Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[CobyRupert]

The bore cut mitigates the extent of the barber chair. The section of the tree to split and tear is mostly gone as a result. That is not to say that even with a notch, the tree can still shear.
For the bore cut, there are several things to consider and that is the hinge width, the notch cut and the start of the bore cut itself.
One of the dangers lies at the strap itself as it is a relatively small part of the cut holding up the entire tree. The second danger is leaving the hinge too thick. The third is making the plunge cut above the face cut instead of level with the bottom cut of the notch.
Things happen real fast depending on the size and cast of the tree. The ultimate danger is the sheared trunk that people try to land by cutting the shear itself.
The bore and strap cut I would not recommend for the novice tree cutter and refer to them the Coos Bay cut for the leaner instead.
CoosBay11.jpg

The bore cut does not mitigate the extent of the barber chair. It only DELAYS the additional lateral stresses (that cause barber chairs) on the “hinge” (or trunk) until the holding strap is cut. If there is no hinge, it will still barber hair (split) because there is no hinge for the trunk to rotate on. It can only split.

I don’t understand why your advocating for barber chairs. They kill novices and professionals. They don’t control the tree as it falls like a hinge does.

I agree, a hinge too thick is a danger because if it doesn’t hinge, it’s like not having a hinge. If you don’t make a face cut you don’t have a hinge. .

As you say, when making a bore cut its location to the NOTCH CUT / FACE CUT is important.

OP demonstrates that not having a face cut results in a barber hair.

 

[Loaderman22]

Yes, I do feel the need to point things out if it’s being used as an example for novices. Especially if the information has the potential to get someone killed.
Barber chairing a tree is not recommended for anyone, especially a novice.
It’s totally unpredictable what will happen.
In your case the strength of the grain and the angle of the tree made it so the split was close to the edge and didn’t travel very high vertically before tree came to rest.
But tree could of just as easily split sooner, in the center, the split could of traveled much higher and when the whole trunk breaks off 10’ above your head and falls unpredictably out of the sky you’re not going to outrun it if it picks your direction to kick back at. Then your fate comes down to luck and the size of the tree.

I understand your concern, but I also agree with your statements above, "the strength of the grain and the angle of the tree made it so the split was close to the edge and didn’t travel very high" That was the point of cutting it the way I did.

But disagree with "could of just as easily split sooner, in the center, the split could of traveled much higher" Because of the bore cut this was mitigated. A notch may have eliminated any/all barberchair, but the minimal amount that did split, was minimized because of the bore cut.

 

[shooterdon]

So this is part of the problem with trying to figure things out from the internet. WHO to listen to.. you seem to know what you are talking about, but so does he.. And no, I personally would never try this or anything like that. I had a couple leaners I needed removed a couple years ago and I had a tree guy come do it for me. Cutting your basic upright tree for lumber or firewood, no problems but I am not experienced enough for the tricky stuff and I know it.
But some of the stuff on line... who knows.. and yes the video was impressive, and it did exactly what he said it wood (spelled incorrectly on purpose)

I am the same way. I know I am ignorant...heck I can barely follow most of the comments you guys post on doing the tricky stuff.

Luckily I have guys I can call who handle stuff like this for me.

The worst part is even the "experts" seem to have different approaches to the same problem. That does not give a novice a lot of comfort.

Anyway, glad to see the leaner came down safely.

 

[arrow]

The bore cut does not mitigate the extent of the barber chair.

I don’t understand why your advocating for barber chairs. They kill novices and professionals. They don’t control the tree as it falls like a hinge does.

Of course it does.
Here are three proofs: 1. A bore cut relieves the wood mass that can cause a larger laminar split. One side of the tree is pushing down on the stump while the other is fighting to go up. The less mass (wood) for the tree to achieve this dichotomy of forces, the less the tree will tear. That's why someone came up with the type of cut for a leaner in the first place.
And a notch hinge doesn't always guarantee a stem non shear. I have seen many a tree shear even with a notch albeit on a smaller scale than if not notched for a bore and strap cut. Much has to do with an improper notch cut or an improperly placed plunge cut.
2. A leaner that is cut with the traditional notch and back cut, will overcome any depth of the chainsaw cut and split and shear on a much larger scale long before the chainsaw arrives close to the hinge. Why? Because of the large mass of wood still in place at the center of the tree as the tree loses to gravity.
3. That even w/o a notch, the shear was minimized with the bore cut on the op's tree.

