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I have developed a bit of tendonitis in my right wrist but hankfully its mostly gone.
however I dont want it to re-occur what can I use to reduce the effects of vibration as sometimes when using the tools my hand is slighly numb (especially after using a strimmer)
Anti-vibration gloves, never used them myself.
Do the anti vibration rubber mounts on the strimmer need replacing?
Get a pro model strimmer, the handles and harness mount are prorerly insulated from the vibes, DIY machines are not always.
Just opened this thread an a sidebar for ebay is showing chainsaws for sale! Is this Big Brother or is the topic linked in some sinister way or am I being paranoid?
Now its showing an ad for www.newsawchains.co.uk is my computer possessed?
That is weird, cant see me buying one from Oregon tho
What gloves do you reccommend, they vary from £15 to £75 on the web.
Is there a good middle ground glove?
When I use the strimmer (big one) in summer I do about 1/2 acre at a time. It's not uncommon for the feeling in my hands to go, takes an hour or so for it to return. Chainsaws never given me any trouble but I imagine I pick it up and put it down quite a lot when I'm cutting wood.
Now bloody Esther Ranzen is trying to sell me an accident claim helpline, WTF is going on?
thats exactly what i suffer from, but since I have had some tendonitis I dont want to do anything to aggrevate it.
do you use gloves?
[i]Now its showing an ad for http://www.newsawchains.co.uk is my computer possessed?[/i]
No, you've just never noticed the power of Google before.
MTFU. Power tools aren't for girls you know 🙂
I get vibration numbness just from pushing the mower round a few hundred square feet!
We demo'ed anti-vibration gloves, a few years ago, and came to the conclusion that a good warm pair of gloves were just as good. Just as a matter of interest, what type of strimmer are you using and how long per day are you using it?
We now use Stihl FS 450, and recommend only using them for 3.5 hours per day, as we have a HAVS [hand arm vibration syndrome] points system in place.
However, most of the time, vibration is based on quality of machine, how long your nylon is, any faults with machine, using a harness, and most importantly how hard you grip the machine.
I had long-term tennis elbow from strimming up to 8 hours a day, but I found that the best cure was not to strim as long.
Stihl petrol tools are known for their high HAVS ratings, Echo gear has lower outputs. Is this a work or home related problem? If it's work then your employer (or you if you are self employed) need to do an assessment and put controls in place to reduce the exposure. Older tools will need to be replaced soon as the exemption on their use will expire.
If it's at home, use the tool in warm weather only and for short periods of time with rest between. Don't smoke before or during use. Replace the old stuff with new pro-spec low HAV output machines.
Nasher I don't use owt, I just rely on the fact that the pain is only short lived ... before it becomes total numbness 😉 I'd ignore most of what I say though as I am the kind of person who'll strim 5' high nettles in shorts, trainers and no socks.
I imagine (as ivnickkate says) any half decent warm gloves should help.
Warm hands for good circulation.
Just try liner gloves with your normal ones, anti-vib gloves I've trialled just make the grips uncomfortable.
Check anti-vib mounts aren't perished, over tightened. If its a brush cutter, try different bar angles, would another head be better suited to the task.
Some chainsaws can be specced with heated handles, but we find they aren't so bad for vib. as not at full revs for long and often put down to wedge and sledge
Had a Makita brushcutter a few years back, amazingly quiet and smooth. New Husqavarna brushcutters seem to have narrower handlebars which I find uncomfortable on the shoulders, so good thing we still run older models, though they are getting shaky, which reminds me, if head bearing is knackered they shake like hell.
I went from a "home-use" shrub trimmer to a professional one made by Stihl and the difference was noticeable. The professional model was noticeable better on vibration---also better balanced. Don't know if they sell Stihl in the UK or not
its mostly using as trimmer, and I havent a clue what it is, its big and italian.
I strim on rtrails that can be 10km long so i can do a week non stop...then nothing for 3 months, i alsu use back pack leaf blowers and chainsaws.
Basically after 8 months of continious biking, hammering, digging, strimming etc... i was pretty F%^&*d by November and spent nearly 2 months off the bike and recuperating.
I think i need to takera few rest days and longer breaks in between.i.e work like an Italian.
will try some ant vibration gloves tho jsut to see.
We get preached to at work about the dangers of "white finger" and have HAV ratings on all of our power tools. It is surprising the small amount of time that you can use certain tools(I think chainsaws are about 5 minutes!) It is quite serious as some of the old boys at work suffer quite badly from it.