Must have missed something, didn't see any nasty posts...
Safety first
- Thread starter Ballroomblitz
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Been moderated- but perhaps an overly sensitive response.
I pretty much agree with you on all points except the hard hat.
1. I love my hard hat combo. It's more comfortable than a ball cap, especially in hot weather. Cold weather, it's not as comfy as a cold weather cap, but it's tolerable with a hard hat liner.
2. Newbies tend to cut off stuff and get hit on the head.
DO NOT forego the #1 safety device for tree work.
3. When I am cutting underbrush around a tree, or just bulldozing through weeds, vines, and mixed brush on the ground, nothing beats a good combo hard hat. Just stick your head out and let it bounce off your well protected noggin. Of course, that's not so fun without the face shield and the ear muffs.4. Hearing protection! If you like wearing your hard hat for other purposes, then the hearing protection is always there. On the flip side, hearing protection of all varieties kinda suck to keep around if you are not actively wearing them. If already on your head, just snap 'em down when it gets loud (or when you want to protect your ears from the jungle you are hacking on).
5. When it rains out, my Husqvarna hard hat has a nice rain gutter on the back. Your head stays dry, and the water doesn't run down your back, either. Not so with anything from Stihl. Baseball caps are not much good in the rain, either.
@Ballroomblitz Click his avatar, look for the ignore button. Don’t feed the trolls!
Click his avatar, and you might notice a line drawn through the name.
Yeah, we're gonna have to agree that I'm OK going out from a tree branch to the head. Just like some guys won't wear chaps.
Well see! I can't stand chaps. I find that they are intolerable in hot weather, and they really seem to limit my motion and feel like a trip hazard. I've never been cut on the legs/feet, so I'd really feel like it had been a waste of time in over 35 years of chainsaw use.
That being said, many of the chainsaw injuries I have had to pay for with worker's comp insurance would have been eliminated had they been wearing some chaps. I'm not against them, I just don't feel much benefit. Some folks should never pick up a saw without their chaps, and I'd extend that to all newbies.
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Curious observation: many years ago, I had a splendid pair of Little Wonder hedge trimmers. Despite my warnings in advance, almost everyone I sent out for more than a couple of hours with that tool came back with a cut on their thigh.
It seems that their forearm muscles just weren't well adapted to that particular load for long periods of stress. Fatigue would set in, and the trimmers began drooping during idle moments until sure enough! Another damned worker's comp claim with the hedge trimmers. When I bought a different pair that had the feel and balance of a chainsaw, that problem went away.
I don't doubt that many chainsaw injuries to the thigh or knees might be related to the same sort of fatigue. Chaps do offer excellent protection, too.
That being said, many of the chainsaw injuries I have had to pay for with worker's comp insurance would have been eliminated had they been wearing some chaps. I'm not against them, I just don't feel much benefit. Some folks should never pick up a saw without their chaps, and I'd extend that to all newbies.
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Curious observation: many years ago, I had a splendid pair of Little Wonder hedge trimmers. Despite my warnings in advance, almost everyone I sent out for more than a couple of hours with that tool came back with a cut on their thigh.
It seems that their forearm muscles just weren't well adapted to that particular load for long periods of stress. Fatigue would set in, and the trimmers began drooping during idle moments until sure enough! Another damned worker's comp claim with the hedge trimmers. When I bought a different pair that had the feel and balance of a chainsaw, that problem went away.
I don't doubt that many chainsaw injuries to the thigh or knees might be related to the same sort of fatigue. Chaps do offer excellent protection, too.
Backstage
ArboristSite Operative
+1! Chainsaws are for wimps. Let the tough guy who doesn’t know when to quit do stacking. Know when it’s smart to call it a day, or just take a break.
Let the tough guy who doesn’t know when to quit do stacking. Know when it’s smart to call it a day, or just take a break.
We all have our vices brother lol. You wear my helmet and I'll wear your chapsWell see! I can't stand chaps. I find that they are intolerable in hot weather, and they really seem to limit my motion and feel like a trip hazard. I've never been cut on the legs/feet, so I'd really feel like it had been a waste of time in over 35 years of chainsaw use.
That being said, many of the chainsaw injuries I have had to pay for with worker's comp insurance would have been eliminated had they been wearing some chaps. I'm not against them, I just don't feel much benefit. Some folks should never pick up a saw without their chaps, and I'd extend that to all newbies.
