Nearly killed myself

[Maxwelshouse1]

I'm glad you are okay! We (I) learn too often by my mistakes. Life is not a text book scenario. Thanks for sharing. Perhaps you may help someone's "light bulb" to go off...get off his tractor and check. Be safe.

 

[TomSeller]

Friend of mine told me a story about cutting a big tree during windy day. Thay wanted to fell it more or less against the wind so they tied a rope to the top, hook that up to a pickup and tensioned the rope. When the tree was cut it fell downwind pulling the pick up like a kids toy and missing his father just by a foot.

I am glad the fact that this person after failing to understand that a big tree has a huge net cross section totaling many, many square feet did not kill his father and others, including the driver of the pickup. A big tree cut in a wind is very often going to go the direction the wind takes it. The massive cross section the wind is working against combined with winds that often are faster at the the top of the tree makes doing something like this person did very dangerous. What this person did can be called foolish, uninformed, stupid of whatever. The bottom line is that missing killing or severely injuring his father by "a foot" while falling a big tree is unsafe and indefensible by any rational person.

 

[RSKY]

I am very careful when felling even a small tree, but, was cutting a large one in a fence row in my back yard. As usual I had cleared the area in which it was going to fall, had notched the tree properly, made my main cut, and had my wedges in slamming them with a sledge hammer. What I hadn't checked was the weather forecast. The wind had been blowing fro the north west in a gentle breeze. Before I could get the tree on the ground a front came thru. One of those sudden types. The wind changed to a strong one out of the south east and the tree swayed over like it was going down on my shop. Had ever wedge I owned in that tree trying to tilt it in the proper direction. Finally dropped it where I wanted but had a few scary moments.

 

[TomSeller]

I am very careful when felling even a small tree, but, was cutting a large one in a fence row in my back yard. As usual I had cleared the area in which it was going to fall, had notched the tree properly, made my main cut, and had my wedges in slamming them with a sledge hammer. What I hadn't checked was the weather forecast. The wind had been blowing fro the north west in a gentle breeze. Before I could get the tree on the ground a front came thru. One of those sudden types. The wind changed to a strong one out of the south east and the tree swayed over like it was going down on my shop. Had ever wedge I owned in that tree trying to tilt it in the proper direction. Finally dropped it where I wanted but had a few scary moments.

In your case the front came through and changed the situation. Those things happen. You were prepared and did well to deal with it and dropped the tree where you intended. The other person being depicted appeared to want to defy mother nature. Not a wise thing for him to do.

 

[MossRoad]

I am glad the fact that this person after failing to understand that a big tree has a huge net cross section totaling many, many square feet did not kill his father and others, including the driver of the pickup. A big tree cut in a wind is very often going to go the direction the wind takes it. The massive cross section the wind is working against combined with winds that often are faster at the the top of the tree makes doing something like this person did very dangerous. What this person did can be called foolish, uninformed, stupid of whatever. The bottom line is that missing killing or severely injuring his father by "a foot" while falling a big tree is unsafe and indefensible by any rational person.

Tom,
You can't call someone stupid that has never been shown what is obvious to others. Most people learn through experience, observation, and lessons taught by others to them. For example, someone that grew up in the city, never dropped a tree in their life, never had a father or some sort of teacher show them how to drop trees safely, etc... it ain't obvious to them the facts of wind load and the intricacies involved in dropping a tree where you want it to go. They're going to learn by doing. I remember my father teaching me about wind load on buildings (he was an architect) and he told me quite adamantly, MOST FOLKS DON'T KNOW ABOUT WIND LOAD. Its just a fact. They aren't taught the subject.

Having never dropped trees in my first 48 years of life, I started heating our home with firewood about 4 years ago. Not having an experienced tree cutter to show me how to do it I was on my own. I've learned through experience and self teaching. I read a lot. I observe each tree fall and learn a bit more each time. Fortunately for me, I saw many tree cutting disasters over my life and knew to be careful. And I knew about wind load because of my father. I've had several not fall where I planned them to fall. I've had a couple barber chairs. I've had a couple hang ups. I had one unexplained gust of wind that took a tree 180 degrees opposite of where I planned to drop it. Did I know what I was doing when I started? Very little. Do I know what I'm doing 4 years later? For the most part, but I still take a lesson from each tree dropped as each one is a little different.

Stupid would be repeating mistakes. Inexperience does not mean stupid.

 

[Coyote machine]

Moss Road, well put. Tree felling is dangerous business even when taught to do the work professionally. Each tree is it's own unique situation, especially with adverse conditions like wind, wet ground, etc.
One can never be too careful, and stupid would be if one didn't learn from their experience, assuming their initial experience, if a bad one, doesn't get them hurt/killed. I look at it as there is no room for error when felling trees. I have been doing it since my first job as a ground crew member for a big outfit in the mid 60's, as a teenager. Not getting hurt is a good day in the tree business.

 

[TomSeller]

Tom,
You can't call someone stupid that has never been shown what is obvious to others. Most people learn through experience, observation, and lessons taught by others to them. For example, someone that grew up in the city, never dropped a tree in their life, never had a father or some sort of teacher show them how to drop trees safely, etc... it ain't obvious to them the facts of wind load and the intricacies involved in dropping a tree where you want it to go. They're going to learn by doing. I remember my father teaching me about wind load on buildings (he was an architect) and he told me quite adamantly, MOST FOLKS DON'T KNOW ABOUT WIND LOAD. Its just a fact. They aren't taught the subject.

Having never dropped trees in my first 48 years of life, I started heating our home with firewood about 4 years ago. Not having an experienced tree cutter to show me how to do it I was on my own. I've learned through experience and self teaching. I read a lot. I observe each tree fall and learn a bit more each time. Fortunately for me, I saw many tree cutting disasters over my life and knew to be careful. And I knew about wind load because of my father. I've had several not fall where I planned them to fall. I've had a couple barber chairs. I've had a couple hang ups. I had one unexplained gust of wind that took a tree 180 degrees opposite of where I planned to drop it. Did I know what I was doing when I started? Very little. Do I know what I'm doing 4 years later? For the most part, but I still take a lesson from each tree dropped as each one is a little different.

Stupid would be repeating mistakes. Inexperience does not mean stupid.

Fact check time. I didn't call anyone stupid. I stated:
"When people are stupid they don't know they are stupid"

I believe this to be true, same as a dead person doesn't know they are dead. I later made a reference to that person's actions, but never called the person being depicted stupid. Another member in a post in this thread that was removed by the administrator, called me stupid. Maybe you are thinking that I was the one that made that statement, I was not. I appreciate the administrator removing that member's confrontational post.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, call me stupid then.

Calling someone's actions stupid is very similar to calling them stupid. If they were not stupid, why would they take stupid actions? The stupidity is implied.

Anyhow.... be careful in the woods.

 

[Redneck in training]

That is the problem with experience. You get it right after you need it.

 

[TomSeller]

That is the problem with experience. You get it right after you need it.

Right. Similar to renting equipment. You learn how to use it about the same time it is due back at the rental yard.