After cutting today, I'm starting to think my biggest cause for less than ideal results is that I'm cheap. I try to cut as close to the ground as possible. Down on my knees, shoulder against the tree......then I find rocks, earth or a stone wall in my way
I like to get as much wood as the tree will yield, but will usually cut one round length (16" in my case) above where i want to buck the stump off. Ive done the same...on all fours or squatting down.
Since we are talking learning experiences.. here's my ..umm "oversight" from this week. When cutting blown over trees, don't leave the job half done, get them dropped and cut close to the stump...or if you have a freak thaw you will end up with 10-30ft stumps (and you'll have to fell a previously fallen tree): Wednesday Saturday
Not really an ugly cut, but definitely a hard fought fall. A little low on the bar tip side. Held on by a nice little hinge wood… but the balance of the tree in vertical was really interesting… double stacked wedges .. but the metal wedge at the end all the way finally drove it over the tipping point… a interesting fall. I could literally feel, as my buddy was driving the metal wedge in with hand on the tree. The shift of weight. It actually sit back down once as he was driving it in. Not sure if I should have made a bigger face cut or just one of those rare occasions. But it was well over a 1/3 face cut…. But it’s down and nobody was hurt..
I wasn't kidding when I said I'll leave high stumps to discourage someone from sneaking in lol. My next time back I'd cut them down and continue working into the bush. I think most guys are decent and wouldn't step on my toes, but you never know.
I'm cheap too! It makes for easy felling when you do your felling cuts standing, and you can scramble like the devils chasing you if things go wrong. Of course I end up taking the rest of the wood, but I'll do the stump cut with another saw/crappy chain combo.
Alright, I finally dropped my 20ft tall "stump" and learned a few things. I wanted to drop it and pull it out with the tractor, but it was leaning maybe 25 degrees off from the ideal spot. I dropped it exactly where I wanted it but could have done much better on the back cut (it was angled down). I also had to bury my wedges before she dropped. Not a smart move as I wouldn't have been able to cut deeper on the back cut and those were the only two wedges with me.
Ive had a few similar situations. Ive used a steel wedge and have had to bury it to topple. The center of gravity is lower so not like felling a full sized tree. If need be ill nibble at the hinge with a smaller saw from each side to get it to fall. Only when i cant pound the wedge in any more.
Stupid Ash. Me more than the tree. Had this broken ash that’s not in a spot I usually get firewood from. The women have been forest cleaning over there and I saw it. They say they won’t go near it but I don’t believe them. They get working and they forget what they’re doing So I figured I had better get it on the ground. There’s a lot of other wood downed and hung up in this area but this is the dangerous one that needed to go. Not a fan of cutting broken trees but these are just about the only ash on our property and if I want them for firewood they have to come down now. Only have one pic from before I started. Once I got going things went to hell pretty fast. Got the saw stuck in the back cut. Ok that’s dumb. Had the log arch with me so I tried to pull it down. I thought just a few pounds of pressure and it would go,,Not. Winch on the arch is designed to swivel and pull mostly up from the ground. Pulling high up on a tree it slipped off its connection point and ripped all the electrical s to shreds. Back to the house, grab the truck and trailer. That pulled it down. Still hung up. Had to keep moving the snatch block further and further back to finally get it on the ground. Sister comes home and yells at me for taking the tree down LOL Anyway it’s down and I ordered a new winch for the arch. Same one, why buy parts when you can have a spare winch. Stupid Ash. I knew it wasn’t going to be fun. live never tried cutting a broken leaner before. Next time a pipe bomb on a long stick stuffed into the crack or just leave it.
Sometimes thats the way things go. At least its on the ground and all are safe. How long did the ordeal take Joe? Hopefully you had your hearing protection handy when she started yelling!
This was a 28" ash from last weekend, followed by an Elm that despite notches and wedges went exactly where I didn't want it to. Wrapped up by a maple that I cut 7 times and it stood up straighter than when I started. Tractor and rope took care of the latter two, we left the ash for the wind, which took it down a couple days later.
Felling dead trees against the direction of lean can be scary with the wood being brittle, causing the hinge to easily snap or in your case just break apart. Glad all are on the ground safely.
That is the problem with cutting in the woods on my parents property, its all hills, and hard to get equipment exactly where I want it. Seems I hang up 90% of the trees I fell. The Elm didn't seem to have a lean before I started. The Maple was 10" tree and was just comical by the time I started in the 4th cut. The ash had been dead a long time and was dropping 8" limbs, and it was sketchy. So I gave it a healthy notch, bored a 1" hole perpendicular to the notch and gave it a little "charge" Of course it still got hung up, but my dad said it came down monday night. Not the proper way, but entertaining.
