Chainsaw Chaps

[hazmat ranger]

I have two different pairs of chaps- not full wrap but still provide good coverage and keep your pants cleaner. Also have a pair of Husqvarna saw pants... They do get warm. I like them for climbing with spurs: the extra padding keeps the spurs from chafing your calves as badly.

 

[NIXON]

I have two pair of Swede Pro 9 ply full wraps ,and a pair of Husq. Chaps . I also wear A pair of Haix extreme protector boots when I cut . Does the brand matter ? Nope ,just wear PPE when you cut ,your body and bank account will thank you .

 

[John_Mc]

I guess anything is better than nothing, but actually, brand (and model within a brand) do matter. I've seen protective pants/chaps (I can't remember which it was) where most of the protection all settled to the bottom of the pant leg - and they had only seen a few months of light use.

Further, if I'm going to buy chaps or pants, I'm going to get a model that meets the various UL/OSHA/ASTM/ANSI specs. If you are going to do this, don't do it halfway.

 

[CJONE]

I cut pro for over 10 years and have the same pair of full wrap chaps and they don't have a mark in them from a chain. BUT I always wear them. When I don't have them on I am way over careful and I don't feel right without them. I offered them to a friend when clearing land for his house and he said no. Well you guessed it, cut his leg bad. The few minutes he would have spent taking them on and off would have saved him a month off work! CJ

 

[John_Mc]

Another thing to keep in mind with chaps... they can tend to get soaked with oil, gas and who knows what over the years. (How many of us have forgotten to screw the caps on before picking up the saw at least once?) Oil and gas can degrade the protective fibers to the point where they provide little or no protection. Even dirt or other grit can abrade the fibers over time.

A 'Game of Logging' instructor told me one of his favorite stories about this: He was teaching a class, and verifying that everyone had the appropriate personal protective equipment. He came across one guy whose chaps were obviously well-used. No cuts in the fabric, but obviously had been the victim of a number of oil and gas spills, or leaky chainsaws set on top of them. He told the guy that they probably needed to be retired from chainsaw use. The owner disagreed, pointing out that they had no breaks in the fabric.

The instructor said "tell you what... I'd like to do a demonstration with your chaps that will certainly ruin them. When I'm done, if you can honestly say that you are happy with the protection your chaps would have given you, I'll buy you a new pair of your choice. If you agree that they didn't provide the kind of protection you were counting on, you buy your own chaps."

The owner agreed to the proposal. The instructor strapped the chaps to a tree, started up his chainsaw, and cut into the chaps. As expected, there was a huge mess of fibers. However, the saw managed to cut through quite a bit of them, and cut deeply into the tree before finally stopping. The owners comment: "Wow! Got a pair of chaps I can borrow for the class?"

 

[Lava Rancher]

I'd expect that at WOT all of our chaps, even new ones would fail this test. Chaps are effective at close throttle, idle an slowing chain situations.

 

[displacedPA]

I ordered the chaps today along with some wedges and a pouch. I measure 40'' from my belt to the instep of my foot so I ordered the XL model.
I used the new 346xp tonight on a saw bucking horse just a couple cuts but im not letting myself use it until my chaps come in.

 

[Ductape]

I'd expect that at WOT all of our chaps, even new ones would fail this test. Chaps are effective at close throttle, idle an slowing chain situations.

Labonville's would disagree with you...............

Labonville Chainsaw Chaps - YouTube

 

[Baby Grand]

A little polyester goes a long way.
Full-Wrap Green Chainsaw Chaps Meets ASTM F-1897-08 - Labonville Wrap Chainsaw Safety Chaps & Parts

 

[Downeyfire]

Been cutting and heating my home for years.
Chaps are a must full wrap probably the best but I do like my half wraps the best I also have chainsaw pants and use them along with my halfs.
Go with what you feel will do the job for you but a few hundred in safety equipment can save you thousands and a lot of grief later so don't feel bad about spending money

 

[displacedPA]

yea thats what my wife said. Id like to get a hard hat with muff and face sheilds built in. I have been hit with a small branch on the head while felling it def. made me take a brake and regroup. I went with the Labonville full wrap not the compotion chaps. I never gave much thought to safety equipment until i put a wood stove insert in our house and had a close call.

