Bucking Tricks?

Just curious, but do any of you have any tricks that you use to keep the chain out of the dirt when bucking? I have a tractor with a front end loader, and I can usually lift part of the tree enough to get some ground clearance depending on the situation, but on the bigger trees, I have to buck them laying flat on the ground. I do it mainly by feel and I crouch down and keep the bar parallel with the ground. (It's usually an 18" bar). But sometimes when I break through the chain goes into the dirt. That dulls em pretty quick. Just figured some of you guys that have been doing it for years might have a suggestion or two. Also, many times, when I go to buck a big one, when I get almost all the way through, the kerf will start to close and I have to pull out quick to keep from getting hung up. ANy suggestions for this? Thanks..

On wood that you can't roll over put a check wedge in the cut but don't have to beat it in very hard since it just needs to keep the kerf open. I usually just use my hand or tap it with another wedge. Cut normally till you get to where you think you're close to the bottom (1" or so). Here's the tricky part, use the lower side of the bar tip and go easy on the throttle or bump it very lightly so you can slow down the chain speed to the point where you can start and stop it when you feel bark. Don't lean on the saw but hold it with zero pressure on the tip and feel your way down through it till you feel the softer bark and keep a close eye on the color change of the chips. STOP WHEN YOU FEEL BARK. I work from the far side towards me and if you get it right you should be able to break it loose. This is more of an advanced method and not as fail safe as Rocky's. It works best on thick bark but when you get good at it you won't rock your chain much and will have some good saw control skill that will come in handy for more technical stuff. BTW, you don't have to have the bark on the ground side of the log to practice this. You can suspend one end while you're learning, the Idea is to have control of small sections of your chain and gain a feel for changing drag and to know exactly where the bar tip is without looking at it. Hope this helps

To add to what hemlock posted, here's two more tips:

When you get close to the bottom, pound the wedge in hard. This will lift the log up a little bit, often enough. Works best when near the center of a log.

Alternatively, do a bore cut in then down. Watch for the chip color to change, a sign you're cutting bark. Then upcut to finish.

Three, use a shovel to clear out as much of the ground as possible.

Cut in the dark, you'll see the sparks sooner.

You always make sure your rolling the logs you are cutting on some poles so the wood is up off the ground. If its small stuff I usually cut it 3/4s of the way through then roll the wood over and cut the rest of the 1/4. You just have to make sure the bar is all the way into the kerf you already cut so it doesn't kick back on you.

You will need a peavey to roll the logs if they are a decent size. When I was bucking firewood for a excavation contractor I had the use of a excavator with a hydraulic thumb to lift the wood off the ground so I could buck it.

I think everyone has made excellent suggestions. Wedges, peavey(sometimes referred to as cant hook) and attention to details at the bottom of the cut.

When cutting large stuff into firewood, I will make the 3/4 cut and then roll the whole thing and finish all the remaining cutting. With a log too big to roll as one piece w/o machinery, you can almost always find a spot that is clear of the ground to cut all the way through making sure to have a wedge or stick to prevent the bar getting pinched. With attention to the cut, you should be able to read the cut start to close before it is too late.

The more you practice the less your bar will go in the dirt and the less it will pinch. Heck the first saw I ever had, I figured burying the nose in the ground was just part of the deal. Of course I didn't think a sharp chain would make too much of a difference either.

One other thing you can do is cut one or more smaller trees perpendicular to the tree you are bucking and fell the tree across it/them.

I have a log jack (cant hook with a T rail on the bottom...you probably know that) that works well for firewood size logs. Mine lifts them about 4-5" off the ground.

If you do a plunge cut at the top and cut down, the kerf will open when you cut through. It doesn't stop you from hiting the ground but it keeps the log from pinching and you know when you're through because it pulls apart. You're just less likely to hit dirt.

If you have a wedge, Rb's trick where you cut until it starts to pinch, then pound it in hard, is cool. You wouldn't think you could lift a log off the ground with a wedge that way, but you can.

For a firewood cutter, I like to think I have a good stable of saws. But most the guys I cut with or for don't know enough about saws to appreciate that. Then there is also the raised eyebrows when I go to the trouble to put on a pair of chaps- it comes across like I'm some woodtick trying to be a pro.

But when I pull out the wedges and cant hook and start cutting circles around everybody else without really hurrying....end of story. Its more productive, its safer, it keeps the saws from getting beat up; and when someone has a bunch of trees that need cleaned up, guess who gets the call?

I usually cut a log about 3/4 thru and if it's small enough to roll,roll it and finish the cuts.If the log has be laying on the ground for some time and the underside is dirty I'll leave it and finish up all other wood that's not dirty and is clean cuts.

If the log is too big to roll I'll make all my bucking cuts down to 3 to 4 inches off the ground using a wedge to keep the cut from closing.After all the clean cut bucking I go back and finish the dirty cuts(ground level) using the tip of the bar then sharpen my chain.

Rick

I'm a wedge pounder, myself.

I agree with the wedge pounding method.

that is the technique that we teach for cross cuts. it works great for the chainsaw too. it amazes some people how much you can lift a log with a wedge the first time they do it. I also agree that being mindful of the color of the chips your throwing is one of the easiest ways to see when you are getting to the point of pulling out and breaking bark.

I also use a hatchet and mark my cuts with it.Chopping out the
bark that is full of mud,sand,crud.After rolling the log over,the
remaining part of the cut is pretty dirty.You can also use a wire brush to clean up where you have to cut.Being anal about
keeping the bar out of the dirt and the chain sharp is a big plus.
Ray

TreeCo,
I see more bent and pinched bars than torn boots and AV mounts. Guess my co-workers can't pull in a straight line!

One small thing that I will add. If you are real used to using a normal size bar ( 16" to 24" ) and then you switch to something much bigger ( 36" or so ) I have found that you tend to put the nose into the ground.

log on ground unknown tension or compression or on dirt. I cut through carefully, stove legnth ,until i see cut start to close move on to next cut. eventally you will come to where you have a little gap underneath and no pinch roll log and finish partial cuts.

depends on where im bucking it up..
if im in the woods the loam is still in a state of decay several inches down.. unless its rocky i dont have any trouble cutting thru and stayin out of grit.. most time i bring in to buck it .. ive got an nice saw chip pad out there where i can finish off the work without hittin any thing but wood chips.. most times i buck on the trailer and roll the cuts off.got an couple o 2by 4 to keep me of the trailer floor..

One trick I've found works well when you have some clearance between the underside and the ground. I saw level almost through and then hold the saw up at an angle and use the underside of the bar tip and a short manual sawing motion (like using a handsaw) with the chainsaw to "feel" the edge of the wood.

Did someone say chaps

Steve here... What about chaps, I try and where mine most of the time.. DId anyone read the ham test in the back of the Madsens catalog??? orry I got off topic...I use a wedge, and roll the log if possible. My friend likes his 28incher on his 660 for ditch witching, then he dosen't have to bend over...lol
Steve

All of those tricks work great EXCEPT when bucking on the landing!!! This time of year by the time your trees get to the landing they are usually packed with mud anyway
I use simi chisel chain on the landing, pounding wedges and trying to roll the logs/trees just takes too much time when you are production cutting. Those are some good tips though, I use most of those tips and tricks when cutting firewood.