# shorts ? or pants ?



## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

Just ask'n who wears shorts while make'n hay ? growing up with the idiot cube maker short were really a opinion then when I was in southern Ia.and it was 90 degrees by 9 am and all the hay as mostly round baled or some big square. wore shorts all the time . now up here were a hot day might be 87 with 107 % hum. I've tried shorts on those days but the bugs , and the cool late afternoon temps. don't really allow it to happen and be comfortable. plus those seem to be the days when I got to crawl around on the dry hay stubble to fix something.... WHATS EVERYBODY ELSE DO ??


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Long pants always. My cab is air conditioned but outside the tractor, the bugs are waiting for a meal.....

I used to chuckle at some of the crew in short sleeved shirts stacking idiot cubes. At the end of the day, they looked like a barbed wire fence had got their arms.....


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

ARD Farm said:


> Long pants always. My cab is air conditioned but outside the tractor, the bugs are waiting for a meal.....
> 
> I used to chuckle at some of the crew in short sleeved shirts stacking idiot cubes. At the end of the day, they looked like a barbed wire fence had got their arms.....


Apparently they were doing it wrong.

Anyway, pants. Always pants. If you have air in the cab you can wear whatever you please, so why not dress for the possibility of having to crawl underneath something as already mentioned.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Pants. Only time I wear shorts is out and about with the wife/family.

Wife and I get together and go out with the farm family behind us. Its funny to see my and the other husband in shorts. We both have white chicken legs that don't see the light of day too often...


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I wear shorts sometimes for irrigation work, hay raking, hay stacking. Never for baling hay because that's just asking for something to break or plug. Just like if I have a knife with me I won't need it while baling, but if I don't have one I'll need it.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Britches here.....


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

somedevildawg said:


> Britches here.....


WHAT NO SPEED O ???


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

Shorts...I round bale 90°+++. I also carry the rubber floor mat out of the Tahoe rolled up for breakdowns. Also carry a hayhook to remove plugs out of the back of the baler. Drove my father crazy last field had sandals on but that was a first


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

Inside the barn work and baling hay it's mostly Carhartt brown duck bibs (the foam knee pads that go in the knee pockets come in very handy). Irrigating and most other stuff it's shorts and Red Wing slip ons.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

Shorts and haying go together about as well as a balloon animal in a cactus farm.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Baling grass-shorts
Baling Alfalfa-pants
Spraying-pants
Just about everything else is shorts.

Regards, Mike


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Summer-shorts.


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## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

When I am in public regardless of what I am doing I am in long pants, or bib overalls, gotta love all them pockets lol besides if anyone saw my legs they'd either run away in fright or die laughing. shorts reserved for home time or swimming.... Always baled hay in short sleeve shirt, small squares, never had a problem with scratched arms.....


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Shorts over 85 especially on tractor. Pants below 85 or if handling a lot of hay.
I'll go ya one better: 
Anyone farm bare foot?


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Pants are for wimps, shorts from April 1 till November 1. Usually have to wear sweat shirt with them in early spring and fall. Never could bale idiot bricks with shorts though. Also sleeveless t shirt is mandatory and never did tear up my arms from handling bales, that is what a hay hook is for. Only two places I won't wear shorts, in a wheat stubble field, straw mites eat me alive, and in a turkey barn. Those toenails, Spurs, and beaks are brutal.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> Shorts over 85 especially on tractor. Pants below 85 or if handling a lot of hay.
> I'll go ya one better:
> Anyone farm bare foot?


If ya do....I wouldn't admit it  I used to play golf bare footed however...


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Blue jean and boots only.

I have one pair of shorts---someplace---and I only wear them when the temperature in the house is over 85 and I'm done for the day.

Don't like scratches, itching, bug bites or snake bites.

Ralph


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Shorts always, even welding if I just have to run a few sticks. Even made alfalfa idiot bricks in shorts. Doesn't take long to toughen that area up, also never wore gloves while baling hay, too hard to grab strings. And yah, I've gone barefoot in the hay mow cause I was tired of filling my sneakers with chaff.

Have a friend in the concrete business, like some of you claim to have one pair of shorts somewhere, I think he only had one pair of pants, wore shorts year round even in the dead of winter, not a big guy either, more of a brawny string bean.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

I had a buddy that milked in a tie stall barefoot....I dont know, the thought of a cow steping on my foot would be enough to make me put some boots on...


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

Jeans and boots only. I own shorts but won't wear in public and don't even own a pair of tennis shoes.


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

Shorts And 6" boots can't do tennis shoes


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

somedevildawg said:


> If ya do....I wouldn't admit it  I used to play golf bare footed however...





somedevildawg said:


> If ya do....I wouldn't admit it  I used to play golf bare footed however...


i couldn't do it.. but I watched a amish farmer yesterday walk around all day in the driveway and though the hay field and even though the pasture were he had cows and cow pies and alot of weeds. 1 tuff footed guy devildawg barefooted play'n golf .. I never would have guessed sice you golfed bare footed is that were you were in a speed o ? or were you buck naked ? don't reply if it was the later of the 2


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Shorts always except in the winter. I have handled plenty of small squares by hand out of the field and into the barn with shorts and short sleeved shirt......never had a problem with many scratches. For shoes I don't wear anything but tennis shoes.


