Chainsaw safety gear

[rick carpenter]

I got a Stihl MS170 chainsaw for Christmas to feed our cooker and firepit and I need to buy safety gear. Other than most chaps meeting ASTM F1897-2008 standards (one pair of chaps that I viewed meets -2014 standards), I don't know much about brands and features to look for. I did search here first.

1. What recommendations are there for chaps? I want them rather than pants. Some have Kevlar & some don't for specific (marketing?) purposes.

2. What about chainsaw shirts or jackets or vests? There is generally less info given about safety standards for these.

3. I only have steel toe Woverines. What else do I need?

4. Helmets all seem to meet the same standards. Any recommendations on which one to get?

[Pat Barry]

Safety goggles!

[Steve Welch]

I use a chainsaw's quite a bit, at home and at work. I use a Husqvarna chainsaw helmet that has both hearing protection muffs and a screen face shield. When I am using the saw I also wear safety glasses under the face shield. I wear kevelar saw gloves, Husqvarna chainsaw boots and I prefer a full pant rather than the chaps, they just offer superior leg protection.

[John K Jordan]

I keep 4 chainsaws here at the farm. I will not fire one up without this:
329030
http://www.amazon.com/Stihl-70108710026-Woodcutter-Helmet-System/dp/B00IU09RI8/ref=sr_1_4

I see so many people, supposedly "professionals", who chainsaw without hearing or eye protection. With this you get a hard hat too. Just one branch can ruin your year. A neighbor went to the hospital when a tree they were cutting jostled a second tree which knocked a limb out of a third tree he was standing beneath. He got 14 stitches in the top of his head. He was lucky.

If you want to read up a bit, here's an entertaining book with advice on the care of chainsaws, chains, and safety. You can read all about ways to get killed cutting wood, ways you may have never even imagined. (If you can't imagine a thing, it is impossible to protect against it.) It's a small, older book: The Good Woodcutter's Guide by Dave Johnson. Some of it is dated and some recommendations for cutting large trees is taught differently today, but I think it is still worth reading.
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Woodcutters-Guide-Woodlots-Portable/dp/1890132152/ref=sr_1_1

The best advice I've ever heard is don't cut trees! I will take out small trees up to about 10" in diameter, bigger if I get out the ropes and tractor or bobcat. I'll clear even huge trees that came down across my fencing, cut up logs on the ground, and clear limbs and things all day. But if I have a moderately sized tree that needs to come down I get someone else to cut it while I stand back and watch! If you are looking for fire wood there are usually many sources of free trees and logs that are already down, either from a storm or cut down by a tree service. The tree services and county road crews around here will start bringing and dumping as many logs as anyone would ever need just for the asking. And for just a fire pit, fallen branches might well be enough.

The Stihl chainsaw manual has good info and I think they still have good safety material on their web site.

I buy nearly all my chains, supplies, and related tools from Bailey's On Line:
https://www.baileysonline.com/

As for the chainsaws itself (and other small engines) I recommend to seek out gasoline that has no alcohol. Especially if you don't use the saw every few days. And learn to sharpen - a file works fine. A dull chain is so frustrating.

Have fun and be safe! Winter is a great time to cut firewood. Remember that green wood you cut this winter may be too wet to burn until next fall.

JKJ

[Tom M King]

For a 170, I'd just wear boots to keep the chips out of my shoes, and earplugs-that always are in my pocket anyway. Saws that I use most of the time are a 180, 036, and ported 066. If I'm running the Man's saw, I'm wearing body armour including chaps over protective pants.

[Warren Wilson]

If you don't have much experience with a chainsaw, get someone to give you some tips. They have strong personalities.

[Max Neu]

I would also get a wedge,stihl sells them.Also be sure to run some Trufuel or Motomix in the tank before you put it away for any extended period of time,this new ethanol blend at the gas pumps is terrible for small 2 Cycle engines.

[rick carpenter]

Steve uses Husqy boots and helmet and kevlar gloves, and John uses a Stihl helmet. What specifically do y'all wear or recommend for chaps and shirt/jacket/vest?

[Ben Pierce]

Not a safety "gear" suggestion, but it's important to quit before fatigue sets in. So easy to get lax with stable footing, chain tension and other maintenance, etc., when tired.

