Man killed while felling trees

Varmintmist · Oct 6, 2004

wedges, wedges wedges, always. If you hang a saw and the tree already is moving, shut it off and go for coffee. God will bring it down. If its not moving, wedges, a second bar or a second saw. If you dont have any of these, unbolt the bar, and go for coffee. A homeowner or a landowner doesnt NEED to get production quality time felling. Thats for loggers, they are the pros.

SkyPup · Oct 6, 2004

Amen to that Varmintist,

A chainsaw is the most powerful dangerous thing you can purchase without a license and in the hands of the inexperienced layman is guaranteed mayhem. Just ask any emergency room physican if you don't believe me.

I've got a Stihl 046 Magnum with a 32" bar and chain and a Husky XP385 with a 30" setup that sure did come in handy with major Hurricane tree removal damage recently, but some of the neighbors were ready to lose their lives or limbs with the new chainsaws they'd just purchased for the first time in their lives....... I can't hammer how much you should respect both saw and tree.

markct · Oct 6, 2004

yea thats the problem, everyone figures they know how to use a chainsaw, but it takes a while to acualy see all the dangers involved, nevermind the dangers of the trees falling that you are cutting. i remember when i was little watching my next door neighbor who was in his late 60s do some scary stuff with a chainsaw, he had move out to the country after being a stockbroker all his life, nicest man in the world but didnt know all that much about fixing stuff and that sorta thing, when he would use that chainsaw i would stand well outa his way, more than a few times i had to go down with another saw or a tractor and a chain to help him free his chainsaw that he had gotten pinched into the tree

Libertine · Oct 6, 2004

markct et al:

more than a few times i had to go down with another saw or a tractor and a chain to help him free his chainsaw that he had gotten pinched into the tree


Question??? (to anybody). I'm a novice having felled only a few trees (the largest about 30"-32" in diameter and about 70' high. How can anybody get a chainsaw "pinched" into the tree???? Aren't you supposed to cut a wedge in the direction of fall and do a straight cut slightly above to relieve the tension and get it going? Am I missing something here???

JEH

Junkman · Oct 6, 2004

very easy to get the saw cut.... if the tree starts to move in the opposite direction while you are cutting, the cut will close up and the saw is caught. The worse part of this, is that at that point, you don't know for certain which direction the tree will ultimately fall. If you have limited experience, I would ask for help from someone experienced before tackling a 70' high 30" diameter tree. Too much to go wrong in a hurry if you make a mistake.

riptides · Oct 6, 2004

I never work alone with a chainsaw. Someone is ALWAYS within visual distance.

( Aren't you supposed to cut a wedge ) Yep, and I have had trees pinch on the 45 degree wedge cut. Hollow trees do wierd things, they look healthy on the outside, and then you discover rot.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

ejb · Oct 6, 2004

( wedges, wedges wedges, always. If you hang a saw and the tree already is moving, shut it off and go for coffee. God will bring it down.
)

Aint that the truth...I once felled a 200+ year old sugar maple that was dead at the top...about 42" inches diameter at the bottom...just could get in every where with my 18inch blade and all the wedges I owned...so I gave up after cutting as much as I could get to, thinking it would come down the rest of the way by itself when the wind blew...and it did...about 5 months later!

ejb · Oct 6, 2004

However, when he heard Michaud’s daughter crying for her dad to get up, he knew his neighbor was in trouble.

Now I wish I hadn't read the article... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif boy does that just break your heart...

Junkman · Oct 7, 2004

G-d works in strange ways and takes his time doing it. That tree situation coming down is the same way that I feel about snow. G-d put it there, he can take it away and I am in no rush as to when.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

slowzuki · Oct 7, 2004

The main purpose of the "wedge" or notch is so the hinge doesn't break too soon when the tree is felled. The hinge is the most important part of felling a tree. Hollow/rotten trees are dangerous because they don't have good material to form a hinge with.

The hinge controls the direction of fall and keeps the tree from jumping off the stump too soon.

When handling large core rotten trees you have to learn how to plunge cut to do it safely.

The notch is cut carefully, then the back of the hinge is formed by plunge cutting the sides leaving a back strap to hold the tree. Wedges are inserted in the side as close to the rear as possible then the back strap is cut. Additional wedges may be required at this point.

Rotten trees have very narrow hinges so a wider notch may be required to keep them from breaking too early.

Driving wedges or a wind CAN cause the hinge to snap while the tree is upright and the tree will jump, maybe come off off the stump and can fall in any direction then. BE CAREFUL! Even pros get killed. Have a clean escape route. Hire a pro for dangerous trees.

( markct et al:

tree???? Aren't you supposed to cut a wedge in the direction of fall and do a straight cut slightly above to relieve the
)