Wear your chaps!

[Cliff R]

First outing of the year today, and had a great time. I helped a friend clear some trees to make room for a 32' x 56' pole barn that's going up next week.

He had a Caterpillar on sight with a big front loader, so he applies some light pressure to some of the trees so we could keep them all falling in the same direction without using wedges or pulling them, etc. I've done this countless times, and am very careful not to start pushing on them too soon, etc.

We took down about 25 trees in all, and most went right over without incident. We were working one of the larger ones, and he must have pushed on it a little harder than the others, before I started to make my cuts. I made my back cut, and just started thru the other side when I heard a loud "crack". It sounded like a gunshot, and the entire tree broke off and slid off the stump. I pulled hard on the 262XP and jumped back at the same moment. My momentum brought the saw around to my left and it hit my thigh and rolled across and around the back of my leg. The chain was still spinning and I could feel it tearing away at my chaps as I fought to keep from falling over on the saw.

No damage done, other than it cut a 4" slice in my chaps and shredded out a LOT of white material which jammed up the chain. Better than having rip off my tee-shirt, tie my belt over it, and apply pressure all the way to the ER!

First time in over 30 years of cutting trees and firewood that I've really ever had a close call other than hitting a steel toed boot lightly once. If you've got chaps, wear em. If you don't, get em!......Cliff

 

[procarbine2k1]

Glad to hear youre alright Cliff. If you end up needing some help, but not far down the road from ya.

 

[struggle]

Just think of how bad that could have been:msp_ohmy:

Chaps seem pretty cheap after a deal like that.

 

[Cliff R]

Thanks. We were just off State Route 13, a few miles South of Mount Vernon.

It really wasn't anything at all. The entire incident probaby took less than half a second. Just a bunch of white fiberglass looking stuff all piled up in my 262XP. I pulled it out, stuffed back in the hole in the chaps, and kept right on working. I don't even want to think of the outcome if I wouldn't have been wearing them!....Cliff

 

[splitpost]

so now your up for new chaps ,pants and undies,mate thats a close call

 

[miking]

I had that happen too one time. We were cutting large black locust along a county highway and all of them were leaning towards the road. There was about ten degrees out and a strong wind blowing against the trees and a track hoe pushing them against the lean and wind. It's one of those things in which every fiber of my soul was telling me not to do but did anyway. After about 25 trees or so we were done but I was so shook up I couldn't work anymore that day and we all went to town for lunch and then home. Nobody got hurt but it's one of those things that makes me think at night about how could I have been so foolhardy.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Glad your ok man.

 

[deye223]

First outing of the year today, and had a great time. I helped a friend clear some trees to make room for a 32' x 56' pole barn that's going up next week.

He had a Caterpillar on sight with a big front loader, so he applies some light pressure to some of the trees so we could keep them all falling in the same direction without using wedges or pulling them, etc. I've done this countless times, and am very careful not to start pushing on them too soon, etc.

We took down about 25 trees in all, and most went right over without incident. We were working one of the larger ones, and he must have pushed on it a little harder than the others, before I started to make my cuts. I made my back cut, and just started thru the other side when I heard a loud "crack". It sounded like a gunshot, and the entire tree broke off and slid off the stump. I pulled hard on the 262XP and jumped back at the same moment. My momentum brought the saw around to my left and it hit my thigh and rolled across and around the back of my leg. The chain was still spinning and I could feel it tearing away at my chaps as I fought to keep from falling over on the saw.

No damage done, other than it cut a 4" slice in my chaps and shredded out a LOT of white material which jammed up the chain. Better than having rip off my tee-shirt, tie my belt over it, and apply pressure all the way to the ER!

First time in over 30 years of cutting trees and firewood that I've really ever had a close call other than hitting a steel toed boot lightly once. If you've got chaps, wear em. If you don't, get em!......Cliff

good to see ya ok . i had a husky 262XP for 9 1/2 years dam good saw never gave me no probs regret selling it only negative was weight just about the same as ms460

 

[shaker223]

You never know and even when you do everything by the book....sheet happens....glad you are OK.

 

[David (saltas)]

Glad your ok

You can not buy medical treatment / pain relief / rehabilitation etc. as cheap as the cost of a pair of chaps

Rep sent to you for posting

Stay safe

 

[mattellis2]

very good reminder. who is wearing what as far as chaps go?

thanks,

-matt

 

[MacLaren]

I'm wearing Jonsered stamped 600 denier wrap chaps.

