Cutting dead trees?

[beastmaster]

Yesterday I removed 30 big Alders around a warehouse. Most were crunchy dead. I cut them all from the ground, and had a excavator pushing on them when needed. I had a lot of trees to experiment with.
I at first tried doing a snap cut being they were so dead, but that caused them to barberchair. I then started using a face cut but the holding wood wood snap as soon as they were pushed. It was an open area so I could drop them at any angle to prevent them from twisting. Otherwise it would of been crazy and impossible to try and directional cut them as they go where the weight is when that holding wood snaps.
I finally settled on cutting out the middle of the hinge and doing a bore cut. This seemed best but not to say good.
Some of the other crew guys wanted to drop some, but I felt like the potential for an accident was to great if taken to lightly.(plus I like to drop trees:hmm3grin2orange
So how do you guys cut a dead tree down(from the ground)?

 

[SquirrelMan]

Yesterday I removed 30 big Alders around a warehouse. Most were crunchy dead. I cut them all from the ground, and had a excavator pushing on them when needed. I had a lot of trees to experiment with.
I at first tried doing a snap cut being they were so dead, but that caused them to barberchair. I then started using a face cut but the holding wood wood snap as soon as they were pushed. It was an open area so I could drop them at any angle to prevent them from twisting. Otherwise it would of been crazy and impossible to try and directional cut them as they go where the weight is when that holding wood snaps.
I finally settled on cutting out the middle of the hinge and doing a bore cut. This seemed best but not to say good.
Some of the other crew guys wanted to drop some, but I felt like the potential for an accident was to great if taken to lightly.(plus I like to drop trees:hmm3grin2orange
So how do you guys cut a dead tree down(from the ground)?

whats a face cut?....
seriously Im a noob but if the tree is close to the house and real dead, I just pass :jester:

otherwise i just make the same open face with a rope in the top (or where ever towards the top that doesnt seem too brittle) and cut it real slow while the guys pull it... and get ready to leave if it goes wrong. No issues yet

 

[pro94lt]

High Ranger

 

[Dannicus]

Get a rope at the top to pull, cut a slightly smaller scarf, make a bore cut then the back cut...should help with the barberchair problem.

 

[TreeSurfer]

dude we get some nasty dead rotten trees here in the pacific. soft wood to begin with and add the rot and dead wood you have all kinda of issues. last week we dropped 3 large wattle trees. first one started to hinge over fine but halfway through the fall it did a twisty thing and barberchaired like a candy cane. i wish i woulda gotten video. the last 2 we started bore cutting with open faced notches. worked like a charm.

 

[beastmaster]

dude we get some nasty dead rotten trees here in the pacific. soft wood to begin with and add the rot and dead wood you have all kinda of issues. last week we dropped 3 large wattle trees. first one started to hinge over fine but halfway through the fall it did a twisty thing and barberchaired like a candy cane. i wish i woulda gotten video. the last 2 we started bore cutting with open faced notches. worked like a charm.

That's the conclusion I came up with too. I also split the holding wood in the middle throu the face cut, and that seemed to help some. Bottom line is be careful working with that dead stuff. If the trunk don't get you, something might break off and fall on you from above.