Chainsaw users---tell the truth.....

[DaRube]

....how often do you follow the prescribed safety suggestions, such as wearing chaps, eye protection, or hearing protection?

I hate to spend the bucks on some of this stuff.....but as a newbie, I know I would become a statistic. :-(

 

[Knight9]

I'll fess up! I've never worn chaps or any leg protection. I almost always wear earmuffs and I wear eye protection all the time.

Kevin

 

[Hillbilly]

I do not have the chaps........Safety glasses no,probably should.Hearing protection yes always,mowing grass,driving my JD(and I can still hear the radio)
I wear hearing protection and eye protection when running my Stihl brush cutter.Eye protection with my orbiting grinder and ear protection sometimes.I have been having hearing tests every year for 21 years and only have a slight "threshold" shift in one ear which is age related the nurse told me.
To answer your question safety is the most worthwhile investment.I would absolutely recommend buying it and using it,I am thinking about the chaps myself and a hard hat is a good idea,because those tree branches can really put the hurts on an individual.

 

[JTD]

Eye and ear protection is an easy habit to pick up. I have glasses anyway, and I also use the ear plugs when working with the tractor. You'll think twice about the chaps the first time you graze your leg with the chain saw when limbing and tear quite a hole in your pants. Must say I tend not to use them for a few cuts in a clear area but they give you warning time instead of ER time.

 

[beenthere]

I won't go out with my chainsaw without the chaps, safety glasses, and the hearing protection in place, plus I wear a hard hat, but without the face shield. A logger told me once it wasn't <font color=red>if <font color=black>I was going to have an accident using the chain saw, it was just a matter of when. And that got my attention, along with once seeing the size of the wound that a chain saw can make - it rips out a lot of flesh and tendons. The tear in my first pair of chaps from the chain would have been right above my left kneecap, two days before an important elk hunt. I thought often about the misery and pain those chaps saved me from, and their cost was nothing compared to the alternative. I also find that walking in brush and briar bushes is a lot more comfortable with the chaps on than without them, as well as is splitting firewood with a splitter.

 

[gotrocks]

Well, since you asked, I sometimes use hearing protectors, and I wear tri-focal glasses (excuse not to wear eye protection). Several year ago my old saw would not idle slow enough to stop the chain. My wife and I were trimming some bushes with thorns (flowering quince) and we had a pretty good pile of limbs piled around and as I was stepping thru the sticker I lifted my left knee into the ideling saw. Mess up a good pair of pants and took a chunk out of my knee. Lucky no permanent damage. Knee grew back pants went to the rag box. (without a lid) don't want spontanious combustion. Now I have a new saw that idles with the chain stopped.
Still no chaps.

 

[MarkV]

I wear my chaps, helmet, face shield, earmuffs and boots every time I pick up a chain saw. The chaps and helmet can get kind of hot in the summer but the darn chainsaw can just flat tear you up to fast if you don’t wear the safety stuff. I can’t think of a more dangerous tool I use.

MarkV

 

[looch]

I have a hard hat, face shield, ear muff combo that I always wear when using the chain saw. The face shield is nice because it's mesh and you don't have to worry about cleaning it (something I hate doing with my safety glasses). I also wear steel toe boots (just the thought of running the chain saw through my foot gives me the freakin' willies). I will be shelling out for a pair of chaps this year - it just makes sense.

 

[RanchMan]

Dad never used the stuff when I was growing up - never had an accident, as for me...

Chaps - yes
Ear protection - yes
Eye protection - yes
hard hat - no (should)

Hearing - well, you probably won't go deaf immediately, but the hearing stuff is cumulative- depends on what that is worth to you I suppose.

Sight - I won't spend "a thousand words" telling you about what "pictures are worth."

Chaps/Legs - Doesn't take much - and if you aren't "in the back yard", but in the middle of nowhere like I am (2 miles to the nearest gravel road, another 25 to a hospital) you could literally be taking your life in your hands. (blood loss) (of course, you may still be in big trouble even if 911 is right around the corner as in town.)

Am I paranoid? I don't think so, but some may disagree. Hindsight is always 20/20 - some of the stuff is uncomfortable, annoying, hot, etc., but if you keep your hearing/sight/limbs/life, I think it is pretty wise to use it.

I think it is kindof like the whole seat-belt thing that has been discussed in another thread - 99% of the time, you probably won't need it, but the one time you do, you'll be glad it was there.

-oh- one other thing, best piece of advise I ever received was if you are sawing and start to get tired/fatigued, STOP! even if there is "just a little bit more" (That 15 minute break might save you a lot of problems down the road.)

 

[Buck]

DaRube,

I never wear any of it. If I had to saw for hours, I would though. But, chainsaws -----are----- very dangerous. I am extremely careful.

You wanted honesty, you got it...

Buck