Time for Chainsaw Chaps

[TomSeller]

Even if the AC would have worked, you'd have had to turn it off to go up any hills.

I drove a '78 240D over the part of its lifespan from about 120,000 to about 350,000.

Mine was a manual so it was a little better than an automatic. But yes, and you had to get a running start before hitting the bottom of the hill if you didn't want to downshift. 67 HP when all were alive.

When someone was riding my bumper I used to downshift and feed them cloud of unburned diesel and soot . They always backed off.

 

[FatTire]

Mine was a manual so it was a little better than an automatic. But yes, and you had to get a running start before hitting the bottom of the hill if you didn't want to downshift. 67 HP when all were alive.

When someone was riding my bumper I used to downshift and feed them cloud of unburned diesel and soot . They always backed off.

67hp, that was the OM616. If you ever want a significantly under-powered snowcat (and OLD at this point), Pistenbully used the OM616, tuned for 70 HP, in their PB070 snowcat. There are still a few running, mostly in private ownership. Generally I think the engines out-lived the hydrostatic drive system.

 

[jajiu]

Here's the reason I bought a set of chaps after nearly 30 years of just jeans, boots, & gloves. It just caught the jeans, not a scratch on the leg. Too close for comfort!

 

[FatTire]

Here's the reason I bought a set of chaps after nearly 30 years of just jeans, boots, & gloves. It just caught the jeans, not a scratch on the leg. Too close for comfort!

Way too close! Just about make me sick to think about it.

 

[TomSeller]

Here's the reason I bought a set of chaps after nearly 30 years of just jeans, boots, & gloves.<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=514216"/> It just caught the jeans, not a scratch on the leg. Too close for comfort!

It would have cross cut the arteries no less. Glad you bought the chaps.

 

[Citydude]

A face shield on my forester helmet is more of a pain in the butt for me than Chaps when flipped up and not sawing. I always use it because of my retired logger neighbor. He has a scar on his face from a kickback accident when he was young. He's lucky to be alive and wears a face shield now while sawing. He does not wear Chaps though which is odd. But, he knows the risks.

 

[rd_macgregor]

Here's the reason I bought a set of chaps after nearly 30 years of just jeans, boots, & gloves.View attachment 514216 It just caught the jeans, not a scratch on the leg. Too close for comfort!

I did exactly that a couple of years ago. I kept waiting for the pain and blood, but had only caught the jeans (which totally unravelled over the next few days!). I have owned chainsaw pants for years, but was only doing a few cuts, so hadn't put them on...

 

[jajiu]

I now keep the chaps either in the barn next to the chainsaws, or in the tractor ready for use. By the way, been to PEI many times, my last name is Gallant, so many ties to the area. My father's family came from Shediac, NB. Careful using that saw, my wood shed is almost full for the coming winter, I'll be working on next winter's later in the fall.

 

[JRobyn]

Had a pair of trees blown down across our road, found when S-I-L went to leave for work at 6am. Grabbed the saw/gas/oil/gloves/wedges/forestry helmet, and TOTALLY FORGOT to get the chaps that were hanging RIGHT THERE!!

An old 12" pine tree wrapped in poison ivy vines and tangled up with a 5" poplar is the WORST kind of dangerous situation too. Nothing but tripping hazards and weird loadings everywhere.

I was lucky. This time.

 

[jajiu]

I now keep the chaps in the barn with the chain saws and other equipment for cutting. I saved the nice plastic bag w/handles and hung it up and keep them in there. It has a nice zipper on it to keep the bugs and mice out too.

 

[ericm979]

I found out recently that the Forest Service now won't let its sawyers use chaps that don't go all the way down. (they weren't so concerned about it when I worked for them years ago). I've been using chaps I got from my Stihl dealer that were a good six inches short. They're regular length and I have long legs. The new long Forester chaps I got thanks to this thread are the proper length.

The pocket in those chaps is just barely long enough for a Stihl t-wrench. The other t-wrench I have is a quarter inch longer and doesn't fit.

 

[oldafretired]

I always try and wear my Labonville chaps and Matterhorn kevlar lined boots when using a chainsaw. A couple summers ago there were a lot of yellow jackets bothering me and I got distracted and nicked my chaps with the saw. I think I was lucky to be wearing them.

 

[CalG]

Guys! Really!

If the chaps didn't stop the saw chain, they did nothing to "protect you from injury". The cuts in your chaps serve only to witness how close you came to cutting flesh. A pair of cotton flannel pajamas would do as much, but perhaps lay closer to the skin. ;-)

 

[oldafretired]

Guys! Really!

If the chaps didn't stop the saw chain, they did nothing to "protect you from injury". The cuts in your chaps serve only to witness how close you came to cutting flesh. A pair of cotton flannel pajamas would do as much, but perhaps lay closer to the skin. ;-)

You have a very good point but I'm still glad I was wearing my chaps.

 

[JRobyn]

Guys! Really!

If the chaps didn't stop the saw chain, they did nothing to "protect you from injury". The cuts in your chaps serve only to witness how close you came to cutting flesh. A pair of cotton flannel pajamas would do as much, but perhaps lay closer to the skin. ;-)

What?? Almost sounds like you believe that chaps and pajamas provide the same amount of protection. You do know that there are layers of chain-jamming fibers right underneath the outer covering of chaps, right? The margin between cutting just the outer covering and meat is those layers and is quite thin but quite effective. Still "protection" in my view.

 

[CalG]

Read carefully.

I wrote, cut chaps that did not involve the chain stopping material did nothing to "protect" the wearer , only indicate, and perhaps warn. The PJs would do as much.

Now if you get just a little bit deeper, the chaps start to show what they are made of and how they work.
Still, don't expect a lot of "protection", Chaps are not armor. A fast moving blade will get pretty far into flesh before it comes to a stop. Blood comes out of cuts like that. A lot, and quickly.

 

[coldsteelva]

I understand what he's saying now. A bullet proof vest stops a bullet, but does NOT prevent any injury; that force has to go somewhere. You may NOT cut your leg off, but that blade moving at significant speed, even if caught up in the fibers is likely going to 'impact' your leg and cause some injury.

 

[JRobyn]

Fair enough.

"cut chaps that did not involve the chain stopping material"

and

"chaps didn't stop the saw chain"

have a little different meaning to me. I knew what you meant, but someone reading carelessly could take away the wrong meaning.

 

[Soldier415]

After reading the original post in this thread, I went right to amazon and ordered the Husqvarna chaps I have been putting off buying

 

[CalG]

Fair enough.

"cut chaps that did not involve the chain stopping material"

and

"chaps didn't stop the saw chain"

have a little different meaning to me. I knew what you meant, but someone reading carelessly could take away the wrong meaning.

Yup, when words like "if" are skipped or left out of an expression, the rest of the words can take on an entirely new meaning.

I've got "scratches" in my saw chaps. Scary!