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Jeans and boots most of the time. If I wear shorts they sure as hell ain't them baggy things that come within 6 inches of your ankles. See these guys with them on and think would be funny to see them step in a yellow jackets nest.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Pants 100% of the time. I own one pair of shorts and that's to lounge around the house in the evenings. I don't even wear shorts to the lake.

When I was younger I always wore T shirts in the summer but have learned that thin cotton button shirts with long sleeves are cooler. Wind goes through em plus the sleeves keep the sun off and protect against the bugs a little bit.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

My grandmother only wore shoes twice a year--Christmas and Easter--when she went to church. Snow, ice, rocks, mud, manure, whatever, no shoes.

I tried going barefoot in the snow one time just to see what it was like. Learned how to levitate.

Ralph


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

Pants whenever I'm working. Shorts whenever I'm relaxing. So pants most of the time.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

I kicked a groundhog to death last night in my pants and boots. You boys with shorts and tennis shoes might be taking a bit of a risk doing that


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

PaMike said:


> I kicked a groundhog to death last night in my pants and boots. You boys with shorts and tennis shoes might be taking a bit of a risk doing that


i am not the fast to stomp a groundhog, that is what the rifle is for.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

True, but I had an opportunity and I took it! Cant pass that up...I will say I was a little out of breath by the time it was all said and done...

Neighbors probably wondered what was going on in the tall grass...


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## ANewman (Sep 20, 2012)

Shorts and 6" leather boots for me in the summer. Unless I'm weed eating, running a chainsaw,or goin to church then britches. I've only got one pair of tennis shoes. My wife talked me into buying them shortly after we got married 5 yrs ago. I've probably only worn them out a couple dozen times since then.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Never have owned a pair of shorts. Nobody has mentioned how fun it is to weld or torch with shorts on . . . just ain't gonna do it.


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## azmike (Jan 4, 2015)

Tried shorts once....to many are you"riding a chicken?" comments


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

Jeff - work pants, short sleeve shirt, leather boots

Shelia - jeans, long sleeve shirt, ll bean boots

My description of 'dorky white tennis shoes' 20 years ago has stuck in Jeff's mind about footwear but I frequently ask him if he's ready to buy a pair of flip-flops 

Shelia


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Gearclash said:


> Never have owned a pair of shorts. Nobody has mentioned how fun it is to weld or torch with shorts on . . . just ain't gonna do it.


While not doing it often I have welded and used a torch while wearing shorts. Other than getting a sunburn it actually the slag bounces off of you instead of getting stuck in your pants where it can't get out and burns you. Still 95% of time wear jeans.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Just burn up about 100 rods yesterday with ole sparky. Had shorts on, legs are fine but burnt the crap out of my arms.


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

Key bib overalls. if it gets really hot I break out the hickory striped ones. When the Amish straw hat comes out under the blazing sun I start to look like the stereotypical farmer from 100 years ago. Got some camo shorts I wear once or twice a year when its hotter than the hubs of heck but gotta make sure those white legs don't burn!


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Carhartt blue jeans. Always. I do own a pair of shorts for physical therapy, but haven't been to that since 2012.

My summer wardrobe consists of a gray t shirt with the sleeves cut off, Carhartt blue jeans and Ariat cowboy boots. I basically look like every stereotype of a middle aged white man rolled into one.

I even have a couple of my work issued shirts that have no sleeves. Those are for the super humid days in the shop.


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## kiteflyingeek (May 15, 2014)

Blue jeans & long sleeved shirt for just about ANY outside work. That includes standing around holding the mic boom for a friends movie filming. I sweat through the clothes in no time flat but I can't stand the bugs eating my arms & legs -- even the gnats are too much for me.

So, what am I doing wrong when throwing small squares that leaves bare arms chewed up? I'm not seeing how to do that without some scratches.

--andrew


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

kiteflyingeek said:


> Blue jeans & long sleeved shirt for just about ANY outside work. That includes standing around holding the mic boom for a friends movie filming. I sweat through the clothes in no time flat but I can't stand the bugs eating my arms & legs -- even the gnats are too much for me.
> So, what am I doing wrong when throwing small squares that leaves bare arms chewed up? I'm not seeing how to do that without some scratches.
> --andrew


You need a hay hook and bigger biceps or smaller bales.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

haybaler101 said:


> You need a hay hook and bigger biceps or smaller bales.


