Cutting Trees at an Angle
- Thread starter TJP89
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LD1
Epic Contributor
That last method dont work well with larger hardwoods that have alot more branches.
square1
Veteran Member
There is no "one size fits all" solution to felling trees, leaners, hang-ups, or just plain old straight trees with nothing at all within the fall zone to be concerned with. They're all different and all deserve the utmost respect. The OP was wise in asking for "suggestions".
I only cut (6) years professionally and the training I received helped me unlearn a lot of bad things my dad taught me about cutting trees. Had I continued in the profession without training and not heeded wise advice from those with many years of experience there would have been no chance of me joining Arrow at the(30) year award dinner
CobyRupert
Super Member
I've used this method before, but when you don't have a cant stick to roll the tree, I used a method of doing a small open face cut and taking out a wedge of tree that's 90 degrees to your original face cut at the hinge. Then slowly cutting the hinge, starting from the opposite side like in the video towards the secondary face cut. Having my secondary 90 degree face cut (sometimes) makes the tree roll on its own as the hinge is being released on the opposite side.
But then again, beware of advice on freeing hung up trees; if the person knew what they were doing they wouldn't of hung it up in the first place !
arrow
Super Member
Good question. Totally up rooted trees from my experience the ball seems to want to mostly fall back into the hole given a flat terrain. Partially uprooted trees like the one in Squares video, will not exert much of a changing force as when they uproot, a lot of the root is still being ground supported. Of course, things change when variables do such as the size of the uproot circumference wise, the size of the tree trunk and angulation of the lean. That's the nature of logging, all aspects and situations seem to have their own set of differentials.
arrow
Super Member
Wow, then a lot of times I mustn't knew what I was doing. Selective cutting in dense woods one may have little choice especially if the client is picky about what gets taken down. I've had trees hang up where I thought they would blow right by another canopy (just one of the reasons I hated logging in summer). Sometimes you have to purposely create a hang up to protect a stone wall or fence and then section the tree so it would "jump" the obstacle. Clear cutting say for a shopping mall with skidders with a 12-20 ton winch, I agree you'd have to be Bozo the Clown to afford a hang up. Even that's changed with the feller/buncher machine.
What strikes so sad now a days is that they have machines that chew up 30" oaks rather than save the stems for milling like they used to.
arrow
Super Member
square1;4083621 there would have been no chance of me joining Arrow at the(30) year award dinner ;)[/QUOTE said:
Todd727
Gold Member
OP
TJP89
Veteran Member
Lot of info here, and some pointless arguing. I actually only got in about two hours of work this weekend before the chainsaw decided to quit. Somebody mentioned 2 saws is a good idea, but I've only got one, soooo, I found some alternate projects until the saw gets fixed.
I have cut hanging trees and trees under tension, so I know what released trees can do. That's why I was so wary going into my first time cutting full sized hung trees. most of my short time sawing Saturday was getting a big tree top down on the ground. It had snapped 15 ft up the trunk and the top was on the ground, and the trunk resting on top of the 15 ft stump. I was able to get it down by careful cutting of the top branches. Once the whole mess was on the ground, the saw stopped cutting and so the tree's still down.
As to the video posted, cutting over by head like that isn't going to happen, and that seems a little to dangerous to try. If the trunk slides the wrong way, curtains for the operator. One thing I've learned is that trees can be unpredictable when they fall, or at least very hard to judge correctly.
I have cut hanging trees and trees under tension, so I know what released trees can do. That's why I was so wary going into my first time cutting full sized hung trees. most of my short time sawing Saturday was getting a big tree top down on the ground. It had snapped 15 ft up the trunk and the top was on the ground, and the trunk resting on top of the 15 ft stump. I was able to get it down by careful cutting of the top branches. Once the whole mess was on the ground, the saw stopped cutting and so the tree's still down.
As to the video posted, cutting over by head like that isn't going to happen, and that seems a little to dangerous to try. If the trunk slides the wrong way, curtains for the operator. One thing I've learned is that trees can be unpredictable when they fall, or at least very hard to judge correctly.
