Bucking: What I learned today.

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If you go to youtube and watch that video there, the title is "Will's First Tree". That explains a lot but I'm not very good at reading stressed limbs either. That's why I carry 2 saws. One to get stuck and the other to cut it out. I've never managed to get them both stuck at the same time.

Ian

You are still young Ian, there is still time.
 
It speaks for itself. :givebeer:

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You mean this video that I already posted?
 
Reading this thread made me think...here in fla, its pretty flat and you always end up with a bunch of trees where the whole trunk in laying flat on the ground. i've seen a lot of people get their chains in the dirt when bucking trees like this when they're too big to roll. any secret to keeping this from happening?

One has to use a little Zen, and become one with the saw...do it enough and you will learn when to hold back the saw just a bit, and then complete the last fraction of an inch gently, and not hit the ground.
 
Reading this thread made me think...here in Fla, its pretty flat and you always end up with a bunch of trees where the whole trunk in laying flat on the ground. I've seen a lot of people get their chains in the dirt when bucking trees like this when they're too big to roll. any secret to keeping this from happening?

I have wrecked my back 7 years ago, and bending over is pretty much out for me. I use my loader tractor with a tine bucket used for loading manure, and lift up what ever I'm cutting about 2 1/2' of clearance from the ground, makes it nice for cutting. I put the bucket under 12' to 15' up from one end of the tree.
I usually start at the top, limning, until I have to bend over, then lift it up, and finish limning. I then work my way down, the rest of the tree. Depending on the size of the tree, I usually try and get in the middle of the remaining log, lift the whole thing up.
While cutting, I go from end to end, cutting a few blocks off, until it starts to dip lower at the other end, then go to the other end, to keep the log balanced, so the one end doesn't dip down too far, and keeps it on the bucket. To Finnish cutting the width of the 4' bucket, I try and shift the log so that I cut through in between the tines of the bucket.
Bruce.


:greenchainsaw: :chainsaw:
 
If you go to youtube and watch that video there, the title is "Will's First Tree". That explains a lot but I'm not very good at reading stressed limbs either. That's why I carry 2 saws. One to get stuck and the other to cut it out. I've never managed to get them both stuck at the same time.

Ian

Ian. Your lucky. I have had 3 chainsaws stuck, in a tree with a trunk 28" across. Standing there with the fourth chainsaw which was a Mini Mac, trying to figure out how in the world I was going to get my other saws out. This saw was too small, so I had to get my limning axe, try and put in the closed saw cut, and drive it in with my splitting axe, to loosen enough to put in 3 wedges, and was able to loosen a chain saw a little to be able to pull it out. I then was able to get the other 2 out. What a chore. Bruce.
 
Thanks for the tips guys. compared to most on here i'm probably pretty inexperienced, so i'll take all the good advice i can get.:cheers:
 
Reading this thread made me think...here in fla, its pretty flat and you always end up with a bunch of trees where the whole trunk in laying flat on the ground. i've seen a lot of people get their chains in the dirt when bucking trees like this when they're too big to roll. any secret to keeping this from happening?

1: See if you can get the tree to land on previously cut logs or branches, or leave enough on the tree coming down to hold it off the ground. Easy sawing, then.

2. Keep your saw parallel to the ground at the finish of the cut. Saw body should be on the ground, flat and level, then your log is almost finished.

3. When using step 2 (above) in a spot that will pinch your saw, learn to ream the kerf as you proceed through the cut. When the top gap is closed, cut on through!

4. If there is a large air gap between the ground and your log (in a cut that will pinch), just start at the bottom, and cut up to the top. If not quite enough room to clear the dirt, start it with a boring cut, then go up.

There are probably lots of other methods I didn't think of, but that is a good start.
 
On logs too big to roll but are flat on the ground.

Cut down to almost the ground (keep the kerf open with wedge or reaming) for 4 or 5 cuts. On the last cut 'baby' the saw through the last little bit so the chain isn't going mach speed as it contacts the dirt. Short throttle blips so chain is just barely moving. Now roll over the section with the partial cuts and finish them.
It is a rare tree that doesn't have clearance somewhere along the length allowing you to finish cutting through without hitting dirt.

Harry K
 
On logs too big to roll but are flat on the ground.

Cut down to almost the ground (keep the kerf open with wedge or reaming) for 4 or 5 cuts. On the last cut 'baby' the saw through the last little bit so the chain isn't going mach speed as it contacts the dirt. Short throttle blips so chain is just barely moving. Now roll over the section with the partial cuts and finish them.
It is a rare tree that doesn't have clearance somewhere along the length allowing you to finish cutting through without hitting dirt.

Harry K

Yeah, I said that back a few posts also; you can lay down some wood to keep the log off the dirt before felling, or am I missing something?
 
Yep, No doubt I'll have an 076 and a 660 stuck and be standing there with my 346 wondering what the heck to do next. ROFL

Ian

Well, if you are ever at another PNW thing, I could do a demo on getting stuck, yelling a little, then hiking down the cutbank to get a wedge and bar wrench and taking off the bar while still in log, saying more words, then getting bar out sans chain, saying more bad words while untangling new chain...etc. :)
 
Well, if you are ever at another PNW thing

Unfortunately, that one time was our "to hell with the savings account, Let's go see Warshington and Oregun before California burns'em down" trip. Unlikely to see a repeat performance of that for a long long time. :cry:

Ian
 
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Reading this thread made me think...here in fla, its pretty flat and you always end up with a bunch of trees where the whole trunk in laying flat on the ground. i've seen a lot of people get their chains in the dirt when bucking trees like this when they're too big to roll. any secret to keeping this from happening?


After a while you learn to tell where the dirt is and not. I can cut stuff on the ground all day and keep it out of the dirt for the most part. learn to feel where the wood ends and the bark begins...

As for bucking top compression, I usually ream, easiest for me.
 
If you go to youtube and watch that video there, the title is "Will's First Tree". That explains a lot but I'm not very good at reading stressed limbs either. That's why I carry 2 saws. One to get stuck and the other to cut it out. I've never managed to get them both stuck at the same time.

Ian

I do that too. Always have two saws if I'm alone. If I'm with someone else and don't have a spare something always breaks so I always keep a spare.:cheers:

Kyle
 
If you go to youtube and watch that video there, the title is "Will's First Tree". That explains a lot but I'm not very good at reading stressed limbs either. That's why I carry 2 saws. One to get stuck and the other to cut it out. I've never managed to get them both stuck at the same time.

Ian


Statements like that will cause the chainsaw Gods to smite you Ian. Nice chainsaw Gods; kind chainsaw Gods.

There were 2 stuck at Tim's place. Ask Lake. A Husky and Dolmar I think... maybe not by accident!
 
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In this thread so far, no one has said to stand to one side of the saw and never over the chain when bucking.
 

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