[Tom M King]

Seriously, you don't need all that stuff to run that saw. If you put a hundred bucks in a set of chaps, you won't hardly wear them after the first time you use the saw. It's definitely good to have respect for the saw, but if you are in any kind of shape to be able to run one, that saw is not hard to handle. Another concern other than safety gear is getting the saw stuck in a tree. Even people that run a pro saw all day every day still will hang one up once in a while. The suggestion to get someone to show you a few things about running a saw is a good one. If we go in the woods without the tractor, we always carry two saws to cut a stuck one free.

If you weren't so far away, I'd invite you to come run that saw as much as you want to. I have 163 acres of small Pines I need to thin, and the little saws are good for that. I'll be using the 180, and won't bother to carry a second saw because the Pine trees I'm getting rid of are small enough to push with one hand. The most aggravating part of that job is keeping the gas and oil rig moving along with the tree cutting.

[John K Jordan]

If we go in the woods without the tractor, we always carry two saws to cut a stuck one free.

i have one suggestion about that. Instead of two saws you can take one saw and an extra bar and chain. And a wrench, if necessary.

JKJ

[Charles Wiggins]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPSRgp2JaVE

[Tom M King]

i have one suggestion about that. Instead of two saws you can take one saw and an extra bar and chain. And a wrench, if necessary.

JKJ
That would take too long. Several saws are ready to go anyway. I wouldn't be doing much cutting by myself. One saw would be for stumping, and then both could be used for limbing. If the tractor is not in there, the truck would be to carry firewood out. If I'm just thinning small trees, there is no need for a second saw.

[Ole Anderson]

My first non-electric saw was a Stihl 018, the predecessor to the 180. Also have a 290 and a Poulan Pro that was free. I always run pump gas with 10% ethanol and never had a problem in any of my 2 strokes. Safety gear? Ear muffs for extended cutting and my brain and I wear eyeglasses. Don't do stupid things. Look up, dead branches are called widow makers for a reason. A hard hat will help, but a big widow maker can drive your brain down into your spine. Understand what causes kickback and avoid those situations. Never one hand a chain saw. Drop starting a saw may look cool and tempting. Not a good idea but if you must you need to drop the saw, not just hold the saw down and pull up on the cord. A lot of little branches to trim? Get a good pruning handsaw like a Corona or Silkey.

[Roy Turbett]

I'd visit your local chainsaw dealer(s) and see what equipment is the most comfortable to wear. I personally have Stihl chaps and a Stihl helmet with flip-up visor and ear muffs. I like the chaps and they provide extra padding if you have to kneel down to work on the saw. But the helmet is uncomfortable to wear. I use it anyway because of the face shield and still have to wear safety glasses to keep wood chips out of my eyes. I also prefer foam ear plugs to the muffs and have replaced the helmet web once.

[Cody Colston]

Labonville chaps are very highly regarded but the 9-ply Stihl chaps are very good, too. BTW, the chaps don't prevent the saw cutting into them but they bunch up in the chain and stall it out...very quickly.

A helmet with ear muffs and visor is a good idea, especially if you are new to a chainsaw. I always wear ear muffs and safety glasses when running my saw but will also wear a hardhat if I'm falling trees. The Stihl-type helmets combine everything.

Those steel-toe Wolverines are fine for footwear. As for clothing, jeans and a long-sleeve shirt are okay. Most timber fallers wear suspenders because they usually have a bunch of stuff hanging around their waist...tape measure, wedges, etc. You don't have to be concerned there.

Since the summers tend to get sorta warm here in Texas, I am usually in shorts and a tee during the summer. I started wearing my chainsaw chaps when using a string trimmer around the yard. It looks sorta funny but they work well for protecting my bare legs and I don't have to change into long pants. :D

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Instead of two saws you can take one saw and an extra bar and chain. And a wrench, if necessary.

JKJ

Wow! Good idea. There was once case where I got both saws stuck in the same tree limb. DUH. We all learn by mistakes. Luckily I had a bow saw and managed to get one out and free the other.
I guess you could also pack along a bow saw.

About being a beginner. Look on line for safety tips. I'm sure there are tons of vids. Especially how to avoid kick back, where and HOW to stand. Your saw manual probably has tons of info. Good reading.

