Widow Maker?

[Egon]

uuuhhh ; did any of those sticks make contactact with your anatomy as they were being lowered to the ground??

Egon

 

[BigDave]

Nope. The flying sticks were from the top to the tree when it hit the ground. They went towards my wife who thought she was sitting plenty far enough away. Her estimate of the tree's height was 40', when it turned out to be about 80'. I recall a politically incorrect joke about that, but I think she has it backwards. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[gmason]

where's your tractor in all this?? I usually just cut 3/4 of the way through and use the FEL to push it in what ever direction I want. Looks like you had the room to get it in there?

Looks like you have some nice ready firewood now. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
gary

 

[beenthere]

I probably should let your comment go (cut 3/4 of the way through) but what you suggest isn't a good idea. That tree can come over backwards onto your tractor and you. The undercut should be on the side you want the tree to fall, and not 3/4 of the way through the tree (that is what I understood you to say). The undercut shouldn't look like the one shown in this thread either. It should be a 1/4 of the way through (somewhat depending on size of the tree and natural lean) and come to a precision point, and the backcut coming in about 1" above the point of the undercut. A hinge of wood is left, that can be used to control the direction of the fall. A wedge should be placed in the backcut so the tree cannot set back down on the backcut (as this will pinch the saw and worse, it will mean the tree has settled back in the direction you don't want it to fall. That is where and when people get hurt and get into predicaments they don't want to be in. There is a lot of weight to a tree standing balanced on a stump, and when some of that wood is removed, the tree is going to become unbalanced. Every move at that point is very critical, and once the tree moves in any direction (right or wrong direction), it will likely continue in that direction.

Please excuse the intrusion, but there may be readers that should know what the dangers are, and there may be readers that don't believe a word I say. So be it, but I'm hoping to keep someone healthy.

Falling trees is a dangerous activity. Knowing what might happen when 100's of pounds comes crashing down is the only smart way to go about doing it right.
Sorry, as I don't mean to lecture but I can't let it go unmentioned. Too many people think just getting hold of the right equipment makes them a safe tree cutter. The knowledge needed is vast, and without it, .... enough said.

 

[thcri]

Beenthere,

I watched a friend cut a tree 3/4's of the way through. Then he decided to take his 4 wheeler and push it. The tree moved some but when he backed up to hit it again the tree came back to it's original position and then kept going. Yep, right on top of him. He was lucky, he was able to get off and get out of the way. His wheeler wasn't so lucky.

I had a tree guy come and remove a tree for me. He did it exactly the way you say but before he did anything he climbed the tree and put a rope on it as high as he could and then tied it the direction he wanted it to fall. To me it made pretty good sense.

my 2 cents

murph

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

Murph........We had a man in a small town I used to live in that was cutting down some 80 year old maple trees on some land he bought accross from the town hall / police station. He had an accomplice climb up and hook a cable to a limb so he could pull the tree in the direction he wanted it to fall........Hooked the cable to his 8n ford......put tension on the cable and began cutting..........tree was hollow and fairly rotten (but huge)........as tree fell it twisted and fell in the oppisite direction pulling the 8n with it as it crushed the roof of the town hall .........No one hurt but he did get his name and picture in the local paper........The tree only weighed about six times what the tractor did..........The good news...Insurance fixed the roof......and the 8n survived.........TOM

 

[Egon]

Very good information Beenthere. Perhaps a mention of wind strength and direction could be added as well as planned escape route and site prep before starting the cutting.

Please note I am not a competent faller but do try and may get better with experience.

Egon

 

[WVBill]

Not to "pile on" but BigDave's picture of his wife holding the sticks that came flying toward her speaks to the importance of getting a real measurement of the height of the tree - not just a guestimate. Looks to me like the top of that tree just missed the deck by a whisker - too close for my comfort anyway!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

>>>Yep, right on top of him. He was lucky, he was able to get off and get out of the way.<<<

About 15 years ago as a Sergeant in the Baltimore County Maryland Police Dept. I responded to an accident in which a tree fell on a man. The victim, who died at the scene, was a retired firefighter. He had all the necessary safety equipment, helmet, face shield, chaps, wedges, etc. When we arrived we found the victim directly under the tree. He had the proper undercut but when the tree (which was hollow inside) started to fall it snapped about 20 feet over his head. The tree then started to fall in the opposite direction of where it was meant to go and toward the victim. The victim ran from the tree but it caught him in the shoulder. If he would have stepped either to the left or right he might have made it, but he could not outrun the length of the tree. Not to be too graphic but the tree literally bent him in half. His face was just about touching his boots. I had to make the notification to the next of kin which is one of the hardest things you might have to do in life. I'll never forget this one. With trees you've got to be so so careful.

 

[thcri]

Yeah, I guess tying it to somthing that outweighed the tree would be good. The tree I had was fairly large and we tied it to another tree and someone even pulled on it to keep it taught all the time. But to tie it on something like an 8n or anyother tractor for that matter would not be good.

When this guy made his notch he then went over and pulled on the rope and the tree came the direction he wanted it. I am sure the trick is in the notch. Experience I guess

murph