are lighter tools beneficial to a long career?

[friedrich]

hello,

it‘s something i‘m wondering about. is it detrimental for my body to use a larger saw or will it strengthen it and therefore prolong my career?

greetings, friedrich

 

[Mick!]

Depends on your age I’d say.
At 25 slinging a heavier saw around won’t be much of an issue, in your lates 50s less so.
I think listening to your body (bit New Age I know!) is the answer. I stopped hedge cutting over the last few years as the shoulders were starting to complain.
I also moved down from the 560 to a 550 as my everyday saw (which I love)

Spoken as an urban tree slag, not a bona fide logger for reference.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

Constant training is a major part of the ease to wiggle the tools. But it's only a muscular thing. The main problem comes from the bones which are far less adaptative, and overall, from their joints subject to wear. These as a fulcrum take all the load, enhanced by an impressive lever arm. Add to that a sliding movement under this enormous load. Even our high tech materials don't perform as well nor at least as long. But the cartilage does degrade over time, either by reducing its thickness or by losing its smooth surface, or both. At the end, the bones can rub on each other and the articulation become useless. When the sensors in the joints begin to protest, the degradation is quite advanced. You better to listen to the information and adapt your behavior to reduce the strain on your body. That's really hard to do that voluntarily before it becomes mandatory due to the extended damages. We aren't reasonable !

 

[lxskllr]

IMO, ergonomics are more important than absolute weight; in most cases anyway. One handing a top handle will always be hard on wrists/tendons, and a lighter saw will minimize that. A falling saw, a bit less so as long as good form is maintained. Small errors in form can cause lasting damage with repeated use. Not sure how to get away from that. You'd need to be watched by someone fluent in both sports medicine, and forestry, or be particularly tuned into your body. I tend to not notice things til they start hurting, and damage has already occurred at that point.

 

[Burnham]

Most excellent post M-A @Marc-Antoine. At near 70 years of age, I am a poster child for your points well made.

 

[Bermy]

We are 'industrial athletes'
Too many of us neglect the sort of training, physio, and massage that should be a part of what maintains our bodies to do what we do.

Lighter saws help too. I was chuffed when Stihl came out with the 150t, it made climbing and pruning so much easier.
I wish I had a rear handle 200 though, especially yesterday.

 

[stig]

I have always told my apprentices, if you don't do some kind of sport, you won't last long in logging.

Spending all day bent over, lugging a big saw was not what we were constructed to do.

In fact, 20 years ago, my chiropractor told me: " The day you stop doing Karate at the level you do, will be the day your body forces you to give up logging."

 

[flushcut]

I am all for using the lightest tools possible for a given task.
The other day I put my guy in the lift and he brings in his 562xp and uses it all the time on the ground. He soon found out that heavy tools suck aloft.

 

[Mick!]

We are 'industrial athletes'
Too many of us neglect the sort of training, physio, and massage that should be a part of what maintains our bodies to do what we do.

Lighter saws help too. I was chuffed when Stihl came out with the 150t, it made climbing and pruning so much easier.
I wish I had a rear handle 200 though, especially yesterday.

I shudder a bit at that phrase tbh.
I do no training, physio or massage, just work and relax at home (which annoys the hell out of the wife)

 

[flushcut]

Work hard play hard lol

 

[Bermy]

Do what works for ya Mick 🙂

 

[Bodean]

The internet has sold out 25” Stihl Light Bars…. I think Climbers are getting older in general.
With tree work one either adjusts or quits. More kraftwerker than berserker

 

[Mick!]

The internet has sold out 25” Stihl Light Bars…. I think Climbers are getting older in general.
With tree work one either adjusts or quits. More kraftwerker than berserker

Do you think the average age of climbers is going up or that climbers are staying climbing longer than they used to? (say 30 years ago)

 

[Bodean]

Both.
I wouldnt still be climbing wo SRT… haha body thrusting or perpetually on spurs? I’m knot that tough.

these days a new climber 1 month experience doesn’t have to pass through 10 years of climbing technology evolutions in order to arrive at an easy climb…. They just clip in and ascend…. So I guess they pick up less chronic aching death gripes en route…. Newer climbers arrive fresher at the cut than older more experienced climbers….

I realized I need a light bar on the bigger saws in the trees…. Also realize I need solid saddle suspenders to hold the saws…. Need more shoulders than just hips and legs… if I’m gonna stay in this I gotta keep it fun…. Watching a bud go through nerve issues and it’s tough when u make money w your back….

 

[Mellow]

My tool seems to have gotten heavier with age. It once stood proud and firm most always, but now has succumbed to the relentless force of gravity; with the exception, of course, at 5:00 to 6:00 am every morning.