Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[John_Mc]

Does someone somewhere teach chainsaw techniques? I started as a landowner 40 ish years ago and have just slowly built up experience over the years, and I'm sure I have been doing something wrong all this time but no one has told me so.. AND.. I still have all my hands , feet, fingers and such so I must not be doing too bad!

I know there are other places too... but here is one: Northeast Woodland Training

As DLCTCG mentioned, Northeast Woodland Training is one of the GOL franchises, and they are VERY good at what they do. I really appreciate their organized approach and the time they take to explain "why" and don't just say "do this". The understanding goes a long way toward allowing you to adapt the techniques to different situations.

Main organization overseeing all of the trainers in the US can be found at Game of Logging
There are 4 levels, and each one builds on what you learned in the previous levels. Regardless of how "advanced someone may be, you have to start with Level 1"
In my level 3 class years ago, the participants were all chatting during a break and talking about our background and what got us interested in the classes. It turned out that one of the participants in the class was a professional logger. HE had been logging full-time for more than 20 years. He had taken the first 2 classes a year ago because it got him a break on his insurance. He started using the techniques, and came back for levels 3 & 4 because he said it had changed the way he worked in the woods. He said it's not the only technique he uses, but he said he now uses it regularly since getting used to it.

There is another training organization that used to be connected to GOL, but split off. If I recall correctly, he is based somewhere in the southeast. He travels around a lot. I see that he's got a 3-day comprehensive training in Nort Carolina coming up in May. It culinates on storm damage work. Not cheap, but if he's anything like the GOL trainings, you' get a lot out of it. He also does single day sessions from time to time and in different places, if 3 days is more than you want to jump in to.

https://www.forestapps.com/

 

[hunt4570]

As DLCTCG mentioned, Northeast Woodland Training is one of the GOL franchises, and they are VERY good at what they do. I really appreciate their organized approach and the time they take to explain "why" and don't just say "do this". The understanding goes a long way toward allowing you to adapt the techniques to different situations.

Main organization overseeing all of the trainers in the US can be found at Game of Logging
There are 4 levels, and each one builds on what you learned in the previous levels. Regardless of how "advanced someone may be, you have to start with Level 1"
In my level 3 class years ago, the participants were all chatting during a break and talking about our background and what got us interested in the classes. It turned out that one of the participants in the class was a professional logger. He took the first 2 classe because it got him a break on his insurance. He started using the techniques, and came back for levels 3 & 4 a year later because he said it had changed the way he worked in the woods. He said it's not the only technique he uses, but he said he now uses it regularly since getting used to it.

There is another training organization that used to be connected to GOL, but split off. If I recall correctly, he is based somewhere in the southeast. He travels around a lot. I see that he's got a 3-day comprehensive training in Nort Carolina coming up in May. It culinates on storm damage work. Not cheap, but if he's anything like the GOL trainings, you' get a lot out of it. He also does single day sessions from time to time and in different places, if 3 days is more than you want to jump in to.

https://www.forestapps.com/

Yeah, I am not looking to take a class, probably pretty stuck in my ways by now and if anything I am starting to taper off what cutting I do any more. I'm sure I'll still be cutting for some years to come, but a little less and smaller every year.
I was just kind of wondering what was available out there was all. When the wife finally retires in a couple years who knows what direction we'll head.

 

[Loaderman22]

When the wife finally retires in a couple years who knows what direction we'll head.

That's an easy one, back to Colorado!!!! LOL

 

[John_Mc]

Yeah, I am not looking to take a class, probably pretty stuck in my ways by now and if anything I am starting to taper off what cutting I do any more. I'm sure I'll still be cutting for some years to come, but a little less and smaller every year.
I was just kind of wondering what was available out there was all. When the wife finally retires in a couple years who knows what direction we'll head.

Understood. If you are comfortable with what you are doing, and it's working for you, that's great.

I'm thinking of going the other way: I turned 60 recently. I know my reflexes and reaction time have slowed, and I definitely don't have the stamina I used to have. Since their classes are as much about efficiency as safety, I'm thinking of either repeating a level 4, or perhaps hosting a level 5 (Northeast Woodland Training just recently started offering that as a refresher class for those who have completed levels 1-4. Not more advanced, just reviewing and refining techniques previously learned.) If I do, I'd really like to focus on efficiency and good body mechanics, since getting better in those areas might let me extend the number of years I can keep working in the woods. I really don't want to have to cut back any time soon: getting out and working in the woods is what keeps me sane.

My last class as a participant was 7 years ago. I had some chance to refresh my memory by hosting a level 1 & 2 class on the property I own jointly with several other families last summer. I followed the classes around, lugging gear in my tractor for them and showing the instructor which trees were OK to take down. I did not use a saw, but got the benefit of a nice refresher by just listening in to what was going on, and asking the instructor questions here and there.

 

[hunt4570]

That's an easy one, back to Colorado!!!! LOL

Funny boy.. I wont even drive through that POS state!

 

[hunt4570]

Understood. If you are comfortable with what you are doing, and it's working for you, that's great.

I'm thinking of going the other way: I turned 60 recently. I know my reflexes and reaction time have slowed, and I definitely don't have the stamina I used to have. Since their classes are as much about efficiency as safety, I'm thinking of either repeating a level 4, or perhaps hosting a level 5 (Northeast Woodland Training just recently started offering that as a refresher class for those who have completed levels 1-4. Not more advanced, just reviewing and refining techniques previously learned.) If I do, I'd really like to focus on efficiency and good body mechanics, since getting better in those areas might let me extend the number of years I can keep working in the woods. I really don't want to have to cut back any time soon: getting out and working in the woods is what keeps me sane.

My last class as a participant was 7 years ago. I had some chance to refresh my memory by hosting a level 1 & 2 class on the property I own jointly with several other families last summer. I followed the classes around, lugging gear in my tractor for them and showing the instructor which trees were OK to take down. I did not use a saw, but got the benefit of a nice refresher by just listening in to what was going on, and asking the instructor questions here and there.

If I could host a class I'd surely be interested in doing so.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

It's a really nice day here today, so here's a little tractors and wood I got to this morning,

SR

 

[shooterdon]

I wish I had taken a proper course on chainsaw use. I am not comfortable using my saws. Likely a good thing as I am not good with them. It has been costly. Anything "iffy" I hire the work out. But cheaper than having an accident.

When I was a boy, we had to take down a lot of trees for a couple of ponds we were building. My dad had an old Remington saw that weighed a ton but he did not use it much. IIRC most of the trees where downed with our little JD 40 bulldozer. That little gasser was impressive.

 

[John_Mc]

If I could host a class I'd surely be interested in doing so.

Tim Ard would probably be the one to call in your area. If you are seriously interested, give a call or shoot an email and see what's involved in hosting.

In my area, the host/sponsoring organization pays a flat rate for the trainer and is responsible for filling the class (though the training organization will put it up on their web site to help advertise). If you have some state forest landowners association, they are usually happy to publicize it to their members.

 

[John_Mc]

I wish I had taken a proper course on chainsaw use. I am not comfortable using my saws. Likely a good thing as I am not good with them. It has been costly. Anything "iffy" I hire the work out. But cheaper than having an accident.

You've already learned the single most important thing about using a chainsaw: when to walk away and call in someone else.