gf beranek
Old Schooler
In the right circumstance. for sure.
Tree felling vids
- Thread starter Reddog
- Start date
- Replies 10K
- Views 927K
SeanKroll
Treehouser
What's the right circumstance?
I've used when working alone pulling the tree (especially with a slower pulling device), or when there's no good escape route so you can leave the stump and then trigger it with the pull, say against a fence or something. Usually on stuff that the lean is hard to judge, it can buy you time to leave to a safer spot. Once it has enough tension to snap the back it commits to the face, but it will stay until you tell it. I've done it in the tree too when swinging larger limbs that can take a bore cut, gives more time to get to a safe place then the ground pulls a tag line to initiate the swing. Obviously not needed most of the time, but i find it handy on occasion.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
For instance... in the woods they pull a lot of trees with the rigging set only as high as you can reach up and set it from the ground, or from a ladder or from standing on the winch of the cat. Kind of low.
If said tree is limb-locked in the one behind it, which is often the case with redwood clumps, you can pull the butt of the tree off the stump before the top pulls free of a limb-lock. Now imagine how that can turn out.
In such a scenario a low back-cut can actually hold the butt of the tree to the stump well enough to pull the limb-lock out first, and there after everything goes more to plan.
It doesn't sound Kosher, but there's a time and place for low back-cuts.
If said tree is limb-locked in the one behind it, which is often the case with redwood clumps, you can pull the butt of the tree off the stump before the top pulls free of a limb-lock. Now imagine how that can turn out.
In such a scenario a low back-cut can actually hold the butt of the tree to the stump well enough to pull the limb-lock out first, and there after everything goes more to plan.
It doesn't sound Kosher, but there's a time and place for low back-cuts.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
Those big CAT winches are powerful.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
Friend/tree mentor of mine :
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
All his recent burnt timber falls have great sound, as well as urlocallumberjill
gf beranek
Old Schooler
That was beautiful. Great!
Kaveman
Treehouser
Sketchy breadsticks! Be careful in the burns guys. I've seen some big wood come down on account of the vibration of footsteps. Your presence can be all it takes!
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
stikine
Treehouser
Gosh it's so hard to review videos some time. Given the straight up nature of those trees it looked like another lay was possible but maybe they were limb locked?
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
The wife worry one made me wonder if maybe those little sapwood snips the euros do wouldn’t be a good idea some times
SeanKroll
Treehouser
It's a sawyer way, not a euro way.
Same thought, especially near a root.
Same thought, especially near a root.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
I don’t follow…I guess your meaning of sawyer. I’ve never seen US fallers do that nip.
Burnham
Woods walker
Then you just haven't seen all US fallers at work, that's all 
. I almost never used it when felling on the ground, but usually did when taking biggish tops.
I did make a habit of using it when felling root sprung trees, as an example.
. I almost never used it when felling on the ground, but usually did when taking biggish tops.I did make a habit of using it when felling root sprung trees, as an example.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
I would definitely use it on a stringy tree in a tight shot like that. I would not bother while in a production setting. Therein lies much of the arguments about proper felling techniques. The answer is that it depends on the situation and the goals. In that case (let’s call it residential/arborist) the primary goal was not to hit anything. In logging it’s to put as much wood on the ground as possible.
Most eastern hardwood logging is valuable wood, they try to save every inch. On the west coast it’s more about softwood volume. Forest service is all about safety.
I think.
Most eastern hardwood logging is valuable wood, they try to save every inch. On the west coast it’s more about softwood volume. Forest service is all about safety.
I think.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
A lot of the dancing around and extra steps the euros take while harvesting looks like a lot of wasted time and energy to me.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
From what little I know, Euro arborists and timber fallers are more trained and work by the rule book. All geared towards preventing personal injury, property damage and lowing insurance costs.
Where I live anyone can buy a chainsaw and start a tree business or start falling timber without any proof of qualification to do either. After a year, if they survive, they're an expert.
Where I live anyone can buy a chainsaw and start a tree business or start falling timber without any proof of qualification to do either. After a year, if they survive, they're an expert.
Burnham
Woods walker
That's the way of it.
Why'nt you come log with me once.
Bet you anything I can outdance you, even at my age.
What you see in instructional videos is NOT how we do it in real life.
In fact the forestry school has sometimes taken classes out to see us work, with the words: " Now you have been taught to do it in the best and safest way, today you'll see how the professionals do it".
I usually tell my apprentices that what they learn at school is like riding a bicycle with training wheels.
There comes a time when you have to take them off.
Nobody ever won the Tour de France with training wheels on.
This is me felling a black Pine, lots and lots of unnecessary futzing around for sure!
Last edited:
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
@stig I'd love to get to come log with you, or anyone else I "know" online. I'd do a strip for free (fun? education?) if someone would let me. I bet you could out dance me, but I don't dance. I just sit on my butt in one spot and let my long bar reach. ;-D Actually, this summer, my 36" light weight was often a bit short, but I wasn't going to swing the 42" full weight bar.
I can't say as I've watched any euro training videos, just vids of people cutting.
I am a strong proponent of bore and trigger on heavy ‘chair prone head leaners, I did every one of my big oaks this summer that way...though maybe not necessary with oak. Walt Logan, afleetcomman beat that into my head. ;-D On a green conifer though I'd prefer to stay in one place and have a bar long enough to reach through. I try not to be bent at the waist so I can look up. I was impressed with a young professional faller I got to cut with recently. He can fall while looking up 90% of the time, only glancing at the saw. Good practice for those of use who mostly cut dead. Doesn't really work when logging as we need low stumps. I try to crouch and look up. Might get hard on the knees after a while, like it seems bending would get hard on the back....? But maybe the back muscles become accustomed and get strong.
I did notice that when breaking down canopies, if I had to raise the saw above chest high, 50cc was preferable. I originally was using 70cc and 28" for the mid size stuff, firewood, but at the end I started sticking with the 90cc 36" and less bending/reaching. If I was logging and could only take one saw....hmm...
I can't say as I've watched any euro training videos, just vids of people cutting.
I am a strong proponent of bore and trigger on heavy ‘chair prone head leaners, I did every one of my big oaks this summer that way...though maybe not necessary with oak. Walt Logan, afleetcomman beat that into my head. ;-D On a green conifer though I'd prefer to stay in one place and have a bar long enough to reach through. I try not to be bent at the waist so I can look up. I was impressed with a young professional faller I got to cut with recently. He can fall while looking up 90% of the time, only glancing at the saw. Good practice for those of use who mostly cut dead. Doesn't really work when logging as we need low stumps. I try to crouch and look up. Might get hard on the knees after a while, like it seems bending would get hard on the back....? But maybe the back muscles become accustomed and get strong.
I did notice that when breaking down canopies, if I had to raise the saw above chest high, 50cc was preferable. I originally was using 70cc and 28" for the mid size stuff, firewood, but at the end I started sticking with the 90cc 36" and less bending/reaching. If I was logging and could only take one saw....hmm...
