Chainsaw Safety Guide: PPE, Kickback and Safe Cutting

Know where the kickback zone is and keep it out of the wood. Kickback is the sudden upward and backward rotation of the saw that happens when the moving chain at the upper quarter of the bar tip touches a log, branch or the ground. Owner manuals from Husqvarna, ECHO and EGO all describe the same zone, and it happens faster than anyone can react, which is why the rest of the rules exist: protective gear for when something goes wrong, a working chain brake to stop the chain, and cutting habits that keep the tip clear.

The second rule is that you are not the only hazard. A log that rolls, a limb under tension that springs free, or a tree that sits back on the bar can hurt you even when the saw is under perfect control. Reading the wood before you cut is as much a safety skill as handling the saw.

• Wear chaps, helmet with face screen, hearing protection, eye protection, gloves and boots every time the saw runs.
• Hold the saw with both hands, thumb wrapped under the front handle, and never cut above shoulder height.
• Engage the chain brake whenever you take a step, start the saw or set it down.
• Never work alone: keep a phone and a first aid kit nearby and have someone within calling distance.

OSHA's logging standard (29 CFR 1910.266) requires chainsaw operators to wear cut-resistant leg protection, protective footwear, head protection and eye or face protection. Homeowners are not covered by that rule, but it is the best benchmark available, and every item below carries a standard you can check on the label.

A running chain pulls or pushes the saw depending on which part of the bar meets the wood. Owner manuals describe three reactive forces, and knowing which one you are setting up is how you prevent it.

Start the saw on the ground or locked between your legs, never by drop starting it: letting go of the saw with one hand while pulling the cord leaves a running chain with nothing holding the handle. The two methods in most manuals are:

• Ground start: set the saw on firm, level ground clear of debris with the chain brake engaged, put your right boot through the rear handle, press down on the front handle with your left hand, and pull the starter cord with your right.
• Leg lock start: grip the rear handle between your knees, hold the front handle with your left hand, brake engaged, and pull with the right. This suits uneven ground where the saw will not sit flat.

Before starting, walk at least 10 feet from where you refueled, as Husqvarna and ECHO manuals direct, and check that the bar and chain are not touching anything. Keep the chain brake on until you are in position to cut. Battery saws such as the EGO Power+ CS1815 18 in. Chainsaw Kit with 6.0Ah Battery and Greenworks 80V 18 in. Chainsaw Kit with 4.0Ah Battery have no pull start, but the chain moves the instant you press the trigger, so the same positioning applies: two hands, stable footing, bar clear.

Stand with your feet apart and your weight balanced, slightly to the left of the saw so your body is out of the line of the bar if it kicks back. Your right hand holds the rear handle and throttle; your left hand holds the front handle with the thumb wrapped underneath, not laid alongside the fingers. A wrapped thumb is what lets your arm resist a kickback and lets your wrist roll into the front hand guard to trip the chain brake.

• Keep your left arm straight. A locked elbow pushes the saw away from your head if it kicks.
• Cut at waist height or below, and never above shoulder height, where you cannot control a kickback and the saw is close to your face.
• Never cut from a ladder or while reaching. Pruning overhead limbs is a job for a pole saw, which keeps you on the ground and out from under the cut.
• Let the saw do the work. A sharp chain pulls itself through the wood with light pressure. Forcing a dull chain is when saws slip and bind.
• Carry the saw with the engine off or the chain brake on, bar pointing behind you and the muffler away from your body, with a scabbard on the bar for longer walks.

Limbing is removing branches from a tree that is already on the ground. Bucking is cutting the trunk or large limbs into shorter lengths, such as firewood rounds. Each has its own hazards.

When limbing, work from the uphill side and keep the trunk between you and the saw where possible. Cut branches on the far side of the trunk from the near side, so the bar never comes back toward your legs. Leave the branches that support the trunk until last, because cutting them lets the log settle or roll. Watch for limbs bent under the weight of the trunk: they store energy and can spring toward you when cut.

When bucking, stand uphill of the log, clear the ground where the bar exits so the chain does not hit dirt or rock, and cut rounds to the length your stove needs before you reach for the splitter. Rounds about 3 inches shorter than the firebox depth load easily; most owners cut 16 inch rounds. For splitting what you buck, see how to split firewood.

Wood under load has a compression side, where the fibers are squeezed and the kerf closes on the bar, and a tension side, where the fibers are stretched and the kerf opens. Cut the compression side first, only about a third of the way, then finish from the tension side so the kerf opens away from the chain.

