Chainsaw Age Limit For Kids (Parents Guide)

The minimum required age is 16 to take any chainsaw courses at any institute. There is no minimum age limit to handle a chainsaw by-laws or store’s discretion. I have not found any reference in chainsaw literature too. In the USA, Uk & Canada, people start using chainsaws at 16-18.
The Author

You may be afraid of giving your kids because you probably watched movies where chainsaws are used for killing people and other dirty deeds.

But in real life, a chainsaw is used to cut wood, trees and logs.

When it comes to kids, the only concern that makes me afraid is that a chainsaw does not know the difference between your hand or that chunk of wood.

No matter how often you tell or try to explain to them, If they are too young, they might not grasp the danger and extent of the injury.

Maturity matters more than age when letting your kids operate a chainsaw.

Today, I’m going to talk about how you know when it is the best time your kids can learn or operate a chainsaw safely.

Plus, how to safely teach them to operate chainsaws at home with zero risk of injury.

The minimum age for operating a chainsaw

There is no minimum age limit to handle a chainsaw by-laws or store’s discretion.

I have not found any reference in chainsaw literature too.

But the minimum required age is 16 to take any chainsaw courses at any institute.

The UK’s age limit is 16-18, but there is no legislation to set the minimum age in the USA.

However, some rules dictate the below things.

Age 16 – can move out and buy some particular kitchen knives

Age 17 – Can use an air rifle

So, you can let them run a saw at 16-17.

However, I strongly recommend checking and ensuring a few things before allowing your kids to run a chainsaw.

All kids are different

Every kid has their personality. That’s why one kid is different from the other. Their psychology is more complex than adults.

Some kids love adventures. Some are careless.

They drive their cars at too much speed. They love to push things to the limit.

This makes me worry.

Just imagine what those adventure-loving kids can do if they get chainsaws(and other power tools).

If I am not wrong, they might start finding the largest tree they could cut down……(and, of course, without knowing the risks and safety equipment)

Tip: some kids have gifted skills. I know a 5-year-old kid who can ride a 90cc quads pretty well.

How Dangerous Is A Chainsaw For Juveniles?

Most parents have a misconception about chainsaws when letting their kids run them.

Yes, it is dangerous.

But not so dangerous that kids must need a professional degree just to operate it.

You have to understand that a chainsaw is a powerful tool…NOT weapons. It is not designed to kill people.

If the operator knows what he is operating, there is not much difference between buying and using a hammer, screwdriver, and chainsaw.

Anybody can buy a chainsaw like a kitchen knife.

On the other hand, an ax is a more dangerous tool that can be used as a weapon.

Even girls can cut wood like pros with proper supervision and safety equipment.

If you know the basic chainsaw FAQs, operating a chainsaw is as safe as any other power tool.

Tips: A small harmless tool can cause huge harm without proper knowledge and maturity. I know a guy who lost his thumb when he was a kid.

The accident happened when started cutting wood with a hand saw.

kid’s upbringing and exposure

Upbringing and exposure to surroundings play an important role in a kid’s maturity.

Kids born in a farmer or logger family will learn faster chainsaws and other power tools than a doctor’s kid if everything else is equal.

I have seen age does not affect a lot for kids(Both boys and girls) of a logging family.

They are familiar with saws and axes, just like normal kids are with their toys.

Tip: I know a 15-year-old teen who asked(and got) for Husky 455 as a birthday gift.

Needless to say, he knows what he asks and what it can do. He also owns a deer rifle, pump shotgun, and .22 semi-auto.

kid’s interest in chainsaw

Since every kid is different, you may find some kids extremely interested in running a chainsaw while some others have no interest in it.

The choice and interest differ from person to person.

If your kids are not interested in a chainsaw or any other power tool, there is no point in teaching them the safety manners and cutting methods.

Some kids find it interesting at a certain age.

I know a guy interested in learning chainsaws when he has to use one in a college forestry course. He got a Poulan 2150 from his parents later as a gift.

On the other hand, some kids are interested at a very early age. Some kids are quick learners too.

Tip: I got a 12-year kid interested in cutting with a chainsaw.

