aluminum vs plastic hard hats

[motorhead99999]

Depends what I’m doing but full brim on all for sure. I agree with aluminum showing damage

 

[catbuster]

I’ve worn an aluminum hat very little. Maybe it’s my midwestern environment. Maybe I’m too young. Maybe I don’t harken back to the “good old days.” But what I do know is that a metal hard hat is not for me. I do like full brim hats, though.

I like my MSA Skullgard. I have the old style ratchet suspension that doesn’t come as far down the back of your head, or your neck if you have a small head with the new style. For the OSHA people-it’s not an old suspension, it’s just old style. Other than that the full brim Bullard hats with their ratcheting suspensions are very comfortable and are low profile in comparison to almost every other plastic hat. My C33 saved my head this summer, literally, when a rigging chain fell out of a hoe’s bucket.

The damage to that plastic hat was obvious.

 

[northmanlogging]

I wear a tin cap logging but plan to get a plastic lid. The suspension on the tin caps is junk in my opinion and the back of my head hurts a little a few hours into the day. They make it look like it has padding but doesn't. The plastic lids have padding under the rachet and have a much nicer sweat band. Yeah I will look less lonker but would rather be comfortable. Also the plastic cap sits much lower so it keeps the sun out of your eyes better. It also is half the price and isn't so damn loud!

if you can dig up a proper Mac T suspension, they can be a little more comfy then the skull bucket versions, no ratchet so ya gotta squish em on your head and hope they stay...

The old, and I mean really old suspensions had a "shoe" string in the crown portion so you could adjust the ride height, but the folks at ansi think the hat will dent to far and dent your skull with it...

That said... if one where to unstitch the crown and sew in some loops, then a short chunk of para cord, makes em adjustable again, takes 20 minutes with practice, just don't go breaking the War Dept's sewin machine, now I'm not saying you should do this... but if you did the sun stays out of your eyes better, and the hat stays on better too

 

[northmanlogging]

It's not a beverage of choice but sometimes caffeine is your only friend. I used to carry a little plastic jar of Folgers instant mixed with sugar. There was usually some Donettos or maybe a couple of cans of beany-weanies if I dug far enough down into the saw box. Sardines and saltines too.
After an all nighter when it was too late to go home and you'd spent a couple of hours trying to sleep scrunched up on the pickup seat that stuff would put a good edge on your morning.
You can't really boil coffee in your hard hat but you can get it warm enough that it perks you up a little.
Water was always easy to find.
Nice thing about a breakfast like that was that nobody spent much time trying to talk to you and waste your time. You had breath like a cannibal bat.

Anybody else miss Bob? He's on FB now and again, but not quite the same thing.

 

[catbuster]

Anybody else miss Bob? He's on FB now and again, but not quite the same thing.

Yeah, for the most part. I didn’t appreciate it when he called me a dirt shover, but other than that I miss Patty, Bob and especially ye olde California contract faller posting here.

 

[CR888]

Its truly amazing how those 6-point suspension hats work. They can have you walk away from a killer blow too the head. I became a firm believer when a 10" limb fell on my head one day.

 

[Drptrch]

Yeah, for the most part. I didn’t appreciate it when he called me a dirt shover, but other than that I miss Patty, Bob and especially ye olde California contract faller posting here.

@2dogs !!


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[RandyMac]

I heard wearing hi-viz while logging lowers your T level by 50%

 

[catbuster]

I heard wearing hi-viz while logging lowers your T level by 50%

I think you’re right. I think it might apply to more than just logging, but at least logging you can not wear it and not be fined when the OSHA guy decides to visit.

 

[Asawbum]

I think you’re right. I think it might apply to more than just logging, but at least logging you can not wear it and not be fined when the OSHA guy decides to visit.

Is that a thing? Pretty sure we don't need to wear hi vis. I work in a hickory shirt as do most of the other cutters. Hell the boss is in navy blue t-shirt, black Dickie's and ball cap everyday. Doesn't even wear a tin cap when cutting.

