The measured speed of a saw kick back is 1/5 of a second. You have amazing reflexes if you can react in that time.
I've now had my warning
- Thread starter Cantrellc123
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shootingarts
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Nothing against safety. Just personal stories. But just like I don't wear a bulletproof vest when I hunt, I don't wear chaps for the few times I actually get a chance to cut. Keeping the muzzle in a safe direction applies to keeping a spinning chain in the same orientation. For me, bucking firewood on the ground, I have time and safety on my side. So I can be extra cautious. However, for fellers who have to worry about watching the tree, watching for widow makers, and making quick changes during the cut, it's a completely different story. I wouldn't want to have to worry about cutting my legs while calculating all my other moves. Just like if I was in battle, I'd have a vest on. But sitting in a treestand or target shooting at the range doesn't warrant a chest plate.
So I would say it definitely depends on the job you're doing and how comfortable you are with that piece of equipment, in that certain environment. And when first-timers ask, I always recommend safety gear.
Hope I make sense. The last thing I would say is not to wear protection. These are just the reasons why I don't. Though I fully expect to get quickly lambasted for my ramblings
Not lambasted, everyone gets to make their own choices unless they have a boss or regulatory types looking over their shoulder. However, nobody would wear safety equipment over 95% of the time if they only wore it when they thought it was going to be needed.
How many people start getting ready in the morning and say this is the day I'm going to hit my leg with a running saw, better put my chaps on! This is the day I'm not going to see a small sapling hidden behind the log and the saw is going to fly back into my face! This is the day I slip a little bit on footing that isn't quite as good as I thought and hit my foot with a saw at full throttle!
I have pushed a lot of crews, both for myself and other people. The quickest way to get fired was to ignore safety requirements and procedures. I found my friend and usual working partner when I was on my tools hanging by his safety belt one day. Never a fall in fifteen years then . . . The people most often hurt are those new on the job and the old on the job who have gotten too comfortable with the risks. Strange seemingly impossible things happen too that can bite anybody.
Ultimately we all decide our risk tolerance if we are free to do so. If we are honest we balance risk and inconvenience. We all have done it if we aren't doing it every day now. We all take chances large or small and we get away with most of them. I have buried people that haven't taken a hundredth of the risks I have. I hope I am older and wiser now. I do shut down many projects due to unacceptable risks that I would have bulled through a few decades ago.
Hu
I have had close calls with chaps and hard hat on. Very thankfull I had my gear on. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had no PPE on.
Don't forget about how it will affect your family when you think you don't need PPE. Imagine the job of EMT calling wife and telling her your in the hospital.
Don't forget about how it will affect your family when you think you don't need PPE. Imagine the job of EMT calling wife and telling her your in the hospital.
ReggieT
Addicted to ArboristSite
Who has the best deal on chaps?
Labonville had 30% off for Christmas. I bought a pair of the Extreme chaps. My old ones are Stihl 6 ply. The Stihl are reasonable and well made. I have only heard good things about the Labonville Extreme. I haven't got them yet.
Cantrellc123
ArboristSite Member
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree as buying him chaps would be the same as buying him a computer, it'd just gather dust.
Scoutillac
ArboristSite Operative
I never considered chaps until I got on this site. I think they are just as important as your tool. I have more than a few nasty scars from a 5hp pneumatic grinder's when I was on the shop floor slinging steel. Nothing like a 1/4" x 2" gash the docs wont stitch up because it is so full of crap, and the burnt pile of flesh at the end of the wound is pretty sweet too The only chain cuts so far have been on my hands from getting in a hurry and grabbing a non running chain. Chaps are in my near future. I have no desire to get on a first name basis with the hospital staff...again
The only chain cuts so far have been on my hands from getting in a hurry and grabbing a non running chain. Chaps are in my near future. I have no desire to get on a first name basis with the hospital staff...again
A couple of years ago - in the middle of winter - after having been sick for a couple of weeks - I had cabin fever so bad, that even though I still didn't feel that great I decided to go out and cut up an old pine that had been blown down at the edge of our yard - just to get out of the house...
Not such a good idea!
(I did have my full length chaps on, so at least I wasn't totally brain dead)
After limbing all the branches off the tree and piling them up, I got the bright idea that if I stood on the pile of branches I could just reach a branch on another three that I thought needed to be cut...
