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Post by swetz on Apr 1, 2017 20:13:53 GMT -5
So I made it down to my hunting property this weekend and started on a project I've had planned for a while. My place is heavily wooded, too much so honestly, but there is a decent sized patch in the middle that is open.
Over the past couple years the area grew up quite a bit and I've wanted to keep it open rather than let it forest up again. So I fired up the chainsaw and was cutting down anything 10 feet or above.
During the course of this a sapling started falling towards me rather than where I intended. None of the trees I was cutting were large so no big deal and I just push it away. Well, except the chain was still moving and while I was distracted, it hit my thigh.
I was wearing my chaps and the saw was decelerating so I was fine. Maybe would've been OK without them, but I was alone and about half to 3/4 of a mile from help.
Most everyone here is an adult and can make their own decisions, but I'd strongly encourage all to avail themselves of all precautions because it just takes once.
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Apr 1, 2017 20:28:28 GMT -5
Glad it all turned out okay.
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Post by duff on Apr 1, 2017 21:36:59 GMT -5
Glad you were protecting yourself.
I don't hardly run a chainsaw any more because my wife really enjoys it. She is a forest tech for USDA and is very in tune with the safety aspects of the chainsaws. Regardless if it is bucking or felling she is wearing hard hat, chaps, gloves, ear protection and eye protection. I certainly think it is a great idea to protect yourself but it is hard for me to gear up like that so now I just the one moving the chunks... with a tractor!
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Post by tynimiller on Apr 3, 2017 9:22:08 GMT -5
I wear my chainsaw chaps now pretty much EVERY time I'm doing anything on the property as they fight briars very well...and are there if needed.
I don't fire a saw up now without at least my hard hat and mesh visor protection. It has muffs for the ears but I like to be able to hear pops yell if needed so I don't secure the one on the side he is one as a safety precaution.
Just dumb not to...one slip and a limb could be severely damaged or lost.
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Post by swilk on Apr 3, 2017 13:17:00 GMT -5
I wear an old pair of Carhartt flannel lined blue jeans many times when I go to the farm to put in some work ... both thighs on the pants are chewed up from 3 different times of hitting my legs with a chainsaw.
yes I should wear chaps .... and glasses ... and a hard hat.
Ill try to work on that.
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Post by tynimiller on Apr 3, 2017 14:30:05 GMT -5
I wear an old pair of Carhartt flannel lined blue jeans many times when I go to the farm to put in some work ... both thighs on the pants are chewed up from 3 different times of hitting my legs with a chainsaw. yes I should wear chaps .... and glasses ... and a hard hat. Ill try to work on that. The chaps are cheap anymore and they truly are comfortable, I am used to having the pocket with my snips and saw tools now to where I just throw them on everytime. I don't wear eye protection but the mesh face mask is fine by me. |
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Post by steiny on Apr 3, 2017 18:18:33 GMT -5
Agreed, I had a similar scare and don't use the chain saws anymore without chaps, hard hat with mesh visor, leather gloves and hearing protection. Read somewhere the "average" chain saw wound requires 120 stitches.
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Post by bartiks on Apr 6, 2017 3:47:06 GMT -5
I'll add my 2 pennies as well. When I was working for a line clearance outfit back when I was in my teens or early 20's I was using a chainsaw, it was in the winter time so I had multiple layers of clothes on. I came out of the r.o.w. and the look on my co-workers face was one of shock. He asked me if I was ok, I told him I was he said look at your coat and from my left shoulder area to lets say my belly button level I had a huge "slice" cut in my Carhartt coat. I was unhurt and the only thing I can think of what happened, and to this day still can't be sure, is that the tip caught something and caused it to kick up.
Lastly, when I was in college I did a speech on chainsaw safety. I went thru the whole thing about glasses etc. Then lastly I said anyone who is squeamish might want to look away. I donned a pair of chaps fired up a chainsaw, revved it to full throttle and then buried it in my chaps. Stopped the chain cold and killed the saw to boot. Needless to say I earned an A that day.
But on a serious note, get they chaps they are well worth the investment.
