Yes, beside helmet (-), chaps (+), gloves (+), eye protection (+), ear plugs (+), steel toed boots (+) what do I need? note: + indicates what I have
You already stated here that you have a killer chain.....perhaps when it comes time to let the hog "buy the farm" you could arrange another tree pull down? Ya gots to think outside the box, Mrs. scientist......
Your minus indicates you answered your own question. But seriously, knowledge will save you more than those will. Read a book, watch some vids, or stick to downed trees. A downed tree can still learn you lots.
Let's think about this; velocity is speed and direction, but if it went along a parabolic arc, the vertical velocity goes to zero at the apex when it stops moving; the horizontal velocity would be from the force of the tree throwing the chain up into the air. I know the horizontal displacement; where the chain landed. I am mostly concern with the amount of kinetic energy the mass of the chain would have had when it landed on my noggin.
Oops, there is an R there. Oh well, can not edit the title. Did not notice that before I posted. I have a tendency to do that; transpose letters; sometimes words in a sentence and adding an "e" where there does not need to be one. Use to bother me but then I realised that I can do many things others can not; for example, higher mathematics; how many have even heard about Fourier Transforms, overhauling a Honda transaxle without a breakdown manual, engine overhauls, carpentry, server builds and configuration; just to name a few. So what if I misspelled a word? There are those that are perfect in spelling and grammar and yet could not do a simple physics velocity problem of two inelastic masses colliding.
Well, there you are! Pick any of those fields and you will be gainfully employed and not have to worry about the purchase prices of $30 or postages of $12!!!! Just saying...... Like locust said, You're still here! That's better than the alternative, no? On another sorry topic, I have wondered just how the rest of the forum would learn of someone's passing? Over the years, there have been a few threads mentioning someone's name and anyone asking if they have heard of /from them over the last few months/years. A few of the members have SO's that may participate and enlighten us (if they chose to do so) but by far and large, most of us have spouses/significant others that just shake their heads when it comes to this forum. So there's no telling just how many of the characters you have met are still with us or not....
That is why I always tie a double knot (tight) on the chain I am attaching to the butt of the log. I don't use the hooks. My neighbor has questioned my use of the knot, and he skids a lot of logs to his mill. I just tell him that I don't like it when the hooks sometimes come loose. Chains are very easy to untie the knot, if there is a little bit of slack. Rope and straps are a different animal. I have pulled down 4 leaners this past week, with my tractor...very carefully. I didn't like the idea of driving under them leaning over the trail. It is amazing how far you need to pull a blowdown leaner pine to free it from another pine tree, or a chestnut oak. Very glad you got lucky and learned a lot with this incident. Be very careful of the cable on the come along, as another poster has stated.
Simple logic will tell you to look for what can go wrong, and then plan for it to happen. Aka, don't do that. Advanced risk avoidance involves taking the path of least resistance, ala, least amount of possible problems.
Kim, not trying to be a jerk here at all, nor tell you what to do, but in my construction days we were always told in rigging 101 to NEVER tie a chain into a knot. The stress on the links is intensified immensely. Drop forged hooks of the size specified for the chain are built and rated appropriately if quality dropped forged hooks are bought. (No China crap from Harbor Freight). You will here me talk about breaking choker chains a lot because I do. I use a dozer with brand new treads and get incredible traction. When my towed logs hit a rock, root or stump something has to give and my dozer does not spin. The chains snap, but it is NEVER the hooks. I have many chokers that can barely bend on the links because they are so stretched...yet no hook has ever snapped. Please use them?
I'm glad you are ok. I need to learn to be more careful (as I sit here icing my broken elbow). You don't save any money burning firewood if you get hurt collecting it.
