You need better chains. I get through at least 6 cheerleaders before I need to change them out. More if they’re small. 
(I’m going to hell)
Maybe buy a better chain?
Wear gloves, boots.
Do not attempt to stop chain with hands or genitals.
And please, please read up on kickback and how to avoid it.
Well, after you accidently chainsaw your hand off listening to these folks, you can graft the chainsaw to where the hand used to be. :eek:
Don’t cut anything over your head no matter how easy it looks. That is a quick way to big injury for an amateur. Don’t cut anything while you are standing on a ladder or other unstable surface. That is also extremely risky.
My practically special-needs 45 year old BIL broke both of these rules a few weeks ago. The family refused to let him borrow the chain saw because of his track-record but he found a way to get it anyway and took it home. Standing on a tall ladder in his backyard all alone, he reached above his head to cut a branch. IT WORKED! The branch fell and predictably knocked him off the ladder. Luckily the chain was stopped at that point but even a stopped chain does bad damage when it falls and slices your skin. He ended up with 14 stitches and people point out that he was pretty lucky for such an idiot.
Don’t do that stuff and always keep in mind that you are mere seconds away from a life-altering injury if you do stupid things.
Back when I bought my saw on McColloughs had chain brakes. I bought one for that reason.
I used it for years. Never a problem. About a year ago, I had a real live kickback.
:eek:
Holy crap. I was shocked at the violence of it.
Yes the chain brake worked, and no I did not get hit by the (then stopped) chain.
My suggestions?
Use both hands on the saw at all times.
Wear eye and hearing protection
Do not try and start the saw holding it in one hand.
Also a big difference in cutting the same type of tree between , green and growing, winter and not growing, one year seasoned, and old and really dry and hard, old dry and rotten.
When your arms are tied enought to tremble, it is time to rest.
Thanks for all your help, it was unquestionably the chain in the dirt issue, I have had a very sucessful and safe wood day (thanks for your saftey tips - but I knew them already).
Huh? Left hand holds saw by the handle that sort of wraps around the engine. Right hand pulls cord.
There’s the drop start, where you hold the saw in the left hand up in the air and drop/push it down while pulling the cord. You can start the saw without putting it on the ground or bending over. I learned how to do that early on, but it is much more prone to having the bar swing back.
Or, you can place the saw on the ground and step on the handle, pushing the saw down with your left handle on the cross bar. That’s much safer.
Gotcha. Don’t think I could get one of my boots in the handle though. And as often as not, I would be on the side of a hill. That’s just not going to work. And likely to get a bunch of dirt on the chain. I’ll stick to the one handed pull.