Brush Cutting Armor and Clothing

RobertN · Oct 28, 2000

Glenmac,
You bought the same helmet I did. I REALLY like mine! My Kubota is not very load, but when I'm on it for hours, I really like the hearing protection. I also like the drape they give you, which keepsd the sun and other "stuff" off the back of you neck. I like the mesh face screen. It keeps the stuff from whacking you in the face. I use mine for chain saw work, and weed-eating too(what it was made for...)

I have found that a good set of military Cammies works well in the brush. You have to look for the rip-stop, tightly woven fabric though. They stand up to Marines, bushwacking thruough jungles and such.

I also like gaunlet gloves, the kind where the cuff comes way up your forearm. Nothing worse than those short cuffs not protecting you when you get into the poison oak!

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

scruffy · Oct 28, 2000

Sounds like you guys need to dress like a goalie on an Ice Hockey team, with rip-stop clothing of course.

glennmac · Oct 28, 2000

Robert, the helmet is neat and well made. Actually got it at the Deere dealer where I bought my chain saw that never starts.

I didn't get the drape with mine, but I see it shown in the little brochure. Supposed to work for rain and sun. It also shows a plastic visor option. I think I like the mesh better. The plastic would probably fog up and be hotter with less ventilation.

I like the way the ear protectors snap tighly onto your ears. I'm now thinking I could listen a radio with the earmuffs on if I used a pair of those in-ear plugs.

Glenn

gordon · Oct 29, 2000

Glenn, Glad to hear that today was alot better than yesterday. That learning curve can be pretty steep at times, believe me I know. I've gone up the same hill--so to speak. Thats one thing that DE has plenty of sticker bushes of all types.

What your doing is the same thing that I've got to do to alot of the logging jobs that I get---Not fun---. Isn't it amazing how quick something can still go to pieces even with the safety gear and going slow to boot. This is truth, when walking in the woods or flagging off trails to be cut I have never seen a tree jump out in front of me, but when on the tractor at times I believe that they do. Must be the sound of the diesel, still haven't figured that one out yet./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I've got the same make of helmet, been very happy with that style overall. Only complaint is the face screen can act stupid at times. The earmuffs work great and in winter put a small rag in the center of the earpiece and it will really keep your ears warm. Because of sweat I've also put rags over the entire ear piece that plastic on a hot day aginst the side of your head---super sweat maker. When rotary cutting on the tractor I just wear regular earplugs, alot less bulky. In one way I'm spoiled, I've got a full cab customized for the woods work. The tractor had a curtis cab already on it when I bought the tractor, sure glad has more advantages than disadvantages thats for sure.

Glenn what kind of saw do you have? Hope it's orange too!!! I run huskys and have had good luck with them 13,500 before getting them power tuned. Nice!

So let me guess---when you left the woods today you had the feeling of just clearing a class IV rapid without a roll, am I close?/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

msocko3 · Oct 29, 2000

Glenn, you can listen to a radio while using muffs, I do it all the time while I mow. The only thing that you will have to watch out for is getting the cord to the ear buds snagged on brush. I have a radio/tape player that isn't much bigger than a pack of cigarettes, it fits nicely in my work shirt pocket and cost about $25.00 at wallymart.

Billc · Oct 29, 2000

Glenn, as to your question on Carhartts, during the winter I wear the insulated overall Carhartts. They're about $55 in most places. You can also get a matching coat of the same tough material. They also make a full length insulated suit. Never cared too much for it...too bulky and you can't layer. If you get hot, too bad. With the overalls and coat you can layer, if you get hot, you can take something off.....This sounds weird, "Now our next woodsman is wearing this year's fashionable Carhartt collection. Notice how the color has a slimming effect!"

My chain saw helmet is like y'alls. Works great. One thing that was mentioned but not mentioned strongly enough is the chain saw chaps. I've been cuttin' fire wood for a long time. Have noticed that people who do cut fire wood for a long time have at least one really good scar where the chain saw reached out and bit them. Most of the time that scar is on their leg(s), either the knee or the thigh. Mine is across my right thigh and took 47 stitches to close. Got this when I thought chain saw chaps were too expensive and too geeky. They are neither. They cost about $60. If you don't have them you are asking for a trip to the hospital. There are two kinds of people who use chain saws, those that have been sliced open, and those who will be sliced open. It happens and it happens fast. You won't feel it, you'll just look down and see a cut place in your pants and think, "Boy, that was close." About 30 seconds later you'll notice blood and wonder whose blood it is. I kid you not.

