dropping a tree

[tradergordo]

I watched a guy fell a tree onto his house (didn't know him, but I had offered him my advice/help when I saw him starting to cut the tree, but he declined so I just watched the whole thing for entertainment value - his wife was in a pickup truck with a rope tied from the tree to the truck, didn't help, haha).

As mentioned, there is a lot that can go wrong, and even seasoned pros die sometimes. Someone mentioned the bore cut - I don't agree that it is the safest, there is a lot that can go wrong with a bore cut such as kickback on the saw, and accidentally cutting into your hinge - maybe if you are experienced enough, it is safer.

I'm by no means an expert, but I think two very common mistakes the inexperienced make are:

1) Trying to fell a tree with a dull chain.

2) Going too far with the backcut. You can usually hear the tree making noises (creaking) even with the loud saw running and ear protection in, which is a sure sign you're done, but even if you don't hear anything, you should stop before you get too close to the hinge, and back away from the tree. Its just not a good idea to be standing right next to the tree when it comes down, rookies love to stand right there, maybe even give it a push with a big grin on their face.

 

[Eric Johnson]

It's always a good idea to set a wedge into the backcut before you get too close to the notch. This keeps the tree from setting back on your saw and gives you a good way to force it over if you have to by driving in the wedge. If there's any doubt at all, I set a wedge. It's a lot less work than trying to free a stuck saw with a tree sitting on it.

Bore cutting is safe and effective if you know what you're doing, but that's a big IF.

Whenever possible I try to fell trees in the direction they want to go, more or less. My attempts to get fancy usually wind up making me look and feel stupid, and result in a lot more work and danger.

 

[chrisfallis]

I prefer bucking pants over chaps because the design of some chaps lets them twist with the chain so it can still get you once the chain has pulled the chaps around full pants are safer. One mistake and you have a kick back to a major artery and you are dead.

I was on a tree thinning crew in Montana in 1981 and we wore chaps. About half of the guys ended up with deep nasty cuts on the backs of their left legs. If the running saw caught the front of the chaps, the chain would grab the fabric and pull the bar from right to left, around the back of the left leg and presto, raw meat.

 

[BotetourtSteve]

A few of you on this post mention getting away from the tree before it starts falling - I had always been taught, and have done in practice, the exact opposite. The logic for holding your ground close to the tree is you do not have to travel but a couple of steps in any direction to avoid the tree, versus potentially trying to run many feet trying to outrun a falling tree you have misjudged. And no, I don't stand behind the hinge, but off to the side of it. Any "pros" out there care to weigh in on this?

And on a semi-related topic, from a post a while back, with all due respect, I think you are an idiot (and a careless idiot at that) if you cut trees almost through and then "leave it up to wind/Mother Nature" to drop them before the next time you return. I'm sorry, but I just think that is so irresponsible. Among the scenarios I failed to mention last time as potential liabilities, another I have thought of is the danger you place firemen in if you have a forest fire on your property where you have cut some of these trees and left them standing. If you can't drop a tree to the ground, I say do what we recommended to this guy and get someone who knows how to do it for you - it really could save a life.

 

[WILDSOURDOUGH]

My 'One Cent' worth...
I don't think it is a good idea to attach a 'come along', chain, rope... anything to a tree that you are felling.
Don't think it will help much with 10+ tons coming down- if it doesn't do something like yank the frame out
from under your truck (ie...American Grafitti), then it is likely to snap, and whip back at you- taking half your
face off...like a guy I know... and he lived !. (and that was a Grade 8 chain attached to a bulldozer he was sitting in).
Not a good idea.... be safe, know your limits- and get help and experience- or hire a pro.
I will buck em- but nowadays, I let someone else deliver them to me on a truck !
( That's alot for 'One Cent').

 

[tradergordo]

My 'One Cent' worth...
I don't think it is a good idea to attach a 'come along', chain, rope... anything to a tree that you are felling.
Don't think it will help much with 10+ tons coming down- if it doesn't do something like yank the frame out
from under your truck (ie...American Grafitti), then it is likely to snap, and whip back at you- taking half your
face off...like a guy I know... and he lived !. (and that was a Grade 8 chain attached to a bulldozer he was sitting in).
Not a good idea....

I agree. I know some people that want to put a rope around every single tree they fell. I never saw the point, but the danger is real. I've seen a rope snap when someone on a tractor was trying to put tension on a tree, if that rope had hit anyone it could have taken a head off. And as already mentioned, I also watched someone accidentally fell a tree onto their house, no surprise that they had a rope around it tied to a truck and guess what, the rope didn't help! If you've got a situation where a rope/chain could actually do something useful, then a wedge should be just as good or better without the risk of a snapped line killing someone.

 

[TresK3]

I've dropped a few trees, so I'm moving out of the green-novice stage, and I think I know when somethings out of my league (paid $1200 to have two big beeches taken down last spring), but I'd like to learn more about wedges.

I understand the idea behind the wedge, but can someone help with the details of actually using it? The wedges are plastic, yes? How and when do you place the wedge? I'm envisioning having to stop the chain saw, remove it from the cut, drive a wedge in, start the saw up then slip it into straight back into the cut to continue. Seems fraught with problems. The other way would be to have an assistant place the wedge once your back cut was deep enough. Also tricky. Idle the saw in the cut and place the wedge yourself? I don't like the idea of taking my hands off a running saw at all. The best thing I can think of is to grow a third arm, but that might take a while and it sure would look funny when you're not cutting.

Thanks,
Tres

 

[fossil]

... The best thing I can think of is to grow a third arm, but that might take a while and it sure would look funny when you're not cutting.

Not to mention how much your shirts and jackets will start costing you. hh: Rick

 

[Eric Johnson]

The correct answer is #3. The saw isn't going anywhere--though I say that without knowing anything about your Echo. Any good saw will just sit there and purr until you grab it again and hit the throttle. If you're paranoid, you can engage the inertial chain brake.

You wait until you're deep enough into the backcut so that you can put the wedge in and not have it contact the chain. You tap it into place with an axe or hatchet or some other tool. I use an old Swedish loggers' trick: when I think I'm going to have to drive a wedge to fell a particular tree, I'll cut a little club out of a sapling or branch before I make my notch cut. Then it's there to drive the wedge into the backcut when I need it. That way I don't have to carry around (and lose) another tool.

When you've got maybe an inch or two left on the hinge, take the saw out of the cut and set it aside (turn it off if you prefer). Then drive the wedge into the backcut until the tree starts to fall. Then leave the scene by walking away in a diagonal direction. If the tree is falling towards 12:00, in other words, you travel towards 8:00 or 4:00. Make sure you've cleared an escape path in advance. You don't want to be standing at the stump, or directly behind, or to the left or right of it when the tree hits the ground.

One very important point: Before felling any tree, look up into the crown and make sure there are no loose branches or other objects hanging in the crown that could fall on you when the tree goes down. They call those "widowmakers" for a reason.

 

[TresK3]

Thanks. This actually sounds a lot better than cutting until it starts to fall. I do always have my exit strategy in place and the path clear. Having the chain saw out of the way (and shut down) seems like a benefit.

Now... how small of a tree should I practice on? I've got one that's about 12-14" diameter I want to take down in the next month or so. Good place to start?

 

[Henz]

I would say that that sounds about right, jsut make sure its not obstructed or has any potential of falling on anything etc

 

[chad3]

Best other advice, make sure you have another saw. At some point you will prob. be getting a saw stuck. If you get the time, pull off the powerhead, but the second saw can make all the difference. Also, put the wedge in sooner than you might think you want to. Even if you hit it with the saw, you won't really hurt anything.
Good luck and let us know,
Chad