I think he's doing OK but over simplifies the task. Especially for Harry Homeowner.I like my hinge to be a good bit wider. With the lean of his tree and a litle wind his hinge could twist, or if the canopy hangs up a little. I think the biggest safety issue I have is he's showing you how to do it by yourself. I would use a buddy and a tag line to pull it over. Even on a tree that small if the lean is just a couple degree's off of his guess, and settles back on the bar, driving a wedge into the cut could make the hinge fail and the cut pop off the stump. The trunk would shoot down into the ground in front of the stump and the tree fall backwards toward the cutter as he stood there with his eyes gaping as the thing came back on him. With a buddy and a tag line, even 8 to 10 feet up you have a little leverage, and if the back cut closed up he could be shown how to walk a wide circle around the Fall Zone and help his buddy pull. If alone I still use a tag line, even on small trees. I'll throw a 1/2" tag line over the highest limb I can reach, or take a 3 piece pole clip and slide a loop up the trunk, then I tie a bowline in the middle of the rope, run the tail around another tree and back through the loop of the bowline making a come-a-long. I know that's a lot of knots and stuff, and equipment Harry doesn't have, but trying to show Harry the quick and easy way is not helping him. You know Harry is going to try the quick easy way on something he shouldn't and get into deep touble. Plus in the vid the feller is wearing chaps, I've never seen them at Home Depot or been refused the sale of a saw if I didn't buy a pair.
I believe there is a story in the fatlities thread now of an expienced man found with a severe cut to the upper body that didn't make it to the hopital in time that was cutting by himself.
I'm not trying to bash the gentileman. He's trying to do something very hard, make a potentially dangerous activity safe for every one. After 4 generations of tree care and 40 years in the business I think my safety awarness is so far beyond the average person on the street they just can't comprehend the possibilities of injury they are getting into, Joe.
