Just got back from the ER

[Jay4200]

I never thought I'd get tangled up with a chainsaw, at least not due to being too complacent or not paying attention. I am always very careful and respectful of the business end of power tools. Well, not today. I was mired in brush in the woods right behind my yard, dropping and bucking up a few standing dead, and suddenly found my saw sucked into my thigh. The fact that I don't exactly know how it got there just shows how little attention I was paying at the time. From what I can gather, I had just dropped a 6" tree out of the middle of a bunch of little stuff. I was reaching through the brush, and holding the saw sideways (bar side down) - I had already let go of the saw with my right (throttle) hand, and I think I was looking over my left shoulder to see if the tree fell cleanly to the ground as I pulled the saw out - when I twisted my shoulders to the left, the saw must've rotated to the left, and the bar tapped my leg before the chain had time to spin down. The chain hooked up on my pants leg and the saw got sucked in. Pant leg turned into confetti, and I got 12 stitches across the middle of my left thigh - could've easily been way worse. Luckily I only got bit by residual momentum - my 036 Pro would've eaten my leg for lunch had the chain actually been under power at the time. Oh well...boy, do I feel stupid.

JayC

 

[mrmikey]

Oh well...boy, do I feel stupid.

You're lucky and by the sound of it you realise it, could have been a lot worse.
By your description it sounds like you're doing the same as I'm doing in my back yard, clearing brush and deadfalls. A 'whatif' scenario was running thru my head this afternoon when I was cutting, maybe it was your carma coming thru to me......Mike

 

[RoyJackson]

Only 12 stitches!!!
You are one very lucky guy!!

 

[jdfire]

Glad it wasn't worse. Hope you have a quick recovery.

I've been thinking more and more lately about getting a set of chaps to wear when using a chainsaw. Sounds like an even better idea now.

 

[turbo36]

Time to spend a $100 on a set of chaps!

 

[ametcalf]

Thank you for sharing. Hopefully I will remember this next week when I am out with my chainsaw and save myself from doing the same thing.
ametcalf

 

[beenthere]

I've been there, done that. But only had to buy another pair of chaps. Have tapped the chaps three times, and they all had to do with the chain getting 'caught' in a tanglement and moving the bar.
The worse one was in '83, the day before I was leaving on a 12 day elk hunt. The cut would have been just above the knee cap on the left leg and was running full out (handle caught a stub).

Can't say enough about chaps.

 

[Diamondpilot]

You were lucky.

Good timing for a lot of us to learn from your misfortune. I had a tree come down last night in these mid-west storms. I have to go out and do some clean up. It will make me take my time and think things out.

Glad you are ok.

Chris

 

[ljellio]

Glad you got away with all your limbs wishing you a speedy recovery . Don't beet yourself up too badly just learn from the mistake and move on . As for feeling stupid I know the feeling given my snowblower incident this past winter .

 

[Kyle241]

Glad you're okay as 12 stitches isn't much considering the tool you were using! I know you don't want to hear it but I always wear chaps when cutting even if it is for a short while. I have hit my leg before and the chaps saved me.