Husqvarna Technical Forest helmet ?

[John Mc]

Does anyone know if there is something going on with the Husqvarna Technical Forest Helmet (not the Arborist Technical Helmet). It seems to have disappeared off of several of the vendor's websites that used to have it. It's not even showing up on Amazon anymore. Some sites that do still list it show it as out of stock.

Makes me wonder if they had a problem with it.

[tranabo_bjoern]

You are right, strange, in Europe its still on sale.....

[sweetjetskier]

The technical forestry helmet was very popular for a new product that was at a higher price point than the regular forestry helmet, but like you mentioned it is out of stock anywhere I have looked recently.

My old forestry helmet is ready to be replaced and I really wanted the new technical helmet for a new helmet.

Not sure where they are made, maybe they do not meet US standards?

Link for the helmet:

http://www.husqvarna.com/us/accessories/safety-helmets-and-hard-hats/forest-helmet-technical/588646001/

[sweetjetskier]

I did some digging on the helmet situation and while no one would allude to why the supply is non-exisistant, but there should be stock available at the end of October.

[JohnW]

Should be available in October?  That's kind of interesting.  I wonder if they just run off a bunch of helmets from time to time, and this last time they just ran out of stock before it was time for the next run.

[John Mc]

The fact that no one will explain why they are not available makes me think there was a production problem of some sort. If they just underestimated demand, there would be no need to keep things hush-hush. In fact, they could get some positive spin out of it: "due to the phenomenal popularity of these helmets..."

[teakwood]

Buy the Pfanner protos helmet. From what i read on the reviews it seems to be the best and most comfortable helmet on the market, expensive thought 

http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=5688

[John Mc]

Buy the Pfanner protos helmet. From what i read on the reviews it seems to be the best and most comfortable helmet on the market, expensive thought 

http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=5688

I'm still trying to get over going from the +/-$50 I paid for my old helmet to thinking about paying $130 for a new one. Buying a $290 helmet is probably not in the cards for me.

[tranabo_bjoern]

The Husky helmet is on the husqvarna.com site again.

[John Mc]

The Husky helmet is on the husqvarna.com site again.

I didn't realize it had come off their site (at least the Husky US site). My problem has been finding someone who actually has it in stock.

If it was a quality snag that caused the problem, I'd like to find out, so I don't buy a helmet that's new "old stock".

[cbla]

A friend of mine won one at a forestry expo about 6 months ago and he gave it to me. It's a real nice light helmet. I love it.

[newforest]

Hello, I have been intrigued by this new helmet as well. At first the US website suggested back in stock in July. Then it was gone from the site entirely.

My local dealer says "online only"

It has been available via Amazon from Europe I have heard. I'd rather support my dealer and pay about the same after overseas shipping.


I am however going to write a real letter to Husqvarna and suggest a change to this product, and to most Forestry Helmets in general. Whoever decided to make ear-muffs black on many models these days has obviously never had to wear such a helmet on a summer day in the sunshine.

Here is a memo to Forestry Helmet designers:

THE COLOR BLACK ABSORBS HEAT. ONE OF THE VERY LAST PLACES I WANT AN ITEM OF BLACK CLOTHING IS ON MY HEAD AND THE VERY LAST PART OF MY HEAD I WOULD SELECT TO BE COVERED IN BLACK IS MY EARS! !!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously. All my previous saw helmets in life had orange ear muffs. What was wrong with that? Sure, my saw is black & orange. And black makes you look 'cool' even though it heats you up. But no one who works outdoors in the summer time wears black clothing, DUHH!

I will also point out that as you get heated up, your decision-making deteriorates. And that is not a good thing when running saws. In other words, clothing choices that heat you up probably ever so slightly decrease your personal safety, though obviously in an intangible way.  But still not a good color choice for a piece of safety gear.


Right now I need two helmets. So I still want this nifty expensive new Husqy one because it is ventilated. (Which, yes, will help with the black muffs deal).

But for an employee I will probably buy the Stihl Pro-Mark. It has a better face screen than most, better wrap around the sides (and the Husqy Technical has this as well). The Stihl is not vented however. But it does have orange ear muffs and costs $55 US less. $55 for those vents. Ouch. But I do tend to end up working in clearcuts in the summertime, so I wants them.

[HolmenTree]

If temps go up over 60 degrees I don't wear muffs period.
Wear ear plugs pushed in flush deep.

I remember the sawmill rookie chain pullers who pulled and piled lumber off both the green chain and dry chain.
They complained they couldn't keep up and were getting over heated.
One look at them and I told them to get rid of the ear muffs off their helmets. Wear plugs......they thanked me and quickly got used to wearing the plugs. :D

[newforest]

I wear both plugs and muffs actually and plan to keep doing so.

