Wow.

[belgian]

Hey Uldis, I am not sure if that's a good example of european timber falling...
too much nervosity and improvising on behalf of the french bloke anyway, but I am not an expert.

Last year, I went to see a local harvesting show in the ardennes and saw real pro's at work...they were sure in a different league than this guy.

 

[RandyMac]

Good Lord!!!
I'm outta words, tryin' to come up with something classy about Frenchmen and shaving butts, can't do it. Sorry.

Roland, yes, they could use some slack, not all of us were fortunate in having mentors to guide us. That Youtube crap is going to kill someone, if it hasn't already.

 

[belgian]

I'm with Bitzercreek. What's up with the European habit of shaving swells off? Waste of time and gas.

All the fallen trees I see over here have shaved swells... must be a mill requirement (or for transport) I assume. And probably easier to to while the tree still standing.

 

[maccall]

I think I've seen traktorist2222 mention it is a requirement from the saw mills in Germany. Don't know if it's the same here, but I have only seen it where it would help with creating the hinge you want - and in moderation... This guy seems more like he's obsessed with the shaving...

 

[Uldis]

belgian, I told it "was another video of logging in France", I didn't say it was a good one
Sure there are plenty excellent woodcutters in Europe - I am just saying that the best ones work hard and don't spend time to make videos and post them on Youtube, so usually we don't see PRO cutting videos.
As for shaving - this guy really seems obsessed with it - check out his other cutting video.

 

[slowp]

Eons ago, I went to a forest engineering course at OSU. We'd have beer and pizza night and watch slides of logging in other countries. Video was not easy to get then. When the night's lecture was based on Germany, there was a slide of the squared off butts. The lecturer said he asked why they did that, and the answer was "because that is the way we have always done it." But maybe it is a mill requirement.

 

[bitzer]

belgian, I told it "was another video of logging in France", I didn't say it was a good one
Sure there are plenty excellent woodcutters in Europe - I am just saying that the best ones work hard and don't spend time to make videos and post them on Youtube, so usually we don't see PRO cutting videos.
As for shaving - this guy really seems obsessed with it - check out his other cutting video.

I am sure there are plenty of good fallers over there, but like you said they are probably not making videos or worried about it. I'm really not after bashing Europeans its just from what I have seen there are better ways. I agree it seems like the Germans do more of the swell cutting and if its for mill specs I guess they are right in what they are doing.

There is a thick fence line between two farm fields that is about 400 yards from my shop. Two guys have been working it and I can see their stumps from the road and occaisonally I will look over there to see what they are up to. The trees they are cutting are ugly and often hazardous. I am amazed that they haven't gotten hurt yet with the way the do it. I can hear them constantly bogging down the saws and see them barber chairing trees. These guys just don't know any better and there are a lot of guys like that out there. I am not saying I am god's gift to falling trees. I have had more than my share of ugly stumps, hangers, close calls, and ugly situations. I've learned from all of those rough situations and I am 95% self taught from experience. The rest I've learned from some light reading and I've picked up a few west coast tricks from the PNW guys. All I am saying is I think there is a better way than the short bar/bore cutting system that I often see. Even on smaller timber, Why not use a bar that will make three cuts on a tree? Bore cutting is a necessity for hardwood falling somtimes, but is not always necessary. Wedging is not always necessary either and I usually try to work with the tree so I don't have to. I make ugly mistakes sometimes and I am sure the best of the best do to. There are some damn good fallers on this site and I learn from them all of the time. Each tree is a learning experience for me. Your stump tells a story. Ugly stuff does happen.

Last week I hung a 60' maple into a 90' basswood. I had no choice but to put the basswood on the ground too. The basswood was rotten in the middle. I put the face in and it started to creak. I bored to make sure there was no holding wood in the middle (there wasn't) to the back and left about 6" for a strap. This tree was already leaning and the crown was about 30' over center and the maple was pushing it that way also. It times like those that I am glad I use a longer bar and wish I had a longer one on it (had a 28" on it). I cut the strap and ran like hell with my eyes darting at the trees and the ground so I didn't fall on my ass. Everything came down fine, but with a hell of a crash. The day was dead calm so I am sure it could have been heard for quite a ways off. It was one hell of a rush, but incredibly foolish. It had to be done though, but I wouldn't post a video of it. I think the sign of a good timber faller is one that can improvise with his mistakes, because they will happen eventually. I apologize for the rant. I think I will lay off of the Euro boys for a while and only bad mouth the foolish Americans who continue to post videos. ha. ha.

 

[Feez]

That was very annoying to watch, do you really need to blip the throttle that much?

Duh? Everybody knows Harleys and chainsaws have to do that ... nobody can really explain it well but you HAVE to blip the throttle. Otherwise it will "load up" (or something)

 

[WoodChuck'r]

Bump.

 

[komatsuvarna]

Woodchuckr's a homo





































:msp_rolleyes:


Homo sapien.

 

[Anthony_Va.]

That was insane! I could'nt get over the guy swinging at that wedge. Could'nt make the tree fall so they decided to just beat it to death.

Metal wedge and all eh? I think he knicked it at least once.It looked to be leaning over anyways. That was just terrible.

Lol, and how about that method of lining up the fall?

 

[Guido Salvage]

Lol, and how about that method of lining up the fall?

(With apologies to Laird).

 

[treemandan]

I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry, I wanted to pop that French guy in the mouth. WTF was he hollering?

 

[dave k]

Laurel & Hardy Tree Falling at your service !! Would be funny if not a sure way for those boys to hurt themselves or some bystander.
Just a few points, cleaning butt growth off is to do with a couple of things mill requirement, you get a lot more on the wagon when shaved down and the load sits better, getting the most amount of timber from any one tree and of course the old European thing of small bars !On a days work it may only be the outer ring of timber that needs a bigger bar so all the trees may be say 70' but only a handfull may have a bigger butt hence the thing of only using a smaller bar.
I do tend to use a bigger bar and that comes from climbing as having to move around a big stem with a small bar always seemed stupid to me !
There was a comment about having a rain sheild on the helmet even if it wasn't raining, you must not have had Spruce needle's down your neck !! Mine stays on out of habit.
I have one very quick and un eventful vid on youtube, TreeworkDK, of felling as we say here so have a look and give me hell !!

 

[Canyon Angler]

Crazy French Canadian crackheads, they been using that saw for cutting down aluminum light stanchions for scrap metal too much! :hmm3grin2orange:

Sacrebleu!

 

[GA_Boy]

I busted out laughing when he was pounding on the tree with that maul. I think he hit the tree more than the wedge. and the first time the sharp end of that maul pops him in the shin he'll start thinking about the proper way to swing it.

 

[sachsmo]

Think the old Homelite 23AV would have made shorter work of that pecker pole. Just shows a dull chain can make any saw look like crap! Did ya notice the dumazz stood right there as the tree fell?