This could have been my femoral artery and no one would have found me before I bled out. Be safe out there. Took a step back as I was finishing the back cut and tripped on a branch I left laying on the ground. Be smarter than I am.
Saw is fine. Just pull out all the white stuff from the chain, bar and sprocket. I prefer trousers over chaps, might be worth a try when shopping for a replacement pair.
You’re extremely smart, you wore your PPE and got to go home at the end of the day. Everyone is a tough guy until they burry a saw in their leg. Now, get a new pair and keep up the good work!
Just so I understand, not being silly, but you have them already on and good to go so if it goes sideways it’s ‘just’ a yank and your ‘good’? That right?
Never seen someone pre themselves before but if the cut is already sketchy even after all you can do to make it safe, I understand (still wouldn’t do the job personally, but still)
Yes, well, that’s all fine and good. But we still
Have a second guy standing by with a large hook on a fiberglass pole when we flip high voltage switches just in case.
A guy in my hometown died of blood loss while
Conscious because nobody could get to him in time and he had removed his arm. If he’d had a pre-positioned tourniquet, maybe he’d have survived. He was positioned safely, something went wrong and he inverted. Nobody knows exactly what happened, only that when it was over, he was down 1 appendage.
I agree 100% that hazards should be mitigated before we start strapping up with RATs and getting after it. But sometimes, that’s the safety available to us. I’d rather not inspect scaffolding for safety while being on said scaffolding, but here we are.
Damn right on the edge of the chaps too! I personally like wearing wrap-around chaps as they cover much more of your leg and seem to avoid twisting around much better than this style that just covers the front.
Yeah, I’m newly ISA certified and I’m going to hire a more experienced arborist to cut down a half rotted Redbud. I don’t know enough or have the right skills yet to keep myself safe and barber chairs scare me.
Got myself in the upper thigh with my new MS 400 last spring after more than twenty years of chainsaw experience. Luckily I had my brand new chaps on and I was unharmed. I learned my lesson the easy way and decided that saftey gear is not for sissies. Thank you chaps!
Trying to minimize cost, what kit would the group recommend? Lowes, HD, Amazon and Ace Hardware as options to purchase from. Do I need to bite the bullet and buy Husqvarna kit?
I'm cutting up a bunch of overgrowth with a Worx electric and Harbor Freight electric pole saw if that makes any difference.
I didn’t realize chainsaw chaps were even a thing. I’ve been wearing my safety Levi’s all this time - granted I’ve got an electric Milwaukee chainsaw and generally don’t know what I’m doing, so I’m not a great source of advice.
Happened to me a month ago, the same area. I was cutting smaller trees with and got sloppy. After one cut my chainsaw rested slightly on my thigh. Chain was already slowing down but it still pulled a few strings.
That’s pretty much exactly what happened here. I didn’t “trip” so much as I slightly stumbled. Both feet stayed planted but I sort of leaned back and then overcorrected forward. Was cutting small/medium stuff at a pretty quick pace for a while at that point and just got lazy.
It happened very fast. Other than what I described I don’t really know how exactly it happened. Just a fleeting moment of poor body awareness I guess. I was on a roll with my cuts— everything dropping EXACTLY how I wanted it for the first twenty some trees— and moving probably too quickly. I should mention I’m not an arborist, just a guy with a chainsaw. I’m not sure I could accurately replicate the exact motion that led to it, but it started with stumbling backwards a little bit on a small tree I left in the immediate vicinity. Just wear your ppe. You don’t need it until that one time you do, and you’ll be glad you had it on when that time comes.
Even with chaps that was a lucky sob. Just on the edge, and with what I would call inferior coverage or poorly adjusted chaps it was pretty much down to luck.
This public service announcement brought to you by your friends at Fellinggonewild
Paid for themselves and then some real quick.
On a less heavy note: Y’all know if I’m gonna be able to get all this stringy white shit out of the bar? Or is she toast?
You can get it out, check the sprocket as well it tends to get wound around that as well. Glad you wore your PPE
Saw is fine. Just pull out all the white stuff from the chain, bar and sprocket. I prefer trousers over chaps, might be worth a try when shopping for a replacement pair.
Blow torch
I don’t but for karmas sake alone I’m opting for new bar, chain and chaps. If it were me at least
Downvote abuse alert
You’re extremely smart, you wore your PPE and got to go home at the end of the day. Everyone is a tough guy until they burry a saw in their leg. Now, get a new pair and keep up the good work!
Glad you didn't spring a leak hommie
Pro tip: I wear pre-positioned tourniquets on my most exposed arm and leg. But yeah, clear escapes!
Just so I understand, not being silly, but you have them already on and good to go so if it goes sideways it’s ‘just’ a yank and your ‘good’? That right?
Never seen someone pre themselves before but if the cut is already sketchy even after all you can do to make it safe, I understand (still wouldn’t do the job personally, but still)
When the cut or location are sketchy, I get out the 'quete webbing.
