My 62 year old neighbor stopped by yesterday, he was walking with a limp. He said he was cutting and caught his pants leg with the spinning blade and did not even know he had cut his leg until he saw the blood. By the time he got to the hospital, only 3 miles away he said he could feel his boot filling up with blood. He has a few stiches and wounded pride, could have been worse. said he has been running saws for almost 50 years.
I showed him my chainsaw pants. He is sold.
WS
Is he right handed, was it his left leg?
I have some husky winter chainsaw bibs that one of my friends gave me. He "grew" out of them and they have two cuts on the left thigh from when he was in a hurry. He said what happened is that he finished his cut and started walking before the saw spun down and it grabbed his leg.
Most of the cut resistant material is still there and I think they are worth keeping and using just as a regular reminder of what can happen.
One of the local colleges has a chainsaw course for their forestry students and one of their demonstrations is to soak a loaf of bread with chain oil and put it in the leg of some saw pants. I guess with a 70cc saw they can go right though the pants spraying red bread everywhere without the saw stalling. This helps the students realize that they still have to be careful even with the pants on...
Kevin,
Yes he is Right handed and cut his left leg, BUT I am left handed and twice cut my left pants leg. I did not need stiches just a smack on the back of the head!
WS
I found a new use for the chain saw pants. I was grinding a stump and got winged by a rock that kicked back towards my legs. Then I put on the chaps and they really dull the stray rock that kicks back.
I still do not know why people insist on putting rocks and bricks around the stumps of trees. If the tree does not grow into them, they turn into a major hassle or hazard later when you try to remove the tree.I would think it prevents the tree from getting as much water as it could too.
Is there any way to hang a tarp or blanket off the back of the grinder to catch the rocks?
No, not really, tripping over it might be worse than the zing, especially in close quarters.
The grinder has a thick rubber skirt that comes down to the ground, but, the rock can bend it and bust through easy enough. When grinding you are moving all the time left and right and tilting the machine up and down, so the place to stop it would be right behind the first skirt.
It usually happens when the machine is higher one one side than another (tilted) so there is a gap under the axle while it is straddling something. Then the rock has a clear shot to scoot under the rubber, hit something, and bounce up,. What I found is if you let the saw dust pile up, then push the machine on the pile, on the next grinding pass, the sawdust blocks everything that normally gets throw back.
Do you do any arborist work as well?
Stump grinding is a bit of a specialty.
If arborist means getting in the tree with a chain saw, no. Though I do branch trimming and such on the lower 20 feet or so using bow saws or sawzalls.
I have not been using a chain saw that long, I usually used either a big bow saw or a double bit axe for felling/chopping trees and firewood. I was forced to a chain saw because it is just a tad more production originated :D
I usually do not use any kind of saw or axe on the lower 12-18 inches. If people want/need a tree lower I charge them extra and rent a stump grinder. Someday I hope to own one at the end of a Bobcat, the things are awesome :-D