new chainsaw owner looking for safety equipment advice

[Canadianhere]

hey i am new to chainsaws and am only using my saw for firewood. i would appreciate advice on what safety equipment is needed. i am trying not to spend too much money. thanks for your help

 

[dor-moor hands]

Spend as much as you can. Not an area to skimp. I would go at least chaps, decent eye protection and ear protection. You can find good deals from most of the site sponsors. I would get full wrap chaps, and a helmet with integrated eye and ear protection. It won't cost you much more money. Be safe work at a comfortable speed and have fun.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

And invest in yourself and spend some time here on AS searching chainsaw safety threads. Your head filled with knowledge is still the best piece of safety gear.

 

[derwoodii]

saw chaps, ear muffs, glasses boots and take the time to watch some saw operation training vids there some good easy to follow ones here

http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?ReportID=36885

 

[Canadianhere]

Thanks for the help. What do you guys think of these chaps? They are not full wrap chaps but it says they are 12 ply or is that over kill for a ms362cm http://www.ebay.ca/itm/CHAIN-SAW-SA...636?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ac2f4bf94

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Only been used once, huh? Honestly, the best safety is training.

 

[fordf150]

Full wrap chaps are the best but I usually don't recommend them to my customers. The easier safety gear is to put on and wear the more likely you are to wear it every time you start the saw and full wraps add just enough aggravation that when I had them I found myself skipping them when I went out for short sessions with a saw.

A good set of chaps and helmet system with ear muffs, safety glasses, and steel toe boots are a good start. Chain saw boots are best but also expensive. Then some safety videos. Pay attention and don't get in a hurry. If your getting tired/exhausted then stop and take a break. More likely to lose focus and screw up when your tired/exhausted.

 

[Doug in SW IA]

hey i am new to chainsaws and am only using my saw for firewood. i would appreciate advice on what safety equipment is needed. i am trying not to spend too much money. thanks for your help

 

[Doug in SW IA]

Based on input from this site I just started wearing chaps. I wasn't completely happy with them until I bought suspenders for them. It made the fit and feel much better. I always wear my safety glasses and earmuffs. I am working on getting into the habit of donning the chaps each and every time I fire up the saws. For me another piece of safety equipment is a headband to keep the sweat out of my eyes and glasses.

Doug in SW IA

 

[Canadianhere]

Based on input from this site I just started wearing chaps. I wasn't completely happy with them until I bought suspenders for them. It made the fit and feel much better. I always wear my safety glasses and earmuffs. I am working on getting into the habit of donning the chaps each and every time I fire up the saws. For me another piece of safety equipment is a headband to keep the sweat out of my eyes and glasses.

Doug in SW IA

the head band is a good idea thanks

 

[blumtn969]

Based on input from this site I just started wearing chaps. I wasn't completely happy with them until I bought suspenders for them. It made the fit and feel much better. I always wear my safety glasses and earmuffs. I am working on getting into the habit of donning the chaps each and every time I fire up the saws. For me another piece of safety equipment is a headband to keep the sweat out of my eyes and glasses.

Doug in SW IA

Ya suspenders all my buddies laugh and make fun of me but chaps do need suspenders

 

[Canadianhere]

cant post a new thread anymore, I can type in the title of my thread but when I type in what I want to say, its stays blank and I just see the loading sign. Been like this for a few days now. Has anyone had this problem? Or am I making some kind of rookie mistake? This is the first forum I have used so I feel like it might be just me, its just weird how I could post threads a few days ago

 

[Philbert]

Separate topic, or something that you can add on to one of your existing threads?

Philbert

 

[Canadianhere]

I'll keep it on this thread. I am looking into chainsaw pants but my local dealers don't know anything about thier pants, like number of layers or if it has kevlar. I checked Ebay and amazon but cant find much that will ship to canada. I have a ms362 and was hoping I could just go with a 4100 threshold chain speed rating and not have to worry about how many layers or what it is made of. I am hoping I can just worry about comfort and it being 4100, since I dont have much for options locally

 

[Philbert]

Best to keep it in these threads, do we don't have to keep going back over the same stuff (Canada, new sawyer, PPE, etc.).

If you don't have many local options, then you're pretty much stuck with mail order, catalog, or the Internet. Can't help you with shipping issues, but there are a mumber of Canadian members here who moght have some insight.

Labonville is a site sponsor with several options. Jonsered and Hysqvarna also sell pants if you find a full line dealer. They seem to be more popular in Europe. More of a specialty item here.

I bought a pair of Jonsered protective pants, but decided that I like chaps better. I can take my chaps off when not cutting. Pants stay on all day, and get hot. Personal opinion.

Philbert

 

[Canadianhere]

Ok thanks for the help philbert, i'll try to keep to my existing posts unless it is unrelated. The labonville site doesn't work for me because my computer died and some sites don't work on this phone. I found these walmart chaps though, laser chaps class b or class c. Any thoughts from anyone would be helpful. Thanks www.walmart.ca/search/chainsaw%20chaps

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Yes, keep your saw away from your legs. Proper techniques are always the best safety.

 

[Westboastfaller]

thats a pretty good deal on the first link you posted. It will cost you under $90 canadian delivered for the hard hat screen & muffs with chaps and saftey glasses. You can't beat that. Thats about $30 less than I Payed for my Husqvarna with side impact hard hard set up.
In the pic there is a back pic of a guy
Wearing them and they go way around the side and back for coverage. Some have the tendency to want to roll medial
And expose your lateral side. The distraction alone is enough to take you off your game. The consern is always the left (lead) leg thigh with that type discribed as that would be the direction of the chain
pull. And stay away from the short ones unless you have chainsaw boots (tall rubber vikings with kevlar)
I wouldn't worry about FPM thresholds
much with chaps. The chaps are loose and if the saw bites into them, (left leg) the loose chaps will be pulled from your leg.
Fallers pants can't. It actually hurts when you clutch the saw out on the pants against the skin even when you don't get cut. I've put a couple teeth in my knee with 4100 FPM twice.
Not to scare anyone off falling pants.
A couple 'scratches' in 26 pro yrs wearing them. They've done there job.
Chaps are not ideal in coast terrains also we are not allowed to wear them for falling in BC or gas and oil industry AB/BC
If I do end up on a job in the summer where its safe to wear them and I can get away with it. I'll be running to the saw shop and putting them on with a big smile on my face

 

[Westboastfaller]

Well that statement is 100% right.
@ TheJollyLogger^^
I guess that means I'm not comfortable in my own skin..lol
Education & mindfulness are great tools but don't replace PPE.

 

[KenJax Tree]

I can't work in a suit of armor. Boots, gloves, helmet, glasses (usually sunglasses) and ear plugs work for me. If im on the ground bucking logs i'll throw on some chaps but i can't climb in them.