Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Chainsaw chaps questions

I recently got a MS260 Pro that ran great today. I will use it every so often and keep it in good shape.
Wondering about chaps, the Stihl Pro Mark are 9-ply and cost $110.
Their next level down that I am aware of are 6-ply and go for $90.
Husqvarna have some for $75, not sure how thick, etc.

What are the rationales for getting a certain chap?
I am not a pro, nor do I intend on being one anytime soon. Saw will be used in forest with blowdowns, to remove widow makers, and to make firewood.

I am 6'4", put on a set of the Pro Mark's in the 40" model and think those would be the right size.
With two lovely ladies at home, and a baby in the belly, PPE is important.
Thanks for teaching me what I need to know, once again.

I'd ask over on aboristsite.com lots of really good people when it does to chainsaws

Check out the link. They are a sponsor of arborsite.



http://www.baileysonline.com/category.asp?catid=12177

I use the full wrap chaps from Labonville (made in the USA) - Labonville safety chaps . You can buy them directly from Labonville or through Baileys - Baileys.

"Saw will be used in forest with blowdowns,"

those tangles will get you into some hairy situations with your saw running... i wouldn't skimp if i were you.


my dad was cutting one time, don't know how but his bar came to rest on his front pants pocket... right where he keeps his pocket knife....'twas the only thing that saved him from having that saw rip through his leg.

he wore chaps ever since.

Here are a couple of pics of me doing some tornado cleanup in my Labonvilles.

Go with Labonville, they are the best out there and new Hampshire made to boot.

Bought these when I got my first saw a few years ago. Only once has there been direct contact with a running saw and worked as advertised. Pretty sure my leg is happy I did. There are things to go cheap on but this isn't it!

Whatevere you end up with, don't let chaps lull you into a false sense of security. Stay on top of the recommended safety procedures from the mfgr. and all the others you've heard or read elsewhere. Always lock the chain if your finger isn't on the trigger too.

great thread and high time for me to invest in a set of chaps


I've got one pair of pants at my seamstress place now patching over where the chain ripped 4 holes over my left thigh

never caught skin, but I've caught pant legs at least 4 times in my years running a chainsaw. Normally across the left leg.

I used to sell power equipment and the only ones I would recommend are the stihl chaps, I've seen them work and they work well.

When my boy was 15 he got a job with a local farmer and one of his jobs was to cut wood, the farmer came to me and asked if he could operate a chain saw and if it was ok with me if he did, I told him it was no problem as long as he made sure my boy wore the chaps I would send him with.

To make a long story short my boy was dropping a 45' oak and was backing up when the tree started to fall and he tripped and the saw hit his right leg, ruined the chaps but never left a mark on his leg.

Remember that no matter how expensive the chaps they will never compare to the cost or pain you will have if something happens.

Good morning Jon,

It has been a few years since I made my living with chainsaws on the coast of BC but we generally wore stagged pants with thick pads in the front. As you might well imagine falling and bucking all sorts of timber in steep terrain put me in all kinds of situations.

I am a careful man but I did need the padding - once. The saw was a Husqvarna 2100xp,36" bar, and .404 skip tooth chisel head chain. I don't recall the exact circumstance although IIRC correctly it involved a steep hillside and footing that suddenly gave way while bucking.

The part that stays with me to this day is the saw suddenly contacting my upper thigh at full throttle, the chain binding on the thick padding and driving the lower dog deep into my thigh. The pants did what they were supposed to, my leg had a deep puncture (bottom 2100 dogs are about 2.5 inches long) fron the dog and I had to buy a new pair of pants.

My council is very simple. Find a good quality osha approved pair of pants or chaps. Make sure they fit well (so that you use them). Always, always wear them.

I'm not a professional chain saw guy, so I'm not sure I should give advice on certain brands of PPE chaps. I'm not sure it really matters as long as they offer protection from a running chain. Your local dealer as well as Baileys are good sources.

I wear chaps, gloves, eye and hearing protection, and often a hard hat when I'm running a saw. At least once I was really glad I had the chaps on.

PPE expense will seem really cheap in case you ever need to visit an ER for wound treatment.

Helpful hint on wearing chaps: I use belt keepers (picked up some used ones cheap on eBay) running through the chap belt and my pants belt. It keeps everything from sagging, especially if you wear suspenders.

That would have helped yesterday with my buddies that I borrowed, he is about 5'8". Might have to get a set to keep the belt up with the belt.
Thanks for all the input so far.

We have the Stihl chaps on our fire trucks. Fortunately I've never personally tested them to be sure they work. I know of a few guys at other departments who have & by all counts they DO work as advertised.

Remember to keep the thigh straps snug..............

We were on a campaign fire on the Lp Big Sur one year and one inmate crew had two thigh cuts (left leg) on two different days. Both guys were medivaced out.

Seems that both sawyers were in the habit of keeping their thigh straps loose for ventilation. Saw chain would roll the chap and allow a cut to the thigh.

Had to dismantle a saw one time to get my chaps untangled from the chain. I did not mind doing that as it saved my right leg from serious injury.

I don't recall what brand they were, but I watched a coworker wreck a set of chaps.....never touched his pants, just shot red fibers into the saw.

I bought a set of the Pro's last Thursday and hauled them up to the hills to drop some trees.
I borrowed a pair from my buddy just in case you guys recommended something completely different.
Looks like I might keep them, but over at arboristsite.com, they are recommending the Labonvilles's like sackett suggested.

Thanks guys, will keep doing some research, the Labonville's are around $90 when I get the right length for my 6'4" self.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djkyzhr3YMI