Penokee,
This post is very interesting to me as I work alone 99% of the time on my property. My wife does the gardening and I do all the other yard work that needs to be done. We own 10 acres, 4-1/2 acres of it is a neglected woodlot that I'm in the process of cleaning up. As you can imagine there is quite a mess in there and many unique opportunities to get killed. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I do a lot of tree work alone, I know some have said that they don't chainsaw alone. I have no choice, but must confess to actually liking not having to worry about the safety of someone else. On my property I'm constantly looking up for new, dead, or broken branches—especially after heavy rainfall, snowstorms or heavy winds. I get the same crick in the neck squirrel hunters get after a day in the woods. To me its a matter of safety if you have trees on your property to look up and see what might kill you.
Once I've decided to cut a tree down I don't fell it that same day. I come back after thinking about it just a little bit more. I've cut down many trees alone, but only after major contemplation. If its a really big tree I have no problem calling in a professional. I carry a cell phone and a two-way radio and keep in contact with my wife at predetermined times on the 2-way radios. She also always knows where on the property I'll be working. Above all else I keep my brain turned on, never rushing, and when I get tired I quit. One thing I always keep repeating to myself when doing any dangerous work on my property is "do you want to die doing this?" The answer is always no, so far./forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
regards,
Luis Leon
BX23, 60"MMM and soon to arrive wood
chipper, because cutting down all them trees makes for a lot of brush on the ground.