Felling tree

[bnmc98]

Hell yall have me scared to cut another tree down!!

well, you just don't know who you are talking to these days. You sounded as if you had never done it before. better to make you think a little to keep you cautious.

Although I am a firm believer that fear is what gets most people hurt or dead.

 

[nbouley010]

Although I am a firm believer that fear is what gets most people hurt or dead.

Fear me!!!

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

An old timer told me the day you arent afraid may be the day you meet your maker

 

[KG441c]

An old timer told me the day you arent afraid may be the day you meet your maker

I always look, and try and figure what the tree may do but Im still very cautious. I dont claim to know what Im doin but just try and use good sense before I start. I like finishing the fall with wedges? No noise from saw and u can keep an eye upstairs and hear the tree starting to fall alil quicker??

 

[RandyMac]

It is all about control.

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

Most here will never have the expeirence here that a guy like randy mac does or bob , jasha etc..common sense can be your best friend , if you think its too dangerous for your expierence level...it probably is..so leave it alone

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

I always look, and try and figure what the tree may do but Im still very cautious. I dont claim to know what Im doin but just try and use good sense before I start. I like finishing the fall with wedges? No noise from saw and u can keep an eye upstairs and hear the tree starting to fall alil quicker??

To further what i originally said..he watched me climb around like a monkey one time and asked me if i was scared..and i said..ya kinda..he said good..the day you arent quit while your ahead

 

[Creeker]

Bore cut only in trees that are known/bad for slabbing. Kenjax ( I think it was) is spot on with that method.

Normal timber that won't slab on the back cut, just start at the outside of the tree & ALWAYS leave some hingewood, ie, NEVER cut all the way thru' to your face cut.

IF the hinge wood is cut then you have an unstable pole sitting on top of a stump.

The blokes that work round houses/sheds/fences have to be 100% safe and using ropes/wedges etc is the only way to go for some trees that are not obviously weighted for direction.

Check up in the tree for the predominant "head weight" that will influence the direction of fall and be careful of dead limbs that can fall out and get you once the tree starts to move.

I personally look at the gap left by the cutter bar to see the tree start moving and then check upwards, withdraw the saw and exit by the pre prepared path clear of trip hazards or other crap.

Experience is the best teacher and that can best be learnt slowly and carefully by yourself or even better by working with an experienced faller.

 

[MustangMike]

I agree with what HuskStihl said, except I keep my eye on the back cut, I know the tree is going when it starts to open up.

I always have an escape route cleared, diagonally in back if possible.

On windy days, or if you are close to power lines, roads or houses I would rather be safe than sorry and rope them. I really like my Maasdam rope puller. The wind can easily take a tree with a slight lean and put it in the other direction. I don't like to climb, I cheat and use a ladder, but it works.

Always be mindful of obstructions from other trees. I know someone who had a lot of experience who is paralyzed for life because a dead Elm tree branch from another tree came down on him.

I've also learned from this site that leaving my hinges too thick is not the safest practice either, so I've worked on addressing that issue. That said don't cut too fast and wipe your hing out or you will loose control the the direction of the drop (your ported 461 will do that too easy, be careful).

Always be careful with dead trees, especially Ash. Try to determine if the tree is solid where you plan to cut in advance. I've seen trees 2' in diameter fall after you just cut into them a few inches.

As Ryan said, always respect it and be careful. Never take it for granted, not every tree will be the same. Always wear a helmet when felling.

 

[MustangMike]

Creeker, did not see your post till after I posted, but glad to see we agree on so much.

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

These threads always turn into the east vs west coast guys..im an east coaster and id be the first to admit timber fallers on the west coast have earned the right to be a little cocky about it..what some of those guys can do with a saw is pretty impressive , i have weeks i put alot of trees on the ground , but comparatively its nothing compared to them..i have alot of respect for those guys..they deserve it

 

[KG441c]

2

I agree with what HuskStihl said, except I keep my eye on the back cut, I know the tree is going when it starts to open up.

