Lessons learned the stupid way

[gstrom99]

When I use to cut firewood on my property. Went out to fell a couple ancient Ponderosa pines. The tree leaned - chainsaw got stuck in the cut.

All the way back to the shop to get my second chainsaw.

Future firewood activities always involved both saws.

I did that once, myself. Plastic wedges didn't help. The problem was that my other saw was back at home - 70 miles away. The stuck saw was still there the next day, and got removed without too much more drama.

Lessons are rarely learned, unless something goes wrong.

 

[turnkey4099]

I did that once, myself. Plastic wedges didn't help. The problem was that my other saw was back at home - 70 miles away. The stuck saw was still there the next day, and got removed without too much more drama.

Lessons are rarely learned, unless something goes wrong.

I usually have a minimum of 2 with me, sometime 3 but mostly use jusst one I also carry bars from 14" to 32" and if I stick a saw I will usually drop the power head and put on another bar/chain. I cut and process 10-12 cord a year..or used to. I'm 86 now and for some reason it takes me longer somehow to accomplish something. Probably something in the water.

 

[Thomas]

Ups and downs owning tractor.

 

[Wagtail]

On my (former) JD D110 lawn tractor, the manual did not include a reminder or torque for the blade spindle 10mm 'screws' (4 per spindle) holding the spindle to the deck. Really, you would only notice them when you'd remove the spindle covers IOT change the belt.

After years/many hours, vibration (plus 'hitting things') will loosen a few of those screws.

I knew that "something" was wrong... the mower sounded 'wrong'... but there was no wobble on either blade. So, I just carried on mowing. Fortunately, when I did discover that one of the spindles was held on by ONE screw, I was able to replace the other three and no damage was done to the deck. (two screws were trapped within the spindle shield + the spindle shield screws were the same type, so I 'borrowed' one of them)

I've perused the Owner Manual for my new Z355E and, again, there's no torque setting for the spindle bolts. I'll inquire at my Dealership for this specification.

 

[Jstpssng]

I could write a book on the topic, but here’s one day of it.
I usually manage to get something stuck about once every 6 months and today was the day. I wanted to walk a harvest job and was too lazy to drive 300 feet to a wide spot, then walk back so I pulled into the snowbank, leaving enough room for somebody to get past... in the process, dropping 1 tire into the ditch. After about 15 minutes of shoveling I had 2 more tires over the shoulder, so walked up and asked the harvester operator if he’d come pull me out.
Tonight I wanted to get a layer of salt off the truck so that I could at least see through the side windows. Just as I drove into the touchless wash I realized I had 3 antennas on the roof which needed to come off. I couldn’t get enough leverage standing on the floorboards to jumped into the bed just as the wash started. Luckily I left the door open which reversed the car wash machine the first time. On the second pass the door was pushed shut just as I jumped inside, so I got some of the interior dome as well as the exterior.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I usually have a minimum of 2 with me, sometime 3 but mostly use jusst one I also carry bars from 14" to 32" and if I stick a saw I will usually drop the power head and put on another bar/chain. I cut and process 10-12 cord a year..or used to. I'm 86 now and for some reason it takes me longer somehow to accomplish something. Probably something in the water.

I don't know about you, but my water doesn't flow quite like it used to.

 

[N80]

"Lessons learned the stupid way"​

For me, most of the lessons I have learned the best were learned that way. Painful and expensive gets your attention.

The one the comes to mind is running a short chainsaw (or any chainsaw), while exhausted and without chaps on. It could have been worse. As it turned out just a few stitches in a backwoods ER with a temporary doctor with a thick Russian accent on his first day of work there who walked into the room, looked at the accommodations and said, "hah, look like 1950 in here."

 

[oosik]

workinonit - "How does a wood chipper pump water". Quite well, I might add. But - I only used it that one time. Wood chipper is for trees. My trash pump is for water.

 

[workinonit]

"How does a wood chipper pump water" Thanks for the explanation. I assume it has some sort of fan that blows the wood chips.

 

[9035768HM]

When I use to cut firewood on my property. Went out to fell a couple ancient Ponderosa pines. The tree leaned - chainsaw got stuck in the cut.

All the way back to the shop to get my second chainsaw.

Future firewood activities always involved both saws.

Take a splitting wedge and a sledge to force that gap open. Theyre also good for coaxing the tree to fall according to the wedge you cut