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Testimonials: Protective Apparel

While I had always been told to use protective equipment over the last thirty years, I never did until I was cutting down a large tree and a limb caused the chain to fall into my lower leg. As I stood there looking at the torn pant denim, I was preparing myself for the pain and to find my leg badly cut. Luckily the cut was not too deep and only required nine stitches. The emergency bill was $500. Needless to say, it can happen in an instant and at any time - no matter how much experience you have with a saw or how careful you are. I have been wearing your chaps and head protection ever since. I hope this story convinces people to spend the extra money and keeps someone else from making my same mistake.

Will W.
Huntington Beach, CA

My previous saws gave up the ghost last year, so my wife bought me two Stihl chainsaws for my birthday. Among the many accessories I purchased was a complete set of Stihl safety gear, helmet/face/ear muffs, gloves, jacket and chaps.

Last week end, my wife and I were cutting wood for our wood stove, 50 miles out in the wilderness. I was trimming some branches of a tree to get to the trunk of the tree and my chainsaw stopped running. I looked at the saw and noticed it was jammed up with fibers. I also saw a clean 7 inch diagonal cut above my left knee and a large gap in the chaps with fibers hanging out. I had no idea that this was coming or happened until the saw stopped.

Needless to say, I am so happy I was wearing your safety gear! I would be probably in the hospital now with big medical bills and who knows if I would have ever been able to walk normally again, and not to mention.....it would have hurt like a SOB!

To make a long story short, I have an updated respect for the dangers of Chain saws, as well as the benefits it can provide. At this moment, I am sitting next to my wood stove, with juniper burning and warm as can be.

I am happy I had the sense to wear good quality safety equipment and of course... am thankful STIHL offers a full complement of safety equipment merchandised aside your fine saws. If it were not so, I may not have purchased the safety gear.

Below are a few photos of me and the STIHL safety gear in the field, immediately after the unintended cut on the chaps.

By the way, the saw chain went thru only about one third to about one half of the safety fiber lining. I was not injured.

I hope it helps motivate other chain saw users to purchase this type of safety equipment.
Thanks again

Richard H.
Prescott, Arizona

I wanted to congratulate STIHL on a fine line of products. I've used many, but I never thought I would be writing about the protective apparel I put on when cutting wood.

Recently I was felling a large cherry tree and a 4 to 5-inch diameter branch apparently hooked another tree and fell, breaking over my head. The impact knocked me out and broke my helmet (both the shell in back and the mounting hardware for the straps and the band in front). It hit with enough force to cause the helmet band to cut the back of my head through a face hat worn underneath, requiring 11 stitches and 11 staples to close. There is little doubt that had I not been wearing such a well-designed helmet, I would have been seriously injured or even killed. Kudos on a great product!

Kevin Brown
Belding, Michigan

This is just a thanks for your products. I'm a firefighter in Pennsylvania and have had “safety” drilled into my head every day for the last 13 years. I just bought (for personal use) my first STIHL Farm Boss chain saw, which is an excellent product. I also purchased your Camouflage Protective Chaps and hard hat/shield at the same time.

A quick explanation to the wife that an ER trip will be less costly than the protective equipment calmed the extra cost concerns. After a winter of cutting, I sit here today saying thanks, the chaps saved me some pain and discomfort. I thought the chain was stopped when it wasn't. A three inch cut in the chaps occurred, by my thigh. The chaps performed as described, with multiple layers taking the blade penetration. I walked away, cleaned the saw blade and carefully got back to work. Very much worth every cent spent. I would recommend them to anyone, professional or homeowner, who uses a saw.

Kevin Carragher
Levittown, Pennsylvania

Note: Once protective pads are cut or damaged, the cut-retardant qualities of the pads may be eliminated. Damaged chaps should no longer be used as protective clothing.

I love your chain saws, but my favorite products are the hard hats. I am a full-time logger, and last year I had a limb fall about 50 feet and land on my helmet. The helmet split and the suspension worked perfectly. Probably saved my life. Thanks.

Tom Head
Columbia, Missouri

While cutting several large trees for firewood, I had one catch into another. After working some different angles it wouldn't come down. I turned my back on it and the next thing I knew I was in my buddy's truck on the way to the emergency room. I ended up with 7 staples to the back of my head and a concussion. If it wasn't for the helmet I was wearing, I believe I wouldn't be here today. The helmet shell survived but the face shield and earmuffs didn't. Thanks for making a great product.

Charles R. Borsenik
Durand, Michigan

Todd Mitchell of the Town of Thompson Highway Department was taking down a tree the other day. A large limb hit him butt first in his forester helmet. It knocked a hole in the helmet but he was unhurt.

Rich Benjamin
Monticello, New York

Simon, 22 months, knows the importance of using quality power tools and protective apparel, when he does yard work with Dad.

Thanks,
Craig Rosenberg

While I was at work on May 3rd, a trap machine went off and sent a clay target at my eye traveling at 42 mph. Thank you for making good quality products. Keep it up. And once more, Thank you again for saving my eye.

Adam Schroer
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

Mom and Dad,

I'd like to express my sincere thanks, once again, for the STIHL "chaps" you got for me a few years ago to wear for protection while using my STIHL chain saw. Having them today most certainly prevented a very serious injury and possibly the loss of my leg.

As you can see in the pictures, the chain saw cut into, but not completely through, the protective chaps. What a blessing I had them, and that they worked!

Love,
Bob

I want to thank you for the safety equipment you make. I've always wanted a forestry safety helmet. My wife Barbara bought me one at City Tractor in Coralville, IA, last Friday. We live on a farm and have a lot of unwanted trees growing in our windbreak and fence rows. On Wednesday evening, I was cutting down a tree and as it was falling a limb broke off about 12 feet above me, stiking my helmet first. I received a dislocated shoulder out of it, but didn't receive a fatal head injury. The helmet is totaled: the limb tore off the face shield and left ear muff and the helmet has a large crack in it. I feel that if I didn't have one of your helmets, I wouldn't be here today. Thanks and keep up the good work on personal safety equipment for the forestry industry.

On Tuesday, I had a learning moment, and thought it was worthy of sharing. I got hit in the head by a tree at Lime Lake Fen Nature Preserve. The short version of the story goes like this. I was cutting down a 20'-tall 10-inch DBH dead-standing snag in preparation for a scheduled burn. There were two small dead-standing cherry trees, 4"-DBH (Diameter Breast High), in the path of the fall. In a domino effect, the falling tree hit one cherry, which hit another, which came straight back at me with awesome speed ( a Physics student would have a field day with this one!) I was hit directly on the helmet. I had a spotter watching for me, but it all happened so fast that he could do nothing.

My helmet was shattered. I received a minor cut and a minor concussion. The take-home lessons from this is to clear the path of any falling tree, and ALWAYS wear your helmet. This was a freak occurance, and it can happen to anyone.

John Ervin, Restoration Ecologist
Indiana Chapter, The Nature Conservancy

My son and I bought the STIHL Forestry Helmet System, and it saved my son's life. We work in the trimming service. I was cutting a limb off and it came down on my son, hitting him in the face. It was about 70 lb. limb and about 40ft in the air. The face shield took most of the blow and he suffered a broken nose and cuts. He was knocked out. It is my belief (and others as well) that if he was not wearing the STIHL Forestry Helmet System he would have had more injury or may have even killed him. Thank you for making such a fine product, we will never wear any other kind of safety helmet.

Thank you so much!
Richard Alcorn
Newport, Kentucky