Makes sense. Prepare for the worst and all that jazz
[deleted]
Yes, well, that’s all fine and good. But we still Have a second guy standing by with a large hook on a fiberglass pole when we flip high voltage switches just in case.
A guy in my hometown died of blood loss while Conscious because nobody could get to him in time and he had removed his arm. If he’d had a pre-positioned tourniquet, maybe he’d have survived. He was positioned safely, something went wrong and he inverted. Nobody knows exactly what happened, only that when it was over, he was down 1 appendage.
I agree 100% that hazards should be mitigated before we start strapping up with RATs and getting after it. But sometimes, that’s the safety available to us. I’d rather not inspect scaffolding for safety while being on said scaffolding, but here we are.
You never watched American Pie?
Glad you're ok.
Damn right on the edge of the chaps too! I personally like wearing wrap-around chaps as they cover much more of your leg and seem to avoid twisting around much better than this style that just covers the front.
Yeah I might get me some of those. I feel very blessed that the chain hit where it did.
Amen
Whoof, PPE FTW!
That's why we wear PPE, because accidents and mistakes happen, no matter how smart or capable we are. Glad you're safe!
Im slightly more capable than I am smart, which makes for an especially dangerous combo.
Oh man this is the best thing I’ve read today. Glad you’re safe!
So how’d you hit your chaps?
[deleted]
Yeah, I’m newly ISA certified and I’m going to hire a more experienced arborist to cut down a half rotted Redbud. I don’t know enough or have the right skills yet to keep myself safe and barber chairs scare me.
Congrats on the ISA. That isn't easy.
Thank you! Got it about a month ago
Glad to hear you're alright
Got my hit of adrenaline for the day. That’s for sure. I think I’ll try to get it by other means going forward.
Got myself in the upper thigh with my new MS 400 last spring after more than twenty years of chainsaw experience. Luckily I had my brand new chaps on and I was unharmed. I learned my lesson the easy way and decided that saftey gear is not for sissies. Thank you chaps!
Didja shit your pants when you saw the white tufts?
Better protection with a pair of chainsaw trousers instead of chaps.
Also if you want you can get them rated to higher chain speeds
Ok I'm convinced.
Trying to minimize cost, what kit would the group recommend? Lowes, HD, Amazon and Ace Hardware as options to purchase from. Do I need to bite the bullet and buy Husqvarna kit?
I'm cutting up a bunch of overgrowth with a Worx electric and Harbor Freight electric pole saw if that makes any difference.
Don’t get PPE from Amazon. Get the most expensive pair you can afford, with all-around protection not just at the front.
Like we see here, accidents happen fast and it doesn’t take much to kill you in our profession.
I don't really care which saw I have to work with, but I do care enormously about the PPE I work with. Cost is never a factor for PPE.
Literally better to be safe than sorry, glad you didn’t get got brother
Wow, glad you’re ok. This is a good reminder to everyone to take a step and think about what you’re working on.
Dang, you almost got a real cool nickname!
And a really long vacation!
I didn’t realize chainsaw chaps were even a thing. I’ve been wearing my safety Levi’s all this time - granted I’ve got an electric Milwaukee chainsaw and generally don’t know what I’m doing, so I’m not a great source of advice.
All the more reason to where proper ppe— that you don’t know what you’re doing.
I call it "knowing enough to be dangerous"
For example I know how to turn on the saw and make it go, which doesn't mean I know everything, just means I know enough to cause trouble.
Happened to me a month ago, the same area. I was cutting smaller trees with and got sloppy. After one cut my chainsaw rested slightly on my thigh. Chain was already slowing down but it still pulled a few strings.
That’s pretty much exactly what happened here. I didn’t “trip” so much as I slightly stumbled. Both feet stayed planted but I sort of leaned back and then overcorrected forward. Was cutting small/medium stuff at a pretty quick pace for a while at that point and just got lazy.
Dont forget to trash your underwear with the chaps. We all know there's a bit of a mess in them after that.
A good reason not to cut alone bud.
You aren’t wrong.
For the public benefit, care to give details on how it happened? I need to get scared back into wearing mine…
It happened very fast. Other than what I described I don’t really know how exactly it happened. Just a fleeting moment of poor body awareness I guess. I was on a roll with my cuts— everything dropping EXACTLY how I wanted it for the first twenty some trees— and moving probably too quickly. I should mention I’m not an arborist, just a guy with a chainsaw. I’m not sure I could accurately replicate the exact motion that led to it, but it started with stumbling backwards a little bit on a small tree I left in the immediate vicinity. Just wear your ppe. You don’t need it until that one time you do, and you’ll be glad you had it on when that time comes.
Uhh...the picture and common sense alone should be enough...wear your PPE, it's not complicated.
Even with chaps that was a lucky sob. Just on the edge, and with what I would call inferior coverage or poorly adjusted chaps it was pretty much down to luck.
Proper rated trousers is the safest bet