Chaps? Upgrade advise needed.

[carpniels]

Hi All,

I've been wearing the same old Husky full-size over pants to protect my legs from getting chopped off for over 20 years. They're old, dirty and a pain to put on and take off (I have to remove my boots to do that). Plus I'm not as young anymore so it's time for an upgrade. Options are:

1. Husky Technical Apron Wrap Chainsaw Chaps​

2. Husky Functional Chaps​

3. Husky Classic Chaps​

4. Stihl ProMark Chaps​

5. Stihl Dynamic Chaps​

6. Stihl Function Chaps​

I'm sure there are many more brands that I'm not familiar with. Questions:
What do you use and why? What would you recommend for me and why?

Thanks - Carpniels

 

[PaulOinMA]

Lots of options on arborist sites I have bookmarked ...

Arborist Supplies | Tree Climbing Gear | Bartlett

Arborist Supplies + Tree Climbing Gear at Bartlett Arborist Supply. Low prices on arborist supplies, tree climbing gear and tree equipment. FREE SHIPPING!

www.bartlettman.com

Forestry Suppliers, Inc.

Forestry Suppliers, Inc.

www.forestry-suppliers.com

CSP Forestry

CSP Forestry is your go-to destination for top-quality forestry, logging, and construction supplies. With a commitment to providing proven products and premier service since 1986, we offer a comprehensive range of equipment and tools tailored to meet the needs of professionals in various...

cspforestry.com

 

[John Mc]

Do you do most of your cutting in warmer temperatures or colder?

I'm often wearing wearing chainsaw pants, rather than chaps. There are several good models made by Pfanner (I like the Gladiator Ventilation Pants), Clogger, and others. I also like the Husqvarna technical pants (I don;t really like the Husqvara classic pants). All of these are regular pants with cut protection, not "overpants". Some of these are lightweight and have good ventilation, making them OK for work in warmer weather. They have come a long way since the heavy, hot, bulky protective pants I had 15 or 20 years ago.

For chaps, I much prefer the "full-wrap" style: the protection wraps fully around your calf, providing much better protection than the "apron" style chaps, which only offer protection around the front 180˚ of your calves. Accidentally cutting the back of your calf is probably not common. However, I've seen the aftermath of an accident where a running chainsaw caught the front of a leg on some apron-style chaps and spun the chap around the leg, exposing the shin and ending up with a nasty cut on the shin. I have an old pair of Husqvarna full wrap chaps, similar to their current Technical chaps. I've been happy with them. They are due for replacement (they have been so oil and gas soaked over the years, that I'm doubting their cut protection is still up to snuff.) I'll probably go with Husqvarna Hi-vis Technical Chaps, but am still looking around: I'd like to see the models in person before buying.

The downside of full wrap chaps is that they are hotter to wear than the apron style. If you do a lot of cutting in hot weather, they may be too hot for you (and the ensuing risk of dehydration or heat exhaustion - both of which can also affect your judgement, coordination, and reaction time: a dangerous thing when operating a chainsaw). I wear full wrap, but since I don't log or cut firewood for a living, I have the luxury of cutting my days short when it's really hot out, or simply not operating the chainsaw at all and waiting for a cooler day.