hard hat question?

[twochains]

Call me a dork but I want the helmet with the face shield and ear protection. I haven't worn ear protection for nearly 20 years, my hearing is leaving me more each year, at night my ears ring so bad I can't sleep. As far as chaps...if someone doesn't want to wear them...great. 14 stitches cost $475 in a po dunk town. As far as the face sheild, IDK about the visibility through it, but this Summer while limbing a tree I got a stick shoved in my bottom lip...I thought it just slapped my lip...nope, the stick had to be pulled out.

 

[056kid]

Clint whats wrong with your ears? Those quiet choked up saws sure aren't hurting them!
Sorry, I couldn't help myself...

 

[EricNY]

Call me a dork but I want the helmet with the face shield and ear protection. I haven't worn ear protection for nearly 20 years, my hearing is leaving me more each year, at night my ears ring so bad I can't sleep. As far as chaps...if someone doesn't want to wear them...great. 14 stitches cost $475 in a po dunk town. As far as the face sheild, IDK about the visibility through it, but this Summer while limbing a tree I got a stick shoved in my bottom lip...I thought it just slapped my lip...nope, the stick had to be pulled out.

Doesn't make you a dork. It's all personal preference. I definitely see the benefits of the face shield, I just get weirded out by stuff over my face or eyes.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[twochains]

yeh yeh...not just from saws...my main damage came from stripping aluminun concrete wall forms. I was wrecking the inside forms of a vault and my jeft ear drum blew out. The knocking of pins and wedges inside an 8' tall box somewhere around 12 x 12 room reached some decibles my ear drum couldn't handle.

Good to hear from ya 056kid, hope your staying busy! Stay safe out there!

 

[redprospector]

I wear my oil saturated chaps, but I definitely need to find an alternative (like the jeans with chap pads inside). I can't tell you how many times I've been snagged up solid in brush by the straps on my chaps. Or have had to high-step over some obstacle and gotten the side lugs on my boots snagged on the edge of my chaps. I am afraid that one day I am going to have to run for my life, but will be hung up by my safety gear.

Has anyone tried the Labonville pants/chaps? They don't make my size, but I'm still curious.

You have to learn to walk before you can run. My advice is to stay safe, and don't get in a bind that requires a quick get-a-way until that time.

Andy

 

[056kid]

Metal on metal can be obnoxiously loud. My old McCs rattle my ears, especially when the exhaust bounces and resonates off the wood, like a couple root flairs to direct the sound right to you. I knew a guy who ran 101bs or "karts" in the logging woods. That sob could hear an ant fart in a lightning storm. I dont know how...

 

[SliverPicker]

Without the face shield you get whacked in the beak by 50 mph flying knots from time to time, but about the time your eyes stop watering you have forgotten all about. Or to put it another way; When the mind is weak the body will suffer!

 

[SliverPicker]

You have to learn to walk before you can run. My advice is to stay safe, and don't get in a bind that requires a quick get-a-way until that time.

Andy

If only life was that simple.

 

[zogger]

Doesn't make you a dork. It's all personal preference. I definitely see the benefits of the face shield, I just get weirded out by stuff over my face or eyes.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

I know what you mean, I just am more weirded out in advance over stuff IN my face and eyes, rather than over them. The mesh screen on the husky helmet is quite easy to see through and doesn't fog up, and the helmet stays put any direction you tilt your head to, without it feeling like it is bolted to your head, it still feels comfortable and loose, yet stays put.

Those ww1 doughboy styled helmets (and yes way back in the olden days I had a similar one for construction work) have been replaced with more modern designs with every military in the world, must be a reason for that. And most industrial hardhat designs are not ww1 styled either. Not saying it is exactly the same, combat over general working, but.....I would wager nostalgia is playing a part in keeping them somewhat popular in some circles. What percentage, can't say, but I would bet that is part of it.

Nostalgia would be running a big two man crosscut over a big chainsaw too, not seeing too many guys hanging onto the "old ways" in that regard on a day to day production schedule.

Me, I don't care what other guys use and run, just sayin what is working for me based on use and approaching the subject from a non nostalgic basis, a clean slate, no pre conceived notions because of what was done or used around me, just strictly from science and ergonomics. I looked at all the options when I decideed to get full PPE for cutting, and chose modern over antique styled personal protection gear.

I am old enough when I started driving seat belts were not mandatory, but I use them now. Same deal, some things from the olden days are still cool, other things have actually been improved upon for the better.

 

[madhatte]

And most industrial hardhat designs are not ww1 styled either. Not saying it is exactly the same, combat over general working, but.....I would wager nostalgia is playing a part in keeping them somewhat popular in some circles.

