So we all like to put up our successful pics. I just did on another post. If you study the pics below, you can see I misjudged the center of mass. On a hill and the lower notch was my first two cuts, assuming the tree wanted to go to the right. I walked around it twice. As you can see if you look close there is a back cut from my 461 to that notch. Ash Tree is about 12-14 inches in diameter and 60-70 ft tall. Quickly stuck my saw. So I walked away and stood for ten minutes letting the wind play with it while I was clear. What do you do right? Not safe, but my 461 was stuck. Not saying what I did was safe or right. I grabbed my MS 310 and carefully notched the tree on the opposing side (left) and dropped it. As it popped I reached down and yanked my 461 free before it was smashed. Tree fell perfect, I was not hurt, nor was a saw. Hideous cuts, but I was a bit nervous. Could have been worse by far. Be careful ladies and gentlemen.
Did not take Power head off as it is a little windy and there was little holding it, maybe an inch. No room for wedge, and I generally do not used rope. I simply screwed up.
Woodsnwoods, just wondering if one of these might have worked. I'm thinking of buying one. I've screwed up plenty of cuts, don't sweat it, your safe and the saws survived. Anyone ever try one of these.
Possibly could have used that. With the cold weather trees seem to pop and I do not want to be on the wrong side in snow up past my knees.
An Ash, to boot! I know pros who use the felling lever all the time for certain sized trees. I haven’t ever used one. I’ve put myself in a bad spot quite a few times, and am a one-saw show. I have more tools now, and would use a snatch block and my Farmi winch to put the tree where originally planned.
Flamestead good too know, I also use a snatch block and my Farmi winch to pull a tree off a pinched bar at times, great setup for pulling down snagged tree's
I've had similar happen as well, makes for a bit of "pucker factor" when it's windy & brittle wood. Looks like you made a good save, no harm no foul. The felling levers are a handy piece of gear for sure, but sometimes you do what you have to. Learn & move on.
Hey, it worked. It may not have been pretty, but no harm, no foul. I've done some bad misjudgments of a tree. My most recent one was last winter. The sugar maple went back on the hinge instead of forward. I got the saw out, then the wind tipped it the wrong way. Had I had felling wedges, I could have made it go the way I wanted to. I didn't have wedges. I got some for Christmas though. Live and learn. Mother nature dropped it the way I wanted it to go at a later time. It is nice that Stihl, Dolmar, and Makita allow you to easily remove the powerhead if you need to. A b&c is cheap compared to the powerhead.
Yes, that has happened a couple times but fortunately I never had to leave the tree. Also, I never pinched the saw so was able to just make the notch above and cut it down. Looks odd, but it works and nobody gets hurt.
trees down your not hurt! No equipment lost or damaged, I call that a win. I have pinched a bar, when wind changed direction and tree sat back on back cut it happens!
Glad you made it unscathed! Even for wood that size, in fact anything large enough that I can do it, I plunge the back cut, run forward to set my hinge, then pull back to the trigger wood. Pull the saw, set a couple wedges, then zip the trigger. If it sets back on the wedges I can drive wedges til it goes the way I want. Have even pulled this off with some mild back leaners where it was inconsequential if they went the wrong way and I had a couple clear escape options. Takes a little more time but nobody's paying me by the hectare to fell timber. Naturally, I started doing this after my fair share of screwups and avoiding injury by sheer, dumb luck.
Thanks Woodsnwoods for sharing a hiccup many have had, including me. Nothing worse when you only have one saw on site. Glad it turned out well, no injury, no saw damage.
I don't do a lot of felling and have had a few situations like yours. Look your tree over good, make a nice wedge, followed by a good backcut only to realize that poison ivy vines on the tree being cut have grown into the crown of the tree next to it...ugh. I've used wedges to get out of a jam before...and sometimes I've used the tractor and pull line. Glad you got out of it without damage to yourself or saws!
