Face Protection for Brushcutting

[J_Ashley]

I realize that this area is mainly for tree work, but hoping you all might be able to help with some PPE...

I have a part-time lawn service , and am looking for recommendations for PPE, specifically a face shield for doing heavy trimming & brush-cutting. I'm talking drainage areas, rite-of-ways, etc. I'd like more protection against rocks/sticks/debris to the face than just safety glasses.

I have an older Helmet/Earmuff/Face-Shield unit from Stihl. I use it for tree-cutting, or other tasks where limbs would be hitting me in the head. It works nice for that. But I'm thinking it might be a little overkill for trimming-only tasks, as I don't really need the hard-hat protection in this case.

Stihl also makes a Muff/Shield combo, but lots of complaints about it falling down on your head/face, since it only has a top strap, and not a full strap around the front-back of your head.

Does anyone know of any lighter-duty face shields? I have clear plastic visors for grinding metal, but I suspect it would get extremely messy & hard to see through quickly. Perhaps a head-strap of this type, but with a metal mesh visor would be perfect. I don't care if it has built-in earmuffs or not. I usually have earplugs or headphones in anyway.


Also, if someone could point me toward their favorite forestry/landscape PPE supply house, that might be a help too. I'm looking at the AS sponser's sites, but am open to other good PPE sources too.


Thank You!

 

[Boredrob]

For brush cutting I use the Oregon metal mesh hat/ muff/ screen. Cheap light and works well.

 

[Big_Eddy]

I use the same helmet with muffs and shield for trimming grass or brush cutting as I do for all chainsaw work. I also use it when operating the splitter, although usually with the shield up.

Not seeing a need for anything different when I already have the helmet.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[CacaoBoy]

favorite forestry/landscape PPE supply house

https://sherrilltree.com/

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

I checked your profile ? , but I have to say growing a big bushy bread and mustache does help tremendously. It's just a little hot in the summer.

 

[J_Ashley]

I checked your profile ? , but I have to say growing a big bushy bread and mustache does help tremendously. It's just a little hot in the summer.

I'd rather take the debris to the face...

 

[mike515]

I don't know exactly what your work looks like but PPE should just be a habit that you do without thinking about it. The first thing we do when we get out of the trucks is put hard hats on.....on every job site. I know it's an overkill sometimes but making safety a habit is better than getting hurt. Plus, my hard hat saves me from stuff that has nothing to do with trees way more often than any branch hitting me. I can't even tell you how many times I've banged my head on a crane or boom just climbing around on it to check something out with no tree work going on.

 

[GrizG]

I use my Stihl forestry helmet when running my Stihl FS 131 R trimmer. Not only with saw blades and tri-blades but with string as I'm often trimming in rocky/gravel conditions and catching those in the face hurts... When I'm cutting saplings it's not unusual for them to fall towards me... it's not like I have a face cut and hinge to control the direction! I often use it while using my backpack blower for the same rock/gravel reasons.

 

[J_Ashley]

I already have the helmet/shield/muffs combo for tree & brush work. It's just too much to use for grass & ditch trimming though. Especially since there is nearly *nothing* in the way of overhead hazards that I'd need to worry about.

I ended up buying this one from Bailey's. I may even remove the muffs from it, but I'll try it out as-is first. I'll report back after it comes in, and I've had a chance to use.

https://www.baileysonline.com/pro-safety-mesh-face-shield-hearing-protector.html

 

[GrizG]

I already have the helmet/shield/muffs combo for tree & brush work. It's just too much to use for grass & ditch trimming though. Especially since there is nearly *nothing* in the way of overhead hazards that I'd need to worry about.

I ended up buying this one from Bailey's. I may even remove the muffs from it, but I'll try it out as-is first. I'll report back after it comes in, and I've had a chance to use.

https://www.baileysonline.com/pro-safety-mesh-face-shield-hearing-protector.html
View attachment 982947

That's a viable option. However, from my perspective, while the forestry helmet may seem like too much it has several things going for it. One is that I, and you, already have them! In my case it's part of my outdoor power tool kit (chainsaws, pole pruners, brush cutting, heavy weed cutting) so I don't have to look for it! They also serve as a hat to keep the sun off and the suspension system makes them relatively cool in hot weather... better than being pounded by the sun! That said, glad you are wearing PPE... I see too many people not even wearing safety glasses!

 

[Pudsy]

I can't even tell you how many times I've banged my head on a crane or boom just climbing around on it to check something out with no tree work going on.

I'm not saying you shouldn't be wearing the helmet or other PPE, far from it, but I'm quite sure that when I wear PPE 80%+ of the things that "hit me" I wouldn't hit without the PPE, just due to the PPE sticking out a few milimeters from my usual contour.
D@ng, I'm even able to hit the side of a door with my regular glasses if I run through in a hurry and those stick out a mere cm from the side of my eye and I'm sure I wouldn't hit the door without the glasses .
With a helmet on, I _constantly_ bang the helmet on all sorts of things that I would never hit without the helmet.
Guess I just don't wear the PPE enough to make it second nature

 

[John Lyngdal]

I use the Stihl forestry helmet when using my string trimmers. I bought it as something similiar was required for trail clearing work in NF lands, but it's the bees knees for string trimming. The helmet portion may may look out of place, but it's so much cooler in the sun than wearing a ball cap and the grass shards just dry out and brush off, which cant be said for safety glasses/goggles.

 

[pdqdl]

I prefer the Husqvarna forestry hard hat. With the wire mesh face screen, too.
Unlike the Stihl, it has a rain gutter on the back that keeps water from running down your back. It also seems a lot tougher, as I have cracked every Stihl hard hat I've ever had. They look cool, but shatter easily.

I wouldn't have a face-shield & muff combination without the hard hat. You still have the same suspension gripping your head, but you don't get any protection on top. That hard hat does more than protect your noggin from blows, sunshine, & rain, it also keeps dirt out of your hair and somewhat prevents underbrush from snagging your hair.

If I am running either a saw or brush cutter in underbrush or tall weeds, I can just bend over and head-butt my way through the tangle. This really doesn't work too well without that hard hat as your leading point on parting the underbrush. I went to evaluate clearing a big mess of underbrush on some rough terrain one time, and had to return to the truck to get my hard hat. I literally couldn't get through, because the thicket was so dense and it was yanking my hair so badly I gave up. With the helmet on, it wasn't nearly so bad.