# Husqvarna Chaps



## crackajeff (Jul 28, 2009)

Are they worth anything or are they crap?


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## valekbrothers (Jul 28, 2009)

I hope they are good, that is what I wear........
Hope I don't ever test them out


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## Shagbark (Jul 28, 2009)

I'd wear a pair if they were the Pro series. I think the big box store ones are homeowner ones that offer less protection. If your running big CC saws you want more layers of protection.


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## crackajeff (Jul 28, 2009)

So they should be fine with my 029?


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## Shagbark (Jul 28, 2009)

crackajeff said:


> So they should be fine with my 029?



Better than nothing.


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## crackajeff (Jul 28, 2009)

Yeah that's what I was thinking. A whole lot better than jeans. 55 bucks at lowes. I think I'm going to get some.


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## Cletuspsc (Jul 29, 2009)

ahhhh yea. . . . .youll be ok


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## mercer_me (Jul 29, 2009)

I wear labonville chaps. Got to http://www.labonville.com/videos/v2.htm and wach the video, it's very convinsing. Go to http://www.labonville.com/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=14 to vew there full line of chaps.


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## crackajeff (Jul 29, 2009)

That is a very convincing video. I think I would trust those more than the box store husqvarna ones.


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## tramp bushler (Jul 31, 2009)

*Don,t trust chaps*

.... You don,t trust chaps, you don,t rely on chaps and you don,t run a saw in a manner that will cut your chaps ......... About everyone who has run a saw for a while has cut their chaps ... But the goal is , to have the chaps wear out and never get a saw cut one in them ............... .. Do your best to be a SMOOTH cutter , smooth cutters tend to not tear up stuff and they seldom get cut , .....A smooth cutter is ALWAYS THINKING !!!!!! BUT ONLY ABOUT THE TASK AT HAND , 
.
. Thats one of the bueties about being a faller , it,s like you have a mandate to not think about anything other than what you are doing ...........
.
. Defiantly wear chaps ..... And some chaps are better than others .. But I,ve never had a pair fail me , and I,ve wore dozens of different brands and styles ,,Including full wrap , inside the pant Labonvilles ... Really good protection but too hot and heavy ......


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## hammerlogging (Jul 31, 2009)

tramp bushler said:


> .... .
> . Thats one of the bueties about being a faller , it,s like you have a mandate to not think about anything other than what you are doing ......



Thats what I am talking about. Hit the nail on the head. Falling timber, total Zen.


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## tramp bushler (Jul 31, 2009)

I don,t call it zen , being a Christian , I call it single ness of mind and body ...A guy can,t out cut his mind .....But when the body gets too fatigued the brain doesn,t work either .... But it is mostly the brain .......................... You should see some of the things I,ve seen cutters do because they stopped thinking ,or were thinking about the wrong thing ... Last count , 4 guys I worked with buried in the Craig cemetery . and plenty buried in others ... After a long season a guy feels pretty stupid because he has trained himself to NOT think about anything but fallin timber ........................But , thats not a bad thing , Pretty good thing actually ........ Thats one reason a high percentage cutting and logging Contractors who cut get hurt and killed , they are thinking about too much stuff other than what they are doing .................... I,ve heard of too many guys almost getting it or getting their partners right around the time they got married.............. Not thinking about the right stuff .....


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## hammerlogging (Aug 1, 2009)

tramp bushler said:


> I don,t call it zen , being a Christian , I call it single ness of mind and body ........



symantics? Its all the same ain't it. But, glad you agree. I like it that way, totally enchanted with the moment, yes because you have to be, but its good for the soul. Meditative. Get it in the zone. Then someone radios over that they need to be cut out, they're hung. Argh. Out of the zone.

Drugs can be one tool for escapism. Cutting timber full time is too- cause you forget about all the worries of the past of the future. But its only escapism in one fancy, in other ways its a connection to the purity of living in the moment. Cause all we have is the present.


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## GASoline71 (Aug 1, 2009)

tramp bushler said:


> I don,t call it zen , being a Christian ,





hammerlogging said:


> *symantics? Its all the same ain't it.* But, glad you agree. I like it that way, totally enchanted with the moment, yes because you have to be, but its good for the soul. Meditative. Get it in the zone. Then someone radios over that they need to be cut out, they're hung. Argh. Out of the zone.



