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Chaps

Started by jargo432, April 11, 2014, 11:18:34 PM

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jargo432

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ejn7wB9vM


Have you ever had your chaps save your skin.  If so I'd like to hear your story.
Jack of all trades.

Billbob

I've gone through two pair of chainsaw pants over the past 10 years.  10 years ago I was logging the woodlot  as I was going to build a new horse barn.  I had just dropped a big pasture spruce and was limbing it with my Husquvarna 50.  I was wet and tired.  I made the mistake of using the tip of the chain bar to undercut a limb.  The chainsaw kicked back and buried itself in the kevlar of my pants right across the top of my left thigh.  I had a cold chill go through me and it wasn't from being wet and cold.  I had to use my jack knife to cut the chainsaw free from my pants.  Two years ago the same thing happened to me when I was blocking up firewood though not as severe as the first time.  I keep the pants as a reminder of what could have been a life changing event. This year I bought a pair of chaps to try as I have always used chainsaw pants.  I like the chaps because you can take them off easily when you are not using the chainsaw.  You can't do that with the chainsaw pants unless you don't mind running around the woods in your skivvies!  :D
Woodland Hm126 sawmill, LS 72hp tractor with FEL, homemade log winch, 8ft pulp trailer, Husqvarna 50, Husqvarna 353, homemade wood splitter, 12ft dump trailer, Polaris Sportsman 500 with ATV dump trailer

celliott

Nope, but I still wear them every time I'm cutting.
Chris Elliott

Clark 666C cable skidder
Husqvarna and Jonsered pro saws
265rx clearing saw
Professional maple tubing installer and maple sugaring worker, part time logger

Magicman

My saw kicked back and caught my leather apron which saved my hide.  :o  I bought chaps that day.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

thecfarm

I have been lucky,so far. I have a slight rip from when the chain was barely moving. Only got a little of the orange fabric. I put them on when I use the saw, Sometimes it takes me longer to put the chaps on than to cut what I want. But I have to stop and thing about,trying to save a minute and it ends up costing me 30 of them.  ::)
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Billbob

Quote from: thecfarm on April 12, 2014, 05:04:11 PM
I have been lucky,so far. I have a slight rip from when the chain was barely moving. Only got a little of the orange fabric. I put them on when I use the saw, Sometimes it takes me longer to put the chaps on than to cut what I want. But I have to stop and thing about,trying to save a minute and it ends up costing me 30 of them.  ::)
Time isn't as precious as your leg. ;)
Woodland Hm126 sawmill, LS 72hp tractor with FEL, homemade log winch, 8ft pulp trailer, Husqvarna 50, Husqvarna 353, homemade wood splitter, 12ft dump trailer, Polaris Sportsman 500 with ATV dump trailer

Nemologger

Chaps are like a seatbelt...you hope you never need them, but if you do your glad you have them.
Clean and Sober

dgdrls

Thankfully No,

I always wear a set when the chainsaw is running and/or when running the Lucas. 
I don't believe they would stop the Lucas blade and I don't want to test them with either machine.

DGDrls





LittleJohn

Besides saving legs, I have even started wearing them when working up firewood, saves the thigh portions of my pants from the bark when lifting heavy blocks up to splitter.  Also keeps SOME of the mess, OIL, SAWDUST, etc. off your pants.

I had a situation like BillBOB, except saw did not catch chaps - it caught my boot and first layer of sock  :o  HATE back cuts on LOADED branches

kevin19343

I was in the woods cutting a big hickory tree one afternoon. I can't remember exactly what happened but the chain clipped me on the right side pocket of my jeans. Luckily thats where I keep my wallet! The chain cut through the jeans and into my wallet, but I was completely unhurt. I shut the saw down and went directly to the store and bought some chaps.

21incher

After seeing a demo of them at a local lumberjack festival I will not go in the woods sawing without them.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

LittleJohn

Quote from: kevin19343 on April 15, 2014, 01:21:59 PM
I was in the woods cutting a big hickory tree one afternoon. I can't remember exactly what happened but the chain clipped me on the right side pocket of my jeans. Luckily thats where I keep my wallet! The chain cut through the jeans and into my wallet, but I was completely unhurt. I shut the saw down and went directly to the store and bought some chaps.

...and a new pair of shorts

Stephen1

i wear chaps all the time, I have 2 tears where the chainsaw has touched down, just enough to pull some stuffing,even when sawing,  keeps the oil of the chain from the mill on them.
i was sawing for an arborist last fall who claimed they did not work...I am very skeptical. Has any one seem them stop the chain? How do they work?
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

beenthere

Twice they worked well for me... the stuffing comes out and wraps around the clutch.
One was just a hint of a tear when the chain was almost stopped. But still pulled enough kevlar to bind the clutch. I put some shoe goo on one to keep from losing the insides, and a denim patch on the other. These patched ones don't get used for sawing (wear the new ones) but do get used if someone shows up with a chainsaw and no chaps, or when just walking the woods through briars and sticker bushes, or when splitting firewood.