If Husqy ignores my request to go back to orange muffs, which is likely, I might just paint the ear-muffs with a heavy white latex, if it will stick.

I would think your ears function as a bit of a heat-exchanger for the body. ?


I have one of the Technical helmets ordered at a dealer local to a current jobsite. That's been about two weeks now - they haven't called to say one is in yet.

Same thing with the new "Technical" chaps from Husqy. I want the new ones, full-wrap, and with 2 pockets. I think the "Technical" line is in response to the "Pro-Mark" line of PPE from Stihl perhaps. If Husqy can't get their manufacturing together I will just buy the ones from Stihl instead. No one ever stocks full-wrap chaps retail that I have seen.

A dealer told me today that only one out of 20 saw purchasers add a pair of chaps. Sad.

[Ada Shaker]

I just put on a pair of socks. Solves all my problems. 

[John Mc]

A suggested addition to your note to Husqvarna:

"Please make your ear muffs easily removable without having to also remove the face shield. This would allow us to remove them entirely in hot weather, and just use ear plugs, rather than folding the muffs up out of the way when not in use."

I haven't seen the technical helmet in person, but on their Forest Pro Helmet, the ear cup mechanism and the visor tilt mechanism are attached. You can't remove one without also removing the other. Due to an old neck injury, I'd love to ditch whatever weight I can in all but the very coldest weather - but I want to keep the face shield.

[HolmenTree]

Can't beat the old school Peltors
2 screws and the muffs are off.


 

[newforest]

Is Peltor still in business? Their helmets always performed well for me. And had orange earmuffs.

Helmets "expire" - the exposure to UV light eventually weakens the plastic and they have to be replaced to truly stay safe.


I noticed the Husqvarna "Technical" helmet is pictured on the cover of the 2016 catalog (which was a very difficult find this year) ... AND is on the cover of the 2015 catalog. Are they starting to become a "vaporware" company?

Still no call back from the saw dealer where I ordered one. I would presume they have hit the $500 parts threshold a few times now since I asked for one of these helmets.

[danbuendgen]

If Husqy ignores my request to go back to orange muffs, which is likely, I might just paint the ear-muffs with a heavy white latex, if it will stick.

A dealer told me today that only one out of 20 saw purchasers add a pair of chaps. Sad.

Do you seriously think the color of an insulated ear muff will keep your ears/head cooler in the summer? I think muffs are hot period no matter the color. Then add work boots and chain saw pants/chaps and it sucks out there in the hot sun. I just use ear plugs in all seasons and trashed the ear muffs alltogether. The muffs give me a head ache anyways.

I as well as many many loggers own multiple chain saws, so what is the need for so many chaps? I own 6 saws, and have just one pair of saw pants... To be totally honest, when logging if I had to chose between a helmet and leg protection, I would definitely go for the helmet.

[newforest]

I supply PPE for my employees. My current pair of wrap chaps have taken a couple serious dead stubs poking holes in them, are missing a buckle, and are pretty frayed all around the bottom of each leg from years of use; time to replace. Also the velcro on my emergency first aid pouch that slips over the chaps belt is worn out and keeps dumping the contents behind me.

Have to buy two pairs this fall. I think both Husqy and Stihl finally offer full wrap chaps with a pocket, or even two pockets; my current pair has no pockets. There are a lot more options buying chaps if you don't go with full wrap.


On the color black, yes I do think black ear-muffs make a difference. You can try an experiment like one of my tree-planters attempted one day, accidentally/ignorantly. We were on an open sand site (a planter's dream), late in the season. It was 60º F at dawn. The planter showed up wearing black overalls, a dark grey full-sleeve thermal shirt, and a black puffy engineer's cap over his luxurious head of hair. I told him I didn't think that outfit would work on a bright sunny day out on the sand and it would hit 80º by 11 am. We started about 7:30 as it was nearing 70º. He didn't make it to 9 a.m. before he knew he was headed towards heat stroke. The rest of us in light colored clothing were hot, but we could work at least.

I usually wear white out in the full sun and that works well for me. The saw makes the t-shirt plenty grimy, but they do run only 3 / $5 usually.

I think the ears are a prime point where blood can lose some of the heat from the core of your body. I don't want them covered by the color black. I do want ear-muffs but I don't want those muffs absorbing the maximum amount of heat possible, which is what the color black does. Other colors absorb less heat, until you reach the color white, which reflects the most heat. I don't know if the color of the muffs is significant, but I wouldn't pick black as a first choice to find out. My helmets are currently expired right now too, so since I need two of them I hope to end up with one of these vented ones from Husqy, and one of the Stihl Pro-Mark with orange muffs. Then maybe I will find out.