I like the way you put that Hammer... I was wondering what the heck being a Christian had to do with not calling a state of mind "zen"... then I wikipedia'd the word "zen"...

I gets it now. 

Gary


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## slowp (Aug 1, 2009)

Wow. I told somebody that was why I liked to go out and cut up stuff after bad encounters of the work time. I call it my anger management. 

There was a discussion on the landing about chaps. Seems they have a turning out to be a good crew of young kids 18 to 23 years, who work the rigging. One wanted to stay after and cut some trees down. The boss told him no. He tried to talk the boss into it. The boss almost relented when the chaser held up a pair of chaps, with a cut in them and pointed to the kid. The kid said that the chaps worked, but his boss said he needed to control a saw well enough to *NOT* cut the chaps before he was ready to go on to falling.


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## Humptulips (Aug 1, 2009)

tramp bushler said:


> I don,t call it zen , being a Christian , I call it single ness of mind and body ...A guy can,t out cut his mind .....But when the body gets too fatigued the brain doesn,t work either .... But it is mostly the brain .......................... You should see some of the things I,ve seen cutters do because they stopped thinking ,or were thinking about the wrong thing ... Last count , 4 guys I worked with buried in the Craig cemetery . and plenty buried in others ... After a long season a guy feels pretty stupid because he has trained himself to NOT think about anything but fallin timber ........................But , thats not a bad thing , Pretty good thing actually ........ Thats one reason a high percentage cutting and logging Contractors who cut get hurt and killed , they are thinking about too much stuff other than what they are doing .................... I,ve heard of too many guys almost getting it or getting their partners right around the time they got married.............. Not thinking about the right stuff .....



Concentrating on your work. Yea, I can relate. Manys the day I would put in two shifts. One working and a second all night dreaming about logging. They say your brain works on your problems at night so maybe it helps the next day.


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## tramp bushler (Aug 2, 2009)

slowp said:


> Wow. I told somebody that was why I liked to go out and cut up stuff after bad encounters of the work time. I call it my anger management.
> 
> There was a discussion on the landing about chaps. Seems they have a turning out to be a good crew of young kids 18 to 23 years, who work the rigging. One wanted to stay after and cut some trees down. The boss told him no. He tried to talk the boss into it. The boss almost relented when the chaser held up a pair of chaps, with a cut in them and pointed to the kid. The kid said that the chaps worked, but his boss said he needed to control a saw well enough to *NOT* cut the chaps before he was ready to go on to falling.


..




. Yup .. Being young has it,s own troubles ... I,m really glad I,m not 20 or 30 years old any more .................. . I sincerely hope all the young kids make it , There is so much to learn ..... Alot of times not having any saftey gear teaches a guy to be REAL careful .............. Who would want to go to fallin without a hard hat ..... But you sure do look up alot better when you know the only thing between your brain and a widow maker is , (maybe) some hair , skin and a thin bone ..... maybe a ball cap .,or a toque...


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## hammerlogging (Aug 2, 2009)

Turns out its spelled semantics. Apologies.
My neighbor is a quaker, its christian, but they have very meditative practices akin to buddhism.
I'm prone to dreaming about work too.
Once I started wearing PPE way back, haven't been able to run a saw without the stuff since.


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## Philbert (Aug 2, 2009)

Shagbark said:


> I'd wear a pair if they were the Pro series. I think the big box store ones are homeowner ones that offer less protection. If your running big CC saws you want more layers of protection.



All of the name brand chaps are UL listed. That means that they meet a basic level of protection The main differences between different models are: coverage, and layers of protective material (as Shagbark notes). Of course, there are always personal preferences (color, brand, fit, etc.).

I have a pair of Husky full-wrap chaps that provide good coverage, but are a bit heavy and more restrictive. I also have a pair of the Husky 'apron' chaps that are lighter. Having a choice means I am less likely to cut without using one of the other.

