Anti-vibration system

Updated 2026-08-24 · Read this page as Markdown

The set of rubber buffers or steel springs that separate the engine unit from the handles, reducing the vibration transmitted to the operator's hands. Its effectiveness is what the declared front and rear handle vibration figures measure.

Anti-vibration mounts exist to prevent hand-arm vibration syndrome, a permanent condition, so they are a health control and not a comfort feature. They are consumable: rubber hardens and cracks with heat, fuel and ultraviolet light, and worn mounts also let the handle move sloppily relative to the engine, which you can feel as vague control. Inspect them for splits and excessive play at every major service, and replace them as a set. Keeping the chain sharp does as much for vibration exposure as any mount, because a sharp chain pulls itself into the wood instead of chattering.

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Related terms

Chain brake A safety device that stops the chain almost instantly by clamping a steel band around the clutch drum. It is triggered either by pushing the front hand guard forward or, on inertia-activated saws, automatically by the sudden rotation of a kickback. Chainsaw chaps and PPE The personal protective equipment worn for chainsaw work: cut-resistant leg protection (chaps or trousers), a helmet with face screen and ear defenders, gloves and steel-toed boots. Cut-resistant garments contain long loose fibres that pull out, jam the drive sprocket and stall the chain on contact. Kickback The violent upward and backward rotation of the guide bar towards the operator, caused when the upper quadrant of the bar nose — the kickback zone — contacts wood, or when the chain is pinched in the top of the cut. It is the leading cause of serious chainsaw injuries. Sound Power Level The total acoustic energy the machine radiates in all directions, in dB(A), independent of where the listener stands. In the EU the guaranteed sound power level is the value that must appear on the machine's noise label. Sound Pressure Level The A-weighted noise level measured at the operator's ear position, in dB(A). It is the figure that describes what the person holding the saw is actually exposed to. Vibration Front Handle The vibration transmitted to the operator's hand at the front handle, expressed as an acceleration in m/s². It is one of the two figures used to estimate daily hand-arm vibration exposure.
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