10 Ford Ranger loads of black locust...

[philoshop]

My friend had a two-stem black locust up-root and tip over in his yard last month. He has all the firewood he can handle right now, so he offered it to me. My brother ran the saw while the rest of us loaded the two Ranger pickups over and over and over, and drove the three miles back to my house.
I used to be able to do that stuff all day, every day. Not any more. It all needs to be split and stacked, but I can barely walk to the bathroom right now.
I'll see if I can get some photos. It's a pretty good pile of firewood for a bunch of amateurs in a half day.

 

[knockbill]

Its funny how wood seems to get heavier every year!!!

 

[Antarctica]

Any locust is a hell of a score....

 

[philoshop]

The friend who gave me the wood just stopped by with the last 4 pieces that I couldn't get on my truck last night before I quit. I definitely owe Bill and his wife a nice dinner somewhere. Very nice and very generous people.

 

[philoshop]

My brother who was running the saw is a dentist. He's a very smart guy, of course, but he hasn't really done much tree work. Especially with blow-downs. They can be a bit spooky even for experienced tree guys. Very unpredictable.

I told him at the start to watch out for the tree standing back up as he was cutting the one trunk. He kinda chuckled and then saw that I wasn't kidding. I stood as a spotter while he cut the rounds, and sure enough, that tree started to stand back up. I gave him the signal to "get the hell outta the way" and he did. It spun around and pinched the bar of the 250 like a vise. It took an hour and a half and another saw to get back to firewood cutting. Lots of leverage and long-bar work to get the 250 freed from the cut.
The saw is fine and, most importantly, nobody was hurt. Blow-downs like that are not fun. The challenge is fun, but when you actually get the saw into the wood the reality sinks in. This tree can kill me at any time.

 

[philoshop]

Just to clarify, it's an MS 260 Pro. Not a 250. Huge difference. I'm not sure why I called it a 250. Too much time writing political commentary?

 

[sirbuildalot]

I don't think the tree cared that it was a pro model. For the money the 250's are pretty decent saws imo.

 

[U&A]

I don't think the tree cared that it was a pro model. For the money the 250's are pretty decent saws imo.

But we like hearing it[emoji38]

You wont catch me calling my saws a 562 or 385.....

NOOOO NO!!!

They are XP’s gosh dang it!!!
[emoji1787]

Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[philoshop]

I don't think the tree cared that it was a pro model. For the money the 250's are pretty decent saws imo.

The big difference is the "pro" saws are made to run all day every day and to do so without a hiccup. The typical "farm saws" just aren't made for that kind of use. Had I known 10 years ago how limited my chainsaw time was going to be I wouldn't have spent the money on the "pro" saw. But the people who have run that snotty little SOB have all been impressed with it.

 

[olyman]

My brother who was running the saw is a dentist. He's a very smart guy, of course, but he hasn't really done much tree work. Especially with blow-downs. They can be a bit spooky even for experienced tree guys. Very unpredictable.

I told him at the start to watch out for the tree standing back up as he was cutting the one trunk. He kinda chuckled and then saw that I wasn't kidding. I stood as a spotter while he cut the rounds, and sure enough, that tree started to stand back up. I gave him the signal to "get the hell outta the way" and he did. It spun around and pinched the bar of the 250 like a vise. It took an hour and a half and another saw to get back to firewood cutting. Lots of leverage and long-bar work to get the 250 freed from the cut.
The saw is fine and, most importantly, nobody was hurt. Blow-downs like that are not fun. The challenge is fun, but when you actually get the saw into the wood the reality sinks in. This tree can kill me at any time.

yep...waaaaaaayyy too many guys, just think you grab the saw running,,and put it to the tree....NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! theres times, I sat and looked at a tree for 15 minutes or so,,to think of all the thinks that ***** could do......Ive only been fooled once,,but even that time,,could have been deadly....oh!! I want to kid you,, you sure, it aint philobedo?????

 

[alleyyooper]

And that is why I carry a couple wedges sledge and a splitting maul. Watch the cut and if you see it starting to close hammer in a wedge keeping in mind you still need chain clearance.

Always start at the top and work my way down so if it stands back up you then just fall it like a regluar tree.

Al

 

[philoshop]

And that is why I carry a couple wedges sledge and a splitting maul. Watch the cut and if you see it starting to close hammer in a wedge keeping in mind you still need chain clearance.

Always start at the top and work my way down so if it stands back up you then just fall it like a regluar tree.

Al

When the tree starts standing back up you don't have time for wedges and mauls. Sometimes you don't even have time for your brain to kick in and say, "get the hell outta there." That's why I was spotting for my little brother. His wife would have been super upset if he came home in a box.
I had a really nasty big willow tree blow-down stand back up on me a few years ago. The only thing I did wrong was not having a spotter, and that SOB tried it's best to kill me. I survived, obviously, but I learned a valuable lesson about cutting solo. Sometimes you don't have a choice, but it's better not to do it at all.

 

[philoshop]

No luck with the photos. New computer and new system that I haven't figured out yet.

 

[svk]

My brother who was running the saw is a dentist. He's a very smart guy, of course, but he hasn't really done much tree work. Especially with blow-downs. They can be a bit spooky even for experienced tree guys. Very unpredictable.

I told him at the start to watch out for the tree standing back up as he was cutting the one trunk. He kinda chuckled and then saw that I wasn't kidding. I stood as a spotter while he cut the rounds, and sure enough, that tree started to stand back up. I gave him the signal to "get the hell outta the way" and he did. It spun around and pinched the bar of the 250 like a vise. It took an hour and a half and another saw to get back to firewood cutting. Lots of leverage and long-bar work to get the 250 freed from the cut.
The saw is fine and, most importantly, nobody was hurt. Blow-downs like that are not fun. The challenge is fun, but when you actually get the saw into the wood the reality sinks in. This tree can kill me at any time.

I was cutting up a big Norway pine one time that had uprooted. The rootball settled back after I worked down the trunk a ways. Scared the hell out of me because I had all 5 kids out in the woods with me who were playing nearby. Still makes me feel sick when I think of it.

 

[philoshop]

I was cutting up a big Norway pine one time that had uprooted. The rootball settled back after I worked down the trunk a ways. Scared the hell out of me because I had all 5 kids out in the woods with me who were playing nearby. Still makes me feel sick when I think of it.

I'm glad you and your kids weren't hurt. Blow-downs are nasty.

 

[svk]

I'm glad you and your kids weren't hurt. Blow-downs are nasty.

First time it ever happened to me and the biggest one too. I warn people every time I see one of these now.