Pole Saw Harness Recommendation

[FarmerPW]

I purchased a Stihl pole saw this fall to clean up low limbs in fence rows but not happy with single shoulder strap. Need some help finding a good harness that will aid in working longer without total exhaustion. Maybe age is catching up with me???

 

[DR. P. Proteus]

Being a doctor I do not recommend you use a power pole saw with a strap connected to your body. I have the Combi and really only use the strap with the weed wacker. I don't even have a power pole saw. You did see a lot of climbers using a lanyard to attach a saw to their belts but not me. No sir!

In reality, it might not seem like it but by the time you have used your power pole saw to the point where you are tired and it becomes to much to handle you have already done a fair share of work. I mean think about how much work it would have taken without the power pole saw, multiply by 100 and take a break.

 

[sgreanbeans]

Pole saws are heavy and suck after a while, no strap is going to make it better. I dont use one at all, the one that comes with it sucks. However, DOC! A lanyard on a saw is mandatory for a few reasons. 1. So ya don't drop it 2. so ya dont drop it. 3 so ya dont drop it...get it. I am no doc, but pretty sure if a saw hit someone on the ground, it might hurt. Just saying.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I wouldn't wanna be doc's groundie, no sir! No sir!

 

[DR. P. Proteus]

Pole saws are heavy and suck after a while, no strap is going to make it better. I dont use one at all, the one that comes with it sucks. However, DOC! A lanyard on a saw is mandatory for a few reasons. 1. So ya don't drop it 2. so ya dont drop it. 3 so ya dont drop it...get it. I am no doc, but pretty sure if a saw hit someone on the ground, it might hurt. Just saying.

I wouldn't wanna be doc's groundie, no sir! No sir!

My thinking is that when a saw gets yanked out of my hand I am going to give it a kiss goodbye and whoever is down there had better be paying attention. Sure there are breakaway lanyards but ,still, I would rather not be a test dummy for one. Even if the lanyard broke like it supposed to it would still give a guy a good yank and possibly put him in bad position or maybe it would yo-yo the saw back into one's face. These are just my feelings.

I just stopped at the saw shop to get some new sprockets and they said OSHA would give me a ticket if I didn't replace the chain stopper. I didn't realize the one was broken. Now chain stoppers I believe in.

 

[DR. P. Proteus]

I wouldn't wanna be doc's groundie, no sir! No sir!

I wouldn't blame anybody for quitting.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I've never seen a saw yank a properly tied in climber out of a tree, but I have seen some near misses of groundies when a saw catches a limb and breaks a clip.

 

[zogger]

Being a doctor I do not recommend you use a power pole saw with a strap connected to your body. I have the Combi and really only use the strap with the weed wacker. I don't even have a power pole saw. You did see a lot of climbers using a lanyard to attach a saw to their belts but not me. No sir!

In reality, it might not seem like it but by the time you have used your power pole saw to the point where you are tired and it becomes to much to handle you have already done a fair share of work. I mean think about how much work it would have taken without the power pole saw, multiply by 100 and take a break.

When you work aerial anything, you and all your tools are required (good idea or actual regulations) to be "safed".

As to a pole saw rig, I wonder if they make anything like the support flag bearers use to hold up real big flags/flagpoles? That to me seems like a nice compromise to help support the weight.

 

[sgreanbeans]

My thinking is that when a saw gets yanked out of my hand I am going to give it a kiss goodbye and whoever is down there had better be paying attention. Sure there are breakaway lanyards but ,still, I would rather not be a test dummy for one. Even if the lanyard broke like it supposed to it would still give a guy a good yank and possibly put him in bad position or maybe it would yo-yo the saw back into one's face. These are just my feelings.

I just stopped at the saw shop to get some new sprockets and they said OSHA would give me a ticket if I didn't replace the chain stopper. I didn't realize the one was broken. Now chain stoppers I believe in.

If you remember me talkin bout dis. Some years ago, I hired this hippie kid. Was a "superstar" told me all his skills, sounded good. I knew who he had worked for and that was a fault, but he said he quit them because he was so "pro". I get him on this big oak, first day. He goes up and drops a 192 about 40ft, bounces off the roof and misses the HO's head by about a foot. I had a old style snap lanyard for him, he didn't like the way if felt so he un clipped it (I didn't know this until after) He wasn't even cutting, just getting into position (or I should saying trying, he sucked pretty bad) and just let go of it. This guy was a ordained priest in "Dudism" A total tool. He lasted............that long. Should have canned him when we walked on the job and he see's the tree, which was pretty big, and says, in front of the HO BTW "How the F are we going to do this?" Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......... Should have canned him right there and then. Couple days later, it was time to go. It was after I set up a drift rig and he had never seen one (Pro huh?). Kept yelling up at me that it was going to hit, that I should do it a different way, so I did. Came down, cleaned up. Took him to his house, paid him, canned him. Went and picked up my wife, went back, set up the drift and it went perfect. Imagine that.
I get what ur saying bout getting jerked if it got caught, but I don't think I could pull ya out. Stranger things have happened tho, so who knows. It is mandatory that you have any gear aloft secured. I use the longer red double ring and a loop ones with a cari-tool that I have on each side. Girth the loop to the clip. Hook the long ring to the little clip on the saddle and the short ring to the cari-tool. I can one hand in it or out with out looking.

