You ‘re new to using a chainsaw? Have you heard of the “chainsaw kickback” word and wondered what that means? Want to learn how to avoid a kickback injury? If so, you are in the right place.
I’ve put together this article to give you all the details you need to use your chainsaw as efficiently as possible. So continue reading to find out what chainsaw kickback is and how to defend yourself from it. See also our recommendations on the best chainsaw, best chainsaw sharpeners, best chainsaw gloves, and the gas-powered chainsaws.
What is chainsaw Kickback?
The word kickback describes the sudden motion towards upward of a chainsaw’s guide bar.
It depends on you how you use it, but using it is easy. The sudden upward motion in the chainsaw is the cause of the accident that usually happens if you do not use the kickback correctly and with full safety.
Chainsaw kickback is the expression used to describe the jolt by the chainsaw in an upward direction. It is among the most common causes of accidents involving chainsaws and is potentially dangerous. When the chainsaw chooses to bite back, there is nothing you can do; it is essential to know how it can happen and the best way to prepare.
Kickback is usually generated when the chain gets snagged. The energy from the motor remains to supply power, and because of this, based on the law of physics, each action produces an equal and opposite reaction, thus causing the kickback in this case. It means that the more hardly the chainsaw is stuck, the more violent the kickback will be.
Key terms related to chainsaw
1. Ballistic: A unique Substance used in protection devices designed to reduce the chance of penetration from string contact.
2. Binding: Closing the cut or shifting of the wood, possibly trapping the saw blade in the wound. Binding includes pinching
3. Chain Catcher: A projection made to decrease the probability of the operator’s right hand by being hit during cutting by a chain, which gets damaged or subtracts edge.
4. Chain Tensioner: It is the tool that allows precise adjustment of the chain tension.
5. Follow Through: Following a cut is completed by the chain saw and is supported from the wood, a chain saw may continue on its path and hit the legs, body, or feet of the operator.
6.Front Hand Guard: This tool reduces the threat of injury of the operator from projecting branches and saw-chain contact. The operator loses his grip from the upper portion of the handle.
7. Guide Bar: It is the grooved bar that helps and guides the saw chain
8. Kerf: It is the grooved cut produced by the saw chain cutters.
9. Kickback: The term describing rotational and linear kickback saw. When used exclusively in this guide, the term “kickback” refers to rotational kickback. To prevent payment, maintain the bar nose correctly coated with the Kick GuardTM apparatus that is discretionary. If the floor or an object touches if the Kick Guard device that is discretionary is absent, kickback can happen.
10. Rotational Kickback: The violent reaction can happen when the chain at the above section of the nose is quickly stopped or impeded, thereby severely driving the bar nose in an upward arc toward the operator.
What is chainsaw kickback danger zone
The tip of this chainsaw guide bar is the reference to the “kickback danger zone.” When it touches a branch or a log, there is a threat of a sudden guide bar tip-kickback reaction. The newest chainsaws come with many features to reduce this kickback. The series brake located on the front left-hand guard is one way to decrease a chainsaw’s payment.
Newer chainsaws have reduced kickback chains and guide bars. You need to assemble the chainsaw and make sure all components are regularly working to assure the protection of the saw and yourself. We recommend you use a kickback chain and guide bar unless you have specialized training to manage chainsaw kickbacks.
What causes chainsaw kickback
In general, three situations cause chainsaw kickback.
The Chainsaw Kickback Zone
The kickback danger zone is the top of the chainsaw bar. The reason is the chainsaw tip is the portion of the chainsaw, which may cause a kickback. It is advisable to don’t ever use this part of the chainsaw bar to cut since that region of the chainsaw has the highest kickback risk. If you do, you will significantly increase the chances of experiencing kickback occurrences. If the tip of the chainsaw pub touches an object, such as a log or a branch, it is highly likely that the kickback reaction will occur. That is true even if you have one of the best-rated chainsaw models.
The Wood Pinched the Chain
If you are casting along with a chainsaw and the timber closes around the chain tightly, it can give rise to a chainsaw kickback to occur. Thus, it is always best to make a strategy before you cut on a log or tree trunk so that it does not pinch the chains. As a chainsaw user, your instincts might tell all the way to cut through the back of a tree branch in one cut. However, that may be harmful due to the prospect of the chain getting pinched throughout the cut. You will want to perform NOT one, two cuts, to remain safe while using your chainsaw.
Other Factors That Contribute to Chainsaw Kickback
There are few features that could raise the chance of occurrence of kickback, even though it leads to chainsaw kickbacks. Those include
- Not perfectly maintained Chainsaws.
- Cutting with a dull chain.
- The tension on the chain being overly loose.
- Incorrectly installed chain parts.
