Working alone.

BubbaJr · Jan 4, 2005

My wife is great inside.. but outside she's.. um.. about useless. Can't climb a fence.. or tote a bag of feed. 

It sounds like we are married to the same woman. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I too work by myself almost all the time. I take every precaution that I can think of, the most important being my cell phone when I'm cutting trees. I was using my pike pole last fall, when the bark came off the tree, and I went over the top landing in a heap on the other side of the tree. I skinned up both legs, knees, and wrists, and dislocated two discs in my back. I was able to get back home, but it made me even more aware of the dangers when you least expect it. It also taught me that when I'm tired - QUIT. There's nothing out there that can't wait until I'm ready to do it.

I'll keep working by myself out of necessity, but I wish I had someone to help or just to keep me company sometimes.

SkyPup · Jan 4, 2005

I ride my motorcycles alone 99% of the time and operate my tractors alone 99% of the time, everything else I do is 100% not alone! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Grassgod · Jan 4, 2005

I do most of my own yard work alone but my wife will help if I ask her too. But I am a landscaper & work alone about 85% of the time. I have crews that work for me but the jobs I work on are one man jobs & most of the time I am on the tractor doing something. I do alot of different kinds of stuff for work & unfortunatly dont take all the safety precautions that I should. I have been working alone for soo long that I just have my own ways of doing things. Usually one day of the week I keep 2 guys with me to accomplich all the things that I cant do alone. Some people that watch me work that I am a little crazy, Time is money & I dont have any to waste so I hammer.

Turkeyman · Jan 4, 2005

I work alone 99% of the time and even haul /load tractor 50 miles alone. I am out of cell range on the property but I call a freind to let him know I am in the woods and back out. Invest in good Equip, it is cheaper in many ways. I have a FOPS and for $575 it is cheaper then an ER visit, if I could make it to the ER. Too many pine beetled trees where I work.
Also just because you work with somebody does not mean you are safer. I worked during college with a professional" and he notch a "widow maker" wrong with a bow saw and it fell 100 degrees in wrong direction and the last 4 ft caught me. A broken back later I learned the lesson, the hard way- I must watch out for myself.

PineRidge · Jan 4, 2005

While most of the time I do work alone help is always appreciated. I have helped my good neighbors change calcium filled tires, cut trees, stack heavy stone slabs using the loader, repair balers, plow gardens, pull down a large satellite dish, blow snow from drives, dig stumps, and just about anything else I can help with.

Likewise if a job comes up here that is a bit large, where help would be beneficial then we have no problems asking as there is always plenty of help from friends and neighbors.

RobS · Jan 5, 2005

I work alone a good bit of the time. Actually enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to do the work alone. Quick grip clamps are great for solo workers.

I almost bought this book called "Working Alone". Some of the reviews found it pretty basic though so I passed.

I do get nervous with the chainsaw so I try to have someone keeping an eye on me at the least. Might have something to do with a tree falling on me as a kid and 16 stitches over my eye but that's another story /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Michigan_Mike · Jan 5, 2005

Most of the time I work alone, but I carry a "walkie-talkie" with another one turned on in the house.
The advantage I see over a cell phone, is I only need to press one button to "ring" the other one.

SkyPup · Jan 5, 2005

I have portable FOG HORN wrapped around the ROPS, everyone within one mile of me knows what the sound of that means.

One day a limb fell on it's GO button while I was FELing out a root stump and it scared the livin' daylights out of me but three of my neighbors all came flying over to see what was wrong.....little embarrassing but better to be safe than sorry. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Soundguy · Jan 5, 2005

( I'll keep working by myself out of necessity, but I wish I had someone to help or just to keep me company sometimes )

I know what you mean.. there are a few times when I could use a hand. My new FEL is nice.. so is a boom pole or block and tackle.. but every now and then I'd like to have a person working with me.. instead of a brace or rope.. or long lever.

Jokingly one time I said that I needed a 'husband' to help me out. Right in line, my wife piped up.. "yeah.. well make sure he has a wife to come in and help me in the house too!"

We both got a good laugh out of that one.... Seriously though.. I've become a master at building things that takes two people by creative use of ropes, brace poles.. jacks, and unhealthy stress on my back! ( which I'm now paying for in the form of a minor back injury... hence me finally breaking down and getting a tractor with front end loader... )

Soundguy

JDNineNinety · Jan 5, 2005

Penokee, I also work by myself most of the time. I have a parcel of land about 60 miles from my home that I bought for hunting, fishing etc. I am 75 years old but love to work on my land. My children live far from me so it's work by myself or not at all. I take my cell phone and call home at
lunch and supper. Sometimes I leave at 6am and get home at 7 or 8. My wife is not happy about me going alone but it is that or the dreaded TV all day. I take great care (especially when climbing my 15-foot deer stands). If the man upstairs takes me at the farm I'LL DIE HAPPY.

