ok how many of you have had a close call

[Johndirt82]

While not in the woods still chainsaw realated accident, 2 nights ago actually, The wife came out to the garage while I was tunning my 066 I just put a big bore kit on. I killed the saw said something smartass to her took a step and busted my ass in the oil the chain flung off, DOH!! She said that's what you get !! Now come inside Im getting Jealous of those stupid things ( Chainsaws), when are we going to spend time togther?HHMMMM , sound familiar? My tail bone hurts. haha karma I guess will always prevail.

 

[smilin possum]

If you work in the woods sooner or later it's going to get you. I've cut brand new boots and jeans, had a few chains throwed at me. Been knocked down, turned upside down and cracked my big punkin head so many times it ain't funny.

Never have lost to much blood or tissue so I've been real lucky most of it was my fault. You know how easy it is to get slack on the judgment and it comes back to bite you in the butt. Speaking of butt I've done some things that made me soil my bloomers it was so bad. That's when I usually go home and think real hard.

Stupidest thing that I've done and the one that made me mess my bloomers. I got in a hurry to move trees out of a right of way with the loader and tried to move a whole white oak tree. Made it out of the woods and when I got to the road, I turned the loader over in the road. Now I cut um once anyway no matter how far behind I am.

 

[bruceinks]

A couple down through the years. Cutting up pallets, with about as poor technique as a fellow could possibly use with my left foot in line with the cut, and pulled through a pallet, cut though my boot, tore my sock and didn't even scratch the skin. Another time we were cutting with about a foot of snow on the ground. I was using a Homelite 330, no chain brake of course. I was moving from one spot to the next, carrying the running saw with the bar pointed ahead of me, stumbled, fell and landed on the saw with my nose about an inch away from the moving chain. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

 

[BobL]

Worst thing that happened to me was cutting in waist high spiky scrub in long shorts and chaps I didn't see the big bullants nest and trod right in the middle of it. I didn't feel them crawling up my legs either till 3 of them bit me high up on the inner thigh. I was outta there and everything was off in double quick time. Pain subsides in about and hour but they itch like crazy for about 3 days!

 

[TimberMcPherson]

We were clearing a windthrown hillside of gum trees from 6inch poles to 3 foot around trees. Everything really tall. We were dropping them downhill, from the top down due to lean and windthrow. Things were getting a little messy as the fallen stuff started to mount up.

I felled a 3 foot gum with another gum uprooted and stuck in it but when it hit the ground it landed on a partly buried long pole that I had straddled over. It acted like a see saw when you drop a big tree on the end, It kicked up, got me by the thigh and blew me up into the air, doing a little cartwheel before I came back to earth, 066 and all.

Luckily the pole got me on the thigh and not something softer. I was wearing my petzl climbing lid which I had strapped on and I hit my head on the pole on the way back down, my forestry lid would have been thrown off.

Really hurt but I was able to get back to cutting after a half hour. Hurt for weeks.

 

[056kid]

been hit by falling sticks, knocked around by sprung wood, cut by saw chain & cable,

nothing bad just bumps and scrapes.

never been cut by a running saw though.

 

[Bushranger1]

Worst thing that happened to me was cutting in waist high spiky scrub in long shorts and chaps I didn't see the big bullants nest and trod right in the middle of it. I didn't feel them crawling up my legs either till 3 of them bit me high up on the inner thigh. I was outta there and everything was off in double quick time. Pain subsides in about and hour but they itch like crazy for about 3 days!

I can relate to that! Those Bullants hurt like hell. They climbed down into my boots when I was cutting one day & my feet were so sweaty I couldn't get my boots off quick enough cause they were stuck to my feet. Dunno how many times I got stung but I can tell you there was lots of foul language flying about that day!
Bit of 2 stroke down the nest followed by a lit match sorted them out.