 

[catbuster]

Is that a thing? Pretty sure we don't need to wear hi vis. I work in a hickory shirt as do most of the other cutters. Hell the boss is in navy blue t-shirt, black Dickie's and ball cap everyday. Doesn't even wear a tin cap when cutting.

Logging and agriculture are exempt from wearing high visibility stuff under US federal regulation. Individual states can require it as it exceeds the statute, but I have yet to work in, or know of a state that does.

Your boss is required by law to wear a hard hat when cutting or rigging. There are overhead hazards present, the hard hat must be worn. That is the law.

 

[Skeans]

Logging and agriculture are exempt from wearing high visibility stuff in the US.

Your boss is required by law to wear a hard hat when cutting. There are overhead hazards present, the hard hat must be worn. That is the law.

The only thing I would add to that is if the company or timber holding company requires it.


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[catbuster]

The only thing I would add to that is if the company or timber holding company requires it.


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This is also true.

 

[Asawbum]

Logging and agriculture are exempt from wearing high visibility stuff under US federal regulation. Individual states can require it as it exceeds the statute, but I have yet to work in, or know of a state that does.

Your boss is required by law to wear a hard hat when cutting or rigging. There are overhead hazards present, the hard hat must be worn. That is the law.

Oh man I knew he was a rebel!

 

[madhatte]

The only thing I would add to that is if the company or timber holding company requires it.

When I worked for Weyco in the 90's they required both hi-vis and plastic. Why? Apparently they wanted the same rules for everybody, and the mill guys had to wear plastic for electrical safety reasons. Sucked. The rule I got from my wise old dad was "when the guy from OSHA pops out of the brush, you may as well admit to everything because he's been there watching for at least 6 months." Always struck me as a sensible precaution.

 

[Skeans]

When I worked for Weyco in the 90's they required both hi-vis and plastic. Why? Apparently they wanted the same rules for everybody, and the mill guys had to wear plastic for electrical safety reasons. Sucked. The rule I got from my wise old dad was "when the guy from OSHA pops out of the brush, you may as well admit to everything because he's been there watching for at least 6 months." Always struck me as a sensible precaution.

Were you contracting or on the company crews?


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[madhatte]

Were you contracting or on the company crews?

I was, in this order, a temp, an intern, and a contractor. Same rules for all three as well as the permanent employees I worked with and for.

 

[fool skip]

I wear a 6 point McDonald T I've had forever. It's taken some pretty good licks. One time working up by Crater Lake Park I brushed a big Shasta pretty good with another one. I was chunking up the limbs that had fallen on my log so I could get my tape down it. When I came to [I had been knocked out but was still on my feet leaning on the brushed up tree] I had blood running in my eyes from the hat cutting my forehead. I was holding the throttle wide open about six inches from my knee. I was lucky to live through that one. I couldn't tell for sure which limb hit me but I think it was just a short chunk.

 

[Cenpennlogger]

I have always used a plastic. I guess I thought aluminum was a west coast thing because I don't even know anyone who uses one. A few weeks ago I bought a pfanner protos and I love it. The face shield slides up and lays flat along the top yet comes down very close to your face. You also can adjust how high it sits on your head as well . the ear muffs also slide up inside at the back of the neck when not in use so nothing catch's when your in the thick stuff . Its one of the most expensive helmets I know of at 295$ but I figure if I have it on my head 8 hours a day that soon become fairly irrelevant after a few years.

 

[Asawbum]

I have always used a plastic. I guess I thought aluminum was a west coast thing because I don't even know anyone who uses one. A few weeks ago I bought a pfanner protos and I love it. The face shield slides up and lays flat along the top yet comes down very close to your face. You also can adjust how high it sits on your head as well . the ear muffs also slide up inside at the back of the neck when not in use so nothing catch's when your in the thick stuff . Its one of the most expensive helmets I know of at 295$ but I figure if I have it on my head 8 hours a day that soon become fairly irrelevant after a few years.

That is the arborist helmet for sure! My cutting compadres use them with the Sena so they can talk to each other. I would wear it for in the tree work but for lonkin life I will stick with wearing a brimmed "cap."