The chaps work great. When your chain touches the chaps it cuts open the nylon outer shell and picks up a bunch of polyester stringy stuff that's inside the chaps. The chain comes to a quick hault. Your leg isn't even marked.

I don't know how to get pictures to the internet so I'll just describe. Last year I bought a new pair of Carhartt insulated overalls. I was cutting a bunch of brush, and small trees trying to clear my property boundary. I usually wear my chain saw chap. This particular time my chaps were in my truck and my wife had taken it to pick up some supplies. Instead of waiting for the chaps I went ahead and cut. I was going to be really, really, really careful. Afterall, in my teens I had cut the crap out my leg. After about 40 minutes of work, about the time when your brain isn't working too well, I pulled back from a tree and the chain saw touched my left pant leg. I froze. I looked down and sure enough my left pant leg at the thigh was cut clean through. I knew I was on the way to the hospital. I put down the saw, open the cut place in the material, and saw...nothing. This time it hadn't cut my skin.

What do you want to bet I don't pick up a chain saw ever again with out the chaps on.

If I learn to get pictures to the net you'll see a nice size patch on the left thigh of the overalls.

One last thing, I know lots of folks who use chaps. Funny, not one person who's used the chaps for more than a week has uncut chaps! Everyone as at least one place where the chain has bit the chaps.

Excuse me as I get off the soap box.

Please learn from this.

glennmac · Oct 29, 2000

BillC,

Are these the Carhartt overalls:

Click Here

Your chainsaw advice is sobering. I have a Husqvarna 345, but I have never used it much. Now that I will be in my wild acreage, chain say chaps seem like a trivial investment, considering the alternative.

Gordon, in my prime I would have considered it a defeat to roll in a class 4 rapid ... but, yes, I know what you mean.

glenn

Edited by Muhammad on 10/29/00 06:49 PM.

glennmac · Oct 29, 2000

Whoa, what happened to my last post on this thread? Do I get an award for the message with the widest appeal ever.

Bird · Oct 29, 2000

Dang, Glenn, what did you do our computers?/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

RobertN · Oct 29, 2000

Bird, Ivy on the arm aint bad... Wait till you get it "there"; I'm sure you know what I mean /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

Harv · Oct 29, 2000

RobertN -

I think when you put on those safety chaps, you're still supposed to wear pants underneath. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

BobT · Oct 29, 2000

Glenn,

Yep, them 'er Carhartt's. You ain't really a farmer 'til you own some Carhartt's.

But you might want to consider the other styles they offer. The classic Carhartt was/is the "brown" which is all they made until a few years ago when they started doing "fashion" farm wear.

For the kind of work you are doing, I think you might want the coverall, which has long sleeves. They make both insulated and uninsulated, for different seasons.

If there is a farm store any where near you, go there, because they will have more selection, and you can try them on. When you first get thejm, they are stiff, almost like cardboard. You may want to wash them a few times. After a bit, they conform to the shape of your body and are real comfotable.

Here's what the Carhartt line is:

Carhartt Work Pants
Carhartt Washed Denim
Carhartt Work Pants
Carhartt Washed Denim Logger-Double Knee Pants

Carhartt Coats & Jackets
Carhartt Arctic Traditional Coat
Carhartt Denim Jean Jacket
Carhartt Sandstone Duck

Arctic Traditional Coat
Carhartt Duck Santa Fe Jacket
Carhartt Duck Active Jacket

Carhartt Sandstone Duck
Santa Fe Jacket
Carhartt Extreme Arctic Coat

Carhartt Coveralls & Overalls
Carhartt Quilt Lined
Carhartt Duck Coverall
Carhartt Quilt Lined Zip Front
Carhartt Duck Bib Overall

Carhartt Accessories
Carhartt Acrylic Watch Cap

BobT.

A Indiana Boy

BobT · Oct 29, 2000

Glenn,

Nice topic and good thread action. But 31 posts a record? Naw. I think there's been a few over 100! Muhammad keeps track of this kind of stat.

Just remember, it ain't over yet! Could keep running for months and years.

BobT.

A Indiana Boy

BobT · Oct 29, 2000

Glenn,

Here's a style you might want to consider, the quilt-lined duck coverall, in classic "Carhartt brown":

http://www.zemskys.com/carhartt/carhartt-coveralls.htm

BobT.

