Bill G
ArboristSite King
We have a different name ...not too PC though.
When dropping a tree, what are you guys watching??
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An ax tipped into the kerf is a good indicator. A step up from the wedge.
yeah, but axes are heavy lol... but they do work better.
At least best coasters know such things. Many east coast guys are still stumpjumping with 20" bars. & I had never in my time cutting out east seen anyone use an indicator in the kerf. Aside from sticks in the face, since peering around a MASSIVE 24dbh" tree to see your corner is soo difficult & time consuming.
But hey, the bees knees top skill technique out there is pounding wedges into kerfs that cant open on head lenders.... & bore cutting/pounding into static kerfs on backleaners....... aka the same "technique" for every tree. YAY!!!
24"=massive... lol
Guess thats why them east coast guys keep insisting we don't need anything more then a 20" bar... **** 24" is about the standard here, anything smaller is killing babies
I don't understand why some folks bore on every tree, even the chair prone species its kinda foolish with every single tree, if yer side falling, or back falling, whats that strap going to do? Not a damned thing...
I did find a new technique to me anyway, when pushing with an excavator and its a big scary widow maker ridden hard back leaning SOB, leave a little strap, the machine should have enough grunt to snap it while you are well clear and watching from cover. pretty handy on some of these massive Big leaf maples that are all gangly and brittle
Don't think anyone this around here considers 24" to be a massive tree. Larger then average, sure defintaly not massive.
It was fun to watch a tree go tearing sideways off of its mini face just inside the cambium when the wedges were smushed, & the safety wafety strap was cut. All that work to achieve the same as the old style, bucking em off the stump LOL.
Meanwhile I'm just Sawing dutchmans & quartering everything across the hill. I think people think that a 92cc saw won't pull a 32" bar through "those hardwoods", or something.. they'd learn around me... dog in, gun, dog in, face done, dog in back done. 3 cuts....Aah yes the advantages of some post action in the backcut is recognizable for sure.
I'm just poking fun at having to double side everything the size of a truck tire lol.
Yeah you have that at times, can't say I personally do, but most guys don't want big trees and doesn't seem like the mills around here really want them either so I end up with a lot of bigger stuff. But fortunately 90cc saws don't have issues pulling 36" bars either. Scree making 2 passes.
If there were big ones around, I was cutting them. The pic in my old profile is a 75" poplar that didn't have a straight log in it, but it needed to gooo..
If we're just talking about where I'm looking during the back cut:
It's either the top of the tree OR looking at my bar to make sure I'm where I want to be with the saw...I rarely look at the back cut kerf. Tree top tells you a lot faster what the kerf is doing with the added benefit of seeing anything coming down at me.
It's either the top of the tree OR looking at my bar to make sure I'm where I want to be with the saw...I rarely look at the back cut kerf. Tree top tells you a lot faster what the kerf is doing with the added benefit of seeing anything coming down at me.
I'm watching for my saw bar location in relation to the remaining hinge wood and for even the smallest change in the back cut kerf at the power head.
Once movement is detected than I look up at the tree top.
As an arborist a lot of my more difficult fells are rope pulled from placements high in the tree and redirected by pulleys. Rope is somewhat elastic and once movement starts it usually continues to move. I'm not talking about felling giant redwoods.
Once movement is detected than I look up at the tree top.
As an arborist a lot of my more difficult fells are rope pulled from placements high in the tree and redirected by pulleys. Rope is somewhat elastic and once movement starts it usually continues to move. I'm not talking about felling giant redwoods.