- Chain parts that are broken bent or broken.
- Incorrectly sharpened string-cutting angles. (Always use a high-quality chainsaw sharpener because of this.)
- Chain thickness gauge settings that are excessive.
- Chain thickness gauge shapes that are wrong.
- Rivets that are loose.
If it comes to chainsaw kickback, one or a number of those factors may play an important role. Keep your chainsaw and inspect it thoroughly before each use for any possible difficulties or defects. Additionally, as the dimensions of the nose of the manual bar gets bigger, the potential for kickback increases. Thus, you should be cautious when operating a chainsaw that is longer like an 18-inch chainsaw model.
How to avoid chainsaw kickback
There are many different things to reduce the risk of kickback; you can minimize the frequency.
Read the manual
It should be the primary port of call, mainly if you are not very experienced with chainsaws. Your guide will offer all the essential info about how best to use your chainsaw safely and adequately.
Ensure that the chain brake works before you start.
The chain brake is the most crucial component of a chainsaw. By applying a curb, it’s intended to block the chainsaw chain. You can use it when you are changing position without turning off the whole chainsaw, but it is also a valuable element for a kickback. The chain restraint can initiate under kickback circumstances, which may mitigate injuries.
Use low-kickback chains
Chainsaw chains are better for a kickback. It is essential to decide on the best chain for your needs. As they are designed to incur kickback, semi-chisel chains or low profile chains are best for beginner chainsaw users. A full chisel series has square-cornered cutting teeth, which cut through wood faster and have a higher chance of kickback.
Use a sharp chain
As stated above, a broken string can lead to kick back, as the teeth will not be capable of cutting within the wood, which will create the chain to get stuck and generate kickback.
Be wary when felling tree trunks.
If the nose of the chainsaw strikes a log or some hidden branch, you will be in danger of kickback. As the threat can be more significant, Because of this, when limbing any trees, it is imperative to be attentive. It also places importance on how you are standing; if you are using a ladder, you must be sure it’s stable as a barbarous kickback could affect your balance.
Be attentive to the nose of your chainsaw bar.
It would help if you were sure you were preventing the kickback zone when you are cutting and be sure to use the blade’s correct region, as mentioned previously. Your producer’s manual will have the information bespoke.
Several ways to reduce chainsaw kickback
1. Before using a new chainsaw, please make sure to read the directions in their entirety. Do not assume that every chainsaw works the same. Educate yourself on the method of taking care.
2. Always be attentive and quick when using the chainsaw. Never use a chainsaw in case you are feeling exhausted.
3. Double-check the chain brake on your saw works before you begin cutting. It is the “chainsaw kickback zone.”
4. Be overly careful when removing tree branches. If the nose pub strikes anything, including stumps or logs, it might cause the chainsaw to kickback. You have control over the tool and may not be able to prevent a sudden blade thrust.
5. You have less power over the tool and may not be able to prevent a sudden backward thrust of the blade.
6. When felling a tree, always use the pub’s base side to make your cuts. Never cut with the surface of the bar.
7. When felling a tree or crosscutting timber, consider boring the foundation of the chainsaw to the back or log. Most chainsaws include bucking spikes to help reestablish the tool and prevent sudden kickbacks.
8. Always remember where the nose of your chainsaw is, and position way.
What is the Anti-kickback chain?
Chainsaw Kickback is prevalent and dangerous. Some extra chains are designed with low force and easy to handle and reduce the accident. This type of kickback chain is known as the anti-kickback chain or low kickback chain.
These anti-kickback chains work by setting a boundary for the measure of wood fiber that can be snared as the working corner adjusts the upper portion of the bar (for example, the kickback zone).
This constraint is practiced by adding additional metal to the tie lashes between the cutting teeth.
There are different ways that the anti-kickback chains decrease the chances of kickback that incorporate having drive joins with worked in guards and sloped profundity measures, which avoid the fiber somewhat as the chain goes through the kickback zone.
Your cutting tool or chainsaw comes with some advanced features that reduce the chances of kickback occurring.
Find the key features mentioned below-
1. The chain brake is the primary and most useful feature that is very important for managing the speed and reducing the accident. It helps to stop the spin while kickback is happening.
2. Front handguard- It is one of the most important and essential parts to protect your hands from an accident. The most dangerous thing happens while using a chainsaw or cutting tool because the hands are in danger. For protecting this theme, the front handguard is the best feature.
3. Tip watch introduced on the front of the cutting apparatus bar to keep you from utilizing that region to cut wood.
Find about chainsaw kickback guard and know how to use it-
As we all know, it is imperative to understand each machine and power tools’ safety guidelines. Here are some instructions for chainsaw kickback-
1. Perform only those cuts for which you have trained– If you know how to use the chainsaw kickback for cutting the material, then use it. If you do not have any experience or knowledge of using it, then take help from the expertise and right person who knows every technique of using it.