I gave him a half-hour safety lecture and seminar. He paid proper attention and caught everything pretty fast.

Then with Full PPE, I let him run Echo 315. After 4 hours of running, anybody could say, “chainsaw is his thing.”

Not every kid is a quick learner. There were some 13-14-year-old kids who fed rounds to him on a sawbuck.

when you should allow your kids

If your kid is mature enough to handle a tool with the care and proper respect it deserves, it is the right time to let him run a chainsaw on his own. Just check the below two things:-

Do they start slow?
Do they force it down the throat?

If the answer is “NO,” it is a positive sign that your kids may be mature.

You know your kids more than any other person on the earth.

Since you live with them, you know the basic things they can do safely. You can start from there by letting them learn to saw.

If you are not convinced yet, keep your kid as an observer. This helps to get maturity faster and easier.

Does Age matter?

Being mature enough to run a chainsaw needs to have a few traits and qualities.

I think age is the “LEAST” factor among them. The traits are:-

Responsible/Maturity
Strong (Physical strength)
Common sense
Integrity
Age

So, if your kids have the above traits, age would not be a problem for them.

Needless to say, they need proper training and PPE before they start cutting. Make sure they are under close supervision.

I know kids of 10-year-old who have the above traits more than some grown-up men(35+ years).

I will be scared to death if they tell me they would run chainsaws without any supervision.

If you want to know a certain age on average kids, I would say 14-15 to start operating under supervision and 16-17 to operate without supervision or help.

Kids under 14 can help you with projects such as building a firewood shed. Thus, they will learn a thing or two about chainsaws.

Tip: There is no strict rule that kids cannot operate chainsaws before 14. I have seen a 13-year-old boy owns a 42cc Poulan pro and a 15-year-old boy owns a stihl 044. These are exceptions.

At what age did earlier people start using chainsaws?

Starting

40-50 years ago, everybody started field word at 8-10.

They operated power tools and other equipment before they reached 10.

At those times, the chainsaw was very heavy. The weight of the smallest one was 37 lbs.

Tip: I found an old Craftsman 36″ bar chainsaw in the garage, which is 90lbs. My uncle operated on it at the age of 17.

training and safety equipment

There was not so much formal chainsaw training as there is today.

In most cases, parents would just tell the kids to be “CAREFUL,” and that’s it.

They used to work under the supervision of an adult(mostly a dad). They used to learn by trial and error.

In most cases, those kids did not face any big injury due to their maturity.

They used to experience stuck bars, hung trees, and pinched chains at an early age.

Those chainsaws also did not have many safety mechanisms.

The old Craftsman that I mentioned earlier has no sprocket cover, chain catcher, or chain brake.

The same goes for personal protection equipment(PPE). Most kids had no safety gear other than earmuffs.

Those who tried to wear proper PPE would wear an oversized Stihl helmet and leather steel-toed boots double the size/weight the kids needed.

They started using a chainsaw like a pro at 16-17.

Earlier, only logging or chainsaw businesses could own a chainsaw.

No normal person can buy it from a store like today. Kids started using chainsaws at 10-12 years.

Some used chainsaws to buck on sawbucks for firewood and became a pro at 14-15.

They used to become good with cross-cut and bow saws faster.

Chainsaw They Used

Stihl 021
Electric McCulloch
Homelite Super XL
Stihl 027

Kids With Casual Family Background: Learn From School

If you are not a professional logger or tree surgeon or use chainsaws to make money, your kids will need more time to learn to use chainsaws.

In most cases, the high school offers a forestry and construction program.

Your kid needs to be 16 to attend those programs at high school.

These programs are good at teaching safety, power tools, and heavy machinery operation.

Jim Buis, an Wood Shop Teacher at Middle and High School from Alton, IL, tells us how he teaches his students power tools and chainsaw.

6th-grade students

I teach 6th-grade students to use power tools. I teach each of them one by one about corded and cordless tools.

I teach them the below tools in 6th grade:-

Scroll saw(bench mounted reciprocating saw)
Cordless drill
Belt sander/disk sander

7th-grade students

Band saw and
Miter saw
Chop saw

9th-grade students

A radial arm saw.

