Tree felling

[beenthere]

Because a thread in "Photos" about cutting down trees seems to lead to some learning of techniques, I have attached this URL posted by OSHA

Tree felling

These pages cover some of the basics, but I have found over 45 years of cutting down trees, only about 75% of them are "normal" situations and require a lot of pre-planning. Even then, its amazing how often the "couldn't possibly happen" does happen.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

It's amazing the chances folks will take cutting down trees.

Last week I had two perfect examples. One was after I'd pushed over a large Hackberry a guy staining the concrete floor of the building decided to become a lumberjack. He grabbed my Stihl and started trimming limbs. I watched. That was until he started cutting a limb that was supporting the tree. Where he was standing was in a direct path of travel for an eight inch limb about two feet above his head. When he severed the limb he was cutting the tree would turn and he would be in harm's way. I stopped him abruptly. He acted a little offended until I pointed out the situation. He put down the Stihl and went back to his own work and left me to mine.

Saturday while doing some grading to repair the area where we'd removed a bunch of trees I noticed a neighbor had driven up and getting out his tools. The next time I looked over he was on a ladder and one handing a chain saw to cut about twelve--fourteen inch limb about ten feet off the ground. He had one hand on the ladder and the other on the saw. I could just see the limb either bouncing and taking out the ladder as it came down or twisting and landing on him and the ladder.

I went over and offered to help him after lunch if he had something else to occupy himself while I ate. After lunch the limb came down safely.

No good deed goes unrewarded. While pushing the limb to his brush pile I caught something underneath and it punched a big hole in hydraulic oil filter. Two hundred dollars yesterday morning right off the bat replacing the oil and filter, darn.

 

[beenthere]

wroughtin_harv
I've had very similar 'observing' experiences, and usually am not hesitant to say something - as politely as I can, but direct. There is so much to learn with chain sawing, and sometimes the way it is learned is from the unfortunate experience and result that happens. But those are the lessons that are most remembered. I learned first hand the one on the ladder, almost knowing in advance what the result would be, but at the time thought it was the only way. Know better now.

However, one difference - nobody can operate my Stihl saw - nobody (except when I was teaching my son to saw, but even then I was nervous).

Sorry your good deed ended up with a punched-out filter.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

We had three thirty to forty foot pines trees removed to make room for a new pool at our old house and short of going to the circus I don't think I have ever been quite so entertained, while at the same time chewing my nails down to the nub.

One of the fellows spent the entire time in the top of the trees, trimming the upper branches attaching lines to lift/guide the tree sections to the ground. George of the jungle we called him. Swinging from branch to branch, and tree to tree. Clear the guy never grew up and was still as at home in a tree as any boy of ten. Could have sold tickets, the street was full of neighbors during this display.

I remember asking the tree company supervisor three or four times if their insurance was up to date. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[beenthere]

That's the reason you likely paid big bucks to get those three trees down. You are fortunate someone without insurance and a low bid didn't try to take a shortcut and drop the trees first without taking them out by the "top down" method. Many a person finds out too late that they don't have much if any insurance. Its a good thing to find out "up front".

That "swinging in the trees" has become a hobby for many, on the order of "rock climbing". I saw a demonstration once that clearly explained the safe way to do this, and it was quite impressive. The first step is to throw a light rope with a weght on the end up into the tree so a bigger rope can be pulled up, which is then the beginning of the climb. From there, a network of ropes are thrown around to get back and forth, and to hoist up the chain saws.

Some idiots even climb the trees to sit up there so the owners can't cut their own trees down. I just read where about 18 people are in some trees in CA refusing to come down under judges orders to vacate the private property. I would suggest cutting the trees down with there sorry $%# still in the tree. Or pick them off with the ol squirrel gun. Of course my solutions usually are not PC. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MODiesel]

Here's a great site to peruse -- Arborist Site

Lots of pro lumberjacks there and guys from the great white north or pacific northwest. Big, big trees.

Also, some great pics, as well as good equipment deals, can be found here.

Later,
Jay

 

[Egon]

Lordy; have you seen the size of those saws the loggers in the Pacific North West use, Then there are the boots and they all cut their jeans off at mid calf length. Them chockers they drag around arn't light weight either.

Egon

 

[Taylortractornut]

Beenthere i gree with you over cutin the trees with tree huggers in them. I was running a D6 for a logger freind of mine that thins for tree farms and another tree service and we had some huggers here the held him off a job taking trees with pine beetles out, well the held the loggers off but only longenought to leat all the trees get infested. on another thining job same group got in the tres and he word around them lettin a few trees bump the occupied limbs and then the 15 that were left we piled all the limbs out side of the rows and lit them. Raymond not being one to put up with it chunked a bad truck tire in the mix. The tree peoples lungs didnt do good in that smoke. I had a service call this fall to repair some Skidders on a jo where it was a clear cut except the hard wood was lef and the logger hiired some D9's with singer blads to bust stumps and windrow it and Rome disk it. They also had several skiders with brush rakes and towed rippers to get the small stuff and lossen the ground for rplanting. The workers came back and found all the glass had benn shot out topsoil dumped in the fuel tanks of some machines tires shot radiators broken. Im not equipt to do all of it so i gave the job to a freind and did what i could. Kinda made me mad at how these folks didn care how others feed here family and take care of nature to. i did get a night job with them servicing and guardin equipment With my Ithica 12 Ga. The sheriff told me if i got anyone that i just neede to say thought it was a Coyote it didnt matter if iw was a 2 or 4 legged one.

 

[rdbrumfield]

Just ran into a friend that I hadn't seen in quite some time. Both of his arm were in a cast from the elbow to his hands. Of course the question "what happened to you". He was on a three legged lader cutting off a limb. It came down and took out the third leg and off the top he came breaking both wrists. Chainsaws and trees have to be one of the most dangerous combinations for the home owner that exists. If you have a question, leave it to the pros, it is not worth your life.

 

[Taylortractornut]

THeres a fella here that is a mechanic and welder supposedly. he walks with a bad limp because of a ladder and a tree. he leaned and extendable ladder up on the limbe he wanted to cut sharpend the saw ran up the tree and cut it off between the trunk and the ladder. well gfravity is the same here as everywhere else and he hit the ground but the tree limbe didn t break off all the was when the ladder fell he grabbed it but it twised and he fell under it then the limb let go and pile drived him. the witnesses said he had just told them he was an expert tree cutter from NY. They laughed too hard to call 911 right away. the only tree cuttin i do is with a hoe or dozer. I have a freind with a windlas that he lowers the trees to the ground top section down. I call him when i have a job that needs a tough tree removed.