The Neighbors

[Fronty Owner]

Earlier today, I heard a saw running. looked out and my neighbor across the road is taking down a dead magnolia. not a bit of PPE on. Not sure what model, but it was a Stihl. Farm hand, ranch hand, something like that is what I could see on the bar.
Anyway, he cuts on the notch from a both sides of the tree. Kicks it a few times, saws on it some more, and finally gets it. Looks like the plan is to drop the tree parallel to the road to the north.
Starts his back cut about three inches below his notch and angles it down. Gets most of the way to the notch (atleast on my side). Desides he's too low. Moves up about a foot and starts cutting again.
I glance off from watching him thru my blind so Im not sure what happened, but I heard the tree pop and looked back, he was about 20 ft from the tree and his saw was laying half way. a few moments later, it popped again and fell southeast.
Luckily, there was no traffic and the tree kicked back about 5 feet. No one hurt, but from the first cut, I could tell this guy knew less about felling than I know.
I know I should have gone to help, but with the sue happy world, I didn't. just enjoyed the show. Thought I would share with you guys.

 

[Grouchy old man]

Video would have been nice. opcorn:

 

[derwoodii]

Earlier today, I heard a saw running. looked out and my neighbor across the road is taking down a dead magnolia. not a bit of PPE on. Not sure what model, but it was a Stihl. Farm hand, ranch hand, something like that is what I could see on the bar.
Anyway, he cuts on the notch from a both sides of the tree. Kicks it a few times, saws on it some more, and finally gets it. Looks like the plan is to drop the tree parallel to the road to the north.
Starts his back cut about three inches below his notch and angles it down. Gets most of the way to the notch (atleast on my side). Desides he's too low. Moves up about a foot and starts cutting again.
I glance off from watching him thru my blind so Im not sure what happened, but I heard the tree pop and looked back, he was about 20 ft from the tree and his saw was laying half way. a few moments later, it popped again and fell southeast.
Luckily, there was no traffic and the tree kicked back about 5 feet. No one hurt, but from the first cut, I could tell this guy knew less about felling than I know.
I know I should have gone to help, but with the sue happy world, I didn't. just enjoyed the show. Thought I would share with you guys.

this is tough call stepping in may only make things worse as fools will often defend poor work by argument or by willfully doing more and standing back makes you feel bad if harm done to others etc

 

[Raintree]

Playing with dangerous power tools that you know nothing about is exciting. :msp_tongue:

 

[SawTroll]

Playing with dangerous power tools that you know nothing about is exciting. :msp_tongue:

Can be a lot of fun, until:jawdrop::greenchainsaw: .

 

[OLD MAN GRINDER]

this is tough call stepping in may only make things worse as fools will often defend poor work by argument or by willfully doing more and standing back makes you feel bad if harm done to others etc

Very true, u will usually get the (i know what i'm doing), thank god no one was hurt..


Bob....

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Like Clint told Hal

"Man's just got to know his limitations."

Fortunate for your neighbor his genes are still in the pool.

Take Care

 

[computeruser]

If someone asks, I'll tell them. Heck, might even help them. But otherwise, they're on their own, free to make good choices or bad choices or whatever.

 

[Fronty Owner]

Video would have been nice. opcorn:

I thought about it after the tree fell the wrong way. Not even much wind out of the south either...

this is tough call stepping in may only make things worse as fools will often defend poor work by argument or by willfully doing more and standing back makes you feel bad if harm done to others etc

For the most part, the rest of the neighbors are pretty good. These neighbors have some annoying habits. They moved in a couple years ago, so no one really knows how to take them yet. (I was the next newest neighbor and I've been here 11 years now).

Even my wife asked me a couple times if I thought this guy knew what he was doing.

 

[Bowwow122]

Last year my neighbor almost crushed his house. He had 2 four wheel drive
pickups tied together with a tow strap with another tow strap about 15
feet off of the ground in the tree (large maple). He was pounding what
appeared to be water pipe in the cut while they pulled. After breaking the
tow straps several times he somehow managed to get it to fall away
from his house.
I am sure lots of beer was involved, I know a couple of my friends and
myself drank several while watching.
His wife was smart enough to leave (otherwise I would have been a little
more concerned).
He is of the type that thinks he knows all there is to know about everything.
If he would have cut a couple of the larger branches toward the house it
would have came down without a problem.
I still don't know why he cut it down it was perfectly healthy as far as I
could tell.
I used to work for a tree service for about 5 years so I do have a little
knowledge in dropping trees.

 

[Fronty Owner]

Im not sure why someone would cut down a good tree.
Then again, I thought my tree looked healthy until it split and leaned against the house. I can't say it really fell on the house as you could stand on the roof and touch the tree.
the neighbors tree was dead. actually, the other two look pretty bad too. A couple summers ago, the drought was tough on them. my Magnolia is still looking healthy other than where the power company hacked a chunk out of the middle for the street light power.