Drop start

[bandmiller2]

How many put the saw on the ground ,step in the handle ,to start.??Most of the people I've seen that use saws for a living just drop the saw as they pull the rope up.Is it as dangerous as the manuf. would lead you to believe.??I've always drop started and are none the worse for wear.Frank C.

[Jeff]

That's the way I always used to do it (drop start). Could never get my boot in the handle to start it the other way.  Kevin cured me of the drop start method by showing me how to tuck the saw between by knees and pull starting it. Drop starting was killing my decrepit shoulders, and the method Kevin showed me is low impact and works well for me.

[Ed]

Depends on the saw.
A warm saw or one that fires up quick will get drop started, otherwise I'll set the saw on the ground. My feet are obviously smaller than Jeffs, I can put one in the handle. 

Ed

[Kevin]

There may have been accidents which caused the manufacturers to advise against drop starting, the bar usually gets tipped towards the left leg and the potential is there to have your leg cut when the saw starts.
Using the brake would reduce the hazard .
The safety groups advise against it.
My larger saws get started on the ground when cold, either with a knee on top of the saw or a boot on the handle.
Once warm the start easily locked between the legs as Jeff mentioned.

[John Mc]

I use the between the knees method Jeff mentioned. Actually, for me the rear handle area gets tucked under the inside/back of my right thigh with my right leg bent a bit at the knee, and held in place with the front of my left thigh. Left hand on the front handle, right hand pulls the starter cord. This makes a bit of "offset"... so if it's stiff or jams, it just pulls up against my right thigh, rather than other, more painful places.

This works for me for all but the most stubborn cases... for those, the saw gets put on the ground.

John Mc

[sprucebunny]

Maybe my smaller saws have smaller handles but my steel toe boots don't fit in them, so it's drop start for me.

The knee thing is awkward and awkward seems dangerous.( This might be because I'm shorter)
If I have a real problem getting a saw going, a piece of board thru the handle and stand on that works sometimes.

[Maineloggerkid]

When my saw is warm, I drop start it. When it is cold, I sometimes use the leg lock. With the chain brake on, I don't see too much danger in the drop start method.

[John Mc]

Maybe my smaller saws have smaller handles but my steel toe boots don't fit in them, so it's drop start for me.

My boots don't fit either... though some saws have a wide spot on the handle that I can step on if I'm standing on the clutch side of the saw.

The knee thing is awkward and awkward seems dangerous.( This might be because I'm shorter)
If I have a real problem getting a saw going, a piece of board thru the handle and stand on that works sometimes.

The knee thing is taught by various chainsaw safety courses, such as the "Game of Logging". Once you get used to it, it's pretty secure.

That board through the handle idea is a good one. One of those things I wonder why I never thought of.

[beenthere]

Drop start for me.

Drop start is easiest for me, and uses both arms to separate the saw from the starter rope handle.  i.e. less individual arm movement.
 
I use the toe in the handle when I am at the 'game-of'logging' class

[chevytaHOE5674]

When the saw's are cold I start them on the ground and let them warm up. Once warm I put the rear handle between the legs and start that way.

Watched a guy saw into his left leg while walking and doing a drop start. That was the end of drop starting for me.

Be safe.

[beenthere]

Walking while drop starting will add a new dimension to the game. 
 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I say walking, but it was more like just one step forward...start.... 10 steps to the truck and the hospital.

[ErikC]

  I drop start a lot, but with bigger saws would rather rest the bar on a log or stump. I think outright drop starting is kinda hard on the recoil. Especially when warm, one pull and off you go. I also use the brake most of the time.  As far as "approved methods" I prefer the between the knees hold to putting the saw on the ground with my foot in the handle.

[bandmiller2]

Anyone got a picture of that leg lock thing,all i can think of is the handle sliding up my leg with evil intentions.Frank C.

[Maineloggerkid]

^^^^^^^ Been known to happen, hehe.

One downfall to that start method.

[GASoline71]

Dropstart every saw I have ever run... with one exception... my Homelite 770G.

When I ran an 076 with a 41 inch bar way back when... I would just rest the bar on a stump or a log, and drop start it.

Gary

[beenthere]

Bandmiller
How often that happens depends on how fast a learner one is.   

[Al_Smith]

Behind the knee is a good way for a midsize saw .Bumblebees start easy on a drop .A large saw with a long bar is next to impossible to drop safely .

[OneWithWood]

For the first start of the day I place the saw on the ground and hold it with my foot.  Every start after that I hold it with my knees.  Holding it between your legs is actually quite confortable and stable.  The only drawback is when I am starting one of the saws without a compression release (038 and 440) and the pull handle gets ripped out of my hands when it coughs and doesn't start (rare but it happens).  That hard rubber handle can really hurt when it bounces off your jewelry 

[GASoline71]

The only drawback is when I am starting one of the saws without a compression release (038 and 440) and the pull handle gets ripped out of my hands when it coughs and doesn't start (rare but it happens).  That hard rubber handle can really hurt when it bounces off your jewelry 

Bring the saw up on the compression stroke, and then pull... you will find that it makes non-compression release saws a lot easier to start without the "kick" when it misses.

Gary