KiotiJohn · Jan 6, 2005

( I've become a master at building things that takes two people by creative use of ropes, brace poles.. jacks, and unhealthy stress on my back! ( which I'm now paying for in the form of a minor back injury... hence me finally breaking down and getting a tractor with front end loader... ) )
It's your own fault Chris. Remember, I offered to come down and help you put together that 10' rotary mower you bought, but NO, I just bet you did it all alone. Happy New Year. John

Soundguy · Jan 6, 2005

I know.. I know... And yep.. you did offer!

Actually.. the mower was easy to assemble. It is just the other 98% of my daily farm activities that ends up getting me .. like working on the barn.. etc.

Soundguy

kensfarm · Jan 6, 2005

"I've become a master at building things that takes two people"

I hear that.. when I was building a shelter for the steers.. a friend stopped by.. and I had a wall ready to go up.. he helped.. when I had another wall ready.. the dairy neighbor from next door was visiting.. I took his help too. The following day I had finished the 3rd wall.. no help to be found. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif FEL to the rescue! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif He has the strength of 10 men.. one large lag bolt centered on the top of the wall.. hooked to a chain on the FEL.. up it goes.. a couple hammer taps to align.. zap in a few nails to hold while I finish w/ the lag bolts.

Another great helper for working alone.. nail gun.. if you can hold one end of the board in place for a moment.. bam.. you're good to go!

PineRidge · Jan 7, 2005

I'm now thinking that most guys that could actually use a hand for some chores really don't like to ask for help. I'm also thinking it's like pulling in when your lost in traffic and asking for directions from a perfect stranger whose face twitches the whole time that you're talking to them. Most guys would rather amputate their own arm in the car than ask for directions from a total stranger, right? Besides isn't it a lot easier easier to call the wife at home on the cell phone and have her call and ask directions while pretending like she's the one that lost anyway? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Man I'm glad that I don't do that....... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

TC-40D SS web pictures click here

johan3400 · Jan 23, 2005

I guess I am one of the fortunate ones. My brother and I just purchased part of the family farm each. We work together often. We try to have a fast rule of not running the chainsaw alone. We have found that we get much done if we pitch in with each other. There are times we work alone and the competition is great. I purchased an L3400 and he a 4310. This next summer will be great to see which one of us can accomplish what we want to get done. The next step will be seeing who builds a house first. When we do work alone, we check in each hour with our Mother who still lives in the farm house.

caylor · Feb 11, 2005

Bill,

I suggest you dispose of the hard hat that took the impact and replace it. I know anytime a hat takes an impact, its ability to withstand a subsequent impact is decreased. A small price to pay to make sure you don't mess up your squash.

Inspector507 · Feb 13, 2005

Also, don't forget, hard hats have an expiration date. There is a date of manufacture inside it somewhere, usually on the bill. It expires Xyears after that, I just don't remember what value X is /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

LuisLeon · Feb 17, 2005

Penokee,

This post is very interesting to me as I work alone 99% of the time on my property. My wife does the gardening and I do all the other yard work that needs to be done. We own 10 acres, 4-1/2 acres of it is a neglected woodlot that I'm in the process of cleaning up. As you can imagine there is quite a mess in there and many unique opportunities to get killed. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I do a lot of tree work alone, I know some have said that they don't chainsaw alone. I have no choice, but must confess to actually liking not having to worry about the safety of someone else. On my property I'm constantly looking up for new, dead, or broken branches—especially after heavy rainfall, snowstorms or heavy winds. I get the same crick in the neck squirrel hunters get after a day in the woods. To me its a matter of safety if you have trees on your property to look up and see what might kill you.

Once I've decided to cut a tree down I don't fell it that same day. I come back after thinking about it just a little bit more. I've cut down many trees alone, but only after major contemplation. If its a really big tree I have no problem calling in a professional. I carry a cell phone and a two-way radio and keep in contact with my wife at predetermined times on the 2-way radios. She also always knows where on the property I'll be working. Above all else I keep my brain turned on, never rushing, and when I get tired I quit. One thing I always keep repeating to myself when doing any dangerous work on my property is "do you want to die doing this?" The answer is always no, so far./forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

regards,

Luis Leon

BX23, 60"MMM and soon to arrive wood chipper, because cutting down all them trees makes for a lot of brush on the ground.