Guys, don't get complacent out there!!!

[saxman]

Brad, thank you for being a big enough man to post this incident. Most don't want to publicly admit to mistakes, that is just human nature. As you can see this has turned into a vehicle by which safety can be discussed as it relates to what we like to do. It brings home the point that dropping any tree is a dangerous undertaking. ALL of us here have done stupid things when using saws, fortunately we skated by for the most part. In the future I know I will stop and think in a situation like you faced and hopefully many others that read this thread will also. Maybe we should coin a phrase from this thread to keep it fresh in our memory, maybe WWBD (what would Brad do) or in the case (what should Brad do). Thanks again for turning a negative into a positive


Steve

 

[redoakneck]

You have taught me a lot, and this is the most important lesson right here. My next felling is going to be nerve racking, you only had a few trees around and still got wacked. All the physics and geometry could not have predicted the movement of that branch. Great post and vid-rep sent.

 

[promac850]

Brad, it was certainly big of you to post and a very good reminder.

Thanks for being interested enough in the well being of others to share this experience. We are all guilty of being a little complacent from time to time.

And if we ever run out of entertainment, I say we put Space Mule and PM610 together for a couple of days...

Mark

Careful what you wish for... a lawyer dude vs. a firewood guy... only one leaves the ring... it'd be like MMA and WWE on steroids.




As for the complacent issue... been there done that. Not with trees yet, but with lots of other stuff. Like my car. Take this from me, driving like an ####### will catch up with you. Apparently, I wasn't as much as an ####### driver like I thought I was...

Got too comfy... glanced at the gauges telling oil pressure, voltage, and oil temp... look back up and "Oh ####..." slowed the car down some before rear ending the guy in front of me. It didn't help that he was trying to turn left on a busy two way country road. Obviously 3/4 of the crash responsibility was mine since I wasn't looking ahead at that moment.

Things tend to happen a lot faster than most think. And we tend to surprise ourselves every now and then.

#### happens. Hopefully it doesn't make your life ####ty.

 

[blsnelling]

I'm borrowing this from a friend, thought it perhaps appropriate right now

 

[Stumpys Customs]

I'm borrowing this from a friend, thought it perhaps appropriate right now

Glad to see you made it trough the mess alright.:msp_biggrin:

I can see your video makeing it into the WTF thread with a title "your doing it wrong":msp_scared:

 

[7hpjim]

Glad to see you walked away from that one!!!Lesson learned and you have given a heads up to a lot of people about PPE and situational awareness, give yourself some time to mend up and then get back to making this site a great place to spend some time!!, and also thank God for blessing you with such a HARD HEAD!!

 

[promac850]

Glad to see you made it trough the mess alright.:msp_biggrin:

I can see your video makeing it into the WTF thread with a title "your doing it wrong":msp_scared:

Someone already put his non high res. video in the WTF thread... yesterday.

I will not say who it was.

Will say that it wasn't me.

The poster did say "Candidate for Darwin Award" or something like that.

 

[Stumpys Customs]

Someone already put his non high res. video in the WTF thread... yesterday.

I will not say who it was.

Will say that it wasn't me.

The poster did say "Candidate for Darwin Award" or something like that.

HAHA, I need to get out more:msp_biggrin:

 

[logbutcher]

You're one tough hombre Brad. It takes some cojones to give us this detailed debrief with pics on your screw up.

We all learn.....thanks. No machismo in this trade.

 

[Stihl n Wood]

Don't let anyone fool you Brad, luckily your ok. But I must say when your in the tree bizz or not it can happen to anyone. Trees can be misleading and weight of how they lean or wind, there's so many factors. You can think you know it all and done it all but there's always that day things just go wrong. I climb almost day to day if not climbing im in the bucket or on the ground dropping trees. Doing Crane work to can be very misleading. Although it looks so easy it can go wrong too. Tops can flip or twist and you get nailed by a branch. Or when the pieces are being lifted it hits another tree sending branches flying. I've come to take my days as serious and safe as possible. But no matter what I always expect sh#t to go unplanned at some point. Thanks for your story many will learn from it.

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

Glad to see you're alright Brad (for the most part anyhow)

We all make mistakes and learn from them if given the chance to learn from them which you were lucky enough to get!

I know all this PPE is important and that I own none and should invest in it but I think the most important PPE is cutting partner out there with ya. I play with the saws in the back yard like most on here do but I WILL NOT GO TO THE WOODS OR ANYWHERE TO CUT A TREE DOWN BY MYSELF! NEVER HAVE AND NEVER WILL! I value my life too much to even think about it.

