Misidentified this tree.

[ohlongarmisle]

I had a 75 foot elm taken down a couple months ago it had to be climbed , see climber way up there I thought it was red elm,however when I started to cut it into manageable lengths I couldn't figure out how difficult it would be even with a chisel saw blade. I ran it by my arborist who works in the service department at the city I work in, he identified the tree as rock elm,and it is as hard as a rock,no other wood i've cut has worked a saw so hard, anyway its supposed to burn well so we'll get use of it red elm was simple compared to this.

 

[bigealta]

Did the tree guy have any problems cutting it?

 

[bigealta]

You sure your chain didn't get dull very quickly? Those cuts and dust say that might be the case, while that big fat bottom cut showed a much cleaner cut and chips not dust.

 

[ohlongarmisle]

Did the tree guy have any problems cutting it?

Not with a commercial-grade Stihl.

 

[ohlongarmisle]

You sure your chain didn't get dull very quickly? Those cuts and dust say that might be the case, while that big fat bottom cut showed a much cleaner cut and chips not dust.

Yes, it did. Then I went to a chisel chain, and it cut, but it was tough. I'm on my second Stihl chisel chain but I will get the entire tree cut into 18-inch lengths.

 

[bholler]

Yes, it did. Then I went to a chisel chain, and it cut, but it was tough. I'm on my second Stihl chisel chain but I will get the entire tree cut into 18-inch lengths.

Yeah rock oak is similar. I hate dealing with it. So much sharpening

 

[bigealta]

semi chisel should stay sharper for somewhat longer.
Just got to sharpen more and better.
The commercial stihl won't cut near as well as whatever saw u are using if it has a dull chain and your chain is sharp.
You can see by the chips their chain is sharp.
The dust around the other cut shows a very dull chain. That's just gonna fry your saw engine. And overheat your chain so it won't hold an edge anymore.

 

[bigealta]

A long time ago we ran into some crazy type of pine tree by the salt water river near us in NJ. It smoked our saw as it would not cut at all. Of course i didn't know how to sharpen chains as well back then but yeah it too was like sawing rock. New chain that bare lasted a few cuts and still had a hard time.

I wish i had that tree now just to see if it would be a different story today?

I ran into a tough locust tree a few years ago that dulled my chain in minutes. I asked my buddy the landowner who is also a blacksmith welder and top notch wood cutter. He said because that tree was next to the sandy road/driveway it had grown with sand dust blown on it everyday and the wood was all imbedded with sand. I did cut it but it took multiple sharpenings. And it was only maybe 16" Dia.

 

[qwee]

The mystery elm, Rock Elm. Found in the mid west, and as far south as Tennessee - but not on the East coast (except up north). It grows above and below the Great Lakes. I read some on Rock Elm. It is harder than Oak and Hickory. Maybe even harder than Black Locust (?). Ya, I can see why you were wondering about the sharpness of your chain. It was the wood not the chain. Rock Elm must be a good firewood being so dense. You never hear much about it.