Actually I was cutting limbs off a down tree and it cut through much faster than expected and hit my knee. I didn't realize I was injured at first, cut in pants, then I saw all the blood. The cut went to the bone, left a nick in the bone.
I was looking at the Stihl safety kit, includes helmet, muffs, gloves, chaps and safety glasses.
At the lake I was talking to a guy about jetskis yrs ago and the guy goes " I know you , you took care of me in the er " and holds up his leg and I see the 10inch scar and i instantly remembered the guy Bad chainsaw accidents standout Glad all your parts are there and you just got sutures
Admittedly, I don't always wear them, especially if it's "just a couple quick cuts".
But after 20 years of firewood, I got a pair and within a couple weeks I'd put a nice nick in them.
Right near the knee too. Glad I had them.
One of those cases of getting tired and letting the saw drop to move on to the next cut before the chain had stopped spinning.
(Though I told the wife they're only ripped because their extra thickness makes them stick out so much farther...catches the chain.. )
The thing with chainsaws is you can be perfect 99.9999% of the time.....and that's not enough.
I've been bit a few times luckily never that bad. I only put chaps on when running the 660 towards the end of the day when I start getting tired. That saw is bad and I'll need all the help I can get to get that chain shut down.
I work in the forestry industry and have learned to never touch a saw without gear on. Sometimes I spend more time gearing up than cutting but it is worth it. Just google chainsaw accidents and you will be convinced pretty quickly that they are worth it.
I always recommend a name brand full wrap chap. I like full wrap because they tend to stay in place better. There are some off brands out there that claim to meets specs but if you hold them up to a well know chap I find it hard to believe they will offer the same protection.
Remember that you do NOT want them hipster skinny jeans tight on your legs. They should stay put but you don't want them tight.
OUCH! Better late than never. Chaps are kinda a pain in hot weather but have benefits. I bought a pair of Stihl chaps 5 years ago and never regretted it. In addition to saw safety they also help to protect against briars, snakes, ticks and chiggers. Also tend to keep your pants clean and sawdust outta your boots if you buy a pair that are long enough to cover the tops of your boots. I also recommend the style that wrap around your calves.
Why is that? I'm not arguing, I want to know. The Stihl chaps I have now tend to roll outwards on my calves unless I snug them as tight as the straps will go (which is still not hipster jean tight on my legs, more like boot cut jean tight).
I wore chaps while running saws in the USFS and have done so all the time I've been a homeowner. I've never had a chain touch them but I still wear them. But the other day I was cutting brush in 85 degree heat and with chaps and long sleeve shirt was getting overheated. I finally took the chaps off for a few cuts and it was much cooler but I felt naked.