Safety First

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

I know PPE can look goofy and if you don’t know the worst-case scenarios without it you might think it’s overkill. If that’s your stance or you are highly experienced I hope you’ll look at the Murphy’s Law page. The bottom line is that PPE prevents injury and saves lives. My own chainsaw-induced foot injury was almost comically preventable if I’d worn boots instead of sandals. If it’s too hot to wear chaps then it may not be a good time to cut. Personally, I’d rather be a bit uncomfortable than potentially have a hospital visit. Chainsaw safety via proper PPE, accessing the environment, and understanding the physics of your tree are crucial in keeping you safe.

Study The Saw Before Running It

Part of learning to trust your chainsaw is knowing everything about how the saw is made and what it looks/sounds like when running optimally. If you are familiar with the feel and sounds of your saw then you are more likely to see a problem before it becomes a disaster. Watching some videos about how two-stroke engines work can give you good insights into how they run and how they are different from a car’s four-stroke engine. One of the big differences is that two-stroke engines don’t have an oil pan and they require oil to be mixed with the fuel. See The Basics for more details on chainsaw maintenance and operation.

Building Your Skills Without Injury

Just like any skill, felling trees takes time and experience to be comfortable doing it safely. This is why I started very small with a Sawzall to learn the basic cuts. I am also always trying to learn a better way from those who are more experienced than I am. However, even pros can get too comfortable and start cutting corners which can lead to injuries or fatalities. This is partly why I am always very aware of what I’m doing while running my saw. Accessing my limits throughout the day helps me make the call when to quit. We all are more likely to injure ourselves when exhausted. Every day you use a saw for felling, limbing, or bucking without injury is a victory. With each incremental victory, you build the confidence to know what’s within your abilities and where you need help.

I love the feeling of being able to steward our patch of forest and harvest firewood. That said I won’t attempt to drop trees that are hazardous to our house or outbuildings. In those instances, the arborists’ charge of $1,500 for one tree is cheap compared to the cost of rebuilding your roof or replacing a car. The bottom line is that sometimes “chainsaw safety” means not using your saw. The old analogy works here,

“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”