First outing of the year today, and had a great time. I helped a friend clear some trees to make room for a 32' x 56' pole barn that's going up next week.
He had a Caterpillar on sight with a big front loader, so he applies some light pressure to some of the trees so we could keep them all falling in the same direction without using wedges or pulling them, etc. I've done this countless times, and am very careful not to start pushing on them too soon, etc.
We took down about 25 trees in all, and most went right over without incident. We were working one of the larger ones, and he must have pushed on it a little harder than the others, before I started to make my cuts. I made my back cut, and just started thru the other side when I heard a loud "crack". It sounded like a gunshot, and the entire tree broke off and slid off the stump. I pulled hard on the 262XP and jumped back at the same moment. My momentum brought the saw around to my left and it hit my thigh and rolled across and around the back of my leg. The chain was still spinning and I could feel it tearing away at my chaps as I fought to keep from falling over on the saw.
No damage done, other than it cut a 4" slice in my chaps and shredded out a LOT of white material which jammed up the chain. Better than having rip off my tee-shirt, tie my belt over it, and apply pressure all the way to the ER!
First time in over 30 years of cutting trees and firewood that I've really ever had a close call other than hitting a steel toed boot lightly once. If you've got chaps, wear em. If you don't, get em!......Cliff
He had a Caterpillar on sight with a big front loader, so he applies some light pressure to some of the trees so we could keep them all falling in the same direction without using wedges or pulling them, etc. I've done this countless times, and am very careful not to start pushing on them too soon, etc.
We took down about 25 trees in all, and most went right over without incident. We were working one of the larger ones, and he must have pushed on it a little harder than the others, before I started to make my cuts. I made my back cut, and just started thru the other side when I heard a loud "crack". It sounded like a gunshot, and the entire tree broke off and slid off the stump. I pulled hard on the 262XP and jumped back at the same moment. My momentum brought the saw around to my left and it hit my thigh and rolled across and around the back of my leg. The chain was still spinning and I could feel it tearing away at my chaps as I fought to keep from falling over on the saw.
No damage done, other than it cut a 4" slice in my chaps and shredded out a LOT of white material which jammed up the chain. Better than having rip off my tee-shirt, tie my belt over it, and apply pressure all the way to the ER!
First time in over 30 years of cutting trees and firewood that I've really ever had a close call other than hitting a steel toed boot lightly once. If you've got chaps, wear em. If you don't, get em!......Cliff