ok how many of you have had a close call

[troutfisher]

I saw that, were you cut or just slapped by the cookie? I almost bucked my left wrist off in 81 but made a full recovery. Lol
John

The chain slapped the inside of my right leg, the cookie took off across the lawn. The cookie falling onto the bar is what threw the chain. It put a couple small cuts in the chaps, like the chain had stopped turning. I still think racing is safer that working in the woods..... by a long shot. Wrists have lots of important stuff inside, that sounds like bad news.........

 

[smokinj]

or have gotten hurt while working in the woods.

I have taken out a few fence lines and a face board on a garage! shhhhh very close on that one lucky I put the garage door up first or that would have bit the dust we where cutting it out from the inside of the garage...The face board was rotton so the home owner was ok with it.

 

[SteveH]

This was stupid but it makes me think when I am cutting with someone else now.

I was cutting with 2 friends and one of them was bucking a log behind me. I was not paying attention to the others and was in my own world, only thinking about what I was going to cut next. I stepped back and into my friends bar that was sticking out of the log he was cutting, all it did was rip/tear my pants. If it would have got me it would have cut me 4'' above my ankle and the 076 he was using would of had no mercy, I was very lucky, be careful cutting with people around you that is all I can say.

Yep, I used to cut with a buddy who had a nice trailer, we'd take both pickups and his little trailer and our saws and spend some hours cutting and loading, then get home and divide the wood between us. I didn't really get more wood faster that way, but the comraderie was nice.

Then one evening I was thinking about the day we'd just had, no problems though a close call or two with trees falling, etc., and I also thought about the six-pack we'd shared as we cut. I decided then and there to never touch alcohol til after the cutting was done and to stop cutting when anyone is near me. If I was to cut with someone, we'd fell one tree at a time, only one saw going. Bucking, we needed to be some ways apart working on different wood.

 

[ropensaddle]

Just barely made it. I was outside and my tummy rolled real quick like and thankfully I got to the bathroom; man it was a close call for sure<a href="http://www.sweetim.com/s.asp?im=gen&lpver=3&ref=11" target="_blank"><img src="http://content.sweetim.com/sim/cpie/emoticons/000203F2.gif" border="0" title="Click to get more." ></a>

 

[mark360T]

Just barely made it. I was outside and my tummy rolled real quick like and thankfully I got to the bathroom; man it was a close call for sure<a href="http://www.sweetim.com/s.asp?im=gen&lpver=3&ref=11" target="_blank"><img src="http://content.sweetim.com/sim/cpie/emoticons/000203F2.gif" border="0" title="Click to get more." ></a>

that sure was a close call LOL

 

[edisto]

that sure was a close call LOL

My wife still looks confused when I run off saying "it's going to be a photo finish!"

 

[7hpjim]

close call

Didn't have my chaps two weeks and nicked the knee, never wore any before, got lucky, always wear them whenever i use the saws now!

 

[redsquirel]

pay attention dummy

I was topping out a bigger hard maple on a sidehill and when I cut a limb off the side it decided to roll real quick like. The problem was that I was stradling another limb and it pick me up by the stepchildren and threw me down the hill bout 10 feet. The fall didn't hurt near as bad as the boys, put me out of commision for a few day if you now what I mean.

 

[Anthony_Va.]

Me and mt dad were pulling a cut locust tree from off a rocky hill. It was pretty rough terrain, some rocky cliffs and such.

I had climbed up into the hill to cut it, fell it down towards the bottom and hooked the choker around the bottom of it. It was only about 10" at the top.

He was pulling it out with the tractor so I could cut it up.

I did'nt see that the top of the tree was hung up in the rocks above. He was pulling on it and it had bent up like a bow, though we did'nt notice it happened so fast. When it snapped loose it caught me right behind the knees and carried me about 20 ft thru the air. Man it was wild, but very scary.

It bruised the crap outta the back of my legs. I think if I had been turned to the side it waould have snapped my knees. Was lucky it hit me as they bend.

I paid attention before that, but I'm plum freaky paranoid about every detail now. So I';m kinda glad it happened. Now I watch my arse at all times.

 

[wvlogger]

Layd my leg open and had to get 48 stitches. Split my thumb with an axe and crushed my right knee. I know get gout and arthrites in it

 

[Guido Salvage]

June 19, 1988, not a close call but the real thing. I was cutting some logs in the woods and had dropped one tree on another. I was using a Poulan 361 and it got pinched in the final cut I was going to make that day. Grabbed my Poulan 3400 and dropped started it and stepped over one log and reached down to cut from underneath to free the saw. Being left handed the saw came across my right knee and gave me a 4 inch gash that took 30 stitches to close.

Missed a week of work and took the time to order a set of chaps and a helmet from Bailey's. Fortunately it was not deep enough to hit bone. Just threw away the jeans I was wearing about 6 months ago.

 

[redprospector]

A better question for those who make their living logging or felling timber would be; Ok, how many of you haven't had a "close call".
In the last 25 or so years I have had an axe stuck in my right foot, my left knee shattered, my neck fractured, spine compressed, a few busted ribs & fingers. That's not counting the near misses like being thrown 30 feet or so etc.
The older I get the longer it gets between these little mishaps. I don't know if it's because I'm getting smarter, or if it's because I'm slowing down a little in my "old age". Either way those old timers that tried to tell me things when I first started are looking smarter by the day.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

Here's a close call I had in South Fork, CO a few years ago. The timer only suffered miner cut's & burns from the chain.



Andy

 

[Gypo Logger]

I've had about 8 lost time injuries since I started in the bush in 81. Weird stuff happens at times that you've never seen before. After several years using a saw it's usually the least of your worries. It's mainly the falling objects or springpole you didn't see or that sidewinder that roles off another tree.
John

 

[Gypo Logger]

I was cutting skids with an 020, it did a back flip and knicked me.
John

 

[ropensaddle]

I have only cut myself once in 28 years four stitches left hand in bucket truck. I have been way careful and treat the b&c like a venomous snake My close calls are usually at home on the tractor or skid steer neither have rops.

 

[MCW]

Nearly got well and truly laid out once by a Cottonwood "widowmaker" but haven't actually had any real injuries or other deathly close calls from chainsaws. Worst injury I have had was dropping about a 178DL loop of brand new .404" Carlton skip semi chisel after spinning it and trying to catch it. I did catch it but not before it left half a dozen good slices on the palm of my hand nearly needing stitches with a couple of them - lots of bleeding resulted. Big loops of .404" are heavy and take a bit of catching Now I just let chains hit the floor if they fall.

 

[Agrarian]

Almost 40 years cutting since I was 14 and I count myself lucky that I never have been hurt. I did once put a 3" gash above my knee in my Levi's but never drew a drop of blood. I had to sit down and think hard about that one - just too close. I don't wear chaps but I do religiously wear a hardhat and that has saved me from many a bad widowmaker. Of course, being a hard-headed Swede helps as well

My words to cut by: Know when you're getting tired, use a sharp saw and don't do stupid things.