[John K Jordan]

Luckily I had a bow saw

I used to carry a bow saw but I now prefer the curved arborist saws, Silky is a good brand. Made for trimming even large limbs, you can almost fell a tree with these! The Pocketboy is a great smaller saw to carry. Between a hand saw, extra bar/chain, and a couple of plastic wedges (never head out without them!), I haven't had to go back for the tractor in a long time.

[Randy Rose]

Seriously, you don't need all that stuff to run that saw.


^ Not a popular position here, but I agree.


To each his own.

[David C. Roseman]

For a 170, I'd just wear boots to keep the chips out of my shoes, and earplugs-that always are in my pocket anyway. Saws that I use most of the time are a 180, 036, and ported 066. If I'm running the Man's saw, I'm wearing body armour including chaps over protective pants.


Tom, for the OP's purposes, I don't understand the distinction you're making here between saws. An MS170 will open up his thigh as quickly as an MS341 or an 066. :eek:

For around $50 to $60 he can buy a good set of chaps off eBay, even including hardhat with integral earmuffs and face screen.

[Tom M King]

I was just being realistic. A less than 2 cu. in. saw, especially with a low kickback chain, won't kickback enough to do anything but jolt your wrist. Once you get up to the 3-1/2 in. saws and above, if it wants to kick back, you can't hold it. The people I've known who have been cut were using 044's and above. I know it probably sounds irresponsible to recommend not wearing chaps, but I'll bet money that the average person that buys them for use with such a small saw won't wear them more than a time or two.

If you say you don't understand the distinction between a little saw running a 3/8" low profile, low kickback chain, and a high horsepower, high reving big saw pulling a .404 x .063 chisel tooth, then I'm have no doubt that you don't understand. There is absolutely a difference in the danger of those saws.

If a person is normally uncoordinated, or even clumsy, that person shouldn't have one in your hand to start with. Go ask on the Forestry Forum if anyone there has ever seen anybody put on chaps to run a 170.

[Jim Dwight]

I've never been hurt by my little chain saw or other borrowed bigger chain saws but I've probably been a bit lucky. I have often cut in shorts, never wear steel toes, but do wear eye protection. I did get a terrible case of poison ivy once cutting up a dead tree in shorts and no shirt. But I recommend you at least wear long pants and steel toes. But even with chaps, that chain saw can get you if you let it.

Best tip is to find somebody who knows what they are doing and listen to them. I worked in a crew cutting down trees at church once and a guy who heated with wood told me several things I needed to now. First, just lower your saw through the tree. If the weight of the saw is not enough that you have to hold it back a little (hold it up some) then the chain is dull and you should stop and sharpen it or put on another. I can sharpen a chain as fast as I can change it so that is usually what I do. Do not rock the saw around. Just feed the tree (and only the tree) to the saw. When you drop a tree, cut the limbs off first. They will be sticking up in the air and you thus run no risk of getting your chain into a rock in the soil and dulling it. Cut small to large. It's simple with a small saw to cut the limbs up into fireplace size pieces starting at the little end and finishing at the trunk. I think it is more fun to cut the trunk up but it's best to do the limbs first. You should also try to roll the trunk on thicker limbs to get it out of the ground to again avoid grounding the saw.

Use Stihl or Husky bar oil. It's thick and will do something. Runny cheap stuff doesn't stay on the bar so it doesn't do much.

Best safety equipment is in your head. You have to respect a chain saw. The blade is totally exposed and it can do a lot of damage very quickly. There is hardly a more dangerous tool. If you treat it with respect, your safety equipment will not come into play. If you do not, your safety equipment may not protect you.

[David C. Roseman]

I was just being realistic. A less than 2 cu. in. saw, especially with a low kickback chain, won't kickback enough to do anything but jolt your wrist. Once you get up to the 3-1/2 in. saws and above, if it wants to kick back, you can't hold it. The people I've known who have been cut were using 044's and above. I know it probably sounds irresponsible to recommend not wearing chaps, but I'll bet money that the average person that buys them for use with such a small saw won't wear them more than a time or two.

