What safety equipment do you have when running chainsaw?

[Rockbadchild]

Not trying to be a wise guy, really want to know. How does one cut pants? What are the situations? Limbing/bucking, blade always headed away from my legs.
I wear glasses, sometimes, ear protection, sometimes, steel toe shoes, sometimes. yes, flirting with injury, but very situationally aware of dangers and surroundings.

personally every time I cut my pants (happened twice) is by resting my chainsaw idle (without the brake) on my thigh..

 

[Rockbadchild]

There is lots of talks around tourniquets but do the proper research before hand... when to put it on and what to watch for, they are not to be taken lightly they can be dangerous and be treated as last resort... many first aid courses don't show the tourniquets and the guide lines seem to vary / changing over the years.

 

[5030]

Not a clue but I do know that quality chaps will instantly stop a chainsaw running at speed. The 'stuffing' inside them wads up the saw and stops it instantly. Chaps are uncomfortable and hot but that is better than a trip to ER to get sutured up by a long shot. Like I said, I wear competition chaps, not cheap by a long shot but much less painful.

Husky also makes a nice hardhat with muffs and a screen chip shield but I prefer the Stihl myself, it's easier to adjust at least for me.
and the muffs are tethered to the lid so you don't have to worry about them getting misplaced.

Far as gloves go, I wear a pair of calfskin TIG welding gloves. You don't want bulky gloves when running a saw, you need the dexterity a light pair of gloves has. Bering a hard head, I had to learn the hard way.

One nice thing with me is, I never have to get up in any tree, ever (even tough I do own climbers and harness and ropes. I just call one of my arborist customers and they come over with a bucket truck and handle that up in the air chore for me. I do all my cutting on the ground now, fine with me. Besides, I like roasting wood. Seems as though I always have a growing pile to be roasted. Besides, it's a good way to get rid of excess used motor oil, used oil makes an excellent accelerant to get the pile roasting. Being the 'pyro' I am, I also like to toss in a few empty paint aerosol cans so they can 'explode' in the burn pile. Empty paint bombs are the best. They make a solid 'whomp' when they go off.

I'm into rapid oxidation and reduction of excess wood and other things....lol

Done with wood chips. Too much work and I'm out of beds to put them in anyway. I have a huge pile of decomposing chips in the side yard presently. Cooking along nicely. In fact, the snow never covers it and it 'steams' constantly.

 

[5030]

personally every time I cut my pants (happened twice) is by resting my chainsaw idle (without the brake) on my thigh..

Been there and did that as well. Damn chains are sharp and even if they aren't. they will cut you real quick. I'm funny about sharp chains anyway in as much as besides grinding chipper knives, I sharpen chain loops for my arborist customers. Back, not too long ago, if the rocked a loop, they'd just put on a new one but today, with the cost of loops ever increasing, I've been sharpening their loos for them as it's much easier on their bottom line and of course I sharpen my own as well. I own 2 chain grinding machines and they get used a lot so my loops are always sharp as well. My 'rule of thumb' on a chain loop is, when the 'heel' of the teeth (the flat top side of the teeth) start building pitch, it's time for a new chain and I always carry at least one sharp loop with me, sometimes 2 and I keep my depth gages (rakers) set at 0.030 all the time.

 

[Jstpssng]

quality chaps will instantly stop a chainsaw running at speed.

Not always. The time I shouldn't have been running a saw I put a Partner 5000 across my knee running wide open. It went through my chaps, jeans, and left a 3/4 inch cut on my kneecap before I pulled it off. My chaps were cut nearly in two, the saw was still running wide open.

Do they make fire resistant kevlar chaps?

I doubt it would matter. After running few tanks of gas they will be covered with B*C oil anyways.

 

[old and tired]

I hope you're kidding.

Not proud of it, just how I always rolled most of my life... I cut trees down to pay for college.

First job offer was a tree cutting company in New Orleans... brand new bucket truck. Gave me the keys and I was to take down a 50 foot oak in an open area. Looked it over and parked the truck once and dropped everything in about 15 minutes... first time running a hydraulic chainsaw - wow what a rush, such a beast.

Only time I came close to hurting myself, was cutting 15 pine trees from around a house. Had to climb them and we wanted to finish it in a day.... got too busy, let time slip by, cutting the last tree, 40 feet high about 6 feet from the house. Limbed up the lower branches, went to top it, notched it, started the back cut, when the tree started to fall.... my chainsaw ran out of gas. I knew it instantly, and there was plenty of meat left on the hinge.

Clipped my chainsaw in quickly and got my arms ready to grab the tree once the top snaps off. The top didn't snap off until it was almost vertical to the ground, it pulled the top over 4-5 feet. When it release, it spun me around the top a few times before my arms could wrap around the trunk and I could dig my spikes back into the trunk.

I ALWAYS plan an escape route, look for dead wood that could fall. Not just from that tree, but trees that were going to be hit as the tree falls.

 

[jjeff]

Not always. The time I shouldn't have been running a saw I put a Partner 5000 across my knee running wide open. It went through my chaps, jeans, and left a 3/4 inch cut on my kneecap before I pulled it off. My chaps were cut nearly in two, the saw was still running wide open.

I doubt it would matter. After running few tanks of gas they will be covered with B*C oil anyways.

True but I really wish there was a multi purpose somewhat indestructible pair of pants out there capable of using them to weld, offer some protection when cutting, or whatever else you want to use or do. Used to think the DTC firehose pants were pretty good but I've went through a half dozen pairs of those, got a pair of true work pants although very comfortable no kevlar and definitely don't weld anything in them. Own a pair of Carhartt fire resistant bibs which seems to hold up well no kevlar and are pretty bulky. Anyways what I'm getting at is drifting now but I would definitely be interested in a one and done pair of pants that are extremely durable and offer protection to the wearer for multiple tasks. lol.

 

[paulsharvey]

Are yall just putting on a show or do you really 'gear up' every time you use a saw? I mean, good for you, your probably doing the smart thing, but I don't think anyone I know personally over thinks it that much. Be careful, but safety 3rd.

Edit: the talk about an escape rout is probably the most important part. I much prefer the idea of less 'gear' and better situational awareness, which a full face shield and ear muffs hinder to so degree.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Are yall just putting on a show or do you really 'gear up' every time you use a saw? I mean, good for you, your probably doing the smart thing, but I don't think anyone I know personally over thinks it that much. Be careful, but safety 3rd.

what's second ?

 

[paulsharvey]

what's second ?

First: getting the job done
Second: making money (or for most of us, avoiding going broke)
Third: doing it as safely as possible while meeting #1 and #2.