Why do west coast loggers fell timber the way the do?

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A timber faller is one who makes the tree fall or the timber fall. You don't make timber fell. Once its on the ground its no longer a tree its a log that needs to be bucked, skidded(skun if you prefer), loaded, hauled, graded, scaled, and bought. So saying one fell a tree on the ground in terms of logging is incorrect. Now if said person cutting the tree down is not a logger or timber faller then you can say they fell the tree on the ground because they have to deal with the entire tree like in an arborist or firewood scenario. So to re-cap: Timber faller- one who makes timber fall for the purpose of logging. Tree feller- one who cuts a tree down for whatever reason. The union person writing up definitions may have never cut a tree in their life. When you see a timber faller you will know the difference.
Paddy & mcdougal were walking down the road looking for work, on a fence was a sign saying " tree fellers wanted" paddy looks at mcdougal & says " geez! if mick was here we would have had that job!
Thansk
 
[photo="medium"]2578[/photo] In 1947 my Father (Logging Supervisor) for a major lumber producer in NE CA, still in operations, wrote the Union Handbook for wages, by-laws etc. The heads of both the Union (Local 3074 Sawmill &* Joiners) & the management of the Lumber Co. listed the following; Gyppo Timber Feller (Sets) $4.49 per Mbf. These people whose experience in the Logging industry came from the 1900's & was still used in 1985 when the Logging department was finally farmed out to the local Gyppo Logging Co. My father worked in the Logging & Lumber industry for over 55 years & was the Sierra Cascade Logging Conference president in 1952 & 1955. So I can listen to all the Faller's out there with their explanations but as a Gyppo Feller/Bucker myself for 17 years I will stick with my Father's knowledge. By the way, go ask your English teacher which is correct. (Iit's called proper grammer use.)
 
[photo="medium"]2578[/photo] In 1947 my Father (Logging Supervisor) for a major lumber producer in NE CA, still in operations, wrote the Union Handbook for wages, by-laws etc. The heads of both the Union (Local 3074 Sawmill &* Joiners) & the management of the Lumber Co. listed the following; Gyppo Timber Feller (Sets) $4.49 per Mbf. These people whose experience in the Logging industry came from the 1900's & was still used in 1985 when the Logging department was finally farmed out to the local Gyppo Logging Co. My father worked in the Logging & Lumber industry for over 55 years & was the Sierra Cascade Logging Conference president in 1952 & 1955. So I can listen to all the Faller's out there with their explanations but as a Gyppo Feller/Bucker myself for 17 years I will stick with my Father's knowledge. By the way, go ask your English teacher which is correct. (Iit's called proper grammer use.)

Well this isn't 1947, its 2015, literacy is more common now...

They are mostly called cutters, or fallers at least here on the west coast.

On the east coast where things are a little, different, they sometimes still use feller, but from what I've seen on youtube, and talking to some folks from back east, these east coast fellers would have a hard days hoe to keep up on the west coast. Not saying that all east coast cutters are inept or anything, just some of the methods of the past should probably be left in the past.

I appreciate your spelling of gyppo correctly though
 
It's feller.

It's not called a "faller buncher"!

Feller is a traditional name for someone who cuts down trees.
 
It's feller.

It's not called a "faller buncher"!

Feller is a traditional name for someone who cuts down trees.
Rotflmfao It is so funny, I remember way back in early 80s seeing the term feller and wondering what science teacher or who ever came up with the term. I have known so many fellers that never even put a saw in their hands :laugh: An argument can be made that there are fellers out there that are not fallers but their are fallers who mostly are fellers. Their are arborist like me who are also faller fellers but at the end of the day there is still fellers that have never cut a tree. Watcha top knot feller :rolleyes:
 
[photo="medium"]2578[/photo] In 1947 my Father (Logging Supervisor) for a major lumber producer in NE CA, still in operations, wrote the Union Handbook for wages, by-laws etc. The heads of both the Union (Local 3074 Sawmill &* Joiners) & the management of the Lumber Co. listed the following; Gyppo Timber Feller (Sets) $4.49 per Mbf. These people whose experience in the Logging industry came from the 1900's & was still used in 1985 when the Logging department was finally farmed out to the local Gyppo Logging Co. My father worked in the Logging & Lumber industry for over 55 years & was the Sierra Cascade Logging Conference president in 1952 & 1955. So I can listen to all the Faller's out there with their explanations but as a Gyppo Feller/Bucker myself for 17 years I will stick with my Father's knowledge. By the way, go ask your English teacher which is correct. (Iit's called proper grammer use.)
Thats pretty cool. Its still in making the trees fall that is important. Once its on the ground it doesn't matter how it got there anymore. No past tense needed. I am going to make that tree fall. I'm going to make that tree fell.
 
It's feller.

It's not called a "faller buncher"!

Feller is a traditional name for someone who cuts down trees.

thats cause a buncha fellers came up with it, and a bunch of other fellers have to work on em, one feller has to run it to make a bunch of cash to pay for all them other fellers to keep it running...
 
Haha. After running a buncher I'd never go back to cutting by hand. What I'd cut in a full day that thing can drop in an hour... all the while listening to the radio with the A/C or heater going :D
 
My contract with the State says "Faller".

Yeah, my USFS one says Class I *Faller*. I had a variety of options, but that pays the best, and I think the pay scale speaks for itself. I don't know an east coast guy who has only worked the east coast that's a Class I faller, which also speaks for itself. I don't count myself as a left coaster. I've worked there in the past and will probably roll in in August to the left coast to help with the worst part of the fire season. Those guys know the best and safest ways to put a tree on the ground, in pretty much any condition.
 
Fallers refer to each other as "fallers". In most professions it's respectful to call professionals what they call themselves, a surgeon is a doctor but prefers "surgeon". Walk onto a dirt job at lunch and ask to speak to the road grader operator, you won't get much help but say "say hey who's the Bladehand" . Guy with a cowboy hat driving a pick-up could be a cowboy but the guy on a horse working cows is a Buckaroo. It boils down to the respect of the professions. Oh don't call a cop Barney Fife they like Police Officer Sir. Ken not Keneth
 
If I call the office and ask them to send me two fallers I get two men with saws.
If I call the office and ask for two fellers I get two Timbcos.

The language changes from place to place and even from job to job. It really doesn't matter. Most of the guys I work with prefer being called fallers but, since they don't really care about other people's opinions and won't take you seriously anyway if you're not part of the tribe, you're free to hang any kind of label you want on them. Within reason. Good luck.
 
Same here sir
Faller get this
518390833_08c11e886b.jpg


Ask for a feller ,get this
2014-07-169506-19-1695117 (2) madil.jpg
 
Saftey first always, but why the high stumps? Back east I dig around the stump to cut it as low as I can on High grade oak. Of course there is a HUGE differance in the tally at the end of the day . Around here if you chop 10,000 bf INT rule a day you have done good. Average dbh on hardwood is 20" Good white pine will average 800 - 1200 bf per tree.

I never understood why someone would go through the work of digging out around a tree to add a foot of curly crappy grain on the butt of a nice clear oak.. walnut, maybe..

One reason for the high stumping out west is in line with what I just said. Try really steering a good tall side leaner down in that ghetto grain and things probably won't go as planned. Get up a few feet into straight grain and you got something to work with.. butt flair too, time is $..
 
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