?'s for you Humboldt masters.

[RandyMac]

You may have something there Randy, but falling uphill should be avoided if at all possible, even then, well planned escape routes are the fallers best defense against trees sliding downhill.
Gypo

There is a fair amount of stuff that trees do when they tip over, stored energy is one of them. If the butt hits the ground just before the trunk, it's more likely to stay put, the more of the tree in contact with the ground, at impact, the less chance it will do something funny. The Humboldt will slide the butt off the stump, not always the case with the conventional.

 

[Gypo Logger]

I use the humbolt anytime I'm felling down hill. traditional notch gives you more of a but end bounce than vs. the humbolt

In truth, I think it is what we were taugh and what we grew up with.
The mechanics of the notch is much the same, and it's our well placed cuts and escape planning that keeps us alive more than whether we take the wedge out of the stump or the butt.
I've also noticed that those who prefer the Humbolt generaly cut high stumps, known as "backache Barneys", Lol.
Also, those that prefer the Humbolt probably never had to buy the stumpage.
The reverse Humbolt doesn't seem to command much respect since they now call it the "pie cut." Lol
John

 

[Gypo Logger]

There is a fair amount of stuff that trees do when they tip over, stored energy is one of them. If the butt hits the ground just before the trunk, it's more likely to stay put, the more of the tree in contact with the ground, at impact, the less chance it will do something funny. The Humboldt will slide the butt off the stump, not always the case with the conventional.

Makes sense Randy. I've used the Humbolt on smaller trees because I found it faster.
John

 

[RandyMac]

Did I hear something about high stumps?

There are reasons why stumps are high, bad backs are one of them
Sometimes, they just gotta be high.

 

[Anthony_Va.]

High stumps.

I have to cut them high all the time. Usually around neck high as the rest will be full of wire. I do alot of cutting old growth from fence lines. I hate wire in wood. Some of these really old fences have no post. They have long since rotted away and everything is just nailed to trees.

You can get a good estimation on when the fence was built by averaging the age of a few trees in it.

 

[madhatte]

I use whatever cut seems appropriate to the situation. Yesterday I used a humboldt on a burning snag; the butt jumped off the stump into the black, preventing laddering. All I had to do then was soak the stump to call the smoke contained.

 

[Wow]

The Humbolt is more for the benefit of the mill and the logging contractor than it is for the faller.
The Humbolt is rarely seen east of the rockies. You simply can't get a stump low enough with the Humbolt when cutting highgrade without rocking out.
I think the Humbolt was designed more as a production device than anything else, as the wedge is taken out of the stump as opposed to the butt log, thus eliminating one more flush cut out of the butt log.
Screw the limp wristed Humbolt! Lol
John

I guess I'm kind of a cheater. For a long time the Humboldt was the best of the best but since I'm not as young as the rest my big heavy saw was dropping out. Well, I resorted to a smaller saw to help. That didn't give me the consistency I demand of myself. Then, out of frustration I cut the standard face cut which I can cut very precise and took a look at my work. Since I'm my boss I decided to cut another angle. That cut placed on the bottom similar to a Humboldt. Now I had something near the 60 -30 = 90% open face cut. That was double work but fun to experiment with. If not done correctly you end up with a ridge or Dutchman where the flat stump should be. It's easy to fix that with the saw. Now that I've bought the new Echo 490 I trying to cut trees 24 inches and down. My 70 year old body likes the lighter saw and 18 to 24 inch trees feel about right. I did get the big saw out a few months ago for a 48 incher. But somehow those trees just ain't as much fun anymore.

 

[RandyMac]

Block
Humboldt
open with snipe

Avoid excessive stump shot.