direction of fall

[woodfarmer]

which way should this maple tree fall?, trunk of tree bows south, 20" dia approx 40', the branches all lean to the north side of tree, bottom branch to tip approx 30'

 

[stihlatit]

Pictures please.

 

[woodfarmer]

pictures won't be available till next week

 

[stihlatit]

Okay because pictures will surely help from all angles.

 

[logbutcher]

Make it Go Where You Want It

which way should this maple tree fall?, trunk of tree bows south, 20" dia approx 40', the branches all lean to the north side of tree, bottom branch to tip approx 30'

The DBH is ?
Anyhow, you should be able to put the tree anywhere you want. Skidder plow, front end bucket both can 'push' the trunk in the direction you want. Even come-alongs tied as high as you can get. All the "old" way.
Best way though is to use the correct combo of cuts--open mouth, and back cut bore--WITH wedges. Look up the Game of Logging (GOL) or CPL (Certified Professional Logger) programs that train the way to fell any tree where you want it.
I don't use anything anymore but good cuts, planning, and plenty of wedges. No barber chairs, no unpredictable felling, no hangups, and it's all safer and faster.

 

[windthrown]

Agreed on direction...

Unless there is a really steep slant to the tree, you should be able to drop it where you want to. I have used tractor buckets and bulldozer blades to push trees over where I want them to land in tight spots. Lately I have been pretty good picking a spot and trying to get within a foot or two of where I want a tree to fall with just chainsaw cuts and maybe a wedge here or there. If it hangs or becomes unstable or is in a tight spot, I put the tractor bucket on it about 6 feet up and push it over. Some trees are so bent over that there is no choice as to where to drop them. Madrones and maples grow at fairly sharp angles around here, and often there is only 20 degrees of angle that you can fell them on.

As the local sawyers here say, if a tree has not split open and spun completely around and fallen 180 degrees of where you wanted it, while landing right on your chainsaw, well, then you do not have enough experience yet

 

[smokechase II]

directional control

A 20" tree, 40 feet tall (be clear on dimensions), with solid wood to work with.............
There could be many answers to this question.

When you take the photos, see if you can put a weight on a string, (plumb bob - could be a budget one made with a rock), and place it a couple feet in front of the camera to indicate the lean. The string doesn't need to be in focus. Just there will be fine.

Many camera lenses will distort near the edge of the photo, (especially on a wide angle setting). So place the main trunk in the photo center.

This may not have application to your tree, but a general rule is the higher up a directional factor is the greater influence it will have on where the tree is going. I.e., a longer lever arm is more powerful. Again, some caveats here, but consider that many trees have two leans and the upper lean can be the greatest influence. Or the limb weight up high can often overpower the bow down near the butt.

Even with photos we could still be providing marginal advice.

 

[logbutcher]

Roger That !

Even with photos we could still be providing marginal advice.

Big marginals :hmm3grin2orange: Could even kill

Hey, no joke here.

 

[windthrown]

Putting the tree where you want it...

I cut down a 35-40 ft red alder snag today. 32 inch diameter. I cut a wedge, then changed my mind about which way to drop it, and cut another wedge from that side (which seemed heavier in top branches). Then I did a back/second cut above and toward the wedge from the other side, and... nothing happened. Damn thing just sat there. I swore that the heavy side was on the side of the 2nd wedge. I was also past the wedge cut with the back cut by about an inch. It should have fallen over right then. The tree was seemingly perfectly balanced, and was not willing to go over. So... I got on the tractor and pushed the thing over with a nudge of the bucket. Safer that way. Crash, bang, roll, debris flying... job done. It fell right between two other trees... where I wanted it.

It is all firewood now, cut, split and stacked. Maybe 2 (real) cords of wood. Should keep us warm for a while. Damn Stihl 290 (24 inch bar) does not like to run when it is hot though. Cleaned the filter, pulled the plug, checked what little there is to check. Tends to die out and not wanna go when it is hot for some reason. ??? I had to finish with the Echo 14 inch saw today, unwilling to get the 36 inch monster out to finish the small stuff with.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Even with pics it'd be hard to tell, but at least we could get on the right path. The only way to know is to walk up to the tree and decide from there. What's around it? Is this timber, or residential? Flat ground, or on a slope? Are all of your limbs live? Is the wood sound all the way through? Each tree is obviously different, but some rules always apply. Pics don't always paint an accurate picture.

