Knot in the Hinge

[woodchuck357]

As a farmer, I don't know my trees as well as I should. I didn't cut the hinge off. I set it up and fell it with wedges. It just tore down instead of leaving a hinge. And yes, I did cut the back cut very high (though I do like leaving a bit of stump shot). I try to cut as low to the ground as I can. The side of the face cut was down hill. I then made the back cut above the ground on the up-hill side, resulting in a high back cut. If I took better pictures, it would show that. By the way, thanks guys for informing me that I had my trees mixed up. I'm glad I know that now!

That is the only situation where I make a sloping felling cut! I know if I have to pound a wedge a chip is not going to pop out of the root flare.

 

[Slade McCuiston]

That is the only situation where I make a sloping felling cut! I know if I have to pound a wedge a chip is not going to pop out of the root flare.

I quit making sloping back cuts a few years ago. Before then, I had no clue at all about dropping trees. I'm still learning, but aren't we all? You guys are SO helpful.

 

[haveawoody]

Yep looks like box elder to me also, they are built with rot in the middle.
They just come that way.
When they become a big tree they can be quite a dangerous thing to drop.