Max tree diameter cut vs bar length?

[Guran]

Thats good advice ATH.
In the second picture you will see that. Before you cut that last part (dark brown) you should put in a wedge.
After that you can take the remaing cut.

 

[woodchuck357]

Good diagram, but the notch could be deeper and ATH is right cut both sides first and the back last. And it is used often, not in extreme situations. Wedges are placed before the last back bit is cut.

 

[Hellbent]

I guess that proves a picture is worth a thousand words! Almost exactly what I tried to explain in my first reply.

NOW that clear things up! ATH you did a great job of explaining it but seeing the picture made it makes sense.

Sure reminds me to present info in a variety of ways for my students in shop class.

I'm famous for all my "graffitti" drawings in soapstone and chalk over everything in the shop. One time the big boss lady (superintendent) of our school district came in for a surprise visit and asked coarsely why i wasn't watching the kids more closely because they were drawing on everything. I told her it was because i was watching them weld instead and i was the one doing the drawing. I explained what one of the drawings represented and she said "neat, well keep up the good work" and shot out of there before she got any sparks on her pants suit!

 

[Guran]

Good diagram, but the notch could be deeper and ATH is right cut both sides first and the back last. And it is used often, not in extreme situations. Wedges are placed before the last back bit is cut.

Yep, I will do that also, when I have leaner.

 

[mdodson60]

I figured this is more of a technique question so it should go here...

What are the "proper guidelines" for how large a diameter tree you can fell / cut vs The bar length of your saw?

What i'm asking is a 30" bar should be able to fell a 60" diameter tree cutting one side and then reposistioning yourself 180 degrees and resuming the original cut in the same direction right? My buddy says that a 30" bar is only supposed to cut up to a 30" tree diameter. That can't possibly be true, especially the guys that work in big timber like the PNW and the eastern shore of Alaska.


My cuttin buddy and i are trying to solve this and i figured i kneed to call for professional backup.

Thanks, Hellbent

A 30" bar should be ok to cut a diameter of 58". Keeping in mind for safe cutting you subtract 2 inches from your bar length. So your 30 inch only cuts 28 inches with minimal risk of kickback.

 

[pdqdl]

I figured this is more of a technique question so it should go here...

What are the "proper guidelines" for how large a diameter tree you can fell / cut vs The bar length of your saw?

What i'm asking is a 30" bar should be able to fell a 60" diameter tree cutting one side and then reposistioning yourself 180 degrees and resuming the original cut in the same direction right? My buddy says that a 30" bar is only supposed to cut up to a 30" tree diameter. That can't possibly be true, especially the guys that work in big timber like the PNW and the eastern shore of Alaska.


My cuttin buddy and i are trying to solve this and i figured i kneed to call for professional backup.

Thanks, Hellbent

It's not about the length of the bar. What counts is the expertise of the cutter and the amount of work they are willing to invest.

Here is my formula:

1. Bar length should always be greater than the tree diameter: This is for newbies that don't know how to match their cuts, experienced operators that are working with a dull saw, and any expert that really hasn't the patience to have his crew watching and waiting. Maybe old timers that don't have the strength to work so hard on felling the tree.
2. Bar length should at least be greater than 1/2 the diameter of the tree: experienced users with a sharp saw that cuts straight, newbies that don't care how much time they waste, or experts that don't want to carry that god-awful heavy saw around all day. Lazy, weak, or idiot cutters should avoid this option.
3. Bar length isn't going to come close to meeting the halfway point: this is for experts on big timber, experienced users that don't happen to have a saw big enough, but still need to get that tree down, and idiots and newbies that don't understand how much risk they are taking and how much time they are wasting. Lazy, weak, or idiot cutters should not use this option.

Bottom line: use what you got to the best of your abilities. If you know you have the wrong equipment, then you should be able to predict your outcome according to the list I described above. Men were cutting down trees of all sizes with nothing but axes, long before saws were invented. Any chainsaw that makes wood chips is able to cut down any tree, given enough time and effort.

I've seen guys take out 36" diameter trees with a 16" Homelite, but it seldom leaves a stump that the experts admire. My very first saw was a McCulloch 10-10s with an 18" bar. I took out a LOT of big trees with it, and I never knew what I was missing out on until I bought my 3120 Husqvarna with a 50" bar. Boy howdy! That saw turned tyrant cottonwood trees into whimpering victims. Still... I've had some stumps that took some creativity to match up the cuts, and not just a few that had to be sliced and diced because I couldn't keep the chain sharp and cutting straight.