Chainsaw chaps

[468shot]

I worked on a type 1 fire crew running a saw for a while out of college. Had to wear chaps if we were running a saw or even hiking.

This is the type we used:

Deluxe Chainsaw Chaps - Wildland Firefighting Apparel | The Supply Cache

These deluxe chainsaw chaps are ideal for wildland firefighters to offer protection when using your saw. Add to the cart now.

www.supplycache.com

They are fairly heavy and stiff, but you get use to them pretty quick. Hell of a lot cheaper then a trip to the ER.

 

[XP1K]

View attachment 7789735View attachment 7789737

I've actually done something similar but with a diamond blade so it was relatively safe compared to that. I was cutting ceramic cups for a tig torch. Modding them for tight positions.

 

[E. Bryant]

If youre experienced, strong, and have a REALLY GOOD TIGHT GRIP on both handles, you can usually control it. Doesnt mean it wont make you sit down and shake for a while.

 

[Two36]

Another for labonville. I like my legs and feet and ability to use them, so the chaps go on before the saw starts.

 

[DIBBS]

Get Good quality saw chaps.. waist to ankles go overbore on quality- as others have said you can bleed out in a hurry.

. Chainsaws don't cut -they rip flesh.

Eye protection. Ear protection. Hardhat. Long sleeve shirt. If your felling and don't know what the hell you are doing... get an experienced technical advisor. Keep the chain sharp.

I have been running a saw for 47 ish years, and have been really fricken lucky. Have had branches fall out of trees and hit me.... head, limbing pieces hit me nose.

Firefighting and woodcutting and still (luckily) going strong.

 

[hankpac]

Worked many years in Timber and Cattle Country (Oregon and NE CA). Had way too many people come in with those injuries, and a variety of locations on their lower limbs and pelvic area. Consider:
1. The chain is not going to slice cleanly, it is a ragged edged, varying depth gash.
2. The wound margins are mangled, so debridement is required.
3. A chain that is well maintained is covered in thick oil, and grease. Then the user mixes that with chips, fine dust and dirt/mud, as well as parts of clothing, and sometimes pieces of bone. Once the bleeding is under control (sometimes that takes a while, looking for the bleeders in that mess), picking and irrigating all that crap out is a labor intensive job. Forced irrigation just pushes it deeper, and hand-picking is tedious, but necessary to get the wound in the kind of shape the surgeon can work with to clean out with the dissecting microscope (if the small country hospital even has one).
It wasn't always the Pros. In fact it was RARLEY the pros (loggers, tree trimmers, etc), it was almost always a private party trying to get his own wood in for the winter.
And, no, no photos, Sorry.

 

[TexPatriot]

We used to show off and compare the power of our 'wood saws', the bigger saws for cutting firewood like 041 Stihls and Husqvarna 24" bars as opposed to smaller, more agile 16" Poulans and McCulloughs for cutting cedar. One of the tests was burying it nose first to the hilt into a section of oak to see if it would bog down. If you weren't experienced and strong, especially in the wrists and forearms, the saw could kick back in your face. We never had anyone in our circle that couldn't control a saw a but it was not something that should be attempted by the weekend gardner.

I was more concerned with the handle snapping and my hand ending up on the blade. I did have a 16" Poulan's handle break but fortunately it was while doing an uppercut.

 

[quietmike]

I've run a saw for nearly 40 years, never with any safety gear. I guess it's time that changes.
You guys have opened my eyes, and God knows I don't heal as fast as I used to.

 

[Maggot]

I didnt say it doesnt happen, and it looks like the guy was ready to do as I suggested, sit doen and take a deep breath, maybe say a little prayer.

 

[akmike47]

I've run a saw for nearly 40 years, never with any safety gear. I guess it's time that changes.
You guys have opened my eyes, and God knows I don't heal as fast as I used to.

The older I get the more careful I am. I used to be able to hold a lit lighter to my palm for way too long and not feel it because I didn’t ever want to wear gloves, let’s admit it they are a pain in the ass. They’ve also saved my fingers a few times since.

Also used to wear shorts and a T-shirt(we all did honestly) under the oldest thinnest FR coveralls I could find because summer time under heat exchangers.

 

[Maggot]

Get Good quality saw chaps.. waist to ankles go overbore on quality- as others have said you can bleed out in a hurry.

. Chainsaws don't cut -they rip flesh.

Eye protection. Ear protection. Hardhat. Long sleeve shirt. If your felling and don't know what the hell you are doing... get an experienced technical advisor. Keep the chain sharp.

I have been running a saw for 47 ish years, and have been really fricken lucky. Have had branches fall out of trees and hit me.... head, limbing pieces hit me nose.

Firefighting and woodcutting and still (luckily) going strong.

When I was cutting up in St. Ignatious we regularly cut 5'-7' stump diameter Yellow Pine and Douglas Fir on 45% slopes. I heard a story of a guy who was cutting one and as it turns out someone had been there the day before and left another big tree hanging/leaning on the top of it...(called a widow maker). When the tree he was cutting came down, the leaner landed on him and crushed him and slid him about 100' down the mountain underneath it. They found him the next day after he didnt show up at home that evening. Bear and wolves didnt leave much.