==================================================
Curious observation: many years ago, I had a splendid pair of Little Wonder hedge trimmers. Despite my warnings in advance, almost everyone I sent out for more than a couple of hours with that tool came back with a cut on their thigh.
It seems that their forearm muscles just weren't well adapted to that particular load for long periods of stress. Fatigue would set in, and the trimmers began drooping during idle moments until sure enough! Another damned worker's comp claim with the hedge trimmers. When I bought a different pair that had the feel and balance of a chainsaw, that problem went away.
I don't doubt that many chainsaw injuries to the thigh or knees might be related to the same sort of fatigue. Chaps do offer excellent protection, too.
The Clogger chaps are comfortable enough that I wear them. Not true of the others I've had.
I, personally, want you to feel very welcome here, as do many other folks. I've been heating my house for most of the past 15 years with firewood that I cut myself. Yet, I still learned from following the discussion that your questions generated. Please give us a second chance; there's lots of good folks and information here. Just ignore the rest. O
Personal protection gear is important of course, but the thing I find myself paying most attention to is my footing. I'm having to pay extra careful attention to my footing walking through dense growth with a saw in my hands as there's always something trying to snag your feet and trip you up. Even with a non running saw this is a recipe for disaster, that chain is still sharp whether it's moving or not.
Proper placement of your feet during cutting for steadiness and clearance, a planned and clear escape route during felling, safe walking between cutting sites, it's important to form good habits and not to let impatience or fatigue comprise your safety.
Proper placement of your feet during cutting for steadiness and clearance, a planned and clear escape route during felling, safe walking between cutting sites, it's important to form good habits and not to let impatience or fatigue comprise your safety.
This brings up another interesting point. Protective equipment is important but finding protective equipment that is comfortable and works for you is every bit as important. When I first started cutting I had hand me down steel toe boots a size too big and far too wide, which led me to find footing positions based off of comfort instead of stability. My properly sized and fit danner boots sacrifice nothing and are as comfortable as any footwear I own. Similarly a helmet with built in hearing and eye protection is what works for me, not everyone though. There is no one size fits all for styles of protective equipment.
Even if the OP leaves this forum, which would be a shame with all the helpful info offered up in this thread, hopefully we can still offer up some good info and help others who run across this thread.
Got a link?
You are Trolling! We know !
Clogger chainsaw pants would be more comfortable for me than chaps, because my wallet would be so much thinner and less of a lump when I sit down! O
HansFranz
Addicted to ArboristSite
Absolutely. Most times, I generally also pull the piston and crankshaft out, too. Can't be too careful... saws can do a lot of damage FAST.
J/K ... I see where you're coming from, though. The thing is, a chainsaw is different from something like a lawnmower, where if you turn the lawnmower blade, you'll also turn over the engine (direct drive)...because a chainsaw has a clutch, and no matter how fast you move the chain, it's never going to turn over (and possibly start) the chainsaw engine...even if there were no "kill" switch, which would make it even less likely... seriously, you're probably 10,000 times more likely to get hit by lightning...
Even if the guy is a troll, I'll personally answer 10,000 questions like this to save someone from an ER visit.
I think the misunderstanding is that the clutch on a chainsaw is centrifugal, and the spinning force has to come from the engine side. Without the engine spinning fast, there's no connection between the engine and the chain. You can move the chain as fast as you want by hand, even enough to get the engine to 10,000rpms if it was connected, but the engine won't move at all. You'll just spin the clutch drum. Having the engine turned off is plenty safe.
When I'm working with a battery saw, I do pull out the battery before messing with the chain. Same way I'd unplug a corded saw.
I think the misunderstanding is that the clutch on a chainsaw is centrifugal, and the spinning force has to come from the engine side. Without the engine spinning fast, there's no connection between the engine and the chain. You can move the chain as fast as you want by hand, even enough to get the engine to 10,000rpms if it was connected, but the engine won't move at all. You'll just spin the clutch drum. Having the engine turned off is plenty safe.
When I'm working with a battery saw, I do pull out the battery before messing with the chain. Same way I'd unplug a corded saw.
If they are comfortable enough that you would actually wear them, then they are a bargain compared to a trip the ER.
