Richard
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,997
- Location
- Knoxville, TN
- Tractor
- International 1066 Full sized JCB Loader/Backhoe and a John Deere 430 to mow with
Visit by \"Mr. Lucky\"
Just another reminder to NEVER forget about safety...
When I got home from work, it was warm outside and I WAS going to change into shorts...I did not by happenstance.
I worked on a 5-minute project last night. Needed to take loader, pick up downed cedar tree/log and make 3 simple cuts in the 20” trunk to make myself two “tables” out of log to set my propane tanks on.
Fired up Brutus, picked up the tree drove it to the field for slaying. Grabbed chainsaw, helmet/ear protection & gloves. I checked chain for tension and all was fine. I did NOT put on my chaps, after all, I was only going to make 3 quick, simple cuts.
The saw was BUZZING at full RPM while I was making the third and final cut when it happened. Something (?) happened, pinched blade maybe, and whammo, chain came FLYING off bar and slapped the dickens out of my right knee. I just stood there with a real sinking feeling. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif I stopped saw, looked down at knee and saw....nothing. I just knew my knee had been sliced. My main thought (that I can say publicly) was “#$@(&^ why didn’t I put my chaps on”. Of course it was now...too late. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif
It was about then that I realized that I did not see any blood nor any tear in pants. I was ok. I suppose the chain had grabbed the little catch bar on the bottom of saw and stopped it’s rotation but not it’s inertia. My knee was sore for maybe 5 minutes but you couldn’t tell that anything had happened. No cut, no bruise, no dirt from contact...no nothing. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif The chain was junked as the drive links got “buggered” (by the catcher I think).
Heck...I don’t really know what happened and why my knee wasn’t sliced...maybe it’s because I have blue eyes?
All I really know for sure is I was VERY lucky and the score by accident is:
“Mr. Stihl” = 0
“Mr. Lucky” = 1
I’ll take a little bit of luck ANY day, but my intent from now forward is to NEVER give "Mr. Luck" the opportunity to "not" shine his smile on me. Meaning...if I grab saw, I grab in full battle gear. This way, I can do MY best to make my own luck.
Hopefully if this influences someone, it might make their day a bit more lucky.
Richard
Just another reminder to NEVER forget about safety...
When I got home from work, it was warm outside and I WAS going to change into shorts...I did not by happenstance.
I worked on a 5-minute project last night. Needed to take loader, pick up downed cedar tree/log and make 3 simple cuts in the 20” trunk to make myself two “tables” out of log to set my propane tanks on.
Fired up Brutus, picked up the tree drove it to the field for slaying. Grabbed chainsaw, helmet/ear protection & gloves. I checked chain for tension and all was fine. I did NOT put on my chaps, after all, I was only going to make 3 quick, simple cuts.
The saw was BUZZING at full RPM while I was making the third and final cut when it happened. Something (?) happened, pinched blade maybe, and whammo, chain came FLYING off bar and slapped the dickens out of my right knee. I just stood there with a real sinking feeling. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif I stopped saw, looked down at knee and saw....nothing. I just knew my knee had been sliced. My main thought (that I can say publicly) was “#$@(&^ why didn’t I put my chaps on”. Of course it was now...too late. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif
It was about then that I realized that I did not see any blood nor any tear in pants. I was ok. I suppose the chain had grabbed the little catch bar on the bottom of saw and stopped it’s rotation but not it’s inertia. My knee was sore for maybe 5 minutes but you couldn’t tell that anything had happened. No cut, no bruise, no dirt from contact...no nothing. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif The chain was junked as the drive links got “buggered” (by the catcher I think).
Heck...I don’t really know what happened and why my knee wasn’t sliced...maybe it’s because I have blue eyes?
All I really know for sure is I was VERY lucky and the score by accident is:
“Mr. Stihl” = 0
“Mr. Lucky” = 1
I’ll take a little bit of luck ANY day, but my intent from now forward is to NEVER give "Mr. Luck" the opportunity to "not" shine his smile on me. Meaning...if I grab saw, I grab in full battle gear. This way, I can do MY best to make my own luck.
Hopefully if this influences someone, it might make their day a bit more lucky.
Richard