Well, I did manage to cut it - but when the saw came through the bottom of the branch, I didn't have the proper footing (because I was standing on the pile of branches) to stop the downward momentum of the saw.
So, as I instinctively tried to take a step forward to help stop the saw, the saw came down on the instep of my boot, neatly cutting the lowest lace of my boot and right through the layer of leather under it, but stopping just short of the fabric liner. YIKES!
That's when I decided I'd better hang it up for the day...
I broke a lot of safety rules that day and I still have those boots as a reminder that stupidity and chainsaws don't mix well.
Not such a good idea!
(I did have my full length chaps on, so at least I wasn't totally brain dead)
After limbing all the branches off the tree and piling them up, I got the bright idea that if I stood on the pile of branches I could just reach a branch on another three that I thought needed to be cut...
Well, I did manage to cut it - but when the saw came through the bottom of the branch, I didn't have the proper footing (because I was standing on the pile of branches) to stop the downward momentum of the saw.
So, as I instinctively tried to take a step forward to help stop the saw, the saw came down on the instep of my boot, neatly cutting the lowest lace of my boot and right through the layer of leather under it, but stopping just short of the fabric liner. YIKES!
That's when I decided I'd better hang it up for the day...
I broke a lot of safety rules that day and I still have those boots as a reminder that stupidity and chainsaws don't mix well.
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Cantrellc123
ArboristSite Member
Just a bit more info to this story. When I took off these jeans I found that my pants pocket also had one side cut out of it. I'll be reminded of this event each time I wear these pants from now on, which is a good thing. It truly amazes me that I was that close to injury. I'm left handed and it was my left pocket so I'm assuming it was a slow moving chain event as high up my leg as it was
same boat as you, last time I dropped live wood got me thinkin ...again. don't do it very often, so don't think about it much, but should.... thought I quoted z71 here
yep, mine don't run when its beertime, but theyre sharp just sittin there....
have only had one minor kickback, small saw, watchin for oil, pointed down at almost vertical pallet, revved it, up came the bar, hit pallet, came back, no brake... ive always tried to stay out of "line of fire", and was that time. perfect rt in drag racing is .4 sec, and they know what's comin...
funny point..i always try to think how i am going to explain my stupidity to my 10 y/o son who really idolizes me. he watches me when I least am aware. not when I tell him to watch only..."yes son you always must wear chaps and earplugs and safety glasses" ..."but I only wear them when I think I need to" doesn't seem like a smart point to make with him... my wife already knows how much of a jackweed I can be sometimes.
Just make it part of the check list..."no chaps---no choke" is mine
gsrsol84mm
ArboristSite Operative
Excellent point,
you lead by example not lip service. Your kids watch everything you do so you might as well do it right to teach them.
Philip Wheelock
Finis Origine Pendet
Reasons I wear PPE: 1. I know I'll makes mistakes from time to time, especially when I've got guys in machines waiting for me to get the wood on the ground; 2. Reinforces to clients the inherent dangers involved with chainsaws and the reasons they're paying me; 3. I owe it to my wife to take every precaution possible to stay safe.
lambs
Stihl crazy after all these years
I've had two close calls. One without chaps when I tried to start an 066. It didn't start, but it did get a little sideways on me and I popped the bar down on my leg. The chain, remember, not spinning, sliced through my jeans and cut a divot about the size of a dime out of my leg. Well at least I learned that I really did know something about sharpening a chain.
Second time, had chaps on and it got my left leg as it idled down from a cut. The chaps were neatly sliced open, but thankfully the chain did not go any further than that.
I wear chaps anytime I start a saw now.
Second time, had chaps on and it got my left leg as it idled down from a cut. The chaps were neatly sliced open, but thankfully the chain did not go any further than that.
I wear chaps anytime I start a saw now.
C SAW 090
Extremist Chainsaw Junkie
Labonville has good ones I'm told, I've got husky ones but they are soso
066blaster
Addicted to ArboristSite
I never use them but I will say I would be more concerned with the saw hitting other parts of my body keep your legs out of the way. My brother nicked his knee once and needed stiches. I am more worried about a tree fallen on me. If you need em wear em
I knicked myself quit a few years ago and out of habit allways put the chaps, helmet with muffs and wire face guard on. I have been using saws my whole life and feel pretty comfortable around chainsaws, but accidents can happen. Better safe than sorry.
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