James Sawyer
ArboristSite Operative
Best advice is work with someone experienced for a while, assuming you know how to access the task is key (Type of tree, the size of the stump, weather, weight, the lean, the hinge wood, , your escape or protection position etc. Ropes and jacks whole story in itself). Then put a plan in place, also plan B if things don't work out (what are you going to do, do have enough equipment to place plan B). My advice whatever you do on plan B. "DON'T CUT MORE HINGE". Even in the best situation things happen quick where things aren't prefect. Everyone who falls at times questions some falling situations, problem here in PNW it's all about the lay so experience is key. Even experienced faller things don't go perfect. The direction of fall sets the face cut, is the face clean, from there the assessment is going set the plan on the back cut. It just depends on how much stump you're working with, the type of tree... the lean, do you need to turn it so it not easy to explain what a faller looks for. For me I watch a wedge placed in the back cut kerf or just plain watch the kerf. I don't look up until it starts to move, I don't see the reason unless there is hazard to watch... I'm more worried about it setting back and where my bar is. I always stop and check my position of my bar as I approach about 4" from the hinge on larger tree. How square is my handlebars, I set them as my reference as you approach a critical hinge. That saw referance is going help keep the hinge on it's line. Smaller trees I plunge cut in the hinge, if wedges are needed there placed. Again, plunge cut have their issues too! If you don't have room for your bar and wedge or the wedge is going, be up against the hinges those situations are all in the plan before any cuts are made. If you have room for you bar and wedge and the lean is back tighten up those wedges move the tree forward before you cut the last few inches before the hinge is placed. Without a good assessment or plan once you start making the back cut your just put yourself in dangerous situation if your plan isn't working. I just think there are too many variables to explain what to look for if I understand your question correctly. Once the tree is going... my eyes are on the top, do I nip off one side of the hinge or exit to my protection. Regardless... my point is don't assume from reading advice ... you known... take it as perspective. By the way I'm not good a faller so "don't put a lot of value on this context". My Dad is a good faller and I been around good fallers and I don't kid myself as being one. My dad has been falling timber since he was 12 and was on his own at that age. He didn't work had no place to sleep or anything to eat. I started falling with him when I was 10 but mostly bucked, skidded or set chokers or sat with the whistle punk. I think your question can be taken many different ways and I don't know your experience, but I do care that you keep yourself safe. Remember it my perspective for "thought" not advice on what to look for!
I mainly cut firewood, and prefer to cut what mother nature has already fallen if I can. That said, I fell what I need to when I need to. I prefer to look up as much as possible. In a lot of ways, I feel safer dropping a big tree than I do medium and smaller trees. The problem that I find with that is that on trees that are much smaller than 18", the saw goes through it fast enough that by the time the bar is in far enough to check against my face cut, I'm getting close to being done with the back cut. In the end, I end up watching both the kerf and the top of the tree. Once the tree starts to go, I make my egress and get the heck out of the way while watching the top to make there's not a grapevine that I missed. On bigger trees, it seems like there's more time to get things lined up right so that I can focus on the top. Then once, they start to go, it seems like they are more prone to move things out of their way than yield to an obstruction.
Several years ago, I watched him drop a medium size dead hickory. He finished the back cut, pulled the saw out, and just stood there at the trunk watching as the tree went over. A 6" limb missed pile driving him in the head by about 3'. We promptly had a discussion about what was and was not going through his mind at the time. I'm not sure a helmet would have done much for him if the limb had hit him, but I haven't put a bar on a tree since without having mine on.
Several years ago, I watched him drop a medium size dead hickory. He finished the back cut, pulled the saw out, and just stood there at the trunk watching as the tree went over. A 6" limb missed pile driving him in the head by about 3'. We promptly had a discussion about what was and was not going through his mind at the time. I'm not sure a helmet would have done much for him if the limb had hit him, but I haven't put a bar on a tree since without having mine on.
I guess I'm guilty of not looking up enough. I usually only look up if I notice dying or dead branches above while I plan on how I'm going to fell.
I keep my eyes mostly up in those instances; however, I usually spend most of my time watching the back cut so I'm not leaving too thin of a hinge. I've also stopped to look around on the other side to make sure my hinge is somewhat straight across.
I guess I sweat the small stuff maybe too much.
I keep my eyes mostly up in those instances; however, I usually spend most of my time watching the back cut so I'm not leaving too thin of a hinge. I've also stopped to look around on the other side to make sure my hinge is somewhat straight across.
I guess I sweat the small stuff maybe too much.
A few years ago I was dropping a 80'+ dead oak with my ProMac700 and was steering the back cut, got greedy and pinched the bar. I ofcourse left the saw and followed my escape plan. The tree went where I wanted but brushed through some others on its way. In the video that a coworker took you can see a 10' limb brake a sling shot 40' up , I almost made it back to the stump to retrieve the 700 before it javelined the stump like a lawn dart .
I always wear my helmet.
Recently I had an 8' Virginia pine branch give me a 16" long cut down my arm , I was 30' from the stump.
I always wear my helmet.
Recently I had an 8' Virginia pine branch give me a 16" long cut down my arm , I was 30' from the stump.
Forget the saw and worry about your self every time.
Yup ,everytime .
I had a 10-10 mashed by a small popular afew yrs ago , I stood there watching it get smashed, thinking "yup it's too windy to cut trees! Haha "
And go with first instinct.
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