Its not as dangerous ass combat but you can sure get fucked up and we mostly worked alone.

 

[Holliday]

I've run a saw for nearly 40 years, never with any safety gear. I guess it's time that changes.
You guys have opened my eyes, and God knows I don't heal as fast as I used to.

Yea this thread has me wanting a set of chaps……..

 

[Ravenworks]

I used to give a ride to arborist every once in awhile.
There is a specific reg # that permits arborist to ride the ball, they are the only ones allowed by law.

 

[akmike47]

I used to give a ride to arborist every once in awhile.
There is a specific reg # that permits arborist to ride the ball, they are the only ones allowed by law.

View attachment 7790242View attachment 7790243View attachment 7790244

Really proud of letting that guy ride your balls huh?

 

[6Shooter]

Yea this thread has me wanting a set of chaps……..

What's your health insurance deductable and copay? Chaps are only like $100. That's basically a tank of gas in Biden's America. Chaps are a real easy financial investment.

 

[Holliday]

What's your health insurance deductable and copay? Chaps are only like $100. That's basically a tank of gas in Biden's America. Chaps are a real easy financial investment.

Yea thanks for that math lesson…….

 

[Holliday]

I used to give a ride to arborist every once in awhile.
There is a specific reg # that permits arborist to ride the ball, they are the only ones allowed by law.

View attachment 7790242View attachment 7790243View attachment 7790244

Now that looks like fun!

 

[6Shooter]

Yea thanks for that math lesson…….

Thanks for your massive contribution.

 

[akmike47]

Thanks for your massive contribution.

Ah yes, repeat the thing they said with different words what a come back. Perhaps you should have ended it with a “Good day” that’ll really show’em.

 

[6Shooter]

Ah yes, repeat the thing they said with different words what a come back. Perhaps you should have ended it with a “Good day” that’ll really show’em.

Eh, I'm not the retard sawing without proper gear. I just hope pics of the aftermath are posted.

 

[akmike47]

Eh, I'm not the retard sawing without proper gear. I just hope pics of the aftermath are posted.

It’s not really retarded to realize you can do something better, which they’ve done.

 

[Lawless]

Thinking about these.

 

[Ravenworks]

Really proud of letting that guy ride your balls huh?

In 30+ years it was the ONLY time and it DID NOT happen until corporate safety from Davey Tree brought the documentation of legality of what they wanted done they
ANSI Z133 and OSHA have metrics on lifting arborist with a crane-"Riding the Ball"

Feel free to call the corporate office, they are in Kent Ohio.
Davey Tree is one of the largest commercial companies in the United States.
Or
Call
All Crane and Errection in Cleveland Ohio, they are the largest crane companies in the world.
They sure as shit wouldn't tell me to do something illegal.

I have 30 years= 45,000+ accident free hours of service.
I have also been NCCCO licensed in all disciplines since 1995.

PM, me I'll gladly give you my license number so you can verify with my regulating body.
Yeah, I'm pretty proud of what I do and have gotten hundreds of people home safely to their families over the years.

 

[Lawless]

People are testy as heck here lately.

 

[akmike47]

In 30+ years it was the ONLY time and it DID NOT happen until corporate safety from Davey Tree brought the documentation of legality of what they wanted done they
ANSI Z133 and OSHA have metrics on lifting arborist with a crane-"Riding the Ball"

Feel free to call the corporate office, they are in Kent Ohio.
Davey Tree is one of the largest commercial companies in the United States.
Or
Call
All Crane and Errection in Cleveland Ohio, they are the largest crane companies in the world.
They sure as shit wouldn't tell me to do something illegal.

I have 30 years= 45,000+ accident free hours of service.
I have also been NCCCO licensed in all disciplines since 1995.

PM, me I'll gladly give you my license number so you can verify with my regulating body.
Yeah, I'm pretty proud of what I do and have gotten hundreds of people home safely to their families over the years.

A simple “lol, bad joke” would have done

You’re talking about erection, people riding your ball(s), but I’m not supposed to make a joke? Lol

 

[Ravenworks]

A simple “lol, bad joke” would have done

You’re talking about erection, people riding your ball(s), but I’m not supposed to make a joke? Lol

No hard feelings.

Believe it or not I didn't know you were joking and here's why.


Letting anyone ride the ball is illegal across the bored except for the Arborist exception.
It's such an unknown rule that we don't even teach about it at our training centers via local or international levels.

To put it in perspective.
If I were to let an Ironworker ride my hook and got caught my career would be over.

 

[akmike47]

No hard feelings.

Believe it or not I didn't know you were joking and here's why.


Letting anyone ride the ball is illegal across the bored except for the Arborist exception.
It's such an unknown rule that we don't even teach about it at our training centers via local or international levels.

To put it in perspective.
If I were to let an Ironworker ride my hook and got caught my career would be over.