2. Keep your eyes on a saw and see it with complete focus- As we all know, the users who use the chainsaw kickback for cutting the material can do it with full attention. For a second, they get distracted from their path, and then the cutting position can be changed.
For reducing the accident, it is very crucial to keep your eyes on a saw and do the proper work with full attention.
3. Be material-minded- Kickback frequently happens when the nose of a cutting apparatus gets squeezed during a cut. For instance, if a log or barricade is propped off the ground, a basic down-slice straight through the material will make the material incline toward the kerf part of the way through the cut, squeezing the nose of the cutting apparatus. When cutting material is raised, the down-cut should just have proceeded with somewhat less than part of the way through. At that point, an up-cut from the base should finish the cut, permitting the two parts to fall without squeezing the saw and taking a chance with a mishap.
4. Understand it properly and use all the available safety features- Chainsaw is available in different types with some advanced features. You can choose as per your requirement. The safety features are also available in the chainsaw, which is used to protect yourself from accidents. For the best result, people always prefer to buy the anti-kickback chain.
5. Use chainsaw very carefully- Use chainsaw tools very carefully and reduce the chances of an accident.
6. Safety helmet- Always wear a safety helmet while using this cutting tool. It protects your head from any type of damages. It also protects your head from flying debris.
7. Wear protective glasses- It is a very necessary and essential thing to wear while using any type of cutting tool. As we all know that eyes are the most sensitive part of the body. It is essential to protect them from any type of damage. The best way to protect the eyes is to wear eyeglasses.
8. Ear protection- Chain sawing is exceptionally noisy and surpasses security suggestions for clamor. Hearing security ought to be worn to ensure against hearing misfortune consistently.
9. Across the board helmets- Across the board, head protectors are accessible that incorporate hearing assurance, eye/face security, and a hardhat. An enjoyable approach to keep it across the board place.
10. Gloves- Gloves will shield the hands from flotsam and jetsam and injury if a chain breaks or slips. Similarly, as significantly, gloves will help keep up a decent hold on the cutting apparatus.
11. Cutting tool chaps- Wellbeing apparel for chainsawing is made out of a similar material as slug evidence vests. Yet, as opposed to being woven to ensure against the effect of a projectile, they are woven with long filaments that quandary up a cutting apparatus chain when reached. Cutting a leg when completing a cut is likely the most widely recognized sort of cutting tool injury, and that is why a decent pair of defensive chaps is significant. Cutting tool coats are additionally accessible.
12. Overwhelming boots- Extreme work boots are an unquestionable requirement for chainsawing since things will, in general, drop all the while. Steel-toed boots generally give excellent security. Boots will likewise ensure a client’s feet if control of the cutting tool is lost, and it is dropped.
13. Felling Wedges- Felling wedges are a chainsaw’s closest companion when cutting trees down. Felling wedges prop up the cut side of trees while the opposite side is being cut, so the tree does not fall before being sawed or fall off course. Regardless of whether the feller is not in the way of the falling tree, the whole wood can part and cause injury. Felling wedges are imperative for cutting trees down securely.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)-
1. How should you reduce the kickback chain and bar?
There is no one type that works on all saws. Different saws use various reduced kickback bars and chains.
2. How can I reduce kickback chains look?
Many times reduced kickbacks chain can be identified by what appears extra riders between the cutter teeth.
3. Does reduced kickback chains perform perfectly?
The answer to this is yes. Reduced kickback chains are the smoothest cutting saw chains that you could have ever run. If properly sharpened, they will cut as fast as a professional saw chain.
4. Explain how a reduced kickback guide bar looks and tell how it performs?
A reduced kickback bar works just like any other guide bar. A saw fitted with a reduced kickback works efficiently.
General guidelines:
- Properly follow directions and wellbeing rules in the cutting apparatus’ client manual.
- Cutting apparatuses ought to consistently be conveyed with their engines halted.
- Completely clear work regions before starting to cut.
- When felling trees, in every case clear the work territory and the retreat way around the tree before cutting.
- Be certain that observers are far enough away before starting.
- Clean the saw altogether before use, making a point to wipe away oil and some other fluid from the hold bars.
- Utilize practical insight.
Conclusion.
We have tried our best to offer you all the knowledge about Chainsaw kickback and have explained each point in depth.
Kickback can happen anytime and with a split of a few seconds. Chainsaw kickback is a common type of chainsaw injury people face. Therefore, it is safe while operating your tool.
We hope this blog has answered all of your queries about what is chainsaw kickback, what causes chainsaw kickback, and the ways to use it.