What age do you start teaching kids to use saw?

My 12 year olds is wanting me to teach him to use the chain saw. I am inclined to start, but my father in law thinks this is still to young. He is responsible and I would always be with him. I am planning on having him start by bucking logs. What are your thoughts.

 

I think 12 is a little young to run any saw that is powered. It all depends on the kid though. I don't think I started running a chainsaw until 14 or 15.

 

My son is 14, with the size and strength of a grown man (5’10”, 175 lbs), but I still haven’t let him run a saw. My father didn’t let me until I was at least 16. I think part of it’s having respect for the saw, and being careful and aware of your surroundings, part of its knowing what to do if it kicks back or binds, or you slip on wet ground. Pretty easy to get hurt cutting wood, even for full grown seasoned cutters. Personally I think 16 is a good starting age. In the meantime teach him to sharpen chains, mix oil with gas for a 2 stroke, clean out the bar rail, blow out the air filter, and other general maintenance. Show him what to do in hairy situations, have him pick up rounds, etc. By the time he’s 16 he’ll be ready

 

I agree with this

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I dont think there is a magic age to start. If you think he is ready then give it a shot. If the kid is strong and alert i dont see why not. If you dont like what you see or he is not grasping the concept then discontinue and try when her is older.

I would let my daughter start there if she had the physical strenth. Dont hand them a 372 or something but maybe a small saw with 3/8 LP chain.

Id have to go through teaching them to read the wood being cut. Compression and tension. How and where to stand safely. And all that of course.

 

Age really doesn't mean as much as maturity contrary to what we're accustomed to with driving,voting etc. I know they have to draw the line somewhere but in many situations it depends entirely on the person.
12 is likely too young. I have a grandson who is 13 and 5'10" or so. Would I let him run a saw? I doubt it.He's very careful and attentive to what he does but there are so many things in sawing which can go wrong.
I know you have to get experience sometime but I'd sure hate it if he got hurt on my watch. When someone starts,they should have on all the PPE they can get.The rest of us should,too.

 

Driving age, and demonstrating safety and the ability to follow directions without you standing over him. How mature a kid is varies greatly. It is so easy to get seriously injured or worse. It is a wonder many of us made it to maturity. When I started, I bought a small saw and just went at it. There wasn't anyone around to teach me anything and no youtube. I was efficient with table saws and other cutting tools.

 

Not exactly the same but my Dad was an aircraft mechanic and woodworker, before I reached ten we built a mini bike and I could run most tools in the shop. We did an engine swap in a car he bought to rebuild. Anything he did in front of me he had me do so I could learn and have a healthy respect for the equipment.

He was VERY thorough in the safety aspect and why guards were in place, what would/could happen if things went wrong.

Yes I can remember a few oop's moments but I survived. Dad spent many years on a dairy farm growing up, 1940's he was driving the milk truck, farm equipment at 12 years old. I remember him telling the story, on chicken night they would send him out to the coup to pick a chicken out, kill it and bring it in for dinner.

I try to do the same with kids grandkids, yes everything is different now but its not.

Grandson I think he was 8, wanted a pine wood derby car for scouts, he built it not me. It looked like it when it was done but he cut, drilled sanded and painted it.
He used the bandsaw, drill press and spindle sander. Bandsaw blade broke scared the bejeezus out of him, took a little, well a lot of encouragement to get him to finish the project.

 

P.S. if they get to old they will be too smart to listen and learn........................fine balance here

 

Well I was given a Homelite XL for my 8th birthday. I had already been playing with trash find saws on my own for a while. Rural life was different then I guess. Start them young while they will still listen to you and mentor them.

 

My boy was about 13-14. Lot has changed since these pics. We always wear ppe and have for a long while now.


I got him interested by fixin' a couple saws. Great times I will cherish forever.

But to answer the question, every kid is different so I don't think there is a number to assign.

 

I think kids who have been raised around firewood/logging activitys are ready to run a small saw at age 12-13. I find large agreement in that most are more trainable at that age rather than 17 when they already have the "Billy badazz" teenager attitude. Yes things were different in the 70s and 80s, I was running small saws by age 11 and a pioneer p61 by 14. Kids who are raised on a farm or ranch are often very capable

 

Can't agree more with everybody else. Age is just a number, means little to nothing. Is he mature, responsible, pays attention and ready? Chainsaw is a thing where the potential consequences of a screwup/momentary slip, are pretty damm high and long lasting. I worked as a professional woodworker running industrial tablesaws, bandsaws, shapers, jointers etc for over ten years, then still cut off a thumb being complacent and stupid.
At 16 my son is just asking to learn now. Asked him if he wanted to try two years ago, with a very small saw and he did, but it had my blood pressure squirting blood outa my eyes, too much stress for me. Too much experience with how split second fast accidents happen. I've seen too many people have their lives changed forever or ended, it's made me the consummate overprotective father.

 

I started about 16 with saws. We have a family cabin and my dad died when I was 14, I only made it up to camp a few times before I could drive myself at 16. Then, when I could go anytime, then the wood piles diminished and I needed to cut and split to keep having fires inside (not the only form of heat thankfully, just ambiance of being at "The Cabin"). After blowing the dust off of the saws, it was a learning curve figuring out how to service and keep them running but got it done.

Now, bigger saws and more toys to keep me busy and tinkering, but still love going to camp, no phone or internet... just peace and quiet away from the daily hustle.

 

Really depends on kid, I am much more inclined to teach when they want to learn. Trying to teach a 16 yo boy anything is challenging.. you will hear “I know “. A lot. A big saw felling ... no but starting with small saw blocking why not?

 

My daughter is 7 and is already learning to weld and loves it.
Now she’s wanting to learn to run a saw.

 

it definitely depends on the kid. I'm sure I would have been perfectly capable at 12, while I'd just be on the phone with 911 telling them to wait for it with my 16yo step daughter who is more than physically capable of handling a saw.

 

My dad let me run a saw for the first time at age 12. I thought that was cool as I graduated from throwing the wood he cut into the trailer to actually cutting some myself.

Wasn’t long after that he let me drive the tractor and trailer (old Avery tricycle tractor) while he stood on the trailer tongue to keep it from coming off the ball instead of the other way around. Old tractor, even older trailer.

Both of those things would probably be considered child endangerment by some standards today, but I lived.

 

I started my son shooting @5 with a BB gun and real guns soon after. Killed his first pig with a spear at 7. Hunting on his own at about 12. Driving the gator when he could reach the pedals. So I don't think I'm overprotective, but I waited until he was 17 before I started him on a chainsaw.

 

I think I was 6. teen


Jokes aside, I believe 12-13 is when I first ran the smaller of dads saws. Lots of watching learning and instructions. If I messed up I got a talking to, and some more time to watch and learn. Biggest thing I learned was know where the tip is, don't cut with it.