Was humbled a little today

[wdchuck]

Cutting on a tree line this weekend, owner wants everything bared, so it was more of brush, junk cutting, throw it all in the field for him to pile with a tractor.

Come to a crooked box elder, two stems, road is 15' away, and dropping the trees there(in the road) working alone is not an option, so I go home and get the pole saw, top it safely and then drop the road leaner, okay no problem, the other stem was leaning towards the field, but up higher most of the top was leaning towards the road, and the wind was going towards the road. Hmmm, which way will it go, so I get a strap and tie it to a limb and then to a stump on the field side, just in case, cut out an open notch, then do the back cut, end cutting right over the notch by the time I take a step back and look, no movement and there's less than 2" of wood remaining until it's a through cut. While I'm at this moment of looking at it, there's this brief flash of sense to go pull on the strap and it'll fall right over, instead I put the saw back in and cut some more, see the tiniest movement and pull the saw and myself back, before half a step is done, the tree drops straight down on the cut and pogo sticks right down in-between the the stump and myself.

Can you say LUCKY.

How big was the tree?, each stem was less than 12" off the stump, and overall height was less than 20', big enough to hurt, that's for sure, despite a full complement of PPE.

Thought I'd swallow my pride a little and share.

 

[PA Plumber]

Thanks for another "heads up" warning. I don't think we can get too many of those!!

With a friend this past Saturday. He wanted to drop a bunch of trees. No problem, we have a bunch to drop. He is working on a 14" DBH Red Maple. Notch better than half and over cut the hinge (less than 1/4 of holding wood). It was a small tree and I wasn't watching. Walked over, saw what was going on, tapped him on the shoulder, told him to pull the saw.

I expained to him we definitely had a situation. I took a step back to look things over again and he started to saw the tree?!? I yelled to get back. He just got the saw out and the tree slipped off the stump to his right, dug a bunch of frozen ground and fell in front of him.

No one was hurt, but my heart was in my throat for a while. I showed him the stump, explained what had happened and he said. No problem, it fell didn't it. Man, that tree was at least 60' tall and would have crushed a leg at least.

That was the last tree dropped that day. Time to go Home!!

 

[sawinredneck]

Wedges, Wedges, Wedges!!!!!! Need I say more?

 

[Husky137]

Wedges, Wedges, Wedges!!!!!! Need I say more?

Wedges!!!


And a complete plan of execution.

 

[Ianab]

Wedges, Wedges, Wedges!!!!!! Need I say more?

Wedges.. and never cut all the way through your hinge wood.

Glad you are OK wdchuck.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Butch(OH)]

Thank God you were given that lesson at no cost. May I repete the above advise? WEDGES!!

 

[Adkpk]

Thanks for the heads up. Sometimes they just don't go the way you planned. Got to be ready to run like hell. I have had good luck for a while now, time for something to go wrong, now I'll be more aware. Good one.