Chainsaw Chaps Usage Poll

I just cut a little bit for lengths that were too big for my stove last night and totally forgot to wear my new chaps. I didn't forget to wear my new bibs in honor of Quads, though.

I'd say Upwards of 95% of the time I run the saw. Sometimes I take the saw out for one cut while I am splitting and don't put on the chaps. More than that and I put them on.

Chaps all of the time, but I keep forgetting to pull down my face shield on my new helmet. :sick:

Hmmm. Nearly clean pants and a fairly good chance of needing a dozen stiches if I'm inattentive vs filthy pants and a good chance of loosing mobility in my leg, my leg completely, or possibly even my life if I'm inattentive. Tough choice.

I wear them 100 percent of the time. I also have 2 pairs just in case there is some one with me that can run a saw.

Danno77 said:

I just cut a little bit for lengths that were too big for my stove last night and totally forgot to wear my new chaps. I didn't forget to wear my new bibs in honor of Quads, though.

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Thanks, I am indeed honored.

Chaps? I ain't got no horses.

A must. Saw my father in law almost lose his leg a few years back. Do a lot of wildland firefighting, and even the most experienced sawyers knick their chaps.

I wear them every time now (first couple months I didn't) and there are many benefits besides safety:

--Extra pocket
--Keeps snow outta my boots
--Keeps wood chips/dirt offa my pants
--Keeps branches/bushes from jabbing my legs while walking through the woods

S

If I didn't wear them, someday they may call me peg leg. NOt willing to take the chance, I've seen chaps that have done there job, (frightening).

I wear them all the time

I've never owned them, worn them, and have never seen anybody that does including professional loggers. Then again, I almost never wear gloves either. Ear muffs, yes.

I didn't wear them for the first 20 years I ran a saw and then met someone who wore them and I got started wearing them. Found out the hard way when I let a 24 inch bar get to close to my leg and it stopped a 460 in time. Now with my left knee replacement, I wear them all the time. Can't afford another infection or major surgery. :roll:

Shipper

Read the last line in my signature!

I will be wearing them all the time.

Its my next purchase.

KarlP said:

Hmmm. Nearly clean pants and a fairly good chance of needing a dozen stiches if I'm inattentive vs filthy pants and a good chance of loosing mobility in my leg, my leg completely, or possibly even my life if I'm inattentive. Tough choice.

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Great post Karl. I could not say it any better. Be safe.
Ed

I've never worn them

Had not worn them for many years. A couple of months ago a neighbor across the road saw me cutting up some oak in my yard and brought his over and suggested I try them. His had a big cut across the left thigh. Funny how wearing them for a day with that cut staring at me convinced me that they are now a mandatory part of my routine. Just bought my own set.

Beowulf said:

Had not worn them for many years. A couple of months ago a neighbor across the road saw me cutting up some oak in my yard and brought his over and suggested I try them. His had a big cut across the left thigh. Funny how wearing them for a day with that cut staring at me convinced me that they are now a mandatory part of my routine. Just bought my own set.

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lol, that's a little funny. maybe working with a one legged chainsaw buddy would do the same. he could make the rounds to all the guys around here who don't feel the need to use the.

I hate to say it . . . but I don't wear chaps.

I wear them close to 100% with exception being starting the saw to make a few cuts of pieces that are too long. In addition to the safety aspect they also help keep the legs warm, keep the prickers and branches from nailing you and they keep the saw dust off your pants.
Worth it to me

It is interesting to note the poll data so far:

Almost all of the folks here who own chaps use them 100% of the time. The data show that if you have found it in your budget to purchase a pair - you will use them all the time. Why? Most likely because chaps are a good product that provides sufficient, practical, benefits. Those of us (including myself) that don't own chaps would nine times out of ten use them if chaps were available to us one way or another. I was hoping Obama would address this issue last night in his State of the Union Speech. The program would likely have been called Cash for Chaps to Chipper Choppers. :cheese:

CJRages said:

The data show that if you have found it in your budget to purchase a pair - you will use them all the time. Why?

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I believe why/why not is a personality driven decision. Some people aren't bothered at all by risks. Others are so scared they won't do anything dangerous. My personality drives me to take reasonable precautions to make the risky activities I enjoy less risky.

I like using a chainsaw. I like my face, eyes, and ears enough to spend $50 on a chainsaw helmet. I like my legs enough to spend $80 on a pair of full wrap chaps incase I screw up. I also wear a helmet, gloves, padded pants, padded jacket, armored boots, and armored back protector every time I get on my motorcycle even though I've never crashed going more than 3mph. The flip flops, shorts, and Oakleys I see others wearing while riding and sawing would have protected me good enough so far, but if I knew the exact moments I was going to screw up in life I'd have done a lot of things differently over the years. LoL

If you find $50 too much to spend on entry level chaps and don't have REALLY GOOD disability and health insurance read this.
http://www.madsens1.com/chaps.htm

"Top chain speed on today's pro saws exceeds one hundred feet per second. Perhaps a more amazing fact is at this speed, a chain on a 32" bar travels around it more than ten times a second."

"We revved up the saw to full speed and let off the trigger as the chain came in contact with the jeans - just as an operator's reflex would do in a real accident. In an instant, the ham was cut to the bone, which surprised us. This grizzly test demonstrated two things. 1) Chain saws make nasty cuts. They don't cut animal tissue like a knife; they tear it. The least gruesome way to describe the test wound is... well, it would have kept a doctor busy sewing for a while. 2) The second thing our test demonstrated was just how quickly an accident happens. In an instant, a chain saw can cut you to the bone. This happens so fast, no thought of moving your leg would have made it out of your brain in time. Even an alert person would not have had time to respond before they were seriously injured."

Last summer my neighbor asked to borrow one of my saws. I told him that he could not borrow my saw, but that I would come over with my saw and do the cutting for him. He chuckled a bit when I showed up with my chaps and helmet. I told him that it would be very difficult for me to go to work on Monday with one less leg.