what is the best method to determine side/front/back lean?

[ZeroJunk]

I have 100 ft of 3/8 logging chain, a racheting 6 ton chain come along, and if I can find a stump/tree for an anchor, you CAN make things go the wrong(right) way. But you still need to be careful

You probably can. But with just wedges and some fancy cut, I would like to drink a beer and watch. From a safe distance.

 

[Tzed250]

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Hanging your scrench from a string works.


.

 

[oscar4883]

I'm a crappy carpenter so I don't own a plumb bob. LOL I use my throwbag and throwline. IMO a throwbag and a good rope are tools every firewood guy should have if they drop trees. The guys who fall timber for a living make it look easy but there is a LOT that can go wrong.

 

[woodyman]

I walk around the whole tree a couple times and then make my descission.When in doudt I use a rope or walk away or get someone elses opinion.I have run into a few trees over the years that fell right over after seeing me and my saws coming:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[komatsuvarna]

The guys who fall timber for a living make it look easy but there is a LOT that can go wrong.

Yep, and I bet they dont carry around a level to check ever tree.


There is no standard. All I use is a good eye, but im not tackleing any hard stuff. If I do it will have a big a$$ excavator on the opposite side making it go where I want.

 

[tlandrum]

I hope nobody listens to this fool. Plumbing a tree is standard procedure for every tall tree. Most of the time this is done just by looking at the tree but at times you can not get a clear view. I generally just use my axe handle but I have a nut on a string in the bottom of my saw box. A situation that can be very tricky is entering a stand of trees that has had a fire go through it or has had wind damage. (I'm talking firs, pines, etc.) Many trees are at odd angles and it is hard to tell what is truly plumb. You can not see very far into the stand and most tops are not visable. To fall the snags I have had to rely on my plumb bob to determine lean and make my cuts accordingly. Snags don't drive well and the lay can be pretty narrow so taking lean into account is very important.

Re setting a pull line in a tree that can be the only way sometimes. I generally have my spurs in the truck. Last July we had to set a bull rope 150' up a tree to get the propper angle needed and this tree was not huge. But it was heavy and had a significant lean. We spent alot more time and effort to set the rigging that to actually cut the tree down.

i would respond to you calling me a fool but as is we can all tell your the tool, and not worth my time to argue with. so take a hike to put it very kindly.

 

[2dogs]

i would respond to you calling me a fool but as is we can all tell your the tool, and not worth my time to argue with. so take a hike to put it very kindly.

Sory its speled "you're". Just tryin too help.

 

[Busmech]

Sory its speled "you're". Just tryin too help.

I believe there are two L's in spelled. tlandrum2002, I've seen trees that two 70 ton tree jacks wouldn't lift, if you can make them all go the way you want you haven't come up against a real tree(7-8 foot dia.+ 200 ft. tall).

 

[tlandrum]

i guess only the guys out there on the west coast know how to fall a tree huh. i log timber in the mountains of east tn and the west coast way is not the right way here for me period... so why is it that every time an east coast timber faller has something to say about how to cut the guys out west have to stick there chest out and talk about there giant timber and how its done. i stick 100% by my first post and i dont need to carry around all the toys and tools that some folks do to get my job done.i dont get on this site to have to argue with tools and know it alls so you can leave me out of your bull sh it. ive cut timber for production for over 20 yrs and dont care if you think your better than i am. i get the job done safely and in a timely manner and without a dam plumb bob or level.

 

[forestryworks]

Guys
what tips and trick do you all use to determine the amount of lean a tree has in relation to where you would like it to land?

Thanks in advance

Plumb bob, practice, practice, practice, and experience.

 

[splitpost]

opcorn:opcorn:

 

[MCW]

i guess only the guys out there on the west coast know how to fall a tree huh. i log timber in the mountains of east tn and the west coast way is not the right way here for me period... so why is it that every time an east coast timber faller has something to say about how to cut the guys out west have to stick there chest out and talk about there giant timber and how its done. i stick 100% by my first post and i dont need to carry around all the toys and tools that some folks do to get my job done.i dont get on this site to have to argue with tools and know it alls so you can leave me out of your bull sh it. ive cut timber for production for over 20 yrs and dont care if you think your better than i am. i get the job done safely and in a timely manner and without a dam plumb bob or level.

