You Don't Use Safety Chaps?

trlong · Feb 27, 2006

You Don\'t Use Safety Chaps?

For those who think that putting on chaps, with saw binding fiber is "inconvenient", I offer this picture of what I found when I tried to re-start my Husky after dropping a section of a tree I'd hung up on a hillside, this afternoon.

Pic's worth a thousand words...and certainly worth my leg.

Tom

NIXON · Feb 27, 2006

Re: You Don\'t Use Safety Chaps?

That's certainly food for thought ! I bought my wife a set of chaps last year. Looking at the pic , It's time I did the same for myself .

beenthere · Feb 27, 2006

Re: You Don\'t Use Safety Chaps?

Thanks for the pic. And I'll wager you didn't 'feel' a thing.
I have two pair of chaps with larger 'marks' than that. One happened the day before I was to go on a 2 week elk hunt, and would have taken out the ligaments and more just above my left knee cap. Very sobering thought.
The second time I was helping on a Lions project, and had taken some earlier 'guff' and chiding from a couple of guys (one who was the EMS driver) when I put them on. After about 4 hours work cutting brush and small trees, and trail work, I caught the saw in a thick bush and it tapped my knee. The EMS driver saw that, and knew real fast what had just happened and how far from getting help we were. I shut the saw off, and he turned white. He said "I'm going to buy a pair of those this afternoon" and he did.
They are priceless.
The chainsaw teeth do not make a neat slice, but tear out a wide path and stretching ligaments and tendons is not an easy surgery process, I hear. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

trlong · Feb 28, 2006

Re: You Don\'t Use Safety Chaps?

Yes, it is a fairly small tear-out, fortunately. And, Yes, I NEVER FELT A THING.

Before I tried to re-start the saw, if anyone had asked if I'd come close to my leg with it, I'd have said "absolutely not". I had no clue I'd hit the chaps until I saw all the fibers dangling from the bar /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. I was up in the woods alone (cell phone on me but w/o the chaps I don't know...). I do know I would not be walking around today. If lucky, I'd have gotten to the house and only have lost tissue 'til the saw hit the bone /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. As it is, only a new set of chaps is in order. I'll pay that anyday, compared to.....

Tom

JRobyn · Feb 28, 2006

Re: You Don\'t Use Safety Chaps?

Someone (emergency medical or insurance worker, I forget which) recently posted on this forum that the TYPICAL chainsaw injury resulted in mediacl fees averaging $14,000. Makes <$100 for some good chaps seem pretty cheap. I got some really nice ones from the Sherrill arborist website.

Jstpssng · Feb 28, 2006

Re: You Don\'t Use Safety Chaps?

Lucky you had them. A picture really is worth 1000 words. A saw doesn't just cut,; picture the swath your backhoe bucket makes through the soil, that's what the chain does to your leg on a narrower scale. Ask at the saw shop next time you go there, you'll be surprised how many have pads in their work pants for when they are simply tuning up the saws. Many of the older mechanics were once woodcutters, so they know what a saw can do.
I cringe when I see news reports on television of hurricane cleanup, with the guy holding his saw while wearing shorts and sneakers.

OOPS, sorry. Guess I'd better get off my soapbox. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Glad it was just the chaps that got cut.

beenthere · Feb 28, 2006

Re: You Don\'t Use Safety Chaps?

I've grown to like the chaps for other reasons as well. When in my woods, there are a lot of raspberry, gooseberry, and buckthorn, with some prickly ash on occasion. Just busting through these without tearing up the jeans and skin underneath is great. In addition, I find splitting wood to be much more comfortable when wrestling pieces up to the splitter, and keeping dry from snow covered, muddy, or wet wood. Mine are not the wrap-around pants, but just the chaps covering the front and sides of the legs.

Maine_Polack · Mar 1, 2006

Re: You Don\'t Use Safety Chaps?

I've been using a chain saw part time for about 40 years. I used to own a pair of safety boots, and they were "nicked" by the chain a couple of times. Well, they were long gone, when last year I was talking to my neighbor, who cuts wood in the winter.

He asked me if I was using any safety gear. I told him I did have a hard hat with visor and ear protection in the garage collecting dust.

His face turned serious and he went to the back of his PU. Pulled out some safety boots and chaps. Told me in strong terms that I should be wearing this stuff. Well he's a no frills type of guy, and the fact that he wore this stuff everyday made an impression on me. Never too old, right?

I purchased the boots, and chaps. My first outing with them, I was mumbling under my breath about how heavy the boots are, and how the straps are binding on my legs. Well, working along I soon forgot all about these new duds. I was limbing a tree, same as I had done a thousand times before...When...you guessed it - the chain hit my thigh and bound up in the chaps. Quite a way to be assured that I made a wise purchase.

trlong · Mar 1, 2006

Re: You Don\'t Use Safety Chaps?

( I cringe when I see news reports on television of hurricane cleanup, with the guy holding his saw while wearing shorts and sneakers.
 )

I took a friend's kid scouting areas for opening of deer season this year. Where I used to hunt are a whole bunch of new house lots /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. One lot had a nice shiny SUV with a family (kids, BIL, ladies, and proud new owner). The new owner had a shiny new chainsaw and was dropping fairly large ash, hard maple, some elm,... And, he had on.... You got it...sneakers, shorts, t-shirt, no helmet, no gloves. Shiny new SUV w/i reach of trees if they fell the wrong way, kids playing with their dog, well w/i reach of falling trees. Nearly gave me a heart attack. Being the jerk I am, I mosied down and said hi. During small talk I mentioned possible danger of the "crew" being around and that he might want to invest in boots, chaps, etc... Looked at me like I was an idiot and told me he "KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING". I said I was glad to hear it and went on my way. Didn't hear any sirens that day. So, I expect some one was watching over them.

Yup, chaps saved my leg yesterday and I won't take the saws out w/o 1st putting on the chaps, gloves, boots, and helmet. Still no gaurantees but odds a lot more in my favor. Besides, I agree...the chaps are real handy for pushing through the brush and bramble.

New pair on order. Couldn't pay for the ambulance ride for the price of the chaps.

BTW: This does have to do with tractors, kinda... Clearing the trees up there is in prep for getting the wood road in so I can get up there with the CUT.

Tom

MotorSeven · Mar 1, 2006

Re: You Don\'t Use Safety Chaps?

TR,

You know, i never heard of saw chaps until i started reading here on TBN 6 or 7 months ago. And, i have cut alot of wood, and yes have even nicked my thigh once ripping my favorite overalls. Always wore heavy tall boots, gloves and eye/ear protection, so this year i'm adding the hard hat/visor/ear protection combo.....and....CHAPS!
Someone was definatly watching over me........ /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Thanks TBN!!!!!

BTW, is the ground stll froze up there in Vermont? I'm driving up to Middlebury in a week or two to pick up a saw mill, and the road in is dirt and up a semi steep hill.

RD