Bar stuck
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barmstrong2
Feeling the Heat
Having worked many storms, and ice storms are the worst, I know first hand it's impossible to read every tree. I was clearing roads after an ice storm 2 seasons back, 99% of the trees we were cutting were loaded. Clearing a stand of white birch, I just touched a 10" tree starting to open the spring and BANG! That tree sounded like a gun being fired. Although I wasn't expecting that, we work slowly and deliberately when working with loaded trees like this. Good 2 hand grip, solid footing and a clear escape route always. I still think I read the tree correctly, but, it was so heavily loaded it was ready to break on it's own. As said, I just touched it with the saw when it went.
To the OP, with bigger diameter trees that might be weighted slightly the wrong way, look into a technique called a bore cut. It's a great technique and you can manipulate the fall much better than with a standard wedge and back cut. In addition, this technique gives you a margin of safety and time, as the tree simply will not fall until you make that final, small cut.
If you're still green with the chainsaw, get more practice before trying, though. But, once you master it, I've felled trees a full 90 degrees off the way which they are weighted. It can be very accurate.
To the OP, with bigger diameter trees that might be weighted slightly the wrong way, look into a technique called a bore cut. It's a great technique and you can manipulate the fall much better than with a standard wedge and back cut. In addition, this technique gives you a margin of safety and time, as the tree simply will not fall until you make that final, small cut.
If you're still green with the chainsaw, get more practice before trying, though. But, once you master it, I've felled trees a full 90 degrees off the way which they are weighted. It can be very accurate.
tsquini
Minister of Fire
A second saw will do the trick. I'm not sure how you got it stuck like that. Did the tree fall the wrong way? It looks like you tried to finish the cut from the back side.
blacktail
Minister of Fire
Spend some time on YouTube looking up BC Faller training videos. Husqvarna has some training videos on there too.
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Osagebndr
Minister of Fire
Sometimes I have found that it is necessary to double stack plastic wedges to get the tree to go over . Depends how evenly the upper weight is distributed . I always use a plastic wedge or two regardless unless the tree is leaning well enough in the direction I want it to go. With a wedge in place I generally can always get my b&c out and they resolve the pinching issue although there are some trees with a mind of their own .
By the way boring back cuts are a very good way of felling a tree as stated before . You tube has several good how to vids on it
By the way boring back cuts are a very good way of felling a tree as stated before . You tube has several good how to vids on it
Oldman47
Minister of Fire
I got my bar back. Thanks for the advice. I took off as many limbs off the top as i could and then slowly cut limbs that were propping it up off the ground to ease it down. After i did this i left it alone for a few days and came back to it and it had fallen over on it's own, releasing the bar.
Wood Duck
Minister of Fire
I think you were trying to fell the tree in a direction other than the direction it naturally wanted to fall, and if I guess right that is because the tree was more or less vertical and balanced, so it was hard to tell which way it would fall naturally. If you want it to fall a different direction than gravity would pull it, or if you want to guarantee which way a balanced tree will fall, you need to apply force. For example, you mentioned a truck and a rope. Try tying the rope off and pulling on it a little before you cut. You don't need a ton of force, just enough tension to get the tree started in the direction you want. Once the tree starts to fall you're home free. After the rope is tied off, cut as if the tree were leaning in the direction of the rope. I would try this only with a tree that is more or less vertical and balanced, so it takes only a small force to change the way it will fall. I'd also find a more experienced tree feller to help the first few times.
Pretty much, this is what i realized i should have done as soon as i made the back cut..... Lesson learned on that. I am fairly new to cutting trees, but i am very cautious and have a great amount of respect for what can happen. I'm more than willing to stand back and study a situation for awhile before starting the saw.
In fact, boring cuts, for the backcut, are recommended for heavy (front) leaners, to avoid "chairing". Whatever, you must leave a suitable hinge.
Also, it seems some people confuse (plastic) felling wedges with the wedge of wood removed on a face cut.
maple1
Minister of Fire
I think I would rather use wedges than rope & a vehicle. The plastic kind, that is, to avoid confusion pointed out by the last post.
They also come in very handy when bucking up big stuff, taking the bar-pinching worry out of the equation and reducing the need for an upward backcut.
Since I decided to get a couple a couple or few years ago & try them out, I am never without them - along with an axe for pounding purposes. They are always in my ATV mounted box now and instead of carrying just my saw to the tree or log if it's a biggish one, it's usually saw, wedge & axe. Also makes for an easier un-stick if you do happen to still stick the saw.
Wedges are a CRUCIAL parts of falling and bucking. There is a reason the pros ALWAYS have a wedge on them. It's because the saw is only 1 of the tools needed for the job; there are several tools that work in conjunction with one another to properly fall a tree, and a wedge is one of them.I think I would rather use wedges than rope & a vehicle. The plastic kind, that is, to avoid confusion pointed out by the last post.
They also come in very handy when bucking up big stuff, taking the bar-pinching worry out of the equation and reducing the need for an upward backcut.
Since I decided to get a couple a couple or few years ago & try them out, I am never without them - along with an axe for pounding purposes. They are always in my ATV mounted box now and instead of carrying just my saw to the tree or log if it's a biggish one, it's usually saw, wedge & axe. Also makes for an easier un-stick if you do happen to still stick the saw.
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