 

[Pelorus]

I dropped a 200t a couple of years ago which didn't miss a groundie by much. We were both equally surprised.
Had unhooked saw lanyard to reach a little further, and then when the cut was made, I let go of the saw, forgetting it was untethered to the mother ship.

 

[snowyman]

You could try the easy lift harness, I've never used one but a lot of people like them.

Not sure if he's a member here now but he used to be.



The youtube link to him doesn't seem to work, so: http://www.easyliftharness.com/

 

[sgreanbeans]

I dunno why, but I find that thing pretty ridiculous!

 

[zogger]

I dunno why, but I find that thing pretty ridiculous!

Just looks like an innovative yet-another-of-thousands rigging device/tool to me. Someone had a problem, came up with a solution. No different than any other sort of device used in the outside green things industry.

If we didn't have new stuff, we'd be doing tree and lawn work with rough sticks and sharp rocks and that's it.

Not saying I am gonna run out and buy one, but if I had extensive say orchards to prune (and I have done that work on huge apple farms back when I was much younger), I would have liked to use that thing over humping 20 foot wood ladders around....

 

[pdqdl]

...It was after I set up a drift rig and he had never seen one (Pro huh?)...

What the heck is a drift rig?

 

[pdqdl]

BTW: I would never tie myself in to a pole saw.

Sometimes a branch just cannot be cut without risking getting caught by the falling branch. You need to be able to put the saw down to the ground without hurting it, or sometimes just to get yourself out of the way, abandoning the saw to the carnage you created with a bad cut.

 

[sgreanbeans]

What the heck is a drift rig?

"Drift Line -
Use this system when an obstacle beneath the tree prevents the piece from being lowered directly down, or the piece needs to be transferred over an obstacle such as a fence or stone wall. Using a drift line requires a second tree to be used as a rigging point, and works most efficiently when lowering/lifting devices are employed at both ends. Drift lines may also be used in conjunction with some of the other systems such as spider leg balancers or dynamic spar rigging once the piece has been brought to a stop.

Read more:http://www.sherrilltree.com/Learning-Center/Rigging_3/Rigging-Systems#ixzz2nSFAJIGJ"

Ya dont always need another tree. Basically using 2 portys, or whatever lowing device. Switching the load from one to another while still aloft, ya can steer the piece away from a target while maintaining total control. Used with a tag, ya can take a piece directly over a target that is too close to but hitch and hold in place when it is cut free and switch the load to the other and bring it away from the target with out it lowering...........I think I said that right. Its a pretty useful when doing big removals that are really close to a target. I am sure you have done this, just called it something else, just a bit of advance rigging. Nothing new or special. One of the ways I get away without using cranes as I still don't have one or a company here that I would trust. The big tree crane company here is pretty crappy. They think loads flipping over when they are cut free is a normal thing. So I use this stuff alot.

 

[sgreanbeans]

BTW: I would never tie myself in to a pole saw.

Sometimes a branch just cannot be cut without risking getting caught by the falling branch. You need to be able to put the saw down to the ground without hurting it, or sometimes just to get yourself out of the way, abandoning the saw to the carnage you created with a bad cut.

Word
If I am in the way, I have one of the boys grab a pole with the hook to deflect it away from me or catch it on a crotch with the hook. Anything that is big enough to really hurt or kill ya shouldn't be cut this way. Pole saws can be pretty treacherous if not use properly, but a godsend if used correctly. Seen a HO use one he rented. Cut a 12" branch, started from the top and it let go about halfway. He got hit by one of the smaller branches on it and was cut pretty good. The big piece hit the extended shaft, bent it like my axle! He got mad and just tossed it down on his driveway. His wife came out screaming and marched over to me and begged me to tell him to stop! I ended up doing the job while they went in the house and got in a big fight. I kept looking down at the $700 pole saw that he destroyed, thinking he was going to get it worse from her when they find out how much that is going to cost to fix! She had some lungs!

 

[pdqdl]

I usually just put a wedge under the bottom, then swing it away from me. But that doesn't work too well when you are standing on your toes to reach the branch you thought would be no problem...when you were back at the shop deciding to leave the ladder or climbing gear behind.

Not all plans work out for the best. I would include strapping myself to the pole saw to be a likely cause for a plan to fail.

There are only two reasons that I can think of for strapping on a machine: either to help the operator use the equipment, or to prevent the machine from coming back to the operator and injuring them. Since a pole can't really come back and hit you, I don't see any advantage to wearing a shoulder strap.

 

[delrod]

I'm just assuming the op wants To strap in to a powered pole saw on the ground. I wouldn't want to be tied to it aloft. For working fence lines etc we heaved logged long hrs with the polesaw. My advice is similar to the guy that said work hard then take a break. However you can extend your time. If you have an echo saw, you are out of luck as the trigger assembly I hate for ergonomics sake. The still saw can be rested on your knee or your trigger hand thumb can be hooked in your jeans pocket to get a little more time till your shoulders start crying.


Tight lines

 

[BoomerFT]

I saw the Husqvarna 327P5X The Husqvarna 327P5X pole saw comes with a "Balance Flex harness". Anyone had any experience with one of these?