How do you cut up trees after felling?

I've dropped a few trees, and I usually start up at the top at one side limbing down towards the trunk. After all the limbs are cut I start bucking the trunk. I've heard of people starting at the trunk, but I'm worried about the tree suddenly rotating in or slipping in this sense. How do you all take care of a felled tree?

 

I usually start from the butt. God Bless

 

I start at the fat end most of the time, until I start getting into branches.
In case I have to leave some wood, I'd rather take the good stuff with me. I can get the smaller stuff later. When I'm in the woods, I want firewood, not kindling.
Worked on a big Oak last year that I did opposite. Trunk is still out there....

 

That is a good sized trunk there. Plan on going back to get it someday?

 

In 2009 or 10 I was cutting a big basswood on the side of a hill, the roots were pulled right out of the ground on that end so I started at the top. I limbed a chit load off the top (thank god) after cutting about 20 rounds off the top the other end took off down the hill causing the top to swing up at me and then it went back down the hill. Before it swung back up at me I had decided to fill the chainsaw up with oil and gas so when it swung back up I was a safe distance away (2 feet ) so even when the tree is down they all are different.

I was working on the uphill side of the Basswood.

 

I usually start with limbs, then the top of the tree and work my way back to the trunk. In my experience there's less chance of the saw getting pinched that way.

 

I usually start with the stuff that's off the ground, while its off the ground. That's usually-most of the top, then the trunk, then the rest of the top that's lying on the ground. I hate cutting on the ground, I live on a rock pile.

 

I took a good look at it a few days ago, and noticed the big split in it that was barely starting last year.
There's at least a couple of pieces of metal in there.....musta been someone's tree stand tree at some point. I'll end up using an old chain on it at some point.

 

Don't risk the new ones.

 

I will limb the trunk from either direction depending on what it is laying on and how it fell.
I will usually start bucking from the but end of the tree. You know every tree is different so no hard fast rules here.

 

I do this too, but there are no hard and fast rules it depends where the tree is.
With a root ball attached it is very likely going to stand up on you, so be very careful with those, but I guess you found that out

 

Fell, limb , mark to length, buck.

 

Big difference between conifers and deciduous trees. Even on the ground, deciduous can be much more dangerous, what with limbs up in the air, waiting for the chance to get you. Even with forest-grown trees, but more so with the wide crown of open-grown trees.

Depending, I'll use my little polesaw, occasionally with a 14" bar subbing for the OEM 10" one, to cut top-down on the stuff that's up in the air. The extended reach, and the ability to stand a bit off to the side, are much appreciated here. Sometimes I'll trim off all the sub-kindling stuff and then cut off 6' poles for ease of hauling, sometimes buck it all to length up in the air. Whatever works with that tree.

We'll be starting soon on another area with lots of big oak blowdowns, with really rough & rocky road in. First saw I'll pack in: polesaw. Some of the stems aren't elevated that much, just a bit out of reach without polesaw. Cut them off starting at the butt end (red oak) and they explode. Way less drama giving them a total haircut with polesaw. Being able to walk out- a big plus.

Size matters too. Dropping smaller cut off pieces tends to launch lots smaller debris at you on impact. Expect the unexpected. Can get nasty.

For bucking the big stuff, just keep lots of wedges & cant hook/peavey handy. Uphill side, naturally.

 

Always cut what's in the air first-it's kind of a natural sawbuck. I find the trunk easier to roll and manage when limbs are off as well.

Will

 

Family rule never cut alone, so I limb while brother does base, always get one in air first. Probably just a safety thing. Even if 1 saw generally do top first so watcher can pull brush while I buck up base. Think this comes from always having 2 people there!

 

Most of the time I start at the stump/butt end first.Only have 3-4 days free time max per month depending on the weather/my work schedule so I want to get the most bang for my buck,so to speak.....

Dropped a large ugly old Red Oak (20"+,almost 90 feet tall,was a leaner & partly hollow 10 feet up the trunk) & 2 smaller Red/Bur Oaks in late May.Its now mid September & I finally got everything limbed,all that brush piled neatly & most of it bucked to length 3 weeks ago.Between the heavy rain in June/July & working most Saturdays since then it took several trips to the woods to get it done.Since I work alone & its on a moderately steep hillside also.Should be close to 3 large pickup loads for everything,will start hauling it out in a few weeks.Then most all will need split/stacked.Wood for 2017-18 season.

 

Just something to consider. Almost always, a tree falls and puts tension on the limby top in one way or the other. Sometimes, you never know it if you start at the butt. Other times when you start at the tip, in the limbs, you'll find it when cutting. When starting at the butt, you slowly release that tension as you remove the weight.

I'm not saying anyone's way is wrong. And, every tree needs analyzed. Just something to consider. God Bless