Chainsaw Chaps

[Jazzberry]

After 20 years of cutting I just bought Husky technical full wrap chaps. They will be warmer then some but keeping debris out of the boots and less stuff getting hung-up on the straps compared to normal apron chaps is an advantage.

Labonville has 25% off until the end of the month. Was tempted but shipping made them almost double the price then the Husky's were on ebay.

I am aways off from chaps. I cut in shorts and tennis shoes.

 

[ColdNorCal]

I am aways off from chaps. I cut in shorts and tennis shoes.

Steel toe tennis shoes. Safety colors optional.


https://workboots.com/reebok-sublite-work-steel-toe-white

 

[johneh]

I am aways off from chaps. I cut in shorts and tennis shoes

An Accident waiting to happen
Ask my buddy who lost 4 toes

 

[Ashful]

I am aways off from chaps. I cut in shorts and tennis shoes.

I had to visit the emergency room twice as a child, once for a broken arm at age 8, and a year or two later for something I can't even remember anymore. But what I clearly remember is that each time an arborist was brought in (both times a professional, not an amateur) with a chainsaw-related injury. The first was hopping on one foot, with two buddies helping him along. One buddy was carrying an Igloo lunch cooler containing the foot of the injured man, and I still remember the story of how the injury happened, but I will spare you.

If you look at the stat's, leg-contact injuries are something like 20x more common than head injuries, when using a chainsaw. Yet it seems most OPE dealers try to sell firewood cutters a helmet before chaps or boots. Stupid.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

The helmet helps your noggin when you are not paying attention and you walk into a branch or one swings around while cutting. or reaching down to pick up cut branches... Don't ask .. you all know what I mean ..

 

[Ashful]

I only usually wear my helmet when felling trees, as I worry about branches fall down on me from above as the tree goes over. My point was that most firewood cutters aren’t felling trees nearly as often as bucking up wood already put on the ground by others or weather.

 

[ColdNorCal]

I only usually wear my helmet when felling trees, as I worry about branches fall down on me from above as the tree goes over. My point was that most firewood cutters aren’t felling trees nearly as often as bucking up wood already put on the ground by others or weather.

This is true for me. Most of the firewood is from fallen oaks, larger branches hanging down in the way of accessing the pastures, fallen 75 year old fruit trees or old large branches snapping off or hanging. I still get hit in the head by smaller branches sometimes. A helmet may not be necessary but safety glasses definitely are.

 

[peakbagger]

Its been awhile but I think the breakdown on moving chain injuries was that limbing is the highest risk and far higher than the felling. It makes sense, the blade is out away from the body when felling and the body is out of the potential kickback zone when felling. I think the operator is also more stationary during the cut. Limbing is a lot of cuts towards the operator and the footing is much poorer leading to folks stumbling and falling into the blade. During my chainsaw training we were taught to pop the chain break before every step.

 

[Ashful]

Its been awhile but I think the breakdown on moving chain injuries was that limbing is the highest risk and far higher than the felling. It makes sense, the blade is out away from the body when felling and the body is out of the potential kickback zone when felling. I think the operator is also more stationary during the cut. Limbing is a lot of cuts towards the operator and the footing is much poorer leading to folks stumbling and falling into the blade. During my chainsaw training we were taught to pop the chain break before every step.

Agreed. A few additional factors:

1. You probably make 40+ limbing cuts for every felling cut.
2. You are in a state of heightened awareness while making the felling cuts, due to perceived danger (or more acurately, the impact of making a mistake at this point).
3. A lot more amateur homeowners doing limbing, who may shy away from felling.

 

[Sawset]

I had to be talked into getting ppe.
It's one of those things that once worn, they will never be unworn while cutting. The feeling of vulnerability is startling.
The chaps performed their function once, just a knick in the knee, but still would have been stiches. It was while limbing with some underbrush mixed in and around. Ripped just the outer layer and some kevlar strands, but those strands would have been my leg.
The helmet - I like wearing it. There is so much junk pricker bushes in the woods that no matter how careful I would end up with scar face by end of the day no matter how hard I tried. Cold, high wind, chainsaw noise, I'm snug as a bug with my helmet and maybe a hood pulled up over if it's really cold. Even splitting wood sometimes, keeps the bark from flying up, noise away, sun off, all of the above.