10th-grade students

Table saw
Planer/joiner

At any point, if any student becomes hesitant toward cutting with one of the big saws, I do the cut for them.

Regarding chainsaws, I supervise them closely.

I would not let them run the saw without my supervision right beside them.

As they start learning a few things, I begin to loosen the supervision.

No matter how much they learn, I would not let them fall trees or do a big project without my close supervision.

Doing such tasks needs physical strength, so before 16, I don’t think they are ready for these.

I let a student run a chainsaw if he/she can meet the below requirements.

Pay close attention to learning
Practice and respect what they learn
Try To prove themselves to be skillful

Kids of Saw professionals: How to teach them at home

If you are in woodworking, sawmill activity, or use a chainsaw daily for any reason, there is a high possibility that your kids will learn to run a chainsaw easily.

It depends on the kid’s level of interest.

Even growing up in a woodworking family, some kids may have the slightest interest in chainsaws.

Teaching chainsaws to kids at home is not unsafe. The main problem is to convince the mother about safety.

There is an easy and quick solution available.

Let the kids run a small chainsaw under very TIGHT, controlled conditions.

Method – 1

Weld up a bench (for cutting up firewood)
Add a pivoting frame
Bolt the chainsaw into the frame

For added safety, you can use a restraint cord and wrist strap.

The kid cannot put his left hand into the blade with these.

Kids can go 1/2″ up or down(into a recess) with the bar. There is no possibility of kickback or moving sideways.

15 Tips For Teaching Kids

For gas saws, there is a rule – Do not let anyone use the saw until he can start it by himself.
Consider this a bad sign if your kids are desperate more on cutting than learning.
Some kids don’t want to learn until they get the saw in their hands. If your kids behave like this, re-evaluate the decision of teaching him (and NEVER hand over the saw to him at that moment)
For 9-10 old year kids, You can hold the handlebar and let your kid run the throttle and cut. This way, he may get a bit used to cutting.
PPE, such as helmets, gloves, boots, and chaps, is mandatory for kids.
Make sure your kid has eye/ear protection. Sometimes, it becomes hard to get a properly sized toe. Secondly, even if you get one, the problem will not be fixed forever. Kids grow in weeks; very soon, those toed steel boots will not fit.

Tip: You can use a scrap of 1/4″ plywood or use some chaps cut down to fit him/her.

Try to know the kid’s maturity along with age. The first part may be hard to know, but it is important to make a decision. Until then, let them help you with splitting and stacking (splitter, no ax!)

Tip: some kids start with a hand saw at 7.

Let your kids buck a log into firewood length at 11-12. Make sure you are standing beside them. Most parents do not feel comfortable letting them cut alone until they are 16-17
Even though some kids are matured, focused, and smart, they are very much the greenhorn with a saw
You can give your kids a small engine saw with a SHORT bar. The short bar will keep them away from cutting the ground. It also makes it easy to learn the good cutting technique. It also reduces the need for steel-toe boots.

Tip: A saw with a small bar is easy to control, but the chance of kickback is higher.

Don’t forget to teach them chain sharpening techniques. They will need them for sure.
If your kids have a tab or smartphone(which today all have), show them chainsaw learning videos on Youtube. Husqvarna has a lot of videos on chainsaw maintenance, felling, bucking, and limbing.
Make your kids feel comfortable when you correct their technique and safety issues
Before your kids mature for a chainsaw, do other tasks as a helper such as toting, loading or hauling wood, etc.
Never contradict your safety policy no matter how hasty your kids become to do something “BIGGER.”

Which Chainsaw is good for learning

I suggest the rear-handle Echo 3000 series to teach your kids to use chainsaws.

It is a slower-revving reed valve saw. For learning, slow saws work great. The benefits include:-

Learn new cutting techniques
Learn how wood hinges and binds
How chips discharge (or don’t) from the cut
Low chance of kickback
Less risk of harm to the operator

Tip: I recommend a 7″ log on a sawbuck or at arm’s length for their first live cutting.

Final Thought

A chainsaw is similar to a gun. You can never take action back in both tools once you pull the trigger.

So, once you decide to cut a thing, you start your saw and keep the bar on it; you cannot go back.