Best Logging Helmet System

[Old saw fixer]

     I bought the Protos helmet as well as well, and like it.  It is flashy, I got red and and orange for colors.  I had to get the oversize neck clip so it would fit my big head.  Comfortable to wear and nothing sticking out to catch on limb and vines. 

[teakwood]

by far the best helmet is the Pfanner, kinda of "cry once" deal

[Skeans1]

 

 

 The two styles I wear, I've worn plastic before falling timber but I sure as heck don't trust it ain't a widow maker. The silver hat is a Mac T six point the other in the picture on my head is skull bucket with the standard non quick adjust style head gear a heck of a lot more comfortable and they stay on the head better. The skull buckets I have two one that has a bent brim from take a good hit that if it had been a plastic would of probably killed me even a Pfanner I wouldn't of been here today or would of been in bad shape from it.

[Old Greenhorn]

Well I took a nice pic of mine but it didn't come out right. The guy at the pharmacy must have messed up the roll. Too bad because I had a new sticker on the front I was a little proud of. But I did have a back shot of it. Typical skull bucket with the screen added.


 

I left my face (and the body too) out because I am not ruggedly handsome like Skeans is, and there would be no need to make comparisons. ;D Besides I wasn't cutting today, I was flagging.
 Skeans, I am not familiar with the Mac T hats. If you get a chance, could you shoot a photo on the underside of that hat? I am curious as to have the rigging is given to location of the rivets.

[Old Greenhorn]

Nevermind skeans, I found it. I see those hats are out of date, but they look like a nice setup. By the way I also found a source of new suspensions HERE, you have to buy the suspension ($45) and the clips ($8.00). I'd use it. I like (and miss) those old suspensions with the drawstring adjustment. Used to have a Jackson like that, it was fiberglass, made in the early 60's also.

[Skeans1]

 

 There's a couple styles of Mac T hats the six point ones are the real old girls and then the 4 point ones which will really take a hit.

[Old Greenhorn]

It's a nice design. I am surprised they didn't keep up with the standards. I'm confused why you would imply the 4 points are better than the 6 point buckets. Seems like 6 points would spread the load better. Either way, I am not going back to plastic. OH and for those reading this who have heard aluminum will 'hold the heat in and be too hot to wear" I have not seen this and found aluminum no different than plastic ion the heat score. Everything is way too open for that to matter.

[Skeans1]

@Old Greenhorn 
I don't think it's the standards that killed the company they were in LA and more then likely that's what killed them. Having worn the 4 point style as well as the 6 point the 4 point feels more planted on your head as well as sitting lower on your head.

[John Mc]

The six point suspensions do distribute the load better - whether in a plastic helmet or on an aluminum one.

I tried an aluminum helmet a couple of times but could not stand it. The brim was always getting caught on brush or branches. I came to the conclusion that unless I was going to add a chin strap, it was just not practical in the woods in which I usually find myself.

I might feel differently if the understory was more open in my area.

I also like the built-in hearing protection on my plastic helmets better when working on cold weather - no danger of frostbite on my ears. In hot weather, I wear ear plugs anyway, so not much difference on that score.

As to the relative safety, both styles need to meet the same safety specs. If either one takes a hard enough hit to defeat the protection it provides, I've got bigger problems.

In short: IMO, the difference between aluminum and plastic safety helmets is a matter of personal preference, possibly influenced by the type of forests you are working in. Pick the style that works for you, pick a good quality brand within that style, and just wear it.

[Old Greenhorn]

Thought of this thread yesterday. Was coming home from food shopping and stopped a a light. Coming out of the side road making their turn were two tree service trucks and a crew of 4. AT first I thought it very odd that the bucket truck driver had his helmet on. Then I noticed that it was a pfanner protos helmet he was wearing AND he had the muffs down. Really weird. THEN I noticed the passenger next to him had his helmet on (same one) and HIS muffs were down.  Lastly I noticed that each of the helmets had a boom mic and assumedly communications built in. The second truck was the same things 2 guys, both with helmets and muffs down and boom mics. They must be using them for chatting whilst driving. Yeah it must be nice to have that fancy gear. ;D

[Oliver05262]

   The safety equipment won't do you any good if you're not wearing it. The more comfortable it is, the easier it is to move around while wearing it, the more apt the crewman is to have it on, every day, every job. Supervision helps, but the carrot is most often better than the stick.
   On a related note, I came upon a city crew from North Adams, MA doing cleanup work from a windstorm last fall. No chaps or visible hearing protection, maybe a couple guys had glasses on but no face shields, and the only guy out of the eight or ten who had a hard hat on was the guy in the loader !!! Howzat work fer ya?
  I still use my old four point full brim aluminum hardhat that I bought from my old friend who sold McCullough saws for years. It isn't marked who made it, but it's identical to the Mac T. Also have a cap style four pointer that is a genuine Mac T. I use that when I'm servicing or repairing but the full brim gets in the way. Got my eyes on an old six point Mac T a friend has in his shop. Been trying to buy it for years.

[John Mc]

Thought of this thread yesterday. Was coming home from food shopping and stopped a a light. Coming out of the side road making their turn were two tree service trucks and a crew of 4. AT first I thought it very odd that the bucket truck driver had his helmet on. Then I noticed that it was a pfanner protos helmet he was wearing AND he had the muffs down. Really weird. THEN I noticed the passenger next to him had his helmet on (same one) and HIS muffs were down.  Lastly I noticed that each of the helmets had a boom mic and assumedly communications built in. The second truck was the same things 2 guys, both with helmets and muffs down and boom mics. They must be using them for chatting whilst driving. Yeah it must be nice to have that fancy gear. ;D

Basically a case of using safety equipment in a manner to make something unsafe. It's illegal (at least in most state of which I'm aware) to wear headphones or ear plugs on both ears while driving. The reason for that should be obvious.