Looking at the weather forecast this is probably the last week I work in the woods for a while. I had a back leaner today that I didn't dare wedge over because the butt looked so bad. I didn't know if the hinge would hold against the wedging and it could go over backwards. So I set up a snatch block and winched it over.
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I backed up to the tree and climbed up on the winch to set the choker as high as I could. I have a couple steps welded on the winch to make it easy. It took a long strap to get the snatch block out where I needed it. I used a 6'er around the tree with a 9'er attached to that. I put enough tension on the cable that I see the top of the tree just barely start to move. That way I am pretty sure I can hold it w/o pinching my bar but it won't come over while I am cutting. I make a normal notch cut. On the back cut I left a pretty healthy hinge because of the rot. Then I winched it over.
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The butt wasn't very sound as you can see.
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When I couple two straps together like that I put a big dowel in the connection. That way it comes apart very easily. Without the dowel the straps tighten into each other and might never come apart. Don't ask how I know.
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