11 or even 12 pin sprockets the heel of the bar must be taken back/modified so the chain does not travel though mid-air to great of a distance which greatly increases the chance of a chain throw.
Just another thought from a guy who tops his trees about 2 feet from ground level.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
Here is an example of a cut down ,matched bar .Not a big deal to do but time consuming ..
While this is more common in racing applications where we run 9,10,11 or even 12 pin sprockets the heel of the bar must be taken back/modified so the chain does not travel though mid-air to great of a distance which greatly increases the chance of a chain throw.
Just another thought from a guy who tops his trees about 2 feet from ground level.
I thought it was a great idea at the time however the Mac 125 didn't quite have enough soup to pull it fast enough.Back to the drawing board as they say
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