Glove choice

[RedShirtGuy]

Just wondering if you folks have a favourite brand/type of glove you prefer to use.

I've been using Ironclad Ranchers for my last two pairs but they just don't seem to hold up to the work I put them through. I love the knuckle/finger protection and they're a comfortable fit even when soaked with sweat but I always seem to wear out the finger tips. My expectations may be too high but they just don't seem worth their cost when they only last me around four months. (Admittedly I've had them too close to hot metal once or twice and they're certainly not designed for that.)

I use them for just about everything; welding, grinding, chainsawing, chopping and throwing firewood, gardening, and when clean, for a little extra grip on the table saw or router table.

Within the Ironclad range, they're a medium strength glove, so I'm thinking of pretty much doubling the cost to get something from the high strength range (if something is suitable), but thought I'd see what y'all reckon first.

[malb]

I just run dirt cheap riggers gloves and can get about 6 months intermittent work out them befor the seams tear or rot. Not bad for about $5 a pair. I actually run about three pairs over about18 months, chuck a new pair into the set every six months or so, but keep the two previous delapidated pairs going for dirty or less demanding work.

When I was metal polishing, two or three days from a decent set of riggers was considered good going, darned hard to keep the tips in them in very close proximity to belts running 1000m per min.

[BobL]

I love my Ironclads.


I reckon they are worth every cent. When the get soaked in 2 stroke mix and chain lube I just put them on and fill my hands with some wool mix detergent and rub vigorously until they are soaked with the detergent and then chuck em in the washing machine along with some other work clothes like overalls.

I have a set of calf skin gel padded gloves that are more effective to soak up vibrations. They cost twice the price of the Ironclads but I still reach for the ironclads first. Of course neither are able to handle hot metal.

[RETIRED]

I use the riggers gloves like Mal.

We get about a month out of them (right hand) because the shavings coming of the log shred the finger tips.

Ironclads lasted about a week before the nylon was shredded.

Nice glove though.

[RedShirtGuy]

Yep. They're the ones BobL. I haven't got mine fuel soaked before, but that's a great cleaning tip

I bought a pair of the Heavy Lifters today which are from the high durability range and surprisingly around the same price as the Ranchworx (~$47). They're a bit more "plasticy" than the Ranchworx with no finger rubber and only padding for the knuckle protection but the finger tips and palm look like they'll take a bigger beating. Given how sore my wrists are from hurling logs over the last week I'm hoping the long wrist strapping does what it's supposed to and gives a bit more support.

Being leather, the Ranchworx are lovely and soft and maybe why I like them so much. I'll just have to see how this new pair goes starting tomorrow.


malb: I've done a bit of "testing" and gone the cheapy route too and have had some moderate success but have still managed to destroy them in extremely short order or found them uncomfortable for wearing all day and doing mixed work without having to swap gloves.

My girls are more than happy with the cotton/fleece lined, rough rubber coated, elastic wrist cheapies for their horse and general outdoor duties (although the uber expensive, and beautiful, deer skin ranchers come out when handling the horses).


Who'da thunk one could be so fussy about their mittens

[China]

riggers gloves buy them in packs of 50 or 100 pairs, I get a couple of years out of a lot of 100, bearing in mind they disapear at a alarming rate, they get left at various locations and handed to mates etc who never seem to buy their own

[pjt]

I use basic riggers gloves, I usually get a few good months use out of a new pair before they blow apart at the thumb to palm stitching or holes at the finger tips and just when they were getting comfortable so, not wanting to break in a new pair I have been trying ways of extending the life of the comfortable glove, I cut off the finger from a dead glove and then insert that into the comfy glove holed finger, sometimes with a glue sometimes not, tends to make the finger a bit stiff tho I have tried various glues with various success/failure just whatever was to hand, pva, silicone,pipe cement glue, the pipe glue was too brittle and slippery latest trial I have used contact and using bits of dead glove to wrap over the offending holes, seems to be the best so far comfy glove with no holes
some piccies...
Attachment 139300Attachment 139301Attachment 139302

[orraloon]

I use gloves for some things and am not too worried what brand as long as they protect me from splinters and the like.
I would never use gloves on a table saw, router table, drill press or anywhere the glove is likley to get caught in the machine and pull my hand in. Sometimes a splinter in the finger is better than no finger.
I have taken to using a glove on the left hand for some lathe work when hot shaveings get a bit uncomfortable. Only when I am sure the risk is ok and not close to the chuck.
Regards
John

[RedShirtGuy]

I would never use gloves on a table saw, router table, drill press or anywhere the glove is likley to get caught in the machine and pull my hand in. Sometimes a splinter in the finger is better than no finger.

Good point. Consider my habits changed. I do like to feel the timber anyway.


Just for an update on the Ironclad Heavy Lifters...VERY disappointing. Within two days of firewooding, I had holes in the things. The duraclad areas survived ok, but the material left exposed for the finger joints wore through very quickly eventually creating holes large enough for my fingers to poke out easily. They also weren't very nice to use with the chainsaw. Again with the duraclad...it was slippery on the top handle so I expended a lot of engery keeping a firm grip. The wrist support was good but it's hardly worth getting the gloves just for that when some decent strapping would do a better job anyway. Plus when they were wet with sweat, they were difficult to put on again and took ages to dry out.

I'm seriously considering sending a "grumpy old bastard" letter to Ironclad expressing my disappointment.

I guess it's back to boring old riggers then

[Beaver]

I use Golden Eagle gloves, which I get about 12 months out of. They are a deerskin glove with a velcro tab. They are about $20.00 a pair, but really comfortable. I wouldn't be without them now.

Cheers

Rob

[RedShirtGuy]

They sound just like the ones dad shouted me a pair of last week, and yes, they've been great. The only annoying thing, and this happens with most gloves I've used, is that some dye has come out of the leather from sweat and rain and stained my hands. Not normally a problem but I'm getting married on Saturday and at the moment it looks like my palms have jaundice Should make the photos interesting if I can't get rid of it all in time

[RETIRED]

Try lemon juice.

[soundman]

Aldi recently had some gardeners gloves for $6.99....a mate who is a gardening contractor baught a pair..after over a fortnight they are showing very little wear and the fit well too.

So I picked up a few pairs... cheaper then the riggers gloves I seem to manage to wear out easy enough.....we'll see.

Still some floating arround hear and there.

cheers

[dinomike20]

A friend gave me some cut resistant gloves called Dynagrip. They have a snug fit and some coating on the palm to help with grip and they protect your hands really well. I'm not entirely sure where to buy them apart from the place that makes them but you have to buy 10 pairs at a time... I guess they could probably tell you where to buy individual pairs if you asked... www.pro-val.com.au

[Horaldic]

I had the same problem with some heavy duty gloves leaching a yellow stain into my hands. It wasn't very attractive and I found that whatever the gloves were treated with made the skin on the ends of my fingers peel away. I scrubbed and scrubbed at the sink and the stain just wouldn't budge

Anyway, I found out by accident that I could get rid of the colour by washing a few jumpers by hand in buckets using woolwash.