A Indiana Boy

glennmac · Oct 29, 2000

BobT,

Thanks for the sartorial info. Also the poetry. Here are the coveralls, I think, at a much better price:

Click Here

Widest appeal, again.

Glenn

Edited by Muhammad on 10/29/00 06:48 PM.

gordon · Oct 29, 2000

Bill, great post about the chaps, mine are Kevlar and my Ranger boots are Kevlar and steel toed. I never used to wear chaps because it was not cool and as you said geeky. Well guess what, I got bit, lucky it was only a few stiches. I had alot of hours under my belt with a saw before that happened and had the reckless attitude that it won't happen to me. Needless to say now I don't cut without them. Live and learn. Amazing how many things we take for granted and then we get a wake up call.

A chainsaw is the most dangerous tool that there is hands down and if you don't respect it----It will reach out and bite you quicker and faster than you could ever believe.

A pair of chaps cost much less than a visit to the hospital. Let alone the hassle of sitting in there all day. Just thinking about that should be enough

Gordon

glennmac · Oct 29, 2000

Third day hogging. It was snow flurrying all the time. Jeesh, it was 70 degrees two days ago. It was pretty when it left just a slight white dusting on the flora ... which I then annihilated to smithereens.

The backing up technique inevitably leads to a dented brush cutter. Also, sometimes I can't bend things over far enough, even when I raise up the cutter. In those instances, when I am sure the forward way is safe, I still prefer to drive right into the tangle and bend everything under the tractor (although my cutter may be up on the first pass). My evolving rule of thumb is that if I can drive over it, my Woods medium duty cutter can cut it.

I was thinking that I almost bought a light duty cutter with no slip clutch. What a joke that would have been! Dealer was right, again. I'm sure a 12 gauge deck would have been all dented by now and I would have gone through a lot of pins. The BX was certainly not a good choice for the kind of hogging I'm doing. I could actually use a much heavier tractor than my 2910, and a swivel seat. (I know what you're thinking, JimBinMI.)

The helmet saved my head and face from dozens of whacks again today. The hearing protectors also kept my ears warm, as Gordon said.

The snagging brush kept moving my loader joystick while I backed up. (Too lazy to keep flipping down the plate.) Then there was the big almost-disaster. Went over a hillock and started to tip. Looked at the tiltmeter that is mounted on my FEL stanchion right where the 1" diameter removal pin is. The removal pin was just about to fall out of its mounting hole. The brush had obviously ripped off the hairpin clip that holds in the removal pin in place. I watched as the FEL removal pin fell out on the ground because of the tractor's tip angle. I was just about to use my loader. If one side of the loader had come off its mount, I'm sure I would have torqued and twisted the FEL and damaged it seriously. Hence, the location of the tiltmeter fortuitously caused me to avert an imminent disaster.

Removed the hearing protectors as I was driving back to the house and was astounded by how very loud the tractor noise sounded. It is surprising the volume of noise one can get used to. I'm going to wear hearing protectors from now on. I've have had tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears; something I wouldn't wish on anyone) for 8 years now, and I don't want to make it worse.

The tractor is filthy and looks like it has been to war-- vegetation and debris in every crevice, buckled operator deck, hole in the (cheap) plastic side grill, dented cutter -- and only 44 hours old.

I love it.

Glenn

Bird · Oct 29, 2000

Glenn, with the tinnitus, I don't know how good your hearing is otherwise, but I've had tinnitus for nearly 20 years; went to the doctor the first time about it 19 years ago, then started wearing hearing aids nearly 8 years ago. They not only let me hear better, but they also help the tinnitus.

Bird

BobT · Oct 29, 2000

Glenn,

Them are Carhartt's, but their not BROWN ones.

BobT.

A Indiana Boy

glennmac · Oct 29, 2000

Bird, although tinnitus is often a precursor of hearing loss, so far I am OK. (Fingers crossed.) My father got serious hearing loss in his 70's. I figure there's not much I can do except take preventive measures against things like loud noise.

The doctor's dont know what caused my tinnitus, but I always have felt it was the fire alarms in my house. They were wired in every room when we bought it and sometimes they go off when the stove smokes. They are really loud. My problem began the day after the first false alarm. Some people wear white noise generators in their ears to mask the tinnitus.