# Arm Chaps?



## tree md (Mar 23, 2010)

Anybody wearing these?

Saw a pair at Vermeer this morning while I was looking for a new sling. They were too small for me to try on though. Looks like they would protect your forearms pretty well. My forearms get pretty scratched up sometimes. One of them looks like a raspberry now.

Anyway, who's wearing them? Who likes them? Are they too hot?


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## treemandan (Mar 23, 2010)

Arm chaps? Save the money and use long sleeve T shirts.


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## tree MDS (Mar 23, 2010)

tree md said:


> Anybody wearing these?
> 
> Saw a pair at Vermeer this morning while I was looking for a new sling. They were too small for me to try on though. Looks like they would protect your forearms pretty well. My forearms get pretty scratched up sometimes. One of them looks like a raspberry now.
> 
> Anyway, who's wearing them? Who likes them? Are they too hot?



You gonna get one of those leather masks with the rubber ball for your mouth to go with those md?? :hmm3grin2orange:


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## Grace Tree (Mar 23, 2010)

We pruned 20 osage orange last summer. I bought a pair for me and a pair for my partner. I haven't worn them since but as far as I'm concerned they more than paid for themselves on that job. They were hot and the black die came off on my arm and so did the orange on my partner. We rarely do osage but I'm sure we'll use them again later this spring when we start doing locust.
Phil


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## tree md (Mar 23, 2010)

tree MDS said:


> You gonna get one of those leather masks with the rubber ball for your mouth to go with those md?? :hmm3grin2orange:



LOL, not my style brother... 

Yeah, I'll prolly just start wearing long sleeves. They get kind of hot in the Summer but I do wear them on some of the hairier trees. I need to order some more Long sleeve T's anyway.

Was just curious what some of you who have them thought about them.


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## Blakesmaster (Mar 23, 2010)

Arm chaps? Bah. I like picking scabs.


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## outofmytree (Mar 24, 2010)

Arm chaps are not going to happen for us. We all wear long sleeved cotton shirts 365 DOTY. I see local climbers who say long sleeves are too hot and they are 1 long mess of scabs and scars from wrist to shoulder. I'll be sticking with long sleeves.


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## Norwayclimber (Mar 24, 2010)

I use them ocasionaly, and they are nice for saving your forearms when wearing a tshirt. Combined with a pair of gloves they're good protection aginst thorns and needeles.


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## MCW (Mar 28, 2010)

Or they can be used to stop Stihl 200T's from digging into your forearm. This guy and a couple of guys that know him now wear forearm chaps on their left arms when using top handled saws.
(This was a mate of mine who was pruning citrus and was very very lucky. This was a glancing cut from his 200T - no major damage, just a lot of internal and external stitches - sorry about the blurry image)


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## outofmytree (Mar 28, 2010)

I feel another 2 hands on the saw rant coming on.......

Nah maybe not. Over the last 12 months we have gone back to handsaws for much of our pruning either climbing or on the ground. (I figure citrus pruning would be from the ground?) You can cut yourself with a handsaw too but it takes a lot more effort and I am too lazy to cut that fast!


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## TreeClimber57 (Mar 28, 2010)

They do work.. we don't use much.. and mostly on smaller pruning jobs with lots of thorns involved. We have one pair, sit in box on trailer most of the time.


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## MCW (Mar 29, 2010)

outofmytree said:


> I feel another 2 hands on the saw rant coming on.......
> 
> Nah maybe not. Over the last 12 months we have gone back to handsaws for much of our pruning either climbing or on the ground. (I figure citrus pruning would be from the ground?) You can cut yourself with a handsaw too but it takes a lot more effort and I am too lazy to cut that fast!



Funny you say that. A lot of guys that own Citrus and Almond orchards have now moved away from top handled saws and gone for things like MS180's etc (due to both safety and cost. 200T's are worth a fortune in our area) Too many forearm/hand injuries had been occurring which when you may be on a saw for 6-7 hours a day can easily happen.
If I was a pruning contractor using top handles all my guys would be wearing forearm chaps.
Yeah mate, all the citrus pruning is done from the ground and basically all inside the tree canopy near the trunk. Easy place to get a saw tangled in which is what happened to my mate in the picture above. Any top or side pruning is now done by large multi headed circular saw pruning machines. Most of the smaller internal branches are cut using hand saws but any major tree shaping work is done with chainsaws.


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## pgg (Apr 1, 2010)

Anyone who needs to be wrapped in cotton wool to save themselves from their own saw SHOULD NOT BE ON AN ****** CHAINSAW. Get a soft job back in town and stay the hell out of it. Guess what, chainsaws aren't toys... 

Of all the chainsaw accidents I've seen in the bush over the decades, EVERY one was caused by stupidity, brainlessness, lack of caution, foolish nonchalance in tight situations and piss poor techniques. 

Don't blame the saw, accidents are entirely your OWN FAULT. . Burying your head in the sand, ignoring the reality and relying on a fancy-labeled, restrictive, lumbering blaze yellow pile of so called 'safety' gear to try and save your own dopey asses is just a recipe for eventual disaster. Use common bloody sense instead. 

Up a tree you want a light helmet, visor and earmuffs. Any type of B.S. that's restrictive, hot, cloying, heavy or clumsy tends to cause accidents, not prevent them. And definitely always wear long sleeves. Over the long haul, bare arms and legs are bad news and they just don't mix with chainsaw work


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## MCW (Apr 1, 2010)

pgg said:


> Anyone who needs to be wrapped in cotton wool to save themselves from their own saw SHOULD NOT BE ON AN ****** CHAINSAW. Get a soft job back in town and stay the hell out of it. Guess what, chainsaws aren't toys...
> 
> Of all the chainsaw accidents I've seen in the bush over the decades, EVERY one was caused by stupidity, brainlessness, lack of caution, foolish nonchalance in tight situations and piss poor techniques.
> 
> ...



I see where you're coming from however accidents can and do happen, and that includes injuries to some pretty handy operators. It's not about cotton wool, it's about personal safety with which some people are far better than others. There are many recorded instances of chain breakages that have caused personal injuries and that has happened through no fault of the operator.
It's just like seatbelts in cars or crash helmets on motorbikes.

But as you were alluding to, a lot of people all of a sudden think they're bulletproof the second they whack on a pair of chaps and a helmet.


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## outofmytree (Apr 1, 2010)

MCW said:


> But as you were alluding to, a lot of people all of a sudden think they're bulletproof the second they whack on a pair of chaps and a helmet.



:agree2:


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## TreeBot (Apr 1, 2010)

The lighter weight and lower power of the 192T makes it much safer IMO. The 200T is overkill on almost all pruning jobs and some removals.


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## tree md (Apr 1, 2010)

I'm getting to where I love not having to use a chainsaw at all. I use my hand saw on most of my prune jobs. a lot of times I will still have to call for the power saw but usually only for a couple of cuts. 

I have a 192 and 200. The 200 sees more service but I do a lot of removals.

LOL, I was really digging that rear handle you had bot. Was that a 192 or 200?


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## TreeBot (Apr 2, 2010)

That's the ms200 rear handle, best little saw ever.


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## tree md (Apr 3, 2010)

Yeah, that was a nice little saw. Your's was the only rear handle 200 I had seen. It was throwing some serious chips! They used to sell the rear handle 192's around here but haven't seen one in awhile.


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## B-Edwards (Apr 3, 2010)

I always wear long sleeve cotton shirts. Had many many guys say " I would burn up wearing that" .After it gets soaked in sweat You stay cool and I am always soaked while climbing. T-shirt wont stop a saw though.


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