 

[deye223]

very good reminder. who is wearing what as far as chaps go?

thanks,

-matt

labonville full wrap i like em

 

[Axlerod74]

That's a good reminder. I have put off buying a pair but it has been on my mind lately. My brother just had a similar incident a couple weeks ago. I think I will have to make the move.

 

[zogger]

Never

First outing of the year today, and had a great time. I helped a friend clear some trees to make room for a 32' x 56' pole barn that's going up next week.

He had a Caterpillar on sight with a big front loader, so he applies some light pressure to some of the trees so we could keep them all falling in the same direction without using wedges or pulling them, etc. I've done this countless times, and am very careful not to start pushing on them too soon, etc.

We took down about 25 trees in all, and most went right over without incident. We were working one of the larger ones, and he must have pushed on it a little harder than the others, before I started to make my cuts. I made my back cut, and just started thru the other side when I heard a loud "crack". It sounded like a gunshot, and the entire tree broke off and slid off the stump. I pulled hard on the 262XP and jumped back at the same moment. My momentum brought the saw around to my left and it hit my thigh and rolled across and around the back of my leg. The chain was still spinning and I could feel it tearing away at my chaps as I fought to keep from falling over on the saw.

No damage done, other than it cut a 4" slice in my chaps and shredded out a LOT of white material which jammed up the chain. Better than having rip off my tee-shirt, tie my belt over it, and apply pressure all the way to the ER!

First time in over 30 years of cutting trees and firewood that I've really ever had a close call other than hitting a steel toed boot lightly once. If you've got chaps, wear em. If you don't, get em!......Cliff

There is absolutely no way I would ever stand between a big tree going down and some piece of heavy equipment. That tree could have just as easily slid and squished you flat.

Ain't enough money in the world or pile of wood worth that. Maybe to some guys but not me. That's "Darwin award" territory. I've seen too many trees pull goofy ****. If you want to cut some then push, get the heck way outta the way and go push it over then, swell, but not standing there at the same time.

 

[alderman]

This post ought to be required reading for anybody who buys a chainsaw.

 

[MattCrowe]

Just out of interest, where exactly did it get you ? reason i ask is that i have been buying special order trousers for a while now with cut proof pads sewn in but only from mid shin to mid thigh, about 350 to 400mm or 14-16 inches, i find them way easier to get around in and thought for ages i had the most exposed parts of my legs covered, to me it was a bit like the old elbow in the ear trick, i mean a saw can get you anywhere i know, but there are likely and unlikely places, otherwise we would be wearing full body armour.

 

[struggle]

I have read this so many times here about people getting cut and have seen the pictures as well

I ordered full wrap labonvilles from Bailey's this morning

 

[MCW]

We took down about 25 trees in all, and most went right over without incident. We were working one of the larger ones, and he must have pushed on it a little harder than the others, before I started to make my cuts. I made my back cut, and just started thru the other side when I heard a loud "crack". It sounded like a gunshot, and the entire tree broke off and slid off the stump. I pulled hard on the 262XP and jumped back at the same moment. My momentum brought the saw around to my left and it hit my thigh and rolled across and around the back of my leg. The chain was still spinning and I could feel it tearing away at my chaps as I fought to keep from falling over on the saw.
....Cliff

Glad to hear you're OK Cliff. Not wearing chaps simply increases a person's odds of hurting themselves every day you're using a saw. Each to their own but the old "I've been using saws for years" argument doesn't stack up. Many a guy has bled out in a forest with that same mode of thought.
Just a tip on the push overs (or tow overs) - bring your backcut in beneath your facecut. It will stop the tree pushing/pulling off the stump and avoid the risk of having the tree come back on you. This a recognised and documented technique in Australian Forestry and probably elsewhere too.
For example (and not a real good example) the trunk on the left in the photo actually had to go to the right but was leaning heavily to the left...

 

[Jon1212]

I have full medical insurance through my job, however the ER co-pay amount is $150. That being said I figured some better "insurance" would be to take that money, and put it towards chaps, earplugs, and gloves. I have the eye protection covered since I have to wear glasses to see 4 feet in front of me anyway.