 

[MCW]

I haven't had any close calls with a saw but have had with trees.
I had about a 70' dead old Cottonwood drop about an 8" branch out the crown which missed me by a couple of foot. Would have done some serious damage.
A few months back I dropped a dead Pink Gum with a reasonably wide canopy. When it hit the deck the branches "sprung" down then shot back, snapping about half a dozen 3-4" branches off and firing them at me like darts. One bounced off my helmet and another hit me in the right arm and left shoulder. My left shoulder got bruised up pretty well but I was lucky. If I'd have worn one in the face I would have been messed up. I'd turned around as the tree hit the deck and didn't even see them coming.
My fiancee and her cousin thought I'd been smashed pretty bad - they saw the whole thing. I looked around after I got hit and they just had these shocked looks on their faces with their mouths open.

I'm a lot more wary now with dead trees, particularly Cottonwoods and Eucalypts

 

[BobL]

I can relate to that! Those Bullants hurt like hell. They climbed down into my boots when I was cutting one day & my feet were so sweaty I couldn't get my boots off quick enough cause they were stuck to my feet. Dunno how many times I got stung but I can tell you there was lots of foul language flying about that day!

Yeah - I don't know why they don't get crushed when they crawl into boots, they're tough SOBs. I have seen them crawl up on top of a log being milled, face the mill, stand up on their back legs and defiantly wave their pincers in the air in front of the Alaskan mill as if to say "come one give me your best shot!"!

Bit of 2 stroke down the nest followed by a lit match sorted them out.

My dad used to find nests of them around big jarrah trees he had to fall and he used to use the fire trick - not that easy to do when the fire bans were on and the forestry boys were around.

 

[belgian]

had my 038av kicking back at me while cutting a heavy hedge at shoulder height some 15 years ago. It flew over my head and never saw it coming. The chainbreak had activated. This could have gone bad very easily, so learned my lesson.

 

[Streblerm]

I was working in the woods with my dad. We were working on a red oak with a blown down co-dominant stem. it was still attached to the trunk, about 10' up in the air. The stem was about 32" in diameter. We were cutting the brush away and I figured we'd use the excavator to knock the branch down.

While my dad was cutting the end off the big stem, he was watching what he was cutting and where it was going. I noticed the whole stem starting to pivot. I yelled and motioned for him to get away. He got about four steps before the tree got him. The stem we were cutting rolled down the tree trunk and a branch that was supporting the weight of the stem pivoted around and caught my dad in the chest and took him down to the ground, pinning his legs.

He tossed my 034 which stayed running. I managed to turn my Solo off (i don't remember doing it) and put it down. I ran over to my dad with visions of broken ribs and or legs running through my head. I had to cut the branch off him to get him free with the still running 034.

No injuries other than soreness and bruises for pops, and a little scare for me. Lesson learned, always cut with a buddy, and keep a close eye on dad.

 

[slowp]

Torn calf muscles, rib cartilage, ankle, knees, broke finger? not sure on the last one but it took forever to heal. This is an accumulation of 30+ years of stumbling around in the woods. I'm trying hard not to add to the list.

 

[stihl sawing]

Cut my boot, nicked the leg with the saw, fell on a broken off limb that had stuck in the ground, hit me in the middle of the back on the spine. left a good mark. Got bit by a snake under a log i was bucking, Fortunatly just a chicken snake, but scared the hell out of me. I'm sure there have been more over the years but can't think of them right now. Now if you count scares and scratches from cutting tops, well i can't type that much or cases of poison ivey ect.....

 

[4mocajuns]

I get a fair share of my firewood in log form on a goose-neck trailer. One evening I was really tired after spending all day felling, limbing, and loading several loads and I decided to try and unload one last load. I was standing on a pile of logs on the trailer with my 361 running and stepped off of the logs. I did this on purpose but instead of landing on the decking I landed on the self-cleaning dovetail. My leg buried into the angle iron gap clear up to mid thigh. I then folded over to my side cuz my right leg was still on the log pile. I thought for sure I busted something real bad. I pulled my leg out and crawled onto the ground. That's when the pain set in and I started to dry heave. My 15 yr old son saw me fall and came over and all I could say was "Don't tell your mom", as she's a nurse and if I hurt myself I won't be able to play with saws anymore. The next day I tried to put my boot back through the same slot and it wouldn't't fit that is how tight a fit it was. One year later and I still have bruises (permanent I guess) but the pain is gone.