I was just making a joke about a guy on your ball(s)

I don’t care about legality’s you’re both adults. I’ve watched people actually break OSHA laws, it’s whatever if it’s nothing to do with me.

 

[thejeep]

Chainsaw ing in the house never goes good

 

[thejeep]

In 30+ years it was the ONLY time and it DID NOT happen until corporate safety from Davey Tree brought the documentation of legality of what they wanted done they
ANSI Z133 and OSHA have metrics on lifting arborist with a crane-"Riding the Ball"

Feel free to call the corporate office, they are in Kent Ohio.
Davey Tree is one of the largest commercial companies in the United States.
Or
Call
All Crane and Errection in Cleveland Ohio, they are the largest crane companies in the world.
They sure as shit wouldn't tell me to do something illegal.

I have 30 years= 45,000+ accident free hours of service.
I have also been NCCCO licensed in all disciplines since 1995.

PM, me I'll gladly give you my license number so you can verify with my regulating body.
Yeah, I'm pretty proud of what I do and have gotten hundreds of people home safely to their families over the years.

Thanks for this. I died in my dreams last night 2x.1st time was being crushed by a crane. Woke up for an hour and fell back asleep hard. Then all of a sudden 2 b52s and a b2 flew over my house and did a loopty loop and crashed in the neighbors yard when their payload exploded. The crane smash was worse because it came down on my like the Austin powers steam rolller scene. Must have been the cheesecake I woke up and ate after getting hammered.

 

[Ravenworks]

Thanks for this. I died in my dreams last night 2x.1st time was being crushed by a crane. Woke up for an hour and fell back asleep hard. Then all of a sudden 2 b52s and a b2 flew over my house and did a loopty loop and crashed in the neighbors yard when their payload exploded. The crane smash was worse because it came down on my like the Austin powers steam rolller scene. Must have been the cheesecake I woke up and ate after getting hammered.

Wow,and I thought thought I had weird ass dreams

 

[TurdFerguson]

I just saw a tree guys handy work on his leg. Nobody is running a saw here without a set anymore.

I'm interested in what y'all have and your opinions

These are what I have been issued in the past. USA made. Forestry suppliers is like the Eurooptic of the forestry world.

 

[MarySure]

I got from ASJMREYE. There is a safety button and baffle. I am really happy with it!

 

[Lawless]

Wanted to confess, I cut my thigh yesterday. It wasn’t bad because thankfully I had a strong grip on the saw. I hadn’t sawed anything since this thread and had sort of put the chap purchase on the back burner.

Got em coming. Scared me a little.

 

[thejeep]

Wanted to confess, I cut my thigh yesterday. It wasn’t bad because thankfully I had a strong grip on the saw. I hadn’t sawed anything since this thread and had sort of put the chap purchase on the back burner.

Got em coming. Scared me a little.

Don’t feel bad. I got into my knee with the angle grinder. Merely a flesh wound

 

[NotByWorks]

How about thoughts on gloves? Brands, features, experiences?

Cut my hand last weekend and like an idiot was not wearing gloves. Got very lucky as blade was spinning slowly and contact was light.

 

[Alpine 338]

Ouch!

 

[mfox497]

I cut trees on the side. I always wear chaps. My brother was working with me last year and dropped a saw on his foot. Went straight through his boots across the top of his foot. Leather didn’t even slow it down.

 

[hankpac]

Someone mentioned picking out the fibers from the saw after catching one's chaps. Consider the other end: Picking out wood chips, sawdust and specks of oil, dirt, blue jean material and other debris out of a ragged cut on the thigh is a long, laborious, painstaking, tedious, exacting job. And that comes after the fluid replacement, the bleeding control, the call to the OR staff (country hospital isn't on duty all the time), to come in and prep the room, getting the blood type and cross match, and the Anesthetist to get the patient gassed down. If the patient has bled out a significant amount, all that is on hold until stabilized or dead. Transportation is often by pick-up truck, with no prehospital care, from deep in the woods. It is a fricken mess. Irrigation of the wound, as in a car or motorcycle wreck doesn't work as well, since everything in the ragged laceration is oily/greasy.
I don't have hundreds of gallons of saw mix through a saw, since I only cut my own firewood, rather than making a living at it, but I wore the chaps, had the helmet, and face guard, and wore gloves and eye pro/hearing pro. Since my kids helped, I left them in the truck, parked well beyond fall range. Never had a nick, or other injury, and burned 11-20 cords per year. cut all morning, swim in a lake with the kids to clean up. Big lunch under the trees, easy drive home.

 

[Jgunner]

View attachment 7789735View attachment 7789737

Nope. Not happening.

I need to invest in a face shield again. Prob is they fog up from sweat. They make one with fans?

My saw is down, blown up, but gonna rebuild and and make it more powerful. Guess ill get some chaps and stop trying to kill myself!

 

[IkeEng]

I'm running one of the more basic looking Stihl sets. I like them well enough. Hell of a lot cheaper than a visit to the ER.

https://c.tenor.com/VpexxYsjh2EAAAAd/chainsaw-almost-hits-face-close-call.gif