 
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Magicman

Quote from: Stephen1 on April 16, 2014, 12:23:14 AMI am very skeptical. Has any one seem them stop the chain? How do they work?
Watching the video link in the OP should make a believer out of any skepticism.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

thecfarm

The kelvar just explodes when cut into the chaps. It binds up the clutch mighty fast. And That stops the chain from turning.Some claim you need to clean out the kevlar out of the clutch because it's like a plastic and will melt and make a mess when it hardens
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

LittleJohn

Quote from: thecfarm on April 16, 2014, 08:19:11 AM
The kelvar just explodes when cut into the chaps. It binds up the clutch mighty fast. And That stops the chain from turning.Some claim you need to clean out the kevlar out of the clutch because it's like a plastic and will melt and make a mess when it hardens

After I get a clean pair of shorts, a stiff drink and my hands to quit shaking... then I will try and find the time to remove the Kevlar  ;D

Billbob

Quote from: Stephen1 on April 16, 2014, 12:23:14 AM
i wear chaps all the time, I have 2 tears where the chainsaw has touched down, just enough to pull some stuffing,even when sawing,  keeps the oil of the chain from the mill on them.
i was sawing for an arborist last fall who claimed they did not work...I am very skeptical. Has any one seem them stop the chain? How do they work?

Absolutely they work!  The chaps have saved my leg (and possibly my life) on two occasions.  The kevlar bound up the chain so fast that the chain stopped moving instantly.
Woodland Hm126 sawmill, LS 72hp tractor with FEL, homemade log winch, 8ft pulp trailer, Husqvarna 50, Husqvarna 353, homemade wood splitter, 12ft dump trailer, Polaris Sportsman 500 with ATV dump trailer

goose63

A year ago I got a 5 inch long cut in my pants scratch on the leg went home got the chaps I am on a blood thinner a big cut would be a bad thing for me
goose
if you find your self in a deep hole stop digging
saw logs all day what do you get lots of lumber and a day older
thank you to all the vets

roger 4400

Some 10 years ago, I was clearing my wood from dead standing trees. It was winter time, 2 ft of snow, I cut a 50 ft rotten tree but the dead hit a big limb, the tree broke in two and the top went for me in a split second, so I backed up the saw was still running, my foot got cought by a hidden log in the snow, I fell and the running chain hit my left thigh........my winter kevlar pants were cut open for 6 inches but not a single drop of blood........gee I was happy I had those kevlar pants.  Now being older I do not cut trees in the winter,(after all in Quebec we have 3 other seasons.. :D) because we never know what is hidding in the snow........wear your pants they saved my leg. Roger
Baker 18hd sawmill, massey Ferguson 1643, Farmi winch, mini forwarder, Honda foreman 400, f-250, many wood working tools, 200 acres wooden lots,6 kids and a lovely and a comprehensive wife...and now a Metavic 1150 m14 log loader so my tractor is a forwarder now

LittleJohn

Have heard chain saw pants are really nice, but also get REALLY HOT!  I have only ever worn chaps, and thank to heavens I have never really had to USE my chaps for there intended purpose, I tend to wear out the buckles and straps before I lay a chainsaw across them

Billbob

Quote from: LittleJohn on April 16, 2014, 03:57:05 PM
Have heard chain saw pants are really nice, but also get REALLY HOT!  I have only ever worn chaps, and thank to heavens I have never really had to USE my chaps for there intended purpose, I tend to wear out the buckles and straps before I lay a chainsaw across them

I've always worn chainsaw pants but as you say they are really hot even in the winter. (unless it's -20c).  That's why I bought my first pair of chaps this winter.  So far, so good.
Woodland Hm126 sawmill, LS 72hp tractor with FEL, homemade log winch, 8ft pulp trailer, Husqvarna 50, Husqvarna 353, homemade wood splitter, 12ft dump trailer, Polaris Sportsman 500 with ATV dump trailer

gologit

I dropped a fairly good size DF and was walking down the log, limbing as I went.  That's SOP out here. It was raining hard, the bark was slick and my calks were a little dull. It was the last tree of the day and I was hurrying.

A limb that I hadn't cut yet caught the saw and pushed it back into my left upper leg.

The chaps saved me, pure and simple.  I was a good half mile from the road and my partner was working across the ridge from me.  We were over a mile from where the yarder was. If I'd cut my leg where I cut the chaps I would have bled out before anybody could get to me.

I used the time it took to work all the fibres out of the chain and clutch to have a little talk with myself about work habits.

Chaps?  Every time.
Semi-retired...life is good.

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