Do people still use hay hooks? They were never a thing here, probably because this was never a wire-tie area where people had to move ninety pound bricks.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

I have never seen them used outside of my community. Again, all wire tied and we thru back anything under 70 lbs. We gave up idiot bricks by hand 10 years ago and we were the last in the area to bale. I used one hook when stacking wagons behind the baler. Never touched a wire on the wagon. Actually, if used correctly, or the way I was taught, did not take much arm strength to stack bales. Use your legs and the hook. Arms never got chewed up, but I could wear out a new pair of jeans in a good day on the wagon.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

PaMike said:


> I kicked a groundhog to death last night in my pants and boots. You boys with shorts and tennis shoes might be taking a bit of a risk doing that


My grandfather used to keep a claw hammer under the seat for that very reason. Pretty spry at 70 something to chase a groundhog down and beat it to death.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Gearclash said:


> Never have owned a pair of shorts. Nobody has mentioned how fun it is to weld or torch with shorts on . . . just ain't gonna do it.


Torch and welder ain't bad, plasma cutter on the other hand is a wee bit hotter&#8230;.


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## Nate926 (Apr 6, 2014)

90% of the time I wear shorts, flip flops, and a t-shirt. I have pretty much done everything in flip flops from working on equipment to baling hay. I will not however unload/stack square bales, weld or torch in shorts and flip flops.I told my girlfriend the other day I should have named my farm flip flop farms lol.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Nate926 said:


> 90% of the time I wear shorts, flip flops, and a t-shirt. I have pretty much done everything in flip flops from working on equipment to baling hay. I will not however unload/stack square bales, weld or torch in shorts and flip flops.I told my girlfriend the other day I should have named my farm flip flop farms lol.


Surely you jest......


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Oh god how I hate flip flops, the sound of them absolutely drives me buggy.

I know I have a good woman as she hates em as well.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

You gotta have a pair to slip on to go put the mail in the mail box. Saves me one bend over a day from not having to put boots on...

They also work well when friends stop by and you don't want to look like a barefoot bum. Flip flops are socially acceptable....

Otherwise they are worthless...


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

PaMike said:


> You gotta have a pair to slip on to go put the mail in the mail box. Saves me one bend over a day from not having to put boots on...
> They also work well when friends stop by and you don't want to look like a barefoot bum. Flip flops are socially acceptable....
> Otherwise they are worthless...


Lol, I guess you're right about that Mike.....perhaps more "socially acceptable than bare feet" but I'm still a flip flop hater.....when I was a child, my mother and I would go to the grocery store together. While there, some folks would feel inclined to wear flip flops.....I can tell you they weren't Caucasian......but that flip/flop/flip/flop would reverberate through the store, I knew my mother hated them by the look on her face when she heard them. She said they were too damned lazy to bend over and put on shoes, that's why they didn't wear them......that may be where the joke came from....best way to starve one to death? Hide their Stamps in their work boots......back then folks got stamps rather than credit cards.....
I think they are dangerous and ridiculous, best not to show up for work around here with them on....they're reserved for pool side lounging


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I will add this.....if your wearing FF, I can bet you ain't never.........stepped in or around a fire ant bed or kicked a curb and busted your big toe or caught the toe on the rail around a boat or hydroplaned or dropped something on your toes...


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

My wife bought me a pair of flip flops before we got married, she thought they would be nice to go get groceries and such in, as opposed to the boots I usually wear. They are sitting in the same spot in the basement I chucked them in 6 years ago....


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

I usually wear my bathing suit when irrigating. I usually end up soaking wet anyways.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

PaMike said:


> You gotta have a pair to slip on to go put the mail in the mail box. Saves me one bend over a day from not having to put boots on...
> 
> They also work well when friends stop by and you don't want to look like a barefoot bum. Flip flops are socially acceptable....
> 
> Otherwise they are worthless...


Thats what an old pair of sneakers are for, also work better if their ain't much snow in the winter


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

A friend of mine who is an electrician wore a kilt to work yesterday for the first time. He said it was the most comfortable he has been in 95 degrees in a long time. So there is another option for you fellows.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Teslan said:


> A friend of mine who is an electrician wore a kilt to work yesterday for the first time. He said it was the most comfortable he has been in 95 degrees in a long time. So there is another option for you fellows.


Lets just hope he didnt decide to go commando... Theres a mental image for ya Teslan... There is no eye bleach...


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

What are shorts?We got Mosquitos (our state bird)flies,no seeums (biteing gnats) and a few other biters.I'll wear my jeans.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Bucky-tale naked is about the only way to stay cool here today. Any clothes you do wear just get wet and stick to you. 92 deg with 80% humidity and heat index of 112. Like a sauna


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

stack em up said:


> My wife bought me a pair of flip flops before we got married, she thought they would be nice to go get groceries and such in, as opposed to the boots I usually wear. They are sitting in the same spot in the basement I chucked them in 6 years ago....


Around here we refer to flip-flops as Jeruslem Sliders.......

M<y take on hay and shorts or a tee shirt is how many welts do you want to sport....


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## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

Blue jeans, work boots and t shirts around here. I still have a pair of gym shorts from high school in my dresser, I bust them out about once a year.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Blue jeans. What else is there?


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