SeatBelts...

[Bird]

Dan, from reading all the stuff on this board, I'll agree that chain saw chaps sound like a good idea, but the fact is that I've never even seen any of them. I haven't shopped around to see if they're sold in this area, but if they are, I don't know who's buying them.

 

[MDNick]

HR_Mutt,

I am with you for the most part, at least with regards to tractors. I have worn the seat belt a few times on my L3010. But that was when I was doing serious stump digging. I had the rears off the ground a few feet at times, a few times leaning over sideways, then the root would give loose and down we'd come. I couldn't stay put in the seat with out the belt. Strapped in I stayed more or less in the operators area. But all other times, never have, never will wear the belt. And I suppose, there is something to be said for the safety of the belt and ROPS when the tractor is canted sideways 5 deg+ and the rears are off the ground 2'.

I have studied ROPS removal. Lots of stuff to remove and they are heavy, I don't have any low trees, and my garage will be built with the ROPS in mind, so I guess they get to stay. I hated 'em on the golf course, I'd get slapped by trees in the face when they went around the exhaust stack, then in the back of the head when they flipped around the ROPS.

As far as air bags/seatbelts are concerned, I wear my belt with the airbag in an F150 religiously. I was involved in a bad accident with my previous F150. The other driver died, I walked away without a scratch. The air bag/seatbelt saved me from any injury at all. The belt arrested forward motion and kept me inline for the airbag, and the airbag stopped neck whiplash and steering wheel impact with head. I am very happy I had both. I had just traded in my old ranger a month before, and I never wore my seatbelt in it. New vehicle, new resolution, saved life.

Nick

 

[Jag]

I had one tractor experence where the bank under the front tire gave way and set the axle down on the dirt as I was mowing along a ditch. As the dirt gave way I hit the clutch and dropped the bushhog all the way down. That was the only thing that kept the tractor from laying over on its side. Had to get my neighbor to hook up to pull the front end out... Yes a seat belt was on.

The other was rolling a small car. Slid off a wet road while trying to take turn when a tree fell on to the road.. The car came to rest on its feet after rolling a full 360 dregees on its side and end up facing the way I came. I had my seat belt on, and was seating in a tight fitting type bucket seat. The thing I remember most was that my sholder did not even touch the door as the car rolled that way.

 

[dmccarty]

Bird,

Hmmm, you made me think.... I bought my chaps long before I found TBN. At least I think I did. I don't know where I heard about chaps.... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

The shop that I use for my chainsaw supplies had the chaps as well as the face/ear protector and full chainsaw helmet.

The chaps cost 50-75 dollars and are holding up well to some pretty hard use.

I'll have to look at Home Depot/Lowes as well as another the hardwares stores to see if they sell the chaps....

The owner of the chainsaw shop said most of the people buying the safety equipment where contractors who needed to meet OSHA rules.

Later...
Dan McCarty

 

[PitbullMidwest]

The use of seatbelts is a constant battle in industry (at least where I work). The OSHA standard covering forklifts does not require the use of seatbelts. However if your lift came equiped from the manufacturer with them and you fail to use them you will be fined under the General Duty Clause.

There are countless studies that show in the event of a forklift rollover, seatbelts limit the operator from leaning away from the tip and then accelerates his head (like a whip) to the floor. I realize that the operating environments between forklifts and tractors are usually very different but there is evidence to support the "no seatbelt" argument.

On the seatbelt/airbag question, use both. My cousin was hit head on by a drunk, he didn't wear his seatbelt believing the airbag would save him and actually it killed him. The momentum of the impact moved his body forward and the exploding airbag hit him under the chin, breaking his neck.


Personally, I always use the safety features provided including seatbelts.

 

[fishman]

Bird,

I can't take credit for this link <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.baileys-online.com>http://www.baileys-online.com</A> but have found it to be a good one. I requested their catalog and got it in about 10 days. They have anything you could want for woodcutting, including chaps. All at what appears to me to be attractive prices.

 

[Bird]

Thanks, John.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Your post made me remember a few years ago I was using a JD 450G and it had the 4 post rops and roof for falling objects but I wore the seatbelt anyways because I was landscaping the creeks and ponds. While I was driving down into a small creek to backdrag the bank and smooth it out the bank gave way under the front of the tracks and put it on its nose. I had my feet on the dash so I could unbuckle but luckily didn't find the steering levers the hard way had I been unbuckled. Fun part was getting it out of there with the blade stuck down into the creek bed and the excavator gone the only tractor we had at the time was a MF 135 so we put the cable to it and it sat there with both back wheels spinning and not going anywhere while my father worked the dozer trying to get it back up the bank to tip down. Finally wore enough bank away to get it out and have since bought a larger tractor. Also got that thing stuck in a hole I was digging with it when I found some nice pea stone couldn't get traction and dug a nice hole but had the Komatsu reach into the hole and pick me up so that was easy. I will tell you one thing for anyone who hasn't worked around excavators when you are sitting inside a dozer and see a huge steel arm with a 4' ripping bucket reaching over your head it is one of the most beautiful sites imaginable. Strange perspective I have but still true. Later.