[John Mc]

I finally gave up waiting for the Husqvarna Forest Technical Helmet to appear in the US, much as I'd like to have supported my local dealer or a forum sponsor. I ordered them from a place in the UK. Price was significantly less than what has been advertised here in the US even after paying for shipping from the UK.

Unfortunately, it didn't make it here in time for Christmas, so I don't get to open it until my Birthday (Feb 1).

[newforest]

I pulled my order for one in November. The latest adjusted delivery date was supposed to be December. I haven't looked into whether that will actually happen.

I won't want this helmet till next summer. I like the idea of a vented helmet.

In the meantime, I went with a Stihl Pro-Mark. Very good face screen with good wrap around the sides, and the ear-muffs are orange, not black.


I wonder if this helmet will be on the cover of the 2017 Husqy catalog. That would make three years for that.

[John Mc]

I haven't been allowed to open mine yet. I was hoping it was going to be a Christmas present. Looks like it's going to be a B-day present (early Feb).

[David-L]

I spend alot of time in a helmet being a full time logger. I have had lots of helmets in the past including Peltor, Sthil Pro Mark, Rockman and a few cheapys. I recently got my hands on a Husky technical Forestry helmet and would say for comfort its by far the best I have ever owned. The hearing protection and screen with bill visor work great and when its nasty out just throw the neck protector on the helmet which takes 30 seconds and now you have a dry neck. Yes they are more money but IMO its by far a very quality helmet that I wear 7 to 8 hrs a day. there are cut outs for the muffs that are very nice also. Good luck.

[Mountain_d]

Is Peltor still in business? Their helmets always performed well for me. And had orange earmuffs.

Helmets "expire" - the exposure to UV light eventually weakens the plastic and they have to be replaced to truly stay safe.


I noticed the Husqvarna "Technical" helmet is pictured on the cover of the 2016 catalog (which was a very difficult find this year) ... AND is on the cover of the 2015 catalog. Are they starting to become a "vaporware" company?

Still no call back from the saw dealer where I ordered one. I would presume they have hit the $500 parts threshold a few times now since I asked for one of these helmets.

Yes, Peltor screen and muffs are still available, in my part of Ontario anyway. I like the Peltor screen as it is no bigger than it needs to be.

[Offthebeatenpath]

Reviving this thread to ask a quick question- does anybody know if you can remove the ear pro and the face shield separately on the Husky technical helmet?

I'm looking at possibly getting a few for myself and employees, but I would like the freedom to have only ear or only face protection, depending on the task.

Thanks!

Jed

[John Mc]

Yes, on the Husqvarna Forest Technical Helmet you can remove the hearing protection without removing the visor.  (This is not the case with the Pro Forest Helmet).

Nice to see that the technical helmet finally appears to be becoming available in the US again. After more than a year of shopping around and unanswered emails to Husqvarna about when it might be available (during which time it was still being shown on the Husky US web site), I gave up and ordered one from England off of eBay. (It was also significantly cheaper than what it was and is being advertised for in the US, even after adding shipping.)

[Offthebeatenpath]

Thanks John.

They seem to be readily available again. I'm assuming that you can also take off the visor and keep the muffs on as well too, right?

[John Mc]

I'm assuming that you can also take off the visor and keep the muffs on as well too, right?

That appears to be the case, but I have not tried this myself. The visor is attached at three points on each side. The attachment points are slotted plastic posts which push through holes in the helmet, then expand once through and a barb on the prong latches it in place. I'm not sure it's something I would want to do on a frequent basis, but it can be done. You could also remove the visor and leave just the two arms on the helmet. There is a similar attachment method for clipping the visor to the arms with only two of those slotted posts per side, but it looks tougher to get to - and I don't think I'd want just those arms alone poking up - they'd catch on something and get damaged or ripped off.

The visor itself swings up further out of the way than the the design on the Husky Pro Forest Helmet, so if the need to remove it is a visibility thing, that may not be as much of an issue with this helmet. When it's flipped up, it's just barely in the edge of my vision.

It still baffles me that the selling price in England (and other parts of Europe) including shipping to the US is about 2/3 of the price that they are sold for in the US. Are the US retailers making that much of a killing? They could buy retail from a UK vendor (who has already marked up for their own profit), mark it up almost 50% and resell it here. Or is this something to do with the US' wacky liability laws driving up the price?