It may look funny, but it works. Safety is the the most important thing. It only takes a split second to cost you bigtime.

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eriklane

ArboristSite Operative
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Rockford, MI
After hearing from a friend of a friend, and seeing the bar to the face article a week or so ago, I went out and bought a baseball umpire facemask. Yep, I'm not taking the risk anymore. I've never had even a close call with kickback, but I've had a couple of kickers, nothing ever significant. It's not worth the risk. And for those of us saving a few bucks on our heating bills, what does a hospital bill cost? Think of what a few hundred in safety gear means if it saves you that $5,000 or $10,000 or more in hospital bills. Put it another way, if you get just one big injury, all of your savings is toast. I just bought a mask off Ebay for $30. Those steel bars will do the job. Chaps, safety glasses, ear protection, chaps, boots, gloves. I cut in the cool temps only, so wearing gear is no problem.

Be safe guys, it's just not worth taking any risks. And your ears are just too precious-I see guys on car shows using angle grinders without ear protection. You'll end up deaf or with tinnitus if you keep that up. I wear plugs AND muffs.
 
I haven’t gone that far but I am of the same mind. I have had a chainsaw accident 5/6 years ago where I almost cut off two toes. Surgery putting the tendons back together was $$$ and big toe still doesn’t straighten when I raise it now. I hate wearing chaps too so the extra money to purchase some comfy Clogger Zero’s is well worth it in my opinion cause I actually wear them. Also picked up an arborists helmet with visor/muffs in case of the unthinkable happening and it’s not bad to wear either. It’s overkill until it’s not.
 
You're funny. What got me was the guy who was cutting a clear round in the open, and it suddenly bucked. We've all done that thousands of times...The instant you wake up with a blown out eye and a facefull of gashes is the instant you say 'why didn't I?'...and I often cut out on a property that is far from anyone, so the last thing I need is to be unable to drive, and having to wait 15 mins for some ambulance to figure out how to find me in the woods on 300 acres, as I sit there with blood pumping and an eyeball hanging out.
 
You're funny. What got me was the guy who was cutting a clear round in the open, and it suddenly bucked. We've all done that thousands of times...The instant you wake up with a blown out eye and a facefull of gashes is the instant you say 'why didn't I?'...and I often cut out on a property that is far from anyone, so the last thing I need is to be unable to drive, and having to wait 15 mins for some ambulance to figure out how to find me in the woods on 300 acres, as I sit there with blood pumping and an eyeball hanging out.
Remember though he ended up finding the culprit, it wasn’t a random kickback. There was a round directly behind the piece he was bucking that caused it. Saws don’t kickback for no reason.
 
There is lots and lots of ways to get injured in using a chainsaw. Hell I road motorcycles on the street in Los Angeles. Life is full of dangers. As far as kickback goes, keep your chain sharp and be aware of the tip. What I fear more is having a log slip and come at me, or cutting a tree with root rot 10 feet up and having the entire tree collapse on me.
 
I, too, generally cut alone. One thing to be aware of when you've got all your PPE on is the 'smug factor'. When we're fully wrapped up, we instinctively take bigger risks, pay that bit less attention than we would if dressed in shorts and sandals, because we feel safe. Safety is not just PPE but also an attitude of mind.

BTW, how do you protect your head from falling stuff - does that umpire's facemask go over the top too? Love to see a picture...
 
Interesting. So I was always somewhat curious. Is the screen on the chainsaw helmets to protect against kickback/chain or is it there only to block larger chips?

This type of helmet

E51F4AF6-33D9-4F4D-A56C-5C42730CB363.jpeg
 
Simply stand offset to the left of the saw so kickback will harmlessly pass to your right. People looking down the bar during cutting is a unsafe practice not only from kickback but also often they lean over to do so.
Agree but it’s not always practical / possible to stand in a perfect pose. I know the answer here is then don’t cut, but that’s not always realistic either. There are times where calculated risks are taken.
 
Interesting. So I was always somewhat curious. Is the screen on the chainsaw helmets to protect against kickback/chain or is it there only to block larger chips?

This type of helmet

View attachment 950408

Only wood chips- and fine ones can still end up in your eyes and feel like much larger ones while they are in there.
The visors and indeed the helmets themselves will do sweet stuff all to slow down, let alone stop a serious kickback.
 
Does this sit on top of your head like a beanie?

I bought a petzl helmet and I felt like a circus bear it say so high up on my head. This one looks like it would fit better. Curious.
I find it relatively comfortable and don’t even notice the height you mention so must be somewhat different. Much more comfortable than the traditional hard hat style….again, worth the $$ as I actually don’t mind wearing it.
 

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