How would you have dropped it?

[Woody912]

26" forked cherry, fork started about 5' off the ground but I could see the seam running all the way to ground level. Maybe 50' tall. About 40% leaning east and the other west and the drop had to be to the west a/c property line and there was also a fence against the east side of the tree. Concerned about the east side breaking loose when I made my back cut. I chained the east side of the tree about 15' up and hooked up to the truck in the west field and tensioned it. Face cut as close as I could to the ground and then bored my back cut so I could avoid the fence, about 3" above my face to within couple inches and then pulled it over with the truck. Tree also weighted to the south so I did all my cutting from the north side, just barely enough with my 25" bar. Everything went good, my question being; was I really stupid and was there a better way to do this?Yes, I should have taken pics! Tree did split during the fall and there was nothing there except included bark in the fork, no wood whatsoever.

 

[chucker]

from what you described to us you put it on the ground with no damage ! so one would think "you did good pilgrim" ! your still alive and able to use the wood for what ever your need may be so you have a win/win situation... whom could really say with not being there?

 

[Gologit]

 

[northmanlogging]

My only concern would have been cutting with the seam like that, might have wrapped and but a binder on it to keep it together. Also being it was headed west anyway probably would of just free fell it no need to pull it. But not being there? Who knows, them co dominant trees can be tricky, and any time yer cutting next to a fence or other high value targets things can get more then a little sketchy so a safety line is always a good idea.

 

[Woody912]

My only concern would have been cutting with the seam like that, might have wrapped and but a binder on it to keep it together. Also being it was headed west anyway probably would of just free fell it no need to pull it. But not being there? Who knows, them co dominant trees can be tricky, and any time yer cutting next to a fence or other high value targets things can get more then a little sketchy so a safety line is always a good idea.

Thought about a binder but then decided that having a chain up high with leverage and pulling "east" fork against "west" with the truck would hold tighter. This tree looked like a single stem with a fork until you got real close to it. Fence was of no value but takes away a lot of escape routes

 

[northmanlogging]

That close to fences always sucks more then a little... Some of the few times I've bored the back cut is because of fences...

 

[treeslayer2003]

i cut one like that only bigger not long ago....only it weren't hollow and no fence. i don't like falling twins together at all. i will split them verticaly down to where i can reach it. being they were hollow, i'd say you lucked out here and there really wasn't a good way.

 

[Woody912]

i cut one like that only bigger not long ago....only it weren't hollow and no fence. i don't like falling twins together at all. i will split them verticaly down to where i can reach it. being they were hollow, i'd say you lucked out here and there really wasn't a good way.

No, not hollow. They were sound trees however if I had known they had no connecting wood I am not sure I would have started. Just cutting fence rows for a friend so I did not have to cut it, guess I just had to prove I could do it. We started this project about 6 yrs ago and I had zero falling experience. Learned a lot since then from guys on AS. Interesting to note I found a query from Bsnelling a few yrs back with the same query. Never did find the resolution

 

[dhskier2]

from what you described to us you put it on the ground with no damage ! so one would think "you did good pilgrim" ! your still alive and able to use the wood for what ever your need may be so you have a win/win situation... whom could really say with not being there?

Where's the common sense to keep your mouth shut? Have you seen some of the hair-brained stuff people put up on this site about how they tipped a tree over? Or watched any of the how-not-to-do-it youtube videos? And then they stand tall behind it like they know what the hell they're doing. They figured they got it on the ground, and they're still able to turn the camera off- so they musta "done good pilgrim".
No, most of the time they're complete idiots who shouldn't be allowed to cut their own carrots at dinner, let alone cut a tree down.
Woody asked for some advice from professional fallers (which I'm not, and so won't comment about it). What he didn't ask was how cool his "hold my beer and watch this" scenario played out. So please, keep the "it's all good, you're still alive. I can't judge you" comments to yourself. What a comment like that says is: I don't have, nor do I care about what it takes to do this kind of work in the safest and most effective manner possible.