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Post by esshup on Apr 18, 2017 8:51:13 GMT -5
LaBonville Full Wrap Chaps is what I wear. After seeing what chainsaw can do to flesh, even through multiple layers of clothes, it's a no brainer to put them on. In the middle of summer I'll wear them over shorts, but I'll still wear them.
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Post by moose1am on Apr 28, 2017 19:01:35 GMT -5
I'll add my 2 pennies as well. When I was working for a line clearance outfit back when I was in my teens or early 20's I was using a chainsaw, it was in the winter time so I had multiple layers of clothes on. I came out of the r.o.w. and the look on my co-workers face was one of shock. He asked me if I was ok, I told him I was he said look at your coat and from my left shoulder area to lets say my belly button level I had a huge "slice" cut in my Carhartt coat. I was unhurt and the only thing I can think of what happened, and to this day still can't be sure, is that the tip caught something and caused it to kick up. Lastly, when I was in college I did a speech on chainsaw safety. I went thru the whole thing about glasses etc. Then lastly I said anyone who is squeamish might want to look away. I donned a pair of chaps fired up a chainsaw, revved it to full throttle and then buried it in my chaps. Stopped the chain cold and killed the saw to boot. Needless to say I earned an A that day. But on a serious note, get they chaps they are well worth the investment. I need to buy me some chaps. I have hearing protection as my electronic shooting ear muffs shut off loud noises and amply low sounds. And I wore eye glasses for years until having eye surgery. So now I'll need to get some eye protection. I have a couple pair of googles that I used in the past and will wear them. But the Chaps are new to me. I did a speech in HS about predator hunting and was blowing some mouth calls and making loud animal in distress noise with my Herter's mouth calls. The kids in my speech class were enjoying as well as my female speech teacher. But the teachers across the hall and in the class room next door to our class came running to see what the hell was making all that noise. They were not pleased. But by then my speech was over. So I can just imagine the other Professors/teachers in your college coming to see what the noise was all about when you fired up that chain saw. LOL Teachers are territorial creatures and anything that disturbs their territory they are going to complain about. Well at least some of them will. Some are cooler than others. So when I went to college at Purdue University back in the early 1970's and took an advanced speech class I hard learned not to make too much noise during my speeches. LOL Now back on topic. It's good to see so many guys thinking about chain saw safety. I only use a chain saw once in a blue moon around the house and my parents house. Usually to clean up storm debris that falls out of the big trees. It takes me longer to clean up the saw that to cut the wood up. So for me it's a pain to use. I'll use a saw for the little stuff or some heavy duty hand loppers. Or even a battery operated Dewalt 18 v saw zaw. I'm meticulous with my tools and maintain them to the Nth degree when they are pretty new. And I don't throw them away thinking that one day I'll figure out how to fix it and make it run again. That's where Sea Foam comes in handy. LOL Taking the chain off the saw blade and using my air compressor to blow all the wood pulp and chips out of the chain saw blade and chain and the cleaning there rest of the saw up and the making sure the blade and chain are oiled and ready to go the next time.
One time after a really big storm when the power was out all across town my little 8" Chain saw failed to start. I had to go buy a new one at North Park Kuester's Hardware Store. Back in those days there was a Kuester's hardware store on all sides of Townin Evansville, IN.
The power was out, so no electricity, so we navigated through the store with flash lights and Coleman lanterns. This was back in the late 1970's and they didn't have computers at the check out in those days. So all sales were done by hand using paper and pen.
I got back home and was able to get the new bigger chain saw started right away. The little one I had thrown though the air about 15 ft trying to break it so bad that I would quit trying to use it and have to buy a new one. It was piece of junk anyway. And I didn't know about Sea Foam back in those days. It's carb was probably all gunked up with old gas. I cut up some pretty big tree limbs that fell down onto my parents house with the new chain saw.
After that I went to the Volunteer fire department and volunteered the rest of the day to help others get their trees/limbs cleaned up and out of the way. Some people were blocked in their driveways by huge limbs that lay across the driveway. The county guys were out clearing downed trees from the county roads so you have to navigate around them.
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