Philbert


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## tramp bushler (Aug 3, 2009)

I rebuild my chaps .. . I prefer the outside chaps to the pads ....... I know several guys who have got cut real bad wearing the I T P . pads ..... 
. I take the belt off mine , adjust the height and sew the left pad onto the belt , then make a big belt loop out of the right pad top and sew it so the belt is thru it but it is adjustable ...... When I need to take a leak , the buckle it right in front ...... My arms don,t go around my back very well , and I hate getting all un did just for # 1 ................


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## oregoncutter (Aug 4, 2009)

Humptulips said:


> Concentrating on your work. Yea, I can relate. Manys the day I would put in two shifts. One working and a second all night dreaming about logging. They say your brain works on your problems at night so maybe it helps the next day.



As far as chaps go I've used everything from husky brand to chainbreakers, and about everything in between and atleast they all offered some protection. In the past I spent alot of time under some highballing swing yarders chasing (grading, sorting, bucking, and limbing) and as careful as I am I have cut into the chaps a couple of times it made me think O.K wake up idiot I think of em just like my own flesh if You consistently cut into them which I have seen before You're doing something wrong and probably going to hurt yor'eself at some point. I don't know anything about zen, but You definitely better have you're mind in the game while You are working. A good example was a couple of years ago I was starting a small clearcut working on a company cutting crew and my partner called in sick so the siderod sent a hooktender, and a chokersetter from their swingyarder side over to cut with me, the hooker had about 10 years age difference on me and had begged every minute of his career to get on the cutting side so this was his big chance we were to start working opposite sides he wanted the side I was starting, because it had bigger trees and less brush I told him I didn't care, but the siderod put him on the side with smaller trees and alot of brush this pi$$ed the guy off royally, and he let us all know about it and how undeserving I was because of my age. About two hours into the morning the chokersetter came running up to me screaming that the guy was laying down in the brush and wasn't moving, so I dropped what i was doing and ran over to him, found him on his back unconscious with about a 10'' punky maple limb on top of him, he started coming to and moving a little bit, had to be hauled off by ambulance was lucky enough to just have alot of bruising and a concussion, and shoulder dislocated. What happened I asked him a couple weeks later and he said he was in a bad mood and all he could think about was being pi$$ed off at me and the siderod cut into about a 18'' maple, didin't look up before he started on it, and as it fell it knocked a rotten limb loose out of the big maple directly behind it. I figure despite You're age and experience when the day comes You know it all, and can't learn anything You had better just hang it up. My wife accuses me of being dumb right after work but it takes me alittle while to change channels I guess.


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## bullbuck (Aug 4, 2009)

oregoncutter said:


> As far as chaps go I've used everything from husky brand to chainbreakers, and about everything in between and atleast they all offered some protection. In the past I spent alot of time under some highballing swing yarders chasing (grading, sorting, bucking, and limbing) and as careful as I am I have cut into the chaps a couple of times it made me think O.K wake up idiot I think of em just like my own flesh if You consistently cut into them which I have seen before You're doing something wrong and probably going to hurt yor'eself at some point. I don't know anything about zen, but You definitely better have you're mind in the game while You are working. A good example was a couple of years ago I was starting a small clearcut working on a company cutting crew and my partner called in sick so the siderod sent a hooktender, and a chokersetter from their swingyarder side over to cut with me, the hooker had about 10 years age difference on me and had begged every minute of his career to get on the cutting side so this was his big chance we were to start working opposite sides he wanted the side I was starting, because it had bigger trees and less brush I told him I didn't care, but the siderod put him on the side with smaller trees and alot of brush this pi$$ed the guy off royally, and he let us all know about it and how undeserving I was because of my age. About two hours into the morning the chokersetter came running up to me screaming that the guy was laying down in the brush and wasn't moving, so I dropped what i was doing and ran over to him, found him on his back unconscious with about a 10'' punky maple limb on top of him, he started coming to and moving a little bit, had to be hauled off by ambulance was lucky enough to just have alot of bruising and a concussion, and shoulder dislocated. What happened I asked him a couple weeks later and he said he was in a bad mood and all he could think about was being pi$$ed off at me and the siderod cut into about a 18'' maple, didin't look up before he started on it, and as it fell it knocked a rotten limb loose out of the big maple directly behind it. I figure despite You're age and experience when the day comes You know it all, and can't learn anything You had better just hang it up. My wife accuses me of being dumb right after work but it takes me alittle while to change channels I guess.



