So this is your sign folks .
Yes he, Bjarne Butler; is respected by all except those who see him as some type of intellectual competition, yet again you get a few folks full of themselves trying to some how move to the top of some imaginary stack defined by them. Here is another fellow well respected, check out the response to this one.
That will be yet another "sign" is my guess.
You can learn more from a guy like this than all the BS online from any of the self proclaimed experts. In fact especially the self proclaimed experts. Wonder how many Ya-buts are in here.
A video most should watch and internalize
CAREFULL who you get advice from. Should avoid the on line ego types and find some one local who knows your world, buyers, type of timber, and equipment.
John Adler On Swing Cutting With A Humboldt. Terrible audio, but points to the Achilles heel of a few things related.
the problem with the Adler guy, he talks to ****ing much, all round and round stories to basically say do it his way because he said so.
I've watched a handful or well tried to watch a handful of his videos. Frankly its the same tired east coast BS and he's playing off his farmer logging like its something no one else has ever been successful at, leaving a strap on just about every tree... really? Not sticking with one when you need to steer it a little, man GTFO.
Straps/triggers are really only useful on hard leaning timber, otherwise its pointless time wasting drivel.
As for sticking with the tree.. . when your trees are over 90' tall on average accuracy can be the difference between getting paid and starving, is it risky, absolutely, but its what the job requires. Should your average firewood sport faller try it NEVER, but it don't matter if firewood breaks. matters quite a lot when 90' or more of marketable lumber is smashed into kindling.
Sticking with the stump is doubly important when swinging trees, its also even more dangerous, but he is correct, never swing one that you can't afford to have go wrong, its a tool, but like a harbor freight adjustable wrench, it might get you out of a jam, but its probably going to break something when it fails.
Sure, you can say my ego is at work here, and thats fine, but I have learned from many a damned good cutter, and I do my best to pass that knowledge on to others without being a prick about it.
nothing worse then some old codger declaring themselves an expert because they did it and got old at it and they've been here and there and everywhere, except where you are... yawn.... there are dozens, nay 1000's of ways to do it wrong and still grow old
And yes, I'm sure that dude has a few nuggets of wisdom to pass on, everyone does, but really, his methods are very much HIS WAY and to be taken with a great deal of salt.