I didn't get hurt and I'm exaggerating a little when I say it went flying. But the whole bar and plastic clutch cover all came off along with the 2 washer nuts. It's a small husqvarna 240.

I am fixing to take everything apart. The sprocket has a little wear but not much IMO. I did notice that the sprocket/clutch has probably 1/8" or a little less play...not sure if that's normal.

What could have caused it to fly off? Had only been cutting for about a minute.

Maybe u forgot to tighten the nuts?

You have to check the lock down nuts! They can become loose with vibration.

Operator error

This

I had been doing some work on it prior to this happening. There is a piece of plastic on the chain break assembly that keeps the screw on the bar adjustment pin from moving. Well that plastic piece broke so I had to fashion a little bar from a small nail and put it in its place. The fix seems to be working like it should but I obviously didn't tighten the nuts down tight enough I suppose.

I got a small stihl that the chain has come off last 2 times I've used it minus today and it's puzzling to the point im gonna have someone else check it over but I've never had the nuts n sprocket cover fall off...i would think u didn't tighten them...hell I didn't do that on a truck tire once it's easy to do if u don't do it everyday

Almost certainly

Turns out chain was also bent. When I put it back together last, I think I let off on tightening the nut thinking it was too tight when it was actually just binding on part of the chain.

I swapped it out with an old chain and tightened the nuts and ran the chain around by hand. It does not bind at all now.

Will be sure to post again when I screw something else up

Run for a min then check it agai...they kinda like tie downs..always give after a bit of use 1st time round

I think there are at least two "types" of chain. I know my brother bought a new chain for his johnson red and it was very similar to what you described of the chain binding. When he bought the correct t chain it was fine.

A former coworker of mine had a nasty scar that ran from just under his ear all the way down to his chest. Chain broke. Just missed his carotid artery. I think about it every time I run a chainsaw.

It's Jonsared
A red Johnson is a whole different problem.

You are correct. I am so used to referring to it that way that I never thought twice.

I cut my right leg off one time...well, not all the way off eight inch gash all the way to the thigh bone, mid thigh. Two inches deep.

Cleaned it with everything under the sink, trimmed the ragged cut and super glued the whole cut, put butterfly bandages on it and went back to cutting trees off my buddies house. Two days after Katrina, twenty miles north of N.O.

And if there was a tornado, we just got there faster! 😆