Is Stump Jumping a Recognized Felling Technique?

You bet it is, in fact I was the Wayne Gretsky of tree spacing in 1981 using this method.
The tree shown is a 28" circumference Iron Wood. The chain I used was a 72CL I ground on the grinder. The saw is a KD 385.
John

Underbeds are soooooo over-rated!

Lol
i had a guy with a 017 do that. the little bar just bent at about a 45 degree angle when the tree slid down it.

Stump jumped quit a few this weekend on a clearing job we did this weekend , but I dont know if I would attemp it on the big ones like some of the old timers do.

After timing the cut, I got a 2.19, which means I hold the unchallenged world record for stump jumping an 8 3/4" Ironwood.
John

Sure is fast John. do you have "gunning lines" on the throttle trigger?

Frank

Are you running WJ Nitro Fuel? LOL
No wonder it was so fast.
Hunter

Hi Hunter, actually I ran out of fuel yesterday and used what was left of Eric's fuel in my PP357, it kept stalling so I dumped it out and used some regular mix and gas.
Dan is the warranty void if I used WJ's fuel?
John

stump jumper

John you didn't say to look up once to see if a dead limb was going to break over your head before you do that. Good speed with a great saw and nice jump but let the guy know you're supposed to look the tree over before you cut it like that or we'll be reading about him winning the Darwin Award or something like that. Dead trees, mostly pine, don't cotton to that cut as some of them break in half when they jump off the stump from the shock and chase you.

Hi George, very good point, however, this technique is best reserved to trees under ten inches and when cutting a face along a cut line into an opening. Stump jumping also creates spike like stumps, a hazard to rubber tires, etc. Most saws dont cut fast enough to do this safely.
John

John you rock! I want to be just like you when I grow up!

Doug

John, I do the same thing sometimes, but I've always called it a 'spear' or a 'stab' cut. I do it in the tree, and sometimes the ground. On the ground, I'll work a much smaller tree(6, 7 in) to the ground cutting somewhat like that, and 'spearing' it into the ground... its kinda hard to 'asplain. I make the cut about 5 feet off the ground.

And watch yur feet...

Hi MB, it's amazing that someone as dislexic as I can figure out the geometics of the stump jump, but it comes natural to me. To do it safely we must know the limitations of the tree and the saw.
When mastered, one can have the second tree off the stump before the first one hits the ground.
Geo, don't take Rocky wrong, he honestly is just injecting his brand of humour and means no harm.
Doug, thanks for nice comment, but there is only one Lamebert.
John

i have been doing that with small aspens for years, but i always thought some professional would bust my balls for it. have taken out over 200 small aspens in a few hours like that. but of course i have on a hard had, safety glasses, face shield, chaps, steel toed boots, gloves, and all other safety equipment. and i always run safety chain.
osha poster child

Thanks Rocky

Nice to see you back here Rocky
It's not about politically correct or a disclaimer, been there done that on bigger trees and the #1 danger is dead limbs raining down. Dead trees would snap in half and chase after you. It was fun but if you don't take a look up you won't have fun for long. That's why they say it's dangerous.
John I watched that a few times just to see the chain was carrying the tree off the stump without bending the bar. That saw has grunt.
I can hear the guy complaining how much he pays for tires from here.

What ever you do don't sue Gypo, he's broke. Sue AS for having the site available to post. Better yet sue Microsoft for the computer language used here (if they are responsible?). Or just sue Al Gore for inventing the internet in the first place.

and i always run safety chain.

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Which makes stump jumping more dangerous. The idea when stump jumping is to sever the stem as fast as possible so it does nt barber chair on you. Granted this technique is really only applicable to small trees that are not likely to hurt you in the first place, but theres always those determined people that can get hurt no matter what.
I once saw a guy trying to stump jump a very small pine with a lot of snow in the crown. He got half way through and the stem barberchaired smacking him in the jaw. Funny thing was I offered to sharpen his chain so he wouldnt have to push them over with his shoulder.

Hi Ben, I think Sam was pulling our chain when he said safety chain.
When I viewed the video again, I came to the conclusion that if the tree can't be severed within 2 seconds, than the tree is either too big or the chain's too dull or the tree is too heavy on one side.
You will note that the tree didn't even react to being cut on until 2 seconds was up.
Stump jumping can be accomplished using the backcut method, but the same thing can be accomplished starting the cut at either side or even the front. It all depends on lean, slope, wind and where you want the tree to lie. Stump jumping is best reserved for trees that are relatively balanced on the stump.
The biggest danger behind this method is when the operator doesn't have control over the tree and tries to correct it's direction of fall by pushing the tree with a saw in the other hand.
Here's a link to more safe woodchopping practices.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=7213&highlight=stump+jumping
John

Originally posted by Gypo Logger
You will note that the tree didn't even react to being cut on until 2 seconds was up.

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Just like when the coyote's chasing the roadrunner and he ends up off the cliff into the middle of nowhere.

Darwinism would actually work...

if it werent for the lawyers and profesional lawsuit filers.

anybody dumb enough to try it with out the experience they need would just thin out the gene pool.

Course I hear the pool aint to deep in some of them parts anyway....