my boss was angry at a faller,went to cutting angry and didnt see the 4 inch sprung loaded pine under the next limb,caught him right under the chin opened his throat up and broke his jaw,did not catch the artery luckily! i think you can use some anger as motivation, but when i am seeing red i try to stop and reevaluate things for i am probably not even thinking about the task at hand


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## forestryworks (Aug 4, 2009)

bullbuck said:


> my boss was angry at a faller,went to cutting angry and didnt see the 4 inch sprung loaded pine under the next limb,caught him right under the chin opened his throat up and broke his jaw,did not catch the artery luckily! i think you can use some anger as motivation, but when i am seeing red i try to stop and reevaluate things for i am probably not even thinking about the task at hand



cuttin' when you're mad ain't no good.

same goes with drivin'.

anger makes us do stupid things.


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## tramp bushler (Aug 5, 2009)

Sometimes you can use a good mad to give you evough strength to get back up the hill when you are exguasted , ,. But a guy needs to know when to discipline his mind and pay attention ...........


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## slowp (Aug 5, 2009)

I find cutting while angry soothing. I have to think about what I'm doing with the saw, not what has occurred in the office, and can switch over and apply that energy to a productive use.


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## hammerlogging (Aug 8, 2009)

After years of full wrap chaps and never thinking twice about it, I now have 2 pairs of cutting pants and now a pair of Madsens jeans with slide in protection-- these are the bomb. Unless its going to be a rather wet day aI wear them, if rather wet, the regular cutting pants (all synthetic), if really wet, Filsons and chaps.

No, the slideins don't have the same protection, but they're OSHA legal (i think). HEck, to be honest I feel naked in the pants too compared to the chaps, but have gotten over it cause it sure is nice.

I feel that wearing nothing is ignorant.


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## tramp bushler (Aug 8, 2009)

I definatly agree with the ignorance of not wearing chaps . This summer I have been wrasselin with the option of not wearing chaps ,or not cutting .. I know ya,ll will think me a wimp .. But to cut in 90 & degree heat , is a rather un natural act for us up here .. Even tho in the Interior it does get hot every summer ...... It has cooled off and rained here and boy was I glad , as I wear chaps when I cut ..... But I worked for around 2 weeks with no chaps ....It was litterly so hot for me . I started having some heat related problems ..... like passing out .. I now have a customer I have delivered wood to in 130 degree temperature difference ....... Since I started cutting when I was 12 years old ,We never heard of chaps until I was 16 years old ... and have never cut my legs , In fact , I have only been cut once , and that was on my left hand , because I didn't have my thumb wrapped around the front handle bar ..........-40 Fahrenheit or Centigrade ........Take your pick , their the same temp .:jawdrop: ....,.,.,.,,,,,.,.,.,,.....,,,,.,.,.,.,,.,.,


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## bullbuck (Aug 8, 2009)

i cut for probably 6 years without chaps eye protection or ear protection,then a guy on the crew tripped lopping brush and laid his knee open real good 1200 dollar injury,so i thought maybe i should try chaps?wearing them ever since,used to not wear ear protection until i was facing trees and the noise made my ears start whistling and sometimes almost quit working!scary!so now if i dont have a fresh pair of ear classics in i cant even hardly operate the cat,and just a couple years back a pnw faller that relocated here and always wore his eye protection,forgot them at the truck and was dumping a pecker pole looked up and a little stick took his eye,he still falls but he says his perception is screwy,anyways i will quit gabbing,i believe better safe than sorry


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## bushinspector (Aug 9, 2009)

I've been wearing the "box store chaps" and did have a situation where they did provide protection on my thigh. Almost got through cutting a stump and started to pull out and the bar caught somthing and threw it out. They are hotter during the summer but they could be "priceless"!!


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## foche911 (Aug 30, 2009)

*Chainsaw pants*

I need advice on the best chainsaw pants and where to find them. I need big waist size 42-44" or larger. I don't run saw over 70cc, usually 55, trim fencerows and and creeks for firewood. Will fall some trees up to 36" also. No climbing.


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