Maybe I should change my mind on getting a pair of chaps?

[Roanoker494]

After seeing a couple recent threads about chainsaw accidents I decided to educated myself on just what a good pair of chaps could do for me. I had always said I don't use chaps because it would be $70+ plus dollars worth of unneeded expense, plus everyone always thinks "That would never happen to me". This video is from several years old but it has a lot of good information and it is a actual test, not just some rednecks cutting up a pair of chaps.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pilcLXpdJK0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[caleath]

I will give you an honest opinion...get them. I had a little boo boo Sunday..no skin but close...had chaps in the truck. How stupid I went and got them. Wore them again today.

You will get used to them.

 

[sharkness]

This same video was the reason I purchased my chaps. I don't want my leg to end up like that ham.

 

[Guido Salvage]

I had a pretty significant cut to my right knee in 1988 that took over 30 stitches to close. I was lucky in that it was only skin deep and did not damage any muscle or bone. However, as the narrator indicates it is not like getting cut with a knife, it leaves a very jagged cut that required a lot of trimming before they could sew me up. It was a bit disconcerting being in the ER and watching the butchered skin on my leg start to turn brown from a lack of blood.

Get the chaps and be safe (I did).

 

[indiansprings]

Good thread Roanoaker, it reminds me that I need to buy chaps for one son and a pair for our hired hand. I'll prolly upset the safety police, but I don't think at this old age I could ever get used to them.
About 20 stitches in the left thigh in 1979 and some hide off the left knee cap about 1990. I just try to be extra careful, are the labonville chaps the best bang for the buck?

 

[bitzer]

Look up when in the back cut as the tree starts to tip. Anything shaking loose from the top could have clobbered that guy. Not a great way to start that video IMO.

Chaps are great, but experience is better. You're more likely to get killed by the tree (widow makers, spring poles, unsound wood, etc) than the saw.

 

[caleath]

Good thread Roanoaker, it reminds me that I need to buy chaps for one son and a pair for our hired hand. I'll prolly upset the safety police, but I don't think at this old age I could ever get used to them.
About 20 stitches in the left thigh in 1979 and some hide off the left knee cap about 1990. I just try to be extra careful, are the labonville chaps the best bang for the buck?

Its the ones I bought. Worth every penny. I have even thought about a cutting boot too...not sure on that one yet.

 

[Roanoker494]

Looks like Baileys has the Labonville chaps, guess I will be placing a order shortly. I will check with my local dealers first, might be able to save the shipping cost.

 

[rattler362]

I will give you an honest opinion...get them. I had a little boo boo Sunday..no skin but close...had chaps in the truck. How stupid I went and got them. Wore them again today.

You will get used to them.

I did the same thing last summer i now own a pair of chap,s

Mine are labonville i like them i figured they would be hard to get use to but after a little wile you dont pay them any attenition

Mike

 

[rwoods]

Good thread Roanoaker, it reminds me that I need to buy chaps for one son and a pair for our hired hand. I'll prolly upset the safety police, but I don't think at this old age I could ever get used to them.
About 20 stitches in the left thigh in 1979 and some hide off the left knee cap about 1990. I just try to be extra careful, are the labonville chaps the best bang for the buck?

I'm not the safety police but if you're going to buy two pairs try one of them out for yourself for a day. To me they can be hot and bothersome on a long day but after watching a lot of other woodcutters and my own near misses I'm planning on trading my old Bailey's chaps up to a longer pair of competition Labonville.

Another feature that I never thought I would warm up to is the blaze orange. I wear green but after spending a few weekends in the woods with multiple cutters I have begun to appreciate being able to quickly locate others. I also got to thinking with the bloodthinners many of us older guys are on it could help someone find us before we bled out if we were to fall and impale ourselves on a broken snag.

Ron

 

[mweba]

I feel naked without them anymore. Has been a couple times recently, cutting cookies, testing saws that I forgot them and it bugged me.

Its in my insurance policy....If I get injured and was not wearing PPE, my coverage is void.

 

[promac850]

Get chaps... gotta get mine as soon as possible. Not really cutting much right now, but I know I will have them before we get a load of logs dropped in our front yard

 

[Rounder]

If price is an issue, check out the Labonville liner chaps, all I run. Plus, no straps to get caught in the brush. I think they are/were a sponsor...if not....oops - Sam

 

[Roanoker494]

If price is an issue, check out the Labonville liner chaps, all I run. Plus, no straps to get caught in the brush. I think they are/were a sponsor...if not....oops - Sam

It's not really the price but the money. I could take the $80 and buy another saw, but I guess that saw will not do me much good if it ends up costing me thousands of dollars in the ER. The only thing the local hospital network knows how to do at 100% efficiency is send you a bill. I was in the hospital after I rolled my truck from 4pm Friday until about noon that Sunday, I received my $50,000 bill on Monday.

Edit:
The doctor who sewed my arm back on only charged me $5500, all the rest was for the hospital itself.

 

[Tzed250]

$70.00...



...an ER visit for a chain cut could easily be 20 times that number.

Don't forget, a saw chain isn't like a knife. The chain will leave a kerf in your body......

 

[bullittman281]

As brutal as this video is, I think it needs to be preserved at the top of the screen, maybe a sticky??

 

[farrell]

GET THE CHAPS!!!!!! i have got myself one time and that was enough for me. i wear chaps when ever im cutting now. saving a few bucks is not worth your life.

 

[Gologit]

Chaps? Hell yes. I've seen very few one legged loggers.

 

[madrone]

Another chance to post a very gory picture of my buddies arm. <br>Chaps wouldn't have helped him in this case but the photo does show the kind of damage a saw can do.<br>
Needless to say, I wear chaps and highly recommend them.

OPEN PHOTO AT YOUR OWN RISK!
View attachment 180695

 

[jropo]

I need to wear mine more myself.
Right now I only wear them when carving.
I got them when I got the the big saw ( ma said so).:msp_glare:
But I have had more close calls with the small saws when I'm in a hurry, or tired.

Bad thing when you cut alone in the middle of nowhere!