I'm not trying to preach by any means because it is not my place. I just don't want ya to think that once you get your new hat/lid/helmet and throw your chaps on that your ready, don't forget to stop by and pick up your buddy or anyone that can dial 911 for that matter. Could make all the difference in the world!

 

[alderman]

This obviously got through to quite a few folks. You made something positive out of this mishap.

I showed it to a guy at work. He's been talking about taking down some trees, but doesn't have a clue on what he is doing. We've been preaching to him to hire it done and I think this video got his attention. I hope you don't mind that I put this to good use.

Of course I had to lie and say Brad really knows what he is doing and if this could happen to him...........

Out here we all know some folks who went to work in the woods and never came back alive so its well worth the effort to pay attention out there.

 

[Carlyle]

I have yet to break a plastic helmet only ripped the carriage out of a skull bucket in cold weather. I have four helmets and find the Rockman to be the best so far, vented but no chin strap. Skull bucket falls off my head too much. Ever notice the Pros on Axeman grabbing for their helmet when they are running thru the bush, yup because it falls off. I have tried the skull bucket many a time but it falls backwards when I am cutting and looking up. Just my two cents. Also I’m not sure if there is a good time to take the helmet off while the saw is running. I have heard from a couple guys of the brim of the preferred helmet catching the saw as it kicked backed at them. Oh wait, sorry kickbacks never happen either!! Good look to you, and keep looking if you don't find the right helmet. No sense in leaving it in the truck if it doesn't work.

 

[WKEND LUMBERJAK]

Glad you are all right Brad. Watched video:msp_scared: all I can say is you have an angle wathing over you.

 

[chainsaw kid]

Boy oh boy you are a lucky man. I am happy you made it through this ordeal without getting seriously hurt. Thank you for sharing this.

Kevin

 

[edisto]

First off, I wish people would quit saying how lucky he was. I saw the video, and that's what we call bad luck where I'm from.

Second, I think complacency and carelessness skirt the issue. The problem is cockiness, which leads to the other 2. Happens to everyone that knocks down a few trees without incident when they are starting out.

I know...I've seen me do it.

It's good of you to post the vid Brad, because it is all too easy to lose the proper respect for what can happen when knocking down a tree.

Glad it wasn't worse.

 

[eat a peach]

wow

I am not gonna say anything judgmental ,really don't have anything to add. I would go home and kiss my wife and kids. Somebody loves you and your work is not done. That is what I have gleaned from the fact you are still here. I once heard the only people who make no mistakes are those who do no work. Glad to still have you around B.S.

 

[PB]

Damn Brad!! That looks like it hurt. Glad you are okay and hopefully many lessons were learned from your misfortune. Take some tylenol and put on a helmet.

If there is an upside; I just showed your pictures to my wife and she gave me the thumbs up for a new helmet system. \

Be safe out there!!

 

[Eric106]

Brad, glad your okay and thanks for beig willing to post this for others to learn from.

Let's look at some helmets that might best fit my needs. It needs to be ventilated. I sweat profusely. I want a helmet with a chin strap. I like those that can be fitted with a visor, although not a deal breaker. Some have foam padding, others do not. One of you guys mentioned another brand, and I can't find it now.

Petzl Vertex

Petzl Alveo

Kask Super Plasma

I had been looking at the Vertex Vent but have recently been leaning towards the Kask. I like the design of the two side adjusters in the Vertex as it looks like it will keep your head well centered. And the lump from the single rear adjustment knob mechanism style often give me a headache if they're tight enough to keep a hard hat or welding helmet on my head securly. The Kask however seems to be a slightly superior design and it looks like it will provide more protection. I'm still on the fence but will probably be getting one of those two in the near future.

Let us know what you get and how you like it.

-Eric

 

[chainsawlady]

Story of many years ago

I am not gonna say anything judgmental ,really don't have anything to add. I would go home and kiss my wife and kids. Somebody loves you and your work is not done. That is what I have gleaned from the fact you are still here. I once heard the only people who make no mistakes are those who do no work. Glad to still have you around B.S.

Having been around many years, I'd like to add my two cents worth. I heard this story many time as I grew up. It was probably in the 1930's and my mother and father cut the trees for our firewood for two wood stoves to keep the old log house warm. One on each end of the crosscut. When the tree started to fall, Dad told Mom to run, but didn't tell her which way to go. She went the way the tree was falling and when the tree hit the ground, she was just out of the way. In the past few years, my son fell a lot of trees for firewood and did some logging. Luckily he had a friend who was from a logging family and showed him the proper way to cut a tree, since he wasn't doing it safely. As a mother I appreciated that as I always had a bad feeling when he was in the woods.
chainsawlady