What kind of experience do you have falling trees? Please, please don't take this the wrong way, but if you have to ask, maybe you should get someone on scene to help out.

Jeff

 

[woodfarmer]

fish

the tree is dead, there is hydro lines 40' one way and a highway 40' the other. i didn't have any rope with me so to avoid what windthrown posted above because i can't get the tractor near it, i just left it for now. i do have lots of experience i know which way i'm going to drop it, i just thought i'd put the question up for the members.

 

[clearance]

I cut down a 35-40 ft red alder snag today. 32 inch diameter. So... I got on the tractor and pushed the thing over with a nudge of the bucket. Safer that way.

Does your tractor have guarding, like a roll over protective structure with heavy screen and bars to prevent material, like say a huge chunk of alder from crushing you? I have done land clearing, me with the big saw and the guy with the big excavator that has a hydraulic thumb and most important of all (for him), the logging package (enclosed roll over protective structure, heavy guarding for the machine as well). I have seen snags break as they fell and come over backwards in pieces. I have seen all kinds of unexpected things, like the machine getting hammered by branches and tops, right over buddies protected head. Machines are great for treework, they have to be the right machines, take care of yourself.

 

[Gologit]

Listen to FHCW and Clearance. Both these guys have real-world experience in what you're trying to do. Windthrown sounds like he's a very lucky man but not too experienced and maybe not too bright.

 

[windthrown]

Not too bright?

Not too experienced or too bright? I have dropped a few hundred trees in my day, and I have several advanced university degrees, but what the heck. I will leave this thread to you experts.

Adios and good luck out there...

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Not too experienced or too bright? I have dropped a few hundred trees in my day, and I have several advanced university degrees, but what the heck. I will leave this thread to you experts.

Adios and good luck out there...

C'mon wind, you just joined last month, stick around. AS is all about thick skin.

 

[logbutcher]

Stihl in Heat

Damn Stihl 290 (24 inch bar) does not like to run when it is hot though. Cleaned the filter, pulled the plug, checked what little there is to check. Tends to die out and not wanna go when it is hot for some reason.

Most of the MS Stihls have "winter" and "summer" air positions for the carb air flow. Had the same problem with my MS260, until I read the manual :deadhorse: Also, check the kind of summer or winter filter you got. The fleece filter for warm weather cutting may look clean, but cannot pass air I did not say that Herr Stihl.:greenchainsaw:

 

[windthrown]

Thanks for the tip...

I will re-read my Stihl 290/310/390 owners manual and see if I can keep her going in winter/summer mode.

In the meantime I fired up an Olympic backup mid-size saw with a 25 inch bar. Older odd brand saw, made in Italy w/o a chain brake. Runs good though, even after sitting around for 4 years unused. As I am apparently not too bright, I will see if I can cut my foot off with it or something. :greenchainsaw:

 

[jomoco]

which way should this maple tree fall?, trunk of tree bows south, 20" dia approx 40', the branches all lean to the north side of tree, bottom branch to tip approx 30'

Why mess around or guess?

Use a throw bag to get a bull line through a good crotch. Make your felling cut leaving sufficient hinge wood to hold it in place. Then pull, winch or come along the tree over exactly where you want it.

This is the safest surest way to put a dead tree where you want it.

Beware of stacking more than two or three wedges to fall a tree or pounding wedges into a dead tree with out a spotter to give warning of falling branches.

Play it safe, it's worth the effort!

jomoco

 

[woodfarmer]

day in Bobcaygeon

ok here are the pictures i know everyone has been waiting for, the straighter tree, tied the rope, notched, dad pulled rope tight(since they are his trees), back cut, hung up as expected, 04 gmc, chian pulled tree down, no problem. the leaner however is either going to take the winch to pull it a long way back or we may have to get it topped. ps check out the day in bobcaygeon thread in chainsaw for the 066 pics

 

[woodfarmer]

lost a picture

here it is