Bucking and limbing wood that is already on the ground is reasonable homeowner work with the right gear. Felling standing trees is where experience matters most, and some situations are for a certified arborist every time:

• Large trees: any trunk wider than your bar, or tall enough to reach a house, fence, driveway, road or neighbor's property.
• Leaning trees: a lean loads the trunk so it can split upward (a barber chair) when cut, throwing the butt back toward the operator.
• Storm-damaged trees: snapped tops, hanging limbs, trees resting on other trees and uprooted root plates all hold tension that is hard to read. Hanging dead limbs overhead can fall on anyone working below.
• Anything near power lines: stay at least 10 feet away, as OSHA requires for unqualified workers, and call the utility, which handles trees in contact with lines.
• Anything that requires climbing or cutting from a ladder.

Look for an ISA Certified Arborist with liability insurance. For typical removal prices, HouseProjectCalc has cost estimates.

A poorly maintained saw is a more dangerous saw. Four checks belong before every session:

• Chain sharpness. A sharp chain throws coarse chips; a dull chain makes fine dust, needs pushing, smokes and pulls to one side, and pushing is when operators lose control. A few file strokes per cutter after a tank of fuel keeps the chain cutting. The Oregon Universal Chainsaw Field Sharpening Kit, 7 Piece includes round files, a flat file and a guide, and the Oregon 12V Sure Sharp Electric Chain Sharpener sharpens from a vehicle battery in the field. Do not file the depth gauges lower than the chain maker specifies, because low depth gauges increase kickback.
• Chain tension. Check it cold with the engine off and gloves on. The chain should sit snug against the underside of the bar but still pull around by hand with the brake released. A loose chain can jump off the bar. Chains stretch as they warm, so retension during work, and if you tightened a hot chain, loosen it slightly before storage as many manuals direct.
• Chain brake. Test it as your manual describes, usually by rolling your left wrist into the front hand guard with the saw running on a clear surface: the chain should stop at once. A brake that does not stop the chain means the saw goes to a dealer before it cuts again.
• Bar oil. Fill the oil reservoir every time you fuel. A bar running dry heats, stretches the chain and wears the bar rail. A tacky oil such as Husqvarna X-Guard All Season Bar and Chain Oil, 1 Gallon reduces sling. To confirm the oiler works, hold the bar tip over a light surface and run the saw briefly: a line of oil should appear.

Also check that the chain catcher is present, the stop switch works, the throttle lockout returns, and the spark arrestor screen is clean.

Refuel only with the engine off and cooled for a few minutes, on bare ground away from dry leaves and away from anything that sparks. Wipe up spills before starting, and walk at least 10 feet from the fueling spot before pulling the cord. Never smoke while fueling.

Most gas chainsaws are 2-stroke engines that need oil mixed into the fuel at the ratio in the manual, commonly 50:1. Measure it: premeasured bottles like ECHO Power Blend Gold 50:1 2-Stroke Oil, 6 Pack mix one gallon each, and ethanol-free premix like VP Racing SEF 50:1 Ethanol-Free Premix Fuel, Quart 3 Pack removes mixing errors and resists going stale. The two-cycle mix ratio calculator works out ounces for any can size. Store fuel in an approved container, not a milk jug or open can, away from pilot lights and living spaces.

Battery saws skip fuel, but not the rules: remove the battery before touching the chain, clearing a jam or adjusting tension, and charge batteries on a nonflammable surface as the maker directs. For the trade-offs, see gas vs battery chainsaws.

The safest saw is the smallest one that handles your wood, because weight and bar length are what tire arms and make kickback harder to control. For pruning, storm limbs and occasional firewood up to 12 inches, a 16 inch battery saw such as the EGO Power+ CS1613 16 in. Chainsaw Kit with 4.0Ah Battery or a light gas saw such as the Husqvarna 120 Mark III 16 in. Gas Chainsaw is plenty. For regular firewood up to 16 inches, an 18 inch saw like the EGO Power+ CS1815 18 in. Chainsaw Kit with 6.0Ah Battery or Husqvarna 440 18 in. Gas Chainsaw is the usual choice. A 20 inch saw like the Husqvarna 450 Rancher 20 in. Gas Chainsaw ($354.99) makes sense only if you cut larger hardwood often and have experience.

Battery saws remove pull starting, fuel handling and idling chain, which many first-time owners appreciate, and they are quieter, though hearing protection still applies. Compare models in the best chainsaws and the best battery chainsaws.