I'd rather have seen replies to your first post that were explanatory rather than abrasive but you did make it sound like you are a tree felling god who can get any tree to go wherever you want.

The OP may have also been referring to domestic felling and that's where thinking you can drop any tree wherever you want without mechanical means etc can/will land you in court as property damage will occur one day by getting too cocky.

By the way, the best plumb bob or level is the good old Mk I Eyeball

 

[newmexico]

Unfortunately lean is only one factor of many. As mentioned above limb weight is another and tree size - once trees reach a certain weight even wedging becomes difficult. Once trees reach a certain size and/or weight DO NOT try to fight excessive lean without having either the experience or the right gear - it will come back and bite you.
I'm lucky as I've had the opportunity to fell a lot of trees where if something goes wrong nobody dies and property doesn't get damaged. It also taught me to not get cocky and think I am a tree felling guru. In domestic situations I am very very careful yet have still had the odd mishap from thinking I can do the impossible. Unfortunately at the time I thought it "was" possible
Experience is the only "near" guarantee.
Anybody that says they can put any tree where they want with wedges alone are tugging themselves - and there are many that do.
I've had trees that were cut perfect, getting wedged, and going where I wanted get completely misplaced by sudden strong, unexpected wind gusts. All fine in the open but in a domestic situation without a pull line etc you'd be in some serious trouble!
If I said I'd dropped around 10,000 trees and misplaced about 20-30 of them that looks like a good percentage. However those 20-30 in a domestic situation would have cost me millions of dollars in property damage.
Sorry if I got off track a bit

as a side note, morning sun and prevailing wind are factors in the equation. ohh shoot, even more off track... ....

 

[MCW]

as a side note, morning sun and prevailing wind are factors in the equation. ohh shoot, even more off track... ....

Ah who cares about this whole track thing

 

[newmexico]

good ole prototype mark I eyball

I don't know, but it works most of the time, approach said tree. look at the belly, look up at the branches, take wind into consideration, go with your gut.... over analyzing is sometimes not the best approach. but in a domestic setting... yeah you need to analyze ..

 

[newmexico]

and do realize that some trees just won't go where they don't want to go,

fancy cuts, wedges, tree jacks, a rope or chain with leverage--- nothing will make that certain tree go where it doesn't want to go.

 

[edisto]

By the way, the best plumb bob or level is the good old Mk I Eyeball

Least expensive maybe...but the best? I have some self- emptying shelves that would suggest otherwise...

 

[MCW]

Least expensive maybe...but the best? I have some self- emptying shelves that would suggest otherwise...

OK so maybe there are some Mk 0.2-0.5 eyeballs out there

When I said that I was actually referring to my own eyeballs, which were laser corrected 9 months ago so maybe they are now Mk II spec

 

[FSburt]

I'd rather have seen replies to your first post that were explanatory rather than abrasive but you did make it sound like you are a tree felling god who can get any tree to go wherever you want.

The OP may have also been referring to domestic felling and that's where thinking you can drop any tree wherever you want without mechanical means etc can/will land you in court as property damage will occur one day by getting too cocky.

Not try to get into the middle of this one but that was my 1st impression to after reading that post.

 

[ZeroJunk]

i guess only the guys out there on the west coast know how to fall a tree huh. i log timber in the mountains of east tn and the west coast way is not the right way here for me period... so why is it that every time an east coast timber faller has something to say about how to cut the guys out west have to stick there chest out and talk about there giant timber and how its done. i stick 100% by my first post and i dont need to carry around all the toys and tools that some folks do to get my job done.i dont get on this site to have to argue with tools and know it alls so you can leave me out of your bull sh it. ive cut timber for production for over 20 yrs and dont care if you think your better than i am. i get the job done safely and in a timely manner and without a dam plumb bob or level.

I for one wasn't making a point about needing a plumb bob. I was talking about your comment about making a tree fall where you want regardless of lean.

The trees I'm talking about you sure as hell don't need a plumb bob as there is no doubt which way they are leaning, and you aren't going to do anything about which way they fall with wedges and some fancy cut.