Posted on 12/20/2009 12:39:13 PM PST by big truck
Word to the wise: do NOT stick your hand down the shute of a snowblower to clear an ice jam if the auger is still spinning. I let go of the hand control and thought the auger has stopped. Three broken fingers and two to-the-bone lacerations on my middle finger on my right hand have taught me this lesson today. The ER nurses and docs were very impressed. No work, no driving, great pain meds, lots of antibiotics, and seeing a hand surgeon tomorrow. Dumb, dumb, dumb...
I hate to hear these stories. Hope it all works out for you!
A few years ago my DH decided it would be a great idea to pull the snowblower up to the roof to clear off the snow.
I was hysterical and crying, holding our infant daughter and begging him not to. A neighbor (whom I pray for in thanksgiving) saw what was going on, came over and told him how a guy in our suburb was killed when he did the same and slipped off the roof, landing on the blades.
At least you weren’t that silly.
That’s a lot of woe to get out of snow removal.
Seriously, Hope hand Doc has nothing but good things to say.
Speedy recovery.
I know this. There really is no good excuse or reason for what I did, so I’m not going to try to come up with one. Dumb, dumb, dumb...
Glad you're able to type and came here to remind us on being cautious with anything that has a motor.
Did you get angry and seek revenge on the snow by dumping boiling water on it?
I must admit I did think of the scene from Fargo when reading your confession.
Praying for your speedy recovery.... and, you may take the day off ;)
No pride left. It is one of the dumbest things I have ever done - and I’ve done some absolutely stupid things in my 42 years of living.
TIP: Don’t try this with a wood chipper either. ;O)
Get better soon.
Had to fly a Cesna 206 on a chartered freight trip. Early morning hours kept coating the plane with heavy frost from the still air. Every time I sprayed glycol on the wings, it worked for a minute and then iced over again. I got the idea to leave the prop running with the tail tied down and use a ladder to spray the wings and surfaces while being about a foot from the propeller. It worked for me but upon return to the airport after making the run, I was duct taped to a chair and beaten for about an hour by airport staff who witnessed my stupidity.
No strong drink after the percocet kicks in.
I wrapped my hand around a cast iron skillet in the oven without a mitt once.
I’m in sympathy with you.
Two cut to the bone lacerations. They are concerned abut infection. Want to make for certain it is cleaned and heals properly.
The only solution is propping it up on several pillows.
In the hospital we used to hook your hand up to an IV pole to keep them up.
I hope you heal fast and completely.
Tangentially I’m reminded of the famous line of hero robot “Johnny 5” in the movie Short Circuit. He taunts the bad guy robot with, “Hey Laser Lips! Your mother was a snow blower!” — right before he zaps it with his weapon and blows it away.
He’s still in shock.
Young couple at church named their newborn Zephaniah. Kid’s gonna have an impossible teen age time.
Still all there - Zern’s is going stronger than ever. Wawa one block from my house. The local Giant supermarket had all lanes open untli 1.30 am Saturday morning.
The "stops" you speak of are supposed to prevent tragedy and to minimize injuries. They are there because the Govt. says they must be there and they keep the manufacturer out of court. People used to lose entire arms in snow blowers.
You should still shut down the engine before going near the auger or tines.
The moving parts do not always stop instantly. And in some cases they will continue to move when unloaded due to some drag cause by clutches that are not completely disengaged. These things can and do go out of adjustment and people don't tend to get them "fixed" because the machine still works just fine.
They are NOT kidding when they say turn the engine off before reaching in. I always shut it down. It is easy enough to restart- if your snow blower won't restart on the first pull then get it fixed.
If you can hear the engine, don't reach in. Period.
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