If you say you don't understand the distinction between a little saw running a 3/8" low profile, low kickback chain, and a high horsepower, high reving big saw pulling a .404 x .063 chisel tooth, then I'm have no doubt that you don't understand. There is absolutely a difference in the danger of those saws.

If a person is normally uncoordinated, or even clumsy, that person shouldn't have one in your hand to start with. Go ask on the Forestry Forum if anyone there has ever seen anybody put on chaps to run a 170.

Let's see: (1) the OP's Stihl MS 170 is not powerful enough to do anything but jolt his wrist if it kicks back. (2) And realistically, the only way a person can cut his leg with a chainsaw is if he has a kickback, so in the OP's case, no reason to bother with chaps, which he probably wouldn't wear anyway. Unless he is clumsy or uncoordinated. In which case he shouldn't use his chainsaw to start with.

Got it. No other way that chain could end up in contact with his leg. I'll tell my friend who used chainsaws without chaps for 50 years without incident, until he got hung up in some light brush with an even smaller saw and low kickback chain a year ago and opened a big gash in his thigh. It will also be reassuring to the guy in this paramedic report, who as well did not have a kickback: http://www.emergencymedicalparamedic.com/chainsaw-accident/

[Cody Colston]

I got careless with a little Stihl MS 250 with a 16" bar. I was falling a small (about 8" diameter) Post Oak that was shading my garden. I was falling it with the lean, the area was clear all around the tree and I didn't think I needed my chaps for the job. Somehow, I contacted my jeans with the chain just above the knee on my left leg. It tore the jeans but didn't touch flesh. I was very lucky. I've used chainsaws for 35 years without injury and usually not wearing chaps. No more. I wear my chaps every time I use a chainsaw now, regardless of saw size or task.

[Wes Ramsey]

The issue with most folks is that they've never had a saw accident and see no need for 'over-the-top' safety equipment until they encounter the need. If you come to the point of learning it is necessary to wear safety gear then you probably have the scars to remind you to use it. I'm one of those slow learners. I don't have any big scars yet, but have had enough close calls to know how to be safe with one. Near the end of one long day of running saw doing storm cleanup I cut through a branch and went to rest the saw on my thigh and the chain caught my jeans. it scuffed the skin a bit, but I learned to take a break when I'm too tired to keep working. I still don't wear chaps, but I always wear jeans. One time I cut a large fig tree in shorts and 2 days later I had welts almost completely covering the front side of my legs where the chips hit me. Apparently the sap is a strong skin irritant and it looked like a blotchy sunburn for the next few years.

Its the same with any equipment that can injure you - sometimes you need to actually be injured to learn better. I applaud the OP for trying to do it right the first time, but like any of the sharp and respect-deserving tools we use it is best to learn from someone that knows what they're doing before you fire it up the first time.

[Tom Deutsch]

Lots of interesting perspectives here. One person described using a small saw and contacting his jeans with no harm to the skin. If that had been a larger, heavier, more powerful saw with a more aggressive chisel, would the story be the same? You can take that as a cautionary tale or as an illustration of another poster's point that the smaller saws are less likely to maim you, all other things being equal. I think both viewpoints are valid. Life is a dice roll; those who experience (or witness, or fixate on) the low probability events often become safety advocates while others (admittedly, me among them) blithely step out of the path of the bus over and over. I think maybe I'm just too cheap most of the time to take the long view on safety for items I only use every once in a while!

[Jon Endres]

Anybody who flat-out tells you that you don't need safety gear, needs to have their head examined. Safety gear is always recommended. It's up to you, however, if you decide you'd rather not use it.

A proper woodcutting safety kit should consist of a helmet, hearing protection and a full-face screen for your head, decent gloves, chaps or chainsaw pants, and steel-toe boots. if you are only bucking wood on the ground and not cutting trees down, then you could get by with good safety glasses or goggles (Bugz are a good brand of screened goggles) and hearing protection. I prefer the Stihl kevlar pants over chaps, but I really don't like either one.

