Chainsaw use - alone

[Jstpssng]

It's probably not the best idea, but a lot of us do it.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Dad got hurt once cutting alone, not too bad and I don’t remember the details. Dad cut a lot of timber. Usually one of us kids were with him helping.
I pulled many trees out of the woods with our 8N with the front tires off the ground, steer with the brakes.
Then we got a crawler with winch. Almost killed myself on that once.

 

[s219]

After getting Barber chaired I try not to cut "standing" timber alone. Downed and staged stuff sure. Wear the chaps and don't let fatigue get you bleeding.

Was the barber chair a complete unpredictable surprise, or was it obvious in retrospect?

I am probably too wary of barber chairs, always on the lookout for a situation where one side of the tree is under tension and the other is in compression. Doesn't have to be a leaner for that to happen. In obvious barber chair scenarios, the Coos Bay cut is a winner and will let you cut the tree without producing a shear through the grain that leads to a barber chair.

 

[yomax4]

Was the barber chair a complete unpredictable surprise, or was it obvious in retrospect?

I am probably too wary of barber chairs, always on the lookout for a situation where one side of the tree is under tension and the other is in compression. Doesn't have to be a leaner for that to happen. In obvious barber chair scenarios, the Coos Bay cut is a winner and will let you cut the tree without producing a shear through the grain that leads to a barber chair.

I had cut hundreds of cords of wood and never heard of barber chair. I walked up to a tree that was bent 60 degrees due to an oak tree laying on it. I walked up and touched the trunk with my saw and thwap ! I was down. I came to with my saw idling next to my face and had cuts and abrasions. In retrospect not really obvious at the time. I thought the oak would just take it down. I cut 3 big trees down yesterday with barber chair in mind on each. Likely always consider it going forward.

 

[Garandman]

I had cut hundreds of cords of wood and never heard of barber chair. I walked up to a tree that was bent 60 degrees due to an oak tree laying on it. I walked up and touched the trunk with my saw and thwap ! I was down. I came to with my saw idling next to my face and had cuts and abrasions. //

Leaners always have my attention. Taken to using the tractor FEL to push them down, or rigging a line and pulling it down with a snatch block.

 

[Citydude]

I nicked my chainsaw pants once while limbing a downed tree. That made me question me doing what I was doing alone. I’m 6 miles from anywhere and no cell service.

However, I was clear cutting a swath through my timber to get power up to my property. Having it hired out was outrageously expensive and my friends when logging in 80 degree heat on a pretty steep incline seemed to be busy.,.

The moral is, things need done. So, we do it alone.

 

[Skeans1]

Leaners always have my attention. Taken to using the tractor FEL to push them down, or rigging a line and pulling it down with a snatch block.

I’ve seen guys do this and end up on their lids with a tractor before. There are a few tricks you can do to make the chances of having a barber chair to start with one way was stated earlier a Coos bay style back cut another is fall them 90 to 120 away from the lean with a thinner hinge on the leaning side.

 

[newbury]

I "chainsaw" alone virtually all the time. If I'm going to be doing it while up in a tree or on a roof I try to make sure the wife knows and I'll usually call to say "going up in tree" and "back on ground".

I've had my share of minor accidents usually within shouting distance of the house. Things like a small tree falling wrong and brushing me, getting wapped by a branch springing free.

Well another year and about 30 more hours of chainsaw operation ALONE, mostly spent on cleanup but include felling 2 trees about 24" DBH which included ladder work trimming.
Just keep the pucker factor high, the muscle exhaustion low, figure out the physics of falling trees and you should be ok.
Lot's better than using an ax.

 

[Skeans1]

Just kind of curious what length of bars are most of you guys running?

 

[yomax4]

Just kind of curious what length of bars are most of you guys running?

20" for 98% where I'm at. I have a 28" but seldom have needed it. I use an 026 Pro for limbing and it has a 20 on it as well. Works fine for limbs under 10". A friend swears by his 18" bars.