I don't even understand your second sentence or where you're coming from to exclaim such a remark. Your accusation strikes me as totally incongruent especially since I don't suggest a novice to even attempt such a cut...and gave examples of alternative methods for a leaner. I also gave the op pointers to have possibly eliminated even the small shear his tree sustained by creating a notch and how to proceed to cut this notch with a strong leaner.
Unless you totally misread my posts (or if you merely skimmed over it) as a past foreman of a logging crew, you think I'd advocate unsafe practices?

 

[arrow]

So this is part of the problem with trying to figure things out from the internet. WHO to listen to.. you seem to know what you are talking about, but so does he.. And no, I personally would never try this or anything like that. I had a couple leaners I needed removed a couple years ago and I had a tree guy come do it for me. Cutting your basic upright tree for lumber or firewood, no problems but I am not experienced enough for the tricky stuff and I know it.
But some of the stuff on line... who knows.. and yes the video was impressive, and it did exactly what he said it wood (spelled incorrectly on purpose)

I suppose some wood consider a train wreck impressive on some scale as well.
This jerk was simply "showing off" for the internet and I'm not one to buy into his kind of *****.
I logged for too long and saw men die doing stupid things.
Must have made me sensitive when I see dangerous crap on the internet as it comes to tree cuttin, especially from guys that you think would know better.
If he wants to kill himself, don't display how to do it on the internet.
What did impress me was to see how much of a total dickwad this guy is to need this kind of attention.

 

[Loaderman22]

So this is part of the problem with trying to figure things out from the internet. WHO to listen to.. you seem to know what you are talking about, but so does he.. And no, I personally would never try this or anything like that. I had a couple leaners I needed removed a couple years ago and I had a tree guy come do it for me. Cutting your basic upright tree for lumber or firewood, no problems but I am not experienced enough for the tricky stuff and I know it.
But some of the stuff on line... who knows.. and yes the video was impressive, and it did exactly what he said it wood (spelled incorrectly on purpose)

I go by the rule of thumb that the less violently the tree comes down the better the method, not like the code brown method the guy in the video did! I also only cut in the woods, not near the house unless its smaller, or I know it will go away from the house or power lines. I also had training from Stihl, we didn't cover all methods, and there is always room for improvement, but the basic fundamentals are there. I also have a tree guy on standby if needed.

 

[CobyRupert]

Of course it does.
Here are three proofs: 1. A bore cut relieves the wood mass that can cause a larger laminar split. One side of the tree is pushing down on the stump while the other is fighting to go up. The less mass (wood) for the tree to achieve this dichotomy of forces, the less the tree will tear. That's why someone came up with the type of cut for a leaner in the first place.
And a notch hinge doesn't always guarantee a stem non shear. I have seen many a tree shear even with a notch albeit on a smaller scale than if not notched for a bore and strap cut. Much has to do with an improper notch cut or an improperly placed plunge cut.
2. A leaner that is cut with the traditional notch and back cut, will overcome any depth of the chainsaw cut and split and shear on a much larger scale long before the chainsaw arrives close to the hinge. Why? Because of the large mass of wood still in place at the center of the tree as the tree loses to gravity.
3. That even w/o a notch, the shear was minimized with the bore cut on the op's tree.

I don't even understand your second sentence or where you're coming from to exclaim such a remark. Your accusation strikes me as totally incongruent especially since I don't suggest a novice to even attempt such a cut...and gave examples of alternative methods for a leaner. I also gave the op pointers to have possibly eliminated even the small shear his tree sustained by creating a notch and how to proceed to cut this notch with a strong leaner.
Unless you totally misread my posts (or if you merely skimmed over it) as a past foreman of a logging crew, you think I'd advocate unsafe practices?