 

[wvengineer]

I got myself in the shin pretty good once. I figured since I hit a hard spot it didn't dig in. I'll admit I was scared and didn't want to look. It was about 10 degrees outside, and I could feel the warm blood running down into my boot. When I did finally look the wound wasn't that bad, but I did bandage it so it would stop bleeding. Caught myself in the outer thigh, but it hit my pocket knife instead of me. Ruined a good pair of work pants, and scarred the knife which is in my pocket as I write this. Both cases amounted to me being in a hurry, and not paying attention to my movements while crawling around and cutting up tops for firewood. I now wear chaps all the time. My job has revolved so much around safety, and it finally clicked that I needed to have the same attitude when I'm cutting firewood. I even wear a hardhat when falling dead trees which makes me look like a nerd around here with the firewood crowd, but hey I'm still here. Now if by chance you guys ever start a close call while at a power station thread I could write a book :taped:.

 

[Kansas]

Cut my left knee cap to the bone twice, cut left upper thigh pretty good once.

Then just last week had a 4" x 10' branch fall out of a tree that had slid straight down off its stump and hit the ground straight up instead of going over and that caused a lower branch that looked ok when my buddy started cutting to break off and it nearly got me. I saw it coming straight down and was able to reach up and deflect it but it still tore a hole in my jeans and scratched and bruised my leg.

All perfect examples of why chaps and a hard hat should be worn I went and put mine on after that like a dumb azz I had them and wasnt using them oh well lucky to live to tell about it once again.

Cut a pair of 24-28" dia by 50' maybe tall trees down once where one was layed over and stuck in a crotch about 25' up in the other and once I started the back cut just barely got started into it and they came down so fast I almost couldnt move fast enough I felt the air behind me and the ground shake fact I let go of my 372 in the cut and ran. I picked my stuff up and went home scared the hell out of myself saw was ok.

I did go back the next day and go back cutting that was about enough to make me quit doing this stuff nah just kiddin.

Kansas

 

[crashagn]

I used to get alot of wood from acreages being pushed down by the dozer and excavator. Was working in a pile that was pushed in by the dozer and working away at a tree with the 371xp. Heard a crack and that was it. Both ends of the tree were pushed into the pile and apperantly i was cutting in the middle. Tree snapped and smacked me hard in the stomach with saw flying through the air. I got back up off the ground about 5ft back with the dog lickin me. Chain brake worked on the saw but thats the last time i take the dog since he cant dial a cell phone. Since then ive always had someone with me. Next couple days my stomach hurt pretty darn good and turned a different color. Nothin broke

 

[sawbones]

although I never drew blood with a saw I am sure I came close a few times.. Started logging in 73 when I was 17. cutting alder and skidding and loading,

the gypo I worked for was only a few years older and I will never forget that big scar on his chin were his saw kicked back in his face..

I had falled lots of alder prior to that growing up but to see his face scar made me extra cautious when falling..

he cut the firs and I cut mostly alders. they are all leaners to start with and the trick is to read them good and from there you could swing most up to 90 degrees to either side in the direction they leaned.

it is actually safer in some cases to swing to one side from their lean.

around 1983 another buddy started his own show and was out cutting alders when it was frozen out. I had seen many alders barbachure before but when freezing they split must quicker.

his girlfriend found him in the woods with half his head knocked loose and the saw still running.......

 

[OneMoreCord]

Cut my left thigh once and ruined a pair of double front logger jeans. And just two weeks ago (first time in 30 years) I cut through the leather toe of a boot down to the steel with the 460. Thank god for steel toe boots! Complete neglegence on my part.

 

[SteveH]

Was gonna throw in a few experiences I've had that would fit into this topic but got the willies remembering them so won't right now. For the first time, my most recent license says my hair is grey [though my height hasn't changed yet] and I guess some of that color is due to those willy-inducing things.

Well, one of the ones I will mention is when I was much younger and newer and a spruce barber-chaired and it was my first time even seeing that and the wind from the butt zipping past my head was, luckily the only thing that hit me. But I realized that the impact would've shattered significant pieces of my skeletal makeup. Also the speed at which it happened was stunning.

Which taught me: you might think you've begun to understand what you are doing when it comes to saws and trees but you have to act as if each felling might kill you.