 

[bitzer]

One at a time. Especially at only five feet off the ground. I've cut hundreds maybe thousands like this. They can and will split apart when puttin in yer cuts below the split. Makes for smashed saws and lots of running. I'm cuttin soft maple swamps right now. Several marms a day. Springboarded some last week. Had a couple backcuts holding my saw as high as I could reach over my head. They were 20"+ past the split kind of stuff. Over 4' dbh. You can't trust them to hold and I'll nearly always cut em above the split rather then rip em. Much, much faster. Five feet is eye level. Thats easy enough to put in good cuts yet and wedge.

 

[treeslayer2003]

No, not hollow. They were sound trees however if I had known they had no connecting wood I am not sure I would have started. Just cutting fence rows for a friend so I did not have to cut it, guess I just had to prove I could do it. We started this project about 6 yrs ago and I had zero falling experience. Learned a lot since then from guys on AS. Interesting to note I found a query from Bsnelling a few yrs back with the same query. Never did find the resolution

most hardwood twins are not connected as far up as you think. be carfull, it can go side ways quikly.

 

[treeslayer2003]

One at a time. Especially at only five feet off the ground. I've cut hundreds maybe thousands like this. They can and will split apart when puttin in yer cuts below the split. Makes for smashed saws and lots of running. I'm cuttin soft maple swamps right now. Several marms a day. Springboarded some last week. Had a couple backcuts holding my saw as high as I could reach over my head. You can't trust them to hold and I'll nearly always cut em above the split rather then rip em. Much, much faster. Five feet is eye level. Thats easy enough to put in good cuts yet and wedge.

i had to rip down that cherry to get to 5' lol. the small side was 33".........i was surprised it went good........flawless save out. i have you guys to thank.

 

[bitzer]

i had to rip down that cherry to get to 5' lol. the small side was 33".........i was surprised it went good........flawless save out. i have you guys to thank.

Musta been one hell of a cherry. I love it when things work right.

 

[treeslayer2003]

wan't veneer but solid. big field tree........clear cut, it had to go. i swore it be hollow......nope.

 

[bitzer]

wan't veneer but solid. big field tree........clear cut, it had to go. i swore it be hollow......nope.

Those big cherrys are a crap shoot.

 

[bnmc98]

In my experience, when I see a seam on twins, I consider them separate trees. I usually make my face at the lowest point of the seam I can and then bore into the seam for the back cut. If it doesn't go you can always cut right down the seam and split them. for what its worth.

 

[chucker]

Where's the common sense to keep your mouth shut? Have you seen some of the hair-brained stuff people put up on this site about how they tipped a tree over? Or watched any of the how-not-to-do-it youtube videos? And then they stand tall behind it like they know what the hell they're doing. They figured they got it on the ground, and they're still able to turn the camera off- so they musta "done good pilgrim".
No, most of the time they're complete idiots who shouldn't be allowed to cut their own carrots at dinner, let alone cut a tree down.
Woody asked for some advice from professional fallers (which I'm not, and so won't comment about it). What he didn't ask was how cool his "hold my beer and watch this" scenario played out. So please, keep the "it's all good, you're still alive. I can't judge you" comments to yourself. What a comment like that says is: I don't have, nor do I care about what it takes to do this kind of work in the safest and most effective manner possible.

lol!!! so did you miss with your wildthing trimming your caveman girly nails ? it's funny that you should **** before you know how to wipe the crap from your big mouth!..... PLEASE, do us a favor and don't drool all over your key board trying to justify a comment made in just!.... ? or are you looking for a pat on the back like the op? lol

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Hush you two, grownups are talking.

 

[KenJax Tree]

That close to fences always sucks more then a little... Some of the few times I've bored the back cut is because of fences...

I sloped a back cut before because of a fenceopcorn:

 

[TheJollyLogger]

It's very common for guys to mistake conjoined trees for a single tree with codominate leaders. The short answer woody is it sounds like you got lucky. From your description I probably would have treated it as two separate trees.