[Johannes Becker]

I went through the same question a couple of years ago when I got my MS170. I have been using my dad's mid-size Stihls (MS270 like) since I was a boy and can only shake my head at what we used to do and how much luck he had at times. I had a surgeon showing me pictures of chain saw accidents and this is not pretty (BTW there are a lot of professionals with accidents too). My conclusion was that I would not operate a chainsaw without some basic protective gear. I think boots and chaps are a very reasonable investment and a helmet with earmuffs is a must. Stihl makes a nice helmet, the Husqvarna is a few bucks cheaper and good too. I have got the Husqvarna chain saw boots as well which is the cheapest option to get some Kevlar over your feet (a bit over $100). Real chain saw boots are more like $250+ and probably not worthwhile for occasional use. I am wearing my Labonville chaps ($80-100) often over shorts and this makes it doable even in warm weather. I have a little pouch on the chaps for a couple wedges, chain saw wrench, first aid kit (compression bandage) and my mobile phone. That is a good additional incentive to wear the chaps. Unfortunately that gear adds up to more than the saw itself but if you are unwilling to invest in some safety gear I would leave chain saws to a pro. Which is a very good idea for anything bigger or leaning anyway. And have a look at the Stihl website, they have good instructional videos.

[Don Orr]

Lots of advice so far but 1 thing to remember is chap sizing. They measure from the waist band to the ground for length-NOT your normal inseam length. Any chap is better than no chap-get 'em , wear 'em and be careful. You cannot be TOO SAFE. I have a mantra I say to myself when using ANY cutting tool be it a chainsaw or kitchen knife-"Where will it go if it slips?" Relates to any tool, sharp or not, work piece, hand, foot, etc.

[John K Jordan]

"Where will it go if it slips?" Relates to any tool, sharp or not, work piece, hand, foot, etc.

That's a great one! The one I use in the shop is "where will my hands go if the wood suddenly disappears?" Something to think about when using pressure to push a piece of wood through a blade.

I didn't use chaps for years then bought some. One day I noticed a cut in the chaps at the thigh. I have no idea of how or when that happened. Got my attention.

JKJ

[Jim Dwight]

You have to be extra careful with trees that have other trees close by. I had an uncle who lost all the toes on both feet when a large tree rolled across his feet after he cut it. It was tangled with another tree overhead. Entangled limbs is a reason to limb first.

I was clearing a hillside of little trees with another guy. We both had little saws, like 14 inch bars, which were fine for what we were doing. I think the other guy was racing me. He hadn't used a saw before but wanted to be sure he did as much as me. I was just trying to get done. He touched his leg with the saw he was using and wasn't seriously injured but needed a few stiches. From a little saw. Just no way to let a chain saw touch you while it is running without expecting stiches or worse. You have to keep it away, no matter what (and no matter what you're wearing). He had on jeans. Would chaps have prevented the stiches, probably. But if the chain was at full speed I doubt it would. With it near idle, the jeans were almost enough.

[David C. Roseman]

Lots of advice so far but 1 thing to remember is chap sizing. They measure from the waist band to the ground for length-NOT your normal inseam length. Any chap is better than no chap-get 'em , wear 'em and be careful. You cannot be TOO SAFE. I have a mantra I say to myself when using ANY cutting tool be it a chainsaw or kitchen knife-"Where will it go if it slips?" Relates to any tool, sharp or not, work piece, hand, foot, etc.

Chap length is an interesting point. I did some online research on this a couple of years ago and was surprised to see a debate among some professionals on whether they should end at the top of the boot or go all the way to the ground. As I recall, the argument against the latter was that it can create a trip/entanglement hazard in woods and brush!

[Dan Hahr]

Eyes, ears, pants, and boots. Shirts keep the chips out of your underwear. Common sense goes a long way to prevent injury. So does real training. Only "chainsaw" accident I've ever seen was when the tractor flipped a piece of trunk high enough to crush my friend's father's skull. Luckily, he survived.

Then again, some people should use everything possible.

Dan

[Scott Underwood]

ALWAYS wear good chaps. My dad and I were limbing a tree we dropped a few years ago. I was carrying off the brush and heard the saw stop, followed by several attempts to start it. He couldn't figure out why the saw wouldn't start and took the cover off the side. He called me over and said "look at this, the saw is all full of fibers of some sort." He didn't make the connection that he had caught the saw on his chaps while he was working his way through the branches. He didn't end up getting cut luckily.

After seeing that I always put on my chaps, even if they are just "routine" cuts.