umam95•21d ago

My chainsaw threw a chain at 20 feet up a red oak in Ohio

I was trimming a big red oak in a client's backyard near Cincinnati last spring. Got about 20 feet up in the tree, and my saw threw the chain right off the bar. That loud snap and then silence while you're tied in is a special kind of panic. I had to come down, find the chain in the leaves below, and clean all the sap off before I could get it back on. Turns out I hadn't tightened the bar nuts enough after a quick sharpening. Took me 45 minutes to get back up and finish, and now I double check that tension before every climb. Anyone else had a chainsaw fail mid climb like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

verafoster21d ago

@finleycooper totally gets it. My worst one was forgetting to tighten my spurs before a climb. Felt like a complete idiot dangling there with one boot flopping around. Now I triple check everything before I even touch the bark.

finleycooper21d ago

It's always something stupid simple like not checking after a sharpening too. That panic when your tool goes silent in a bad spot is a real gut check, makes you realize how fast little habits can turn into big problems. Reminds me of how folks will skip checking their ladder locks or harness straps because they've done it a hundred times before. Everybody's got that one shortcut they think they can get away with until they can't.