Breaking in a new faller

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
When I got broke in I was pounding wedges, bucking and limbing then as I got a feel learning how far to sight in the back cut for the far side.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
Well he's not totally from scratch. He's got an "A" fallers cert from California. He worked for the FS last summer around the Stanislaus National forest. For the wood I'm in right now he might as well be starting from scratch. Lots of butt right, top rot. Rainbow shaped White oaks. Super ugly nonsense. The worst I've cut in a while. He has successfully used two coos bay backcuts on some really hard Leaners. I was standing there to start and stop him. I wanted him to cut a few to see where he's at. Tomorrow I will be falling and bucking and he will be pulping out my tops. He has a ways to go on tension and compression wood. I didn't have him out today. Wind was gusting near 40. I cut though. I just didn't want to be responsible for another human being in that wind. Most of the trees are big ugly and only going one way. Just have to watch the widow makers.
 
Good Luck Bob, Lucky it's sunny and warm with perfect conditions!
Thanks! I'd rather have that brutal cold then what's coming this weekend. I hope we don't lose all the snow. That will suck! The wood is worse then we both suspected coming off this job. I just want to get the hell north now. Driving through Milwaukee sucks ass. It took me two hours to get to the job yesterday because of all the accidents.
 
I don't know of many outfits that still hand cut. All too big for a harvester or buncher?
 
I don't know of many outfits that still hand cut. All too big for a harvester or buncher?

Its fairly common around here. Too steep for machines, or often the case that the wood is just too big, not many feller bunchers that can handle a 36" trunk efficiently or safely.

Some of the smaller outfits run mechanized that work in the valleys on private ground, but there isn't many of them.
 
Its fairly common around here. Too steep for machines, or often the case that the wood is just too big, not many feller bunchers that can handle a 36" trunk efficiently or safely.

Some of the smaller outfits run mechanized that work in the valleys on private ground, but there isn't many of them.
I wouldn't say that, lots of 4 foot stuff is cut with bunchers and honestly a good operator makes it look like they were hand cut. There's lots more small companies that do have harvesters or bunchers then you think we have one and we're three guys crew lots of stuff like that out here.



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
Thing with the hotsaw guys is they'll try anything, at least once, so there's plenty of YT video of guys taking on oversize with bunchers which is a cool demo of the machine and all, but, over the course of a whole sale that would not be a cost-effective pace after breaking machinery designed for smaller timber.
 
I've said it before, it's a shame that wood that big is being machine cut. I know it's not all the time but still. There's a fair amount of wood on my jobs that could be machine cut. Not all. The question is why? Why have those payments and over head if you don't need to. Safety is about the only reason I can think of. Around here if you start going big you're going to want a processor. Then you need a double bunk. Then you need a loader truck and pup. You get yourself deep into by payments and fuel bills in a hurry. I'm willing to bet my profit margins are the same as the big operators. My forwarder is paid for. Buy a new saw every year. And I'm not tied to my equipment. I don't have to worry if the pulp mills are buying or who I can dish the logs off to. I can say good enough for today and go home. Ten years from now when my body is tired of running a saw I will probably be in that boat. I'm happy for now.
 
yup,

add to that that more outfits are going mechanized and bidding on the same ground, meaning to be competitive you have to cut the profit margins close. So one screw up on their part and its game over.

There is a large private "tree farm" near here that isn't associated with any mills, they will be having a few thinning and yarder sales coming up, for what they are going to go for I could never keep up, especially if I had payments, unless I had a crew of 3 or more, and put out 5 or more loads a day.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top