The full-brim is all about keeping rain and debris from going down the shirt. I wore a ballcap style helmet for part of my first season in the woods (way back when) and switched immediately. They had us wearing thew ballcap ones on the boat, when we were in the shipyard, and wouldn't allow the full-brims because they weren't uniform, and I didn't mind because we were indoors and not under trees.

 

[zogger]

The full-brim is all about keeping rain and debris from going down the shirt. I wore a ballcap style helmet for part of my first season in the woods (way back when) and switched immediately. They had us wearing thew ballcap ones on the boat, when we were in the shipyard, and wouldn't allow the full-brims because they weren't uniform, and I didn't mind because we were indoors and not under trees.

I can see that with the full brim, somewhat, the brim isn't that large. I haven't had a problem with that with my husky helmet, if you need it it has a flexible rubber flap for the back that can be attached.

There is no good solution to cutting or working in the rain, even with a full suit and a very wide brimmed hat you still get wet somehow...well, I do anyway.

..and then there's wading the creeks......whoops, boots just an inch too short....dang....slosh slosh slosh...

I just have to remember to keep the pockets on the cutting pants closed, or they absolutely will fill up with chips...

 

[northmanlogging]

Not to totally derail this, but I will anyway...

the WWI style hats where directly modeled on English helmets from the war of the Roses (lots of arrows and stuff) they where originally meant to help deflect arrows from the shoulders of infantry. Current military design is partly to protect the ears from noise, and the back of the head from falling debris while lying face down the the muck with bits of rocks and shrapnel falling about...

That all being said, timber falling is more like getting shot at with arrows than being blow up, I'll keep my full brim thank you.



P.S. the brim on the WWI hats helped in trench warfare since most of the bad stuff came from above...

 

[slowp]

The full brim allows for a Frisbee fling also. Can't do that with the other kind.

 

[Gologit]

The full brim allows for a Frisbee fling also. Can't do that with the other kind.

That's right! With those wicker-bill hats or the plastic Roger Ramjet space cadet helmets there's too much imbalance and it's hard to get any good distance, let alone accuracy.

 

[redprospector]

If only life was that simple.

Life is as simple as you let it be. Stay safe.

Andy

 

[slowp]

That's right! With those wicker-bill hats or the plastic Roger Ramjet space cadet helmets there's too much imbalance and it's hard to get any good distance, let alone accuracy.

Anybody have an opinion on which kind gets the best vertical distance? Or when flung hard at the ground during a fit, does plastic or metal come out better? For writing on, the metal is best, and for volume of writing the full brim is definitely the best as it has more underneath surface that is fairly dry.

 

[Gologit]

Anybody have an opinion on which kind gets the best vertical distance? Or when flung hard at the ground during a fit, does plastic or metal come out better? For writing on, the metal is best, and for volume of writing the full brim is definitely the best as it has more underneath surface that is fairly dry.

If you're having a full blown riggin' fit the metal hat is definitely better. After you've slammed it down on the ground and then drop-kicked it you can always take a ball peen hammer and knock out the worst of the dents.

I've never thrown a plastic hat, mostly 'cause I've seldom worn one, but as light as they are I think they'd do well for vertical distance. They're good for something, I guess. Metal makes a more satisfying noise when you ricochet one off of a loader or other metal object. Also, if they land in the warming fire you can usually get them out fast enough to avoid damage. Plastic wouldn't fare as well.

Caveat...if your riggin' fit is on the landing make sure the hat doesn't roll out onto the truck road just when an empty is backing in. Some things a ball peen hammer just won't fix.

And before any self righteous preacher type starts to lecture about grown up behavior and the futility of temper tantrums...if you haven't had or seen a good old hat throwing, circle walking, loud cussing, arm waving, red faced riggin' fit you probably haven't worked in the woods long enough. Wait.

 

[northmanlogging]

That old jackson of mine never stood up to a good fit... always had to spend some considerable time removing dents...

 

[slowp]

The guy screaming and cussing and jumping up and down from the flat part of the yarder yelling at the chaser/emergency yarder engineer about either putting on the brake or taking off the brake (the chaser didn't know either) didn't have a hat on to throw. That was the bestest fit I have ever seen. It surpassed the company forester in a panic because there was a line of empty trucks on the road and the company VIPs were about to fly over in the company jet. He threw his hardhat and began yelling at the truck drivers to get those golly gee darn (not his real words) trucks moved and parked underneath trees where they would not be seen from the air.

 

[Gologit]

It surpassed the company forester in a panic because there was a line of empty trucks on the road and the company VIPs were about to fly over in the company jet. He threw his hardhat and began yelling at the truck drivers to get those golly gee darn (not his real words) trucks moved and parked underneath trees where they would not be seen from the air.

Wow. I'll bet he was a real joy to work with. What did he do if something went really wrong...have a nervous breakdown?
I've seen empties lined up but it's usually because of a loader breakdown or just being over-trucked.