Pulling a leaning cottonwood

[ValleyArborist]

Those first few were out of level too. I'm so used to a 460 with a 24"-28" bar being automatically level that a saw with a nose heavy bar that I have to level out on my own is a real mind f*&k for me.

 

[flushcut]

It's all good.

 

[darkstar]

Only a real tree guy would be ashamed of an uneven hinge cut.

Wow Brian---- is on the mark as usual....

 

[Al Smith]

You cut into one of those things this time of year and the water just runs out of them .That stuff is like a sponge .

 

[Ed L]

What Al said....and the wood holds so much water, heavy as hell to move/skid. I always use full skip chain on them, otherwise they really bog a saw down.
They are usually among the largest & tallest trees in the woods around here.

Ed

 

[Cobleskill]

They get big around here too, and then they die. I remember a huge one that stood dead on the side of the road for years. I was told they rigged it down. Looked like a crane job to me. Would have liked to watch.

 

[Al Smith]

It's not uncommon to see a 4 footer a tad over 100 feet in these parts .Fact I have one just a tad too close to the house right now .

 

[gf beranek]

A picture perfect stump for a laying fair standing tree is one thing. And then cutting a stump to get a side leaner to a lay can appear pretty ugly in a picture, but be perfect for its results. Oh, baby, wood and root pull can tear the stump apart when swinging a side leaner. And it is certainly one of the finer aspects of this work when it works the way we want.

 

[stig]

Yep, sure feels good when it works out the way one hopes for.

 

[Al Smith]

--and it sucks with a half life if it doesn't ---Right as the thing commits and is going over wrong you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach that you screwed up and there's nothing at that point can unscew it .

 

[Jed]

Well said Al. I'm in your boat a lot oftener that I'm in Jer's and Stig's. I smashed a REALLY nice barbed-wire fence one time trying to swing a side leaner. Granted: most housers wouldn't try to swing a dead tree at all, but inbred Jed isn't just anybody!

 

[SkwerI]

Jed, tree falling rule #1 is dead trees don't swing very well.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Nor do their hinges fair well, either.

 

[Al Smith]

Just like running saws and hitting iron or rocks .You will miss the lay someday given enough time and the right conditions .Might not be a bad miss but enough to humble you .

 

[pantheraba]

Nor do their hinges fair well, either.

fare well...fyi