Widow-maker trees!

[rsewill]

Halifax, I had the same thing happen to me that happened to your brother. I was cutting down a 25' black locust sapling down in a fence row that was about a couple of feet away from about a 70' tall black walnut. I notched the locust to fall back out into the field, but when the locust started to fall some of the top branches of the locust became entangled with some of the dead limbs of the walnut. The next thing that I saw was the butt end of a 3" dead walnut limb swinging though the air like it was on a pendulum. Although I had plenty of maneuvering room, I couldn't get out of the way of it. It just happened to fast for me to react. Needless to say, it hit me dead-on in my left eye.

Unfortunately, I did not have on any safety glasses. Prior to cutting down the locust I actually looked for them, as I have gotten more safety conscious over the years, but I could not find them. I thought to myself it was only one small 4" diameter tree and I have cut down hundreds without safety glasses in my life. Also, I thought that it wouldn't take but a minute, so I proceeded to go ahead and cut it down. Well, that one minute has turned into seven years of numerous eye operations. The first operation was to fix a detached retina and torn macula and the last operation, which was last April, was to remove cataracts that developed from previous operations. I can see out of this eye, but my vision isn't great.

All I have to say is that it only takes a second for an accident to happen, but the rest of your life to regret your decision. Can you plan for every eventuality, No!, but can you usually spend a little more time to think your decision though, Yes!

Safety First!

Tough go. Thanks for telling us about it.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I have a hard hat with a lexan face shield and ear muffs. The muffs clamp pretty solidly around the sides of my head, so the hat won't come off easily. I wear it any time I'm using a chain saw. I have seen a guy with a chain saw wound in his forehead, so something solid between you and the chain is a good idea. I never fall trees unless there is someone home to call the ambulance. So far, so good, but you never know.

 

[RoyJackson]

The OP created 5 new threads in 12 hours. Those are the only posts. It doesn't seem plausible that the posts are real. ...buying a house and need to move a tree, getting a come-along in 30 minutes to pull down the tree in this thread and it's 11:28pm when it's posted, rebuilt a manure spreader. Doesn't this look like SPAM?

New members are enthusiastic sometimes...all those post subjects may have built up over months and he just posted about them when he signed up.
Believe, if it's Spam, you'll know in the first post.

Interesting thread...I don't get near trees or chainsaws anymore since I had a stroke...except for debranching a limb or trunk of a fallen tree (so I can chip the branch or trunk).

 

[turnkey4099]

Halifax, I had the same thing happen to me that happened to your brother. I was cutting down a 25' black locust sapling down in a fence row that was about a couple of feet away from about a 70' tall black walnut. I notched the locust to fall back out into the field, but when the locust started to fall some of the top branches of the locust became entangled with some of the dead limbs of the walnut. The next thing that I saw was the butt end of a 3" dead walnut limb swinging though the air like it was on a pendulum. Although I had plenty of maneuvering room, I couldn't get out of the way of it. It just happened to fast for me to react. Needless to say, it hit me dead-on in my left eye.

Unfortunately, I did not have on any safety glasses. Prior to cutting down the locust I actually looked for them, as I have gotten more safety conscious over the years, but I could not find them. I thought to myself it was only one small 4" diameter tree and I have cut down hundreds without safety glasses in my life. Also, I thought that it wouldn't take but a minute, so I proceeded to go ahead and cut it down. Well, that one minute has turned into seven years of numerous eye operations. The first operation was to fix a detached retina and torn macula and the last operation, which was last April, was to remove cataracts that developed from previous operations. I can see out of this eye, but my vision isn't great.

All I have to say is that it only takes a second for an accident to happen, but the rest of your life to regret your decision. Can you plan for every eventuality, No!, but can you usually spend a little more time to think your decision though, Yes!

Safety First!

I can relate. 50% vision left eye. Rebuilding the front of the garage to put in a new overhead. Starting a 16 penny nail, mistrike "ZING" and left eye when dark. Didn't penetrate but scratched the cornea and surrounding up badly. No safety goggles. Still don't know why as there were laying right there within arm's reach at the time.

Harry K