Clearing Brush

B

Ben Arown-Awile

Banned
Joined
Aug 29, 2001
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I'm not talking about hackin' and hewin' the berry bushes in the back yard, but serious clearing of heavy forest undergrowth.

A clearing saw looks like the tool I need. I have never used one of these, but an open unguarded circular blade on a shaft seems very dangerous, especially if it jams or kicks back.

Anyone here have any experience using one of these?
 
Chainsaws can also cause severe bodily trauma.

everything kicks or behaves badly in the right/wrong circumstance

'They' make a wheel-about version
I think
of your clearing saw
might check that out
sounds a bit safer

wear eye protection always
 
Ben?

A few (very few) of the farmers around here use them. Mostly, I've seen them with road crews, or forestry folks.

You might check with a Forestry Forum (sorry, can't find the link I had) on uses, cautionary practices, and alternatives.

Machines don't care what they cut. Think of the cost of raising the cuffs on all your pants if an error occured !!!

Take care,

Kis
 
I'd recommend a small, lightweight chainsaw for safety and controllability. And, of course, wear your proper PPE.
 
Worked with a decent sized chainsaw as a "knotbumper" for a few summers while going to college.

Those brush clearing gizmos look mighty scarey to me too, and harder to control than a chainsaw if they kick back.

There is however, a whole bunch of protective clothing available nowdays that didn't used to be.

You might want to consider some protective boots and pants as part of the package. I doubt these items are immune from damage, but they should help minimize accidental injury, if things go bad. Can't tell you what kind is best for this application. When I did the logging work, a decent pair of boots, a tin hat, earplugs, and a pair of Ben Davis jeans was SOP. Didn't have all stuff they got now.

Also don't think I'd use one of the gizmos unless somebody else was around.
 
cliff355 said:
It might be wise to have a set of those saw-proof chaps too, but so far I haven't had any close calls that would prompt buying any.
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Buy them and wear them. They only have to work once to pay for themselves. I have many war stories and a personal experience or two to support their importance.
 
raghorn said:
Buy them and wear them. They only have to work once to pay for themselves. I have many war stories and a personal experience or two to support their importance.
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Well said. I know someone who wears them while using a chain saw. At the end of one day, he noticed some damage to the chaps. Had no recollection of how it happend or even of any close call. But they worked.
 
I'll second the use of all the safety kit you can get. More than quarter of a century as a firefighter taught me that even the smallest task using powered tools that rotate at high speed can end in disaster. Take no chances with safety - yours or anyone else's.

Murphy's Law states:- Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. We can all help make that law redundant.
 
Thanks all for the input. After digesting all this great info, and especially after reading the Forestry Link provided by Kis, I have decided that the only tool I am going to use is my cell phone - to call a clearing contractor.

I knew using one of these tools was dangerous, but I forgot about the back strain factor. I am pretty tall and it hurts my back to even use a weed wacker. One of these heavy clearing saws would be a killer.

*****
This reminds me about the time years ago that I was going to work in a shingle mill near Forks, WA. Lots of guys at the campground where we were staying had just been hired on and were trying to get me to join in. The pay was great for the times and in a couple of months I could make enough to take us through the winter.

My buddies said to come over to the annual Loggers and Sawyers picnic that weekend and meet the guys who would hire me and show me the ropes. The picnic was great. More beer than anybody could drink, tons of good food, and everybody was real friendly.

But then I noticed that everybody over the age of about 18 had several fingers missing, some had hands and even arms gone. When the beer got flowing good, the stories started, and they couldn't have been any bloodier or gorier if they contained a Texas Chainsaw.

This was before the days of OSHA and safety was something that got in the way of work. It was common practice to pop some speed pills and work 24 hours straight. Then to get drunk to come down and crank up again for another 24 hour shift. All this with logs weighing several tons racing around on all sides and huge saws whirling only inches from your head.

I couldn't get away from there fast enough. We continued on up farther north and picked up a few bucks shucking oysters. I cut myself a couple of times with the oyster knife, but as I wiped the blood on my jeans, it felt good to feel my finger still attached, and I was really thankful that the shingle mills were a hundred miles behind us.
 
Aardvark said:
So, Ben, I guess this means you've found some land that you like?
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I've been searching in Western Washington and am presently dealing on several possibilities. One is bound to go through, and as soon as it does I want to begin getting things ready for building. We have about four years before my wife retires and we are ready to relocate, but I move pretty slowly these days so I need plenty of time.

After I get my titanium hip joint next month things should be a lot easier. I'll be able to drive my camper up and spend more time actually on the land. So far I have been having to fly back and forth and rent a car in Seattle and drive over to the coast. That's not a very efficient way to search for land, but at least it makes the project real and actually puts me on location, if only for a few days at a time.

We should have done this forty years ago before I got old and cripple, but something always got in the way. I just hope I last long enough to be able to live a little of this dream. But even if I don't, it's the most exciting project that I have been involved in in a long time.
 
Ben,

It's really good to "hear" you excited about something. WA is really beautiful in many places, and I plan on going back someday, perhaps permanently. I'm excited for you.

John
 
Ben, wish you success on your land hunt, and especially on the hip operation.
 
Ben, you're getting a little old for land clearing projects. Hell, it's been 30 or 35 years (you'll know exactly but I'm getting Alzheimers) since our paths first crossed in Death Valley Junction and we were not exactly kids then.
 
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