Freak Accident going to cost me 1700.00-1800.00 dollars yesterday
I've been doing a lot of property clean up of standing dead timber for the free wood. Almost everything we have been taking down is in small one to two acre woodlots were cattle have stood for years and the high concentration of manure has started killing all the timber.
I will not let any of my crew fall these, mainly due to liability, tops are often dead, half rotten and dangerous, I do all the falling of these trees, for safety of the crews sake, plus I don't know if I'm any better but have a lot more expierence falling than my guys. We usually will drop them and then skid them up to a central landing, where both splitters are set up, the trailer and trucks also set in that general area.
Due to always being behind we usually will work after church on Sunday, I make it optional, not a requirement to respect everyones different religious beliefs. Yesterday one big post oak out all by its lonesome, looks like it had been a lighting casualty. Prolly some where in the 36-38" dbh, my oldest son pulls his wood truck up to within about 25 yards from where we think the outermost branches will hit. We even mentioned about backing it up a little farther, but he decided to be nice so my old butt wouldn't have to pack the 460 so far.
I proceed to fall this tree, great hinge, it's like it's a perfect drop, very controlled almost in slow motion, when it hit the ground one of the big top branches, prolly about 6-8" goes cartwheeling thru the air and flys like 25 yards, hits the truck in the grill, flops up on the hood and dang near knocks the windshield in.
It's his wood truck, a 2003 Chevy K3500 4x4 with a flat bed dump, the truck was literally immaculate for it's age. Liability only, took it to the body shop this morning, new grill, new drivers headlight assembly, new hood and windshield. I guess the man upstairs was sending a message, first time I've ever really suffered any vehicle or serious equipment damage. But there are two blessings in this story, the first no one got hurt, vehicles can be fixed, and the second while at the little local country auto repair shop, while getting an estimate I notice he is using a Hardy OWB to heat his house and his wife's beauty shop, I aske who cuts his wood, he says "I do" but I'm just way behind, been busier than ever at the shop." So it looks like all it's will wind up costing me is for all the parts and paint, and windshield. I'm trading out wood for the labor portion of the bill, the only downside is he wants all hedge and I hate cutting hedge, but it's better than cash out of pocket.
At least the son was talking too me within an hour of it occurring, he takes a lot of pride in his work trucks appearance, he was so pizzed when it happened he wouldn't speak for an hour.
Never think you know it all, no matter how long you've been doing it, keep them trucks, tractors, saws, equipment and people way back when falling. Be safe, happy cutting, expect the unexpected!