Ya'll be careful! (no gore)

PPE rules! it is bad enough tree work is risky biz and I for one have always been thankful of the protections they provide! A speedy recovery for your guy V!
 
not blindly following rules without any awareness of exactly what the dangers are
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....not me, dynamic climber/thinker here.

Whatever "the dangers are," they are more than likely compounded when you reduce your control of the chainsaw by 50%.

I know the discussion has been beaten to death, but assuring one another that "I one-hand, it's okay" has to have an opposing view. Otherwise, newbs will learn from forums like this that seasoned pros do it and think it's okay to employ this dangerous tactic on a daily basis.
 
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The more modern trim saws are made to one hand although of course it's not recomended .You take a Stihl 200T ,Husky 338 etc. and compare them to an older saw like an s-25 Poulan,Mini Mac or Xl-2 Homelite and you will see the ergonomics involved .

I will agree perhaps that two handing is safer but some times you just have to one hand the things .Like any other power tool though you can't become complacent about it .Fact is I got myself a few weeks ago with a side grinder from just such lack of respect for the tool .It put a nice 1/4" slot in the old pointer finger about 2 inchs long .So much for that. Luck be with Patrick for a speedy recovery .
 
Winch, what I say is not: " I one-hand, it's okay" but "I onehand, when it is necessary and safer to do so."

I always tell apprentices that if I catch them onehanding for no reason, they'll be in trouble.

And if you think making friends here is about all of us being in agreement about everything, think again.
Just check out the political thread and you'll find out how we can disagree and still respect each other.

Mostly, that is:D
 
Winch, don't listen to Stig. He's a Danish commie vegetarian. We all loathe him. Except maybe the commie brits.:P:lol::lol:;);)



Just kidding Stig. We still love you despite the obvious shortcomings.:)
 
some times you just have to one hand the things
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I disagree. It's all about proper work placement. I guess a picture could potentially prove me wrong, but I know that in all six years I have been in my current place of work, my boss is so adamantly opposed to 1-handing, that I have not done it.

I'm glad he's that way, too. Got me to believe it's an unnecessary practice. An unnecessarily risky, rushed practice that doesn't get things done more efficiently, but only adds more danger to an already dangerous job.

And I don't think it's okay to do whatever you want to do just as long as you don't hurt anyone else doing it. It hurts our industry every time someone cuts the back of their (left) hand. Oh and it costs us money. That doesn't seem like smart business practice, for any of us.
 
Top handled saws are designed to be occasionally one handed. Because of that, perhaps we need to have some sort of license to operate one, like in the UK.

Just because you possess a top handled saw doesn't mean you have the experience to one hand it.
 
When I only had 6 years experience I wasn't very good with a saw either. Not as good as I thought I was, anyway.
 
One handing saws requires a certain amount of physical strength to do it wisely, the same way two handing does. A lot of rules assume an inviting scenario situation leading up to a potential accident. If you can further negate the potentiality from what the book is assuming, you can alter the rules.

Some rules have no flexibility, like sitting on the end of a limb that you are cutting off, some others are more open to discretion, as professionals.
 
Even though i'm a bit of a safety freak, I one-hand and accept it as daily practice (It aint what you do but the way that you do it). However within the last 5 days I have taken my workmate to hospital, with a cut on the back of his hand - lost his footing whilst cutting at full reach one-handed, whilst steadying himself on the same branch with the other. Saw skipped down the branch & bit him. Luckily only minor damage to 1 tendon which with a little surgery will be 100%. 2nd incident came in today. An unknown climber about 15 miles away cut his tendons and arteries in his wrist. He was cutting and holding -cross handed with only flipline and no lifeline. Got himself down and ambulance took him to hospital. His future aint looking good.
Conclusions - keep your shit together, get the job done and go home to enjoy your life. Saving 5 minutes is not worth the cost :(
 
When I only had 6 years experience I wasn't very good with a saw either. Not as good as I thought I was, anyway.
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I had a feeling someone would bait me with this. Nice try, but more like 10+ years experience in the tree, Skwerl. I have been in the job with boss, as crew leader, for 6 years. I also own my own profitable business and compete with one-handers like No_Bivy.

Not a greenhorn here. And isn't it interesting that others come out of the woodwork to tell tales of other one-handing injuries...every day...it's not worth the risk.

Designed for one-hand use? I don't know about that, maybe you should crack the owner's manual.

Thanks for looking out, though!
 
Safe practicality often takes precedent over rules. Using a table saw is a real good example of this, those guards and other crap they put on them when new and in companies were various people use them. Injuries when one handing aren't necessarily because the practice is unsafe, more that it was impractical for the person doing it at a certain juncture. With skills comes increasing practicality.
 
woodworkingboy said:
Safe practicality often takes precedent over rules. Using a table saw is a real good example of this, those guards and other crap they put on them when new and in companies were various people use them. Injuries when one handing aren't necessarily because the practice is unsafe, more that it was impractical for the person doing it at a certain juncture. With skills comes increasing practicality.
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Agreed, also inexperience is a major issue, but many overlook overconfidence and complacency. Those overseeing an industry may try and combat accidents via over regulation and over guarding of machinery and there operation will never fix stupid nor avoid the occurrence of human error. Life is hard & as adults we are resposible for our own actions
 
winch said:
I had a feeling someone would bait me with this. Nice try, but more like 10+ years experience in the tree, Skwerl. I have been in the job with boss, as crew leader, for 6 years. I also own my own profitable business and compete with one-handers like No_Bivy.

Not a greenhorn here. And isn't it interesting that others come out of the woodwork to tell tales of other one-handing injuries...every day...it's not worth the risk.

Designed for one-hand use? I don't know about that, maybe you should crack the owner's manual.

Thanks for looking out, though!
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Winch, I'm sorry for getting insulting. I shouldn't do that, especially with new members who may take me the wrong way. If we all had the exact same opinion then these forums would be mighty boring. :beer:
 
The manual states that the MS200T should be used with two hands at all times. But it says on coffee cups that the contents may be hot. Manufacturers cover their arses all the time. In the UK pretty much all climbing arborists have had training and assessment in the use of top handles saws. I don't have the exact quote to hand, but one handed use is accepted practise where it can be demonstrated that it was necessary. Examples given include tip reductions where the other hand is used to steady the work position.
I've two major scars from an 020 and a 200t. once from one handing it. If I was still in the game I'd still one hand a saw when I deemed it OK. Good job I'm not eh?
It's a fundamental question, but in the US, to buy and use a top handled saw, does this require a licence or training of any sort. Maybe it's different state to state?
 
Yes, there are few things that we have exactly the same opinion about...but I can think of one or two....maybe one.
 
Can anyone set themselves up and operate as a tree surgeon, without any paperwork what so ever? I mean within the law? Insurance, training certs, any form of showable competence what so ever?
 
Yes, a person can pretty much set themselves up in almost any trade without any government approved training. In this country we have this thing called 'freedom' where we don't need (or want) some career bureaucrat to decide if we are qualified to do something. You typically only need liability insurance and an occupational license for most trades.

Anybody can walk into any saw shop and buy a top handle saw off the shelf. Our government doesn't regulate such things (yet). Please do not suggest they do so. If you want more chainsaw regulation then stay in Europe.

Oh, electricians, plumbers and general contractors need to pass exams to show competence in order to be licensed in their trades. No such hurdles for lowly lawn jockeys and stick cutters.
 
So you could be a brain surgeon tomorrow? A pilot the next, followed by a child minder? Wow that freedom thang doesn't seem to have any negative attributes whatsoever. I might come over there and become a judge or a president. Wahhhhooooo freedom rocks!
 
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