 

[Thomas]

"huge steel arm with a 4' ripping bucket reaching over your head it is one of the most beautiful sites imaginable"Kinda like a fathers helping hand. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

That is exactly like it. Have fun.

 

[duanet]

Fishman,

I just placed my order for chaps and helmet from Bailey's. Thanks for the link, and I agree their prices do seem very reasonable, so I ordered a few other things while I was at it. In almost 30 years of cutting firewood I have not had chaps and never had a problem. I have life insurance too, but hope not to need it for quite awhile yet. So as soon as the chaps come in, I'll be wearing them, thanks to you guys on TBN.

I read the Safety post infrequently, but this one really got my attention. I have been using my seat belts religiously since I got my new 4100 last fall, and am more determined to continue now. Of course, the old Ford 2N I previously had was notorious for rolling over and doing wheelies without coming back down on the front wheels. I have come close both ways. I had to stand up on that and pull hard on the steering wheel to get enough brakes to stop the thing on my side hill. It was a great machine, but I feel much more secure on the 4100 with seat belts and ROPS.

Thanks for the great posts, guys.

Duane

 

[John Weaver]

Yea, you have got my attantion also. I am going to but a pair of chaps. Stihl offers a pair with a bib (like coveralls). Anybody use this type? Will I need suspenders for the waist high type of chaps? John.

 

[duanet]

John, I don't have any problem at all keeping my chaps up where they belong without suspenders, and my hips are proportionally small, if you know what I mean. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Duane

 

[John Weaver]

I know what you mean, me to. The bib type looks handy, but may be hot in Georgia summertime. John.

 

[Solo]

I've been reading this post about every time I get on here. I was one who didn't wear my seat belt until two coworkwers had accidents one at work on a 12 ton roller and the other at home on a 310 Case dozer. The first had his belt on no one was injured. The second man was thrown over the hood of his dozer, thank God it stalled out, he was bruised and sore for several weeks and even spent 2 days in the hospital he also missed about three weeks of work. So now I wear mine all the time. My three year old son is even smart enough to know that when he just sits on the tractor he has to put on his seat belt, and I never have to remind him. Start teaching safety early.
Solo

 

[jimmoore]

Duane, are you telling telling us you got SNAKE HIPS?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Studies have shown that the operator of a tractor that rolls over without ROPS and seatbelt has only a 20% chance of being thrown clear and surviving. On the other hand, there has not been a recorded fatality of an operator of a rolled over tractor when the tractor had a ROPS and the driver had buckled his seat belt.
I personally know of a young fellow who was unloading his ROPS-equipped tractor from a trailer. He had not fastened his seat belt. The tractor slid on the wet ramps and the tractor tipped side-ways off them. The driver was thrown off the tractor onto the ground where the ROPS of the tractor came down on him and killed him.

 

[duanet]

Jim,
Sorry it took so long for me to reply. We just returned to the snow from a couple of weeks in Alabama and points between. Nice!!! Haven't even had time to go out to the barn and check on the 4100 yet.

Since you are retired, you must be old enough to realize that as you get older, the hips get proportionally smaller than the waist, maybe as some mathemetical function related to age! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Snake hips? Never thought of that before. It may have something to do with what's above the belt pushing the belt down. The discussion WAS about keeping the chaps up! And why do old timers always wear suspenders? I can still keep my chaps up without them (or could before I went on vacation /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif).

<font color=green>Duane</font color=green>

 

[GregGG]

Well, for any of you that still are not convinced read my idiots (in the roll overs discussion) story to see how easy it is, because the SECOND time my small tractor flipped it was QUICK and UNEXPECTED, My dad and I have been Wondering if it is even possible to get a ROPS and belt installed on our Ariens GT17, but now that I hear you guys say how simple it is I will not ride it again untill I have it refitted because I very well could be dead now because of a simple project done without ROPS or a belt.

 

[DavidInNH]

Thanks for this thread!
I've now given my wife and son permission to kick me if they find me driving the tractor without a seatbelt. I don't know how I got started driving the tractor beltless, I don't think I've ever driven a car without wearing belts since 1970.

Also, I bought a pair of chaps this weekend. I had intended to do it last weekend. but didn't manage to make it to the store. So now, I have a nice new rip in the jeans right across my left knee-cap. The saw was just idling and no skin was cut, but it left me shaking and feeling pretty stupid. I find that I'm MUCH more likely to do something stupid when I get tired... I think there is a lesson in there.

Anyway, I look pretty sharp in my orange hardhat/earmuff, orange chaps working with the orange Kubota and orange Salso chipper. At least I won't ever get lost in the woods.

-david