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Grading, and wearing glasses.

cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,692
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
I've always had great vision. Once I hit my 40s my close up vision started to go. Last fall my arms got too short and I had to get 150 pairs of drug store glasses. I say 150 cause that's probably how many pairs I've lost. Tuesday night I went out sweeping one of our plowing contracts in an L45g with a kick broom. 15 minutes in, as I was running along the guard rail and I caught the seem just right. The center angle pin broke allowing the broom to angle too far and then break the pin boss for the angle piston. Since it was after midnight, I parked the loader and sent a rough text( because I had lost my glasses) to the boss and went home. Last night, broom fixed, I was about half an hour in and hit something else. No damage this time. This morning I was talking to the wife about it and she said, maybe you need glasses. I thought about it and I do find that I have been misjudging how high to lift my foot these days. I've kicked over the same can of roofing nails in the shed a dozen times this year, note to self, move can of nails. If I did need glasses because my distance vision is no longer as good as I think. Do any of you guys that wear glasses find any difficulty fine grading? I don't even wear sunglasses in the grader as I find they distort my vision.
 

Ct Farmer

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
322
Location
Connecticut
I've had glasses most of my life for distance only. The closer I got to 50 it wasn't enough and the close in started getting bad too. Arms too short to weld. Next eye appointment the doc told me I needed progessive lenses. I kicked it around for awhile and then a coworker told me his were the best thing he did. Also told me to get the best ones I could find. Top name brand. That was 3 prescriptions ago and they are great. Cost about $700 though. I got a cheapy Wallymart pair also for grinding etc where I might kill 'em.

As for working your eyes and arm movements will adapt. At first things may seem distorted but you should adapt guickly. Your arms will seem short. Years ago the best grader around here wore thick cole bottle things and I swear could peel a 1/16 off with an old D3.

Get an eye exem from an ophthalmologist not optometrist. Buy good glasses and you will be fine. Get prescription polarized shades if you can afford it, anything over regular glasses sucks.
 

JPV

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
756
Location
S.W. Washington
I wear glasses to help a lazy eye but have 20-20 vision without them. When I get tired is when I really need them but usually have them on. I don't notice any difference in seeing grade with or without them. From what you describe I would think you should look into them. If you do I would recommend the transition lenses, they work good for me. Mine were as good as I could get, they cost about 600 bucks.
 

cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,692
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
My father wore glasses most of his life. When he had to get trifocals he said that was the worst. As a mechanic trying to position his head to see through the right field of vision. Our mechanic told me today that he didn't think his vision was bad until the eye Dr showed him, this is what you're seeing, this is what you could be seeing.
 

Mother Deuce

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2016
Messages
1,603
Location
New England
Hmmm... Was having a little issue with this today. I noticed that my arms too, have shortened up on me and had trundled off to the eye doc and came away with "the ultimate lens package" or so I was told. I was loading trucks today when the sun suddenly put in an appearance and after recovering from the initial surprise of a large glowing orb suddenly appearing in the sky... I confidently reach for and installed my brand new pair of high zoot polarized progressive lens sun glasses and grabbed a bucket of export swung out of the hole and over the truck in the what looked like the usual location and commenced to dump half a bucket of material on the side of a really talented drivers really nice truck. We have been working together for about 3 weeks now and that was a first. He asked me if I needed some windex for my shades. Got him loaded out and the next truck backs in and I repeated the same performance.

At this point I started to question what was up with me... I have been loading these guy's for days. I didn't appear to be impaired... at least anymore than usual. Ding Ding Ding the light came on! Ditched the shades and everything went back to what seems to be normal for me. At 27 feet I was seeing 30 feet. Bought a brand new pair of 9 dollar shades on the way home. Vision is back to normal and I have my drug store readers.

Joking aside I was shocked at how far my depth perception was skewed with my prescription glasses. I am glad we weren't laying pipe or other activity where the the crew is in close proximity to the machine.
 

DB2

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
1,008
Location
Winnipeg MB Canada
As an avid golfer I found the cheap sunglasses would distort everything.
I bought some polarized Maui Jim’s with glass lenses and they made all the difference. As for vision problems I can’t see the numbers on most of the sockets anymore. Frustrating to say the least and those readers are a pain.
 

cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,692
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
Hmmm... Was having a little issue with this today. I noticed that my arms too, have shortened up on me and had trundled off to the eye doc and came away with "the ultimate lens package" or so I was told. I was loading trucks today when the sun suddenly put in an appearance and after recovering from the initial surprise of a large glowing orb suddenly appearing in the sky... I confidently reach for and installed my brand new pair of high zoot polarized progressive lens sun glasses and grabbed a bucket of export swung out of the hole and over the truck in the what looked like the usual location and commenced to dump half a bucket of material on the side of a really talented drivers really nice truck. We have been working together for about 3 weeks now and that was a first. He asked me if I needed some windex for my shades. Got him loaded out and the next truck backs in and I repeated the same performance.

At this point I started to question what was up with me... I have been loading these guy's for days. I didn't appear to be impaired... at least anymore than usual. Ding Ding Ding the light came on! Ditched the shades and everything went back to what seems to be normal for me. At 27 feet I was seeing 30 feet. Bought a brand new pair of 9 dollar shades on the way home. Vision is back to normal and I have my drug store readers.

Joking aside I was shocked at how far my depth perception was skewed with my prescription glasses. I am glad we weren't laying pipe or other activity where the the crew is in close proximity to the machine.
I fight constantly with the safety lady about wearing safety glasses. I say it distorts my vision. She is a hired consultant, but her family has a machine shop. She tells me the guys in her shop wear safety glasses, and work within a thousands of an inch. I said yeah with something fastened to a bench 20 inches from their face, not 300 feet in front of them
 

JD955SC

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
1,349
Location
The South
I fight constantly with the safety lady about wearing safety glasses. I say it distorts my vision. She is a hired consultant, but her family has a machine shop. She tells me the guys in her shop wear safety glasses, and work within a thousands of an inch. I said yeah with something fastened to a bench 20 inches from their face, not 300 feet in front of them

Tell her you wear safety squints instead and they are an approved alternative if she will just find the right manual.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,432
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Have worn glasses since was 11, always nearsighted could not see detail at distance greater than 3 feet, in '87 partially blinded Left eye in mechanic position accident that put me at a lack of depth perception as well inability initially to judge distances. Has been a bear to use my own machines and get a good grade presented or maintained. Got the cataract fixed, now regained considerable depth vision and ALL screwed up AGAIN trying to get used to that.
 

Jeckyl1920

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
226
Location
Riverside, CA
I wore glasses for a few as a kid. They drove me nuts, went to contacts and oakley protection on top, then got tired of that.

After this, I went and got lasik. It's the best decision i ever made. Literally one consult, schedule a day off, 10 minute eye surgery with a driver to take you home, back to work with no glasses the next day.

I literally have probably 40 or 50 vision in my left, maybe closer to 18 in my right.

Everyone is scared of eye surgery, but in all seriousness, get a consult. It is cheap in comparison to years of glasses/contacts if they can help you. I'm talking like, $4k to throw them away. In my experience, had I known, I gladly would have paid $15k in a blink.

Results may vary, but that's my 2 cents and experience.

Ps, oakley has the highest safety rating in the industry, and are optically correct. Buy some. Wear them always.
 
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