I think you’re saying that the more you bore cut to the front of the tree (towards where the face cut should be), that once the holding strap is cut, the (guaranteed) barber chair split will be closer to the edge and not travel as high before it finally snaps off and allows the tree to fall over? Ok. Point taken.

You’re still going to get a barber chair every time if you don’t put a face cut and hinge in. Bore cut or not.

At that point you’re hoping that the vertical split migrates to the edge in a short vertical distance and breaks (or hinges) and the top of the tree falls over. But barber chairs are unpredictable. The vertical split may go a lot higher than expected and then a tree trunk is falling out of the sky, perhaps kicking back, and/or going left, or right, etc..

 

[arrow]

I think you’re saying that the more you bore cut to the front of the tree (towards where the face cut should be), that once the holding strap is cut, the (guaranteed) barber chair split will be closer to the edge and not travel as high before it finally snaps off and allows the tree to fall over? Ok. Point taken.

You’re still going to get a barber chair every time if you don’t put a face cut and hinge in. Bore cut or not.

At that point you’re hoping that the vertical split migrates to the edge in a short vertical distance and breaks (or hinges) and the top of the tree falls over. But barber chairs are unpredictable. The vertical split may go a lot higher than expected and then a tree trunk is falling out of the sky, perhaps kicking back, and/or going left, or right, etc..

There is nothing you are relating here that I am not fully aware of.
Again, please do not rely on a "notch" to think it totally relinquishes the aspect of a tree shear.
I have seen it both ways depending on species, crown weight, lean of tree and style of cut, etc.
I have seen trees not shear with no notch and the reverse also being true.
The op "did not get lucky" as his bore cut was sufficient to minimize a shear and I think he knew that. He was worried about a saw pinch and did not create a notch. I told him how he could have his cake and eat it too with the proper notch method for such a tree.
Although I am reluctant to give general advice over this type of format as the variables are infinite in the exceedingly dangerous aspect of tree cutting, my intent was to minimize this happening so hopefully he and others here know a bit more.

 

[arrow]

I go by the rule of thumb that the less violently the tree comes down the better the method, not like the code brown method the guy in the video did! I also only cut in the woods, not near the house unless its smaller, or I know it will go away from the house or power lines. I also had training from Stihl, we didn't cover all methods, and there is always room for improvement, but the basic fundamentals are there. I also have a tree guy on standby if needed.

There are tree cutting methods that induce a slower fall like when a residential customer doesn't want the tree being taken out to fall on his 250 yr old stone wall with a bang.
I was 17 when I first saw this method and THAT was impressive to me to see this entire thing in slow motion.

 

[John_Mc]

So this is part of the problem with trying to figure things out from the internet. WHO to listen to.. you seem to know what you are talking about, but so does he.. And no, I personally would never try this or anything like that. I had a couple leaners I needed removed a couple years ago and I had a tree guy come do it for me. Cutting your basic upright tree for lumber or firewood, no problems but I am not experienced enough for the tricky stuff and I know it.
But some of the stuff on line... who knows.. and yes the video was impressive, and it did exactly what he said it wood (spelled incorrectly on purpose)

You've hit on one of the biggest problems with getting information from the internet: You need to be an "intelligent consumer of information" (a phrase borrowed from a long-retired Harvard Business School professor friend of mine - he was always trying to make this point to his students).

Your self-awareness puts you well ahead of so many chainsaw owners I've seen: The most important thing to know about felling trees is your own limitations. This is true whether you are a beginner, or a full-time pro with decades of experience, or a chainsaw safety instructor. The limitations of each of those people (as well as the limitations of the equipment they bring to the job) may be quite different. A lot of problems happen when someone crosses the line. They may get away with it for a while, and that may embolden them that whatever they did was fine, and encourage them to keep doing it or push their luck further.

I liken it to choosing your speed on an icy road. You can practice to increase your skill, add snow tires or studded snow tires to increase equipment capability, but you still need to know when to say "that's just too fast for me/my equipment/the conditions".