 

[BoFuller]

I always use chaps, steel toed boots, and the hard hat with muffs and face shield. I've seen way too many accidents that I won't even think about running the saw without full gear.

 

[John_Mc]

I'd expect that at WOT all of our chaps, even new ones would fail this test. Chaps are effective at close throttle, idle an slowing chain situations.

"Fail" in this case is a relative term. Chaps don't guarantee that they will prevent injury. The intent is to lessen the injury, whether the chain is at full speed, or slowing. The point is, protective material degrades over time. Exposure to oil and gas GREATLY accelerates the degradation. Even the abrasion from years of dirt and grit being ground into them can have an effect. The instructor was not about to blow a brand new pair of chaps to make his point, but what we all saw was enough to convince all of us to keep a closer eye on the condition of our chaps.

You can see any number of videos on YouTube and other places demonstrating what chaps do. The Labonville link posted above is a good one. Even those chaps which cut through in their comparison test would have prevented serious injury from a saw going at full throttle. The old, fuel/oil-soaked chaps I saw were a good brand - but after seeing the tree they were strapped to, if someone were wearing them, you had to wonder if they would ever walk again.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

When it comes to human limbs, 3 inch long gash 1/2 inch deep is better than a cut clean through.

 

[sierradmax]

x2 on labonville full wraps. Also get the highest ply you feel comfortable with. The higher power saws, the greater ply chaps you want....My $.02

 

[FunnelWeb]

Do you have to order the Labonville chaps direct from Labonville or do other retailers/resellers stock them? Will be in the USA (Boston) next month and would like to buy some.

 

[s219]

I ordered direct from Labonville, but many other companies sell that brand as well.

 

[displacedPA]

Do you have to order the Labonville chaps direct from Labonville or do other retailers/resellers stock them? Will be in the USA (Boston) next month and would like to buy some.

Ordering directly from Labonville was the cheapest way to go. I was able to find them at other retailers but they were more money. I should have my full wraps by wed. I plan on updating you guys on how i like them. I ordered of of their size chart so we will see how acurate it is.
I have a 36'' inseam so i ordered the X-Long model.

 

[rekees4300]

Been cutting wood for 50 years without chaps and never injured ... knock on wood. Past few years though have become more reckless. Perhaps I've developed a can't-happen-to-me attitude over the years? Been doing stupid stuff lately like using the saw with carburetor maladjusted causing the chain to rotate fast even when engine is idling...DUMB! Hacking with extended bar at heavy undergrowth...DUMB. Getting older now, balance and leg strength aren't what they used to be. After pondering my foolish actions, have seen the light, I'm going to buy chaps. Never heard of Labonville before this thread so thanks for that lead. Stihl and Husqvarna also appear to have good products. Lots of choices, now just have to sort thru details (ply, size, type, color, material, price) and get them ordered before next saw session. Lots of dead trees on to-do list from Indiana drought.

 

[stevem5215]

I've taken the Pa state forestry chainsaw class. If you are part of an organization that works on state property they require the class and certificate to cut there. It's highly recommended by me for sure. They have very good instructors and check out your saw and operation at the end of the class on real cuts. It's a class that should be mandatory (IMO) for anyone using a chainsaw besides a homeowner type brand. The full chisel chains are just downright dangerous without safety training. And even a regular homeowner could benefit from these classes IMO. I know, I was one until I took the class and opened my eyes to real chainsaw safety. I did buy a new EFCO (mines a cub cadet leftover branded one) saw after i took the course cause I wanted a better saw after taking the course too seeing how everyone besides a few of us had some really nice saws during the cutting safety session.

Steve