t613
ArboristSite Operative
I have casually cut down various trees over the past 20 years for myself and others. My count is probably somewhere around 250 trees (not many, I know...). I have never had a problem with the dropping of trees of most sizes (from saplings to 40" oaks) and getting them to go basically where I want them to fall.
Recently I saw a video produced by Stihl on saw maint. and operation. From it I learned that I do an "open face" cut on the side of the tree I want it to go, and my own type of back cut. As I said, I do an open face, but about 3/8 of the way through the tree (instead of the 20-25% in the Stihl video). On the back cut, I do not do the horizontal "2 inches higher than the apex of the open face cut". I have always done the back cut starting about 5-6" higher than the apex and on a downward angle to meet the apex on the front cut. Except for an occasional bar pinch (which I imagine would happen with the prescribed horizontal back cut also), are there any other reasons I should stop cutting this way?
I started doing it this way (as I said, no formal training) because it seemed to make sense. On the occasion the tree would fall backwards (opposite of the way I wanted it to go), it would pinch the bar or at least fall against my angled backstop until I could get the oomph from a rope or whatever to pull it the desired way.
Can any of you guys shed some light on this for me? Do any of you guys have your own way of doing it, or do you follow what Stihl and others suggest. Any input from experienced saw gods would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Tim
Recently I saw a video produced by Stihl on saw maint. and operation. From it I learned that I do an "open face" cut on the side of the tree I want it to go, and my own type of back cut. As I said, I do an open face, but about 3/8 of the way through the tree (instead of the 20-25% in the Stihl video). On the back cut, I do not do the horizontal "2 inches higher than the apex of the open face cut". I have always done the back cut starting about 5-6" higher than the apex and on a downward angle to meet the apex on the front cut. Except for an occasional bar pinch (which I imagine would happen with the prescribed horizontal back cut also), are there any other reasons I should stop cutting this way?
I started doing it this way (as I said, no formal training) because it seemed to make sense. On the occasion the tree would fall backwards (opposite of the way I wanted it to go), it would pinch the bar or at least fall against my angled backstop until I could get the oomph from a rope or whatever to pull it the desired way.
Can any of you guys shed some light on this for me? Do any of you guys have your own way of doing it, or do you follow what Stihl and others suggest. Any input from experienced saw gods would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Tim