I always have an escape route cleared, diagonally in back if possible.

On windy days, or if you are close to power lines, roads or houses I would rather be safe than sorry and rope them. I really like my Maasdam rope puller. The wind can easily take a tree with a slight lean and put it in the other direction. I don't like to climb, I cheat and use a ladder, but it works.

Always be mindful of obstructions from other trees. I know someone who had a lot of experience who is paralyzed for life because a dead Elm tree branch from another tree came down on him.

I've also learned from this site that leaving my hinges too thick is not the safest practice either, so I've worked on addressing that issue. That said don't cut too fast and wipe your hing out or you will loose control the the direction of the drop (your ported 461 will do that too easy, be careful).

Always be careful with dead trees, especially Ash. Try to determine if the tree is solid where you plan to cut in advance. I've seen trees 2' in diameter fall after you just cut into them a few inches.

As Ryan said, always respect it and be careful. Never take it for granted, not every tree will be the same. Always wear a helmet when felling.

I always wear chaps and a metal helmet. U r right about the 461 as u can blip the throttle and take a much larger bite than anticipated. Mustang Ive been using stihl rslhk on a sugi 20" bar on my 362c sharpened steep with rakers at .025. Man that thing is fast and smooth and maneuverable!!! Mtronics all the way for me! Do u tie the rope to prevent kickback?

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

2

I always wear chaps and a metal helmet. U r right about the 461 as u can blip the throttle and take a much larger bite than anticipated. Mustang Ive been using stihl rslhk on a sugi 20" bar on my 362c sharpened steep with rakers at .025. Man that thing is fast and smooth and maneuverable!!! Mtronics all the way for me! Do u tie the rope to prevent kickback?

Ropes dont prevent " kickback " , or barber chairs is what im assuming your referring to

 

[KG441c]

Ropes dont prevent " kickback " , or barber chairs is what im assuming your referring to

Sorry im not familiar with all the terms

 

[KG441c]

Ive ordered this book professional tree falling by Douglas? Guess thats a good one?

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

Sorry im not familiar with all the terms

Its cool mang no worries..im not gonna give you advice because im not qualified to ..and alot of people will who arent qualified either..i had a week on a line i fell 57 trees but nothin bigger than 20" and mostly pecker poles..guys here can give you tips but until a timber faller stands at the tress with you and explains it all the typing does no justice..i still learn every tree i watch go down..and will continue to.

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

Ive ordered this book professional tree falling by Douglas? Guess thats a good one?

Expierence is the best teacher..but ya i guess a book gives you good fundamentals..why not ?

 

[MustangMike]

I tension the rope with the Maasdam Rope puller in the direction I want it to fall. In addition, sometimes if a house (etc) is close by, and I don't like the lean of the tree, I may tie a second rope to a stationary tree to ensure the house will not be damaged even if the hinge fails.

I've dropped lots of trees near houses & power lines and never had any damage and I plan to keep it that way even if I am overly cautious. I don't do near as many as the pros, but over 40 + years I've dropped a good # of them.

I've seen wind gusts come out of nowhere and really move a tree. You do not want that to happen when you are close to someone's house.

You need good equipment. The rope they sell for the puller has 3 X the strength of what you get at home depot.

Early on I was using an inferior rope and it snapped, and I watched the tree sway back & forth. Luckily, it stayed up till I got another rope on it. Never made that mistake again.

 

[MustangMike]

Hope this is helpful

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/logging/manual/felling/cuts/dangers.html

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

Sorry im not familiar with all the terms

Use your "sight" on your saw thats why its there, im lucky enough to have one of my best friends who is a faller that now resides in montana but" goes where the work is " who comes home to bowhunt every year and he spends alot of time explaining stuff to me..he makes the farmer cutters around me feel pretty stupid at times ..ill never know what he does simply because i wont have the expierence