Riding in Bucket Death

[shovelmike]

oldballs
Just last week I was pole sawing (gas powered) as high as it could extend. I am in the process of clearing the overhang of my Osage Orange hedge along the property line.

The saw cut right through a 8" limb and it fell right away and grazed me, knocking me to the ground. You just can't tell which way a long heavy limb is going to fall. Well, i got up and found no broken bones, so continued to work.....just lucky it didn't hurt me real bad. Most of us old geezers work alone and are at risk just about all day long.
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Glad your okay Mike...whew,yep about working alone.

I constantly battle the Osage Orange here, I bought a 3 point PTO driven chipper, it would not handle even moderate size OA limbs, kept throwing belts and the manufacturer kept sending me new ones. I finally sent it back. Now I just pile it up and burn it.
I try to never work alone anymore, too much can happen too fast. When I get tired to the point than my legs get wobbly I call it a day, exhaustion multiplies the chances of an accident.

 

[oldballs]

I guess I could start a new thread about working alone vs safety.........but........I have no answer for that. If your wife is dead and your kids are gone, the neighbors are too far away, what are your choices??

The best I can come up with is to be as sensible as possible, carry a cell phone (old flip up thing), and quit or don't start when you are too tired or hurting already from heavy work.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[k0ua]

I guess I could start a new thread about working alone vs safety.........but........I have no answer for that. If your wife is dead and your kids are gone, the neighbors are too far away, what are your choices??

The best I can come up with is to be as sensible as possible, carry a cell phone (old flip up thing), and quit or don't start when you are too tired or hurting already from heavy work.

Cheers,
Mike

Mike, I think that is about all you can do. Take your time and don't work when your are really tired, and try to think things thru as much as possible. When you are tired and in a hurry is when you don't think things through, and when "stuff" happens.

 

[ovrszd]

Mike, I think that is about all you can do. Take your time and don't work when your are really tired, and try to think things thru as much as possible. When you are tired and in a hurry is when you don't think things through, and when "stuff" happens.

James, I think Mike can work either of us under the table....

 

[k0ua]

James, I think Mike can work either of us under the table....

I wouldn't question that at all.

 

[shooterdon]

Mike, I think that is about all you can do. Take your time and don't work when your are really tired, and try to think things thru as much as possible. When you are tired and in a hurry is when you don't think things through, and when "stuff" happens.

Good advice. I often work alone but I rarely will use a chainsaw alone. I will be 70 in a couple of weeks so better safe than sorry. What we old guys forget is that we are not 30...or even 50 anymore. We get tired more easily. Hopefully we have got a bit wiser and take fewer risks.