# Read this if you are new to cutting trees down (or are just bored)



## armyrangerwoodcutter (Jan 29, 2017)

Just a wee bit of back ground before I get to the good part.

First off, I am not even close to being an expert nor am I a professional tree cutter. I just retired from the Army back in Nov after 29 years of service both enlisted and officer. Spent the entire career as an infantry soldier, to include five years in one of the Ranger battalions. I have done many dangerous things, to include 4 combat deployments, 82 parachute jumps, one actual combat jump in to Panama, and crap tons of live fire exercise, air assaults, fast rope missions... I never really considered cutting down trees as anything all that dangerous.

My intro to tree cutting was back in the early 90s when I got a scholarship and went to college. In the summers I worked construction up in North Georgia. My boss was going to hire someone with a bucket to come cut little dead branches out of the top of poplar tree. I got some parachute cord, free climbed like a monkey, and pulled up a hand bow saw and cut them down for free. Other builders in the sub division saw me and started hiring me to cut trees for them. My boss got a used echo saw, and let me use it. I never used ropes, did not have any harness, and by the grace of God, never got hurt. I guess that is the advantage of being young, strong, and stupid. Being I could climb like a monkey, I figured I was quite the expert. Even got into coon hunting, and hunters loved me because I could go up about any tree in a swamp and knock a coon out.

I got commissioned and headed up to Fort Bragg and purchased a house with a fire place. Ran to Walmart and got me a poulan saw (green one) and started cutting up blow downs (mostly scrub oak). I thought I was a regular Paul Bunion. Can not count how many times I hung up a saw, and had to hook up chains to my 3/4 ton truck to pull logs and get my bar free. I did not know you actually had to sharpen the chain, and wondered why the heck the saw would not cut, and just made fine dust. Burned it up, and got me the bigger yellow poulan saw. On weekends I found out I could make side money removing trees. I could still climb, and started using a chain powered come-along to pull leaning trees. Had no clue to what I was actually doing, but I never dropped a tree on a house or car, and thought myself to be pretty good. At a pawn shop I picked up a big Homelite with the metal case. By the time I made major, I got a teaching gig at West Point, and ended up in a house in Wallkill, NY with a massive wood burner in the basement. I went to Lowes and got me a Husky Rancher 55, and thought I had made it to the big time. I spent my weekends cutting trees, and still had never actually been instructed by someone that knew what they were doing. I did get pretty good at working my saw, and was proficient at making lots of firewood out of blow downs.

So now I am a 48 year old freshly retired Lieutenant Colonel with arthritis, a crap ton of surgeries, bad joints, and compressed back. It hurts to climb in and out of bed so I sure do not climb trees any more (but I think I still could get up one). I have applied at a number of jobs in the corporate world being I have a masters and am capable as a planner and problem solver. Nothing hit, so I decided to go back to doing some construction work with a crew that does grading, footings, and poured walls (I just can not sit around). They discovered that the old fat colonel likes to run a saw, and started tasking me to do much of the clearing and chipping. In recent years I have picked up a few pro model Stihls and a Dolmar.

Last week we went to a new site, where we would spend about five days clearing a large wooded lot. It was covered in a mixture of various oaks. we were chipping the small stuff, hauling off the big logs, and burning the dead stuff. We do not have a lot of rules, but the boss will not let anyone run a chipper alone, or fell trees alone. The boss was gone, and I was working with his 18 year old son. I had a fire going, and did not want to leave it and go to lunch, so I sent him on, and stayed on the site alone. I ran out of stuff to do, and noticed an oak that was big enough to just get your arms around, and it was leaning way over. with it leaning, I figured it would be easy to just drop on the ground, and then I could cut it all up and have it ready to load.

So now I will start counting off the stupid stuff I did. I did not have a hard hat on, and was wearing a skull cap. I was alone, I did not clear an escape path, and I did not have my cell phone with me. I notched the tree, and without doing a bore cut, just started cutting the back side. About six inches into it, I saw it split very quickly, and like a moron, I did not break and run. I am not sure how long after, but I woke up next to the trunk and was in pain. I had fresh blood running down my face, my left hand felt broke, and my right forearm was in pretty bad pain. I got up and walked away from the tree, and did not even realize my Dolmar was still on the ground running. I used the mirror on a dump truck to examine my head, and saw that about a three inch gash had peeled back my scalp. I pulled my hair out of the wound the best I could, and used my skull cap to apply pressure to get the bleeding to slow down. Once it did, I put my skull cap back on to keep pressure on it. I headed back over to the tree to find my glasses, and realized my Dolmar was still running,. I picked it up, and decided to go ahead and cut the remaining split part so the boss man would not realize what idiot I was. I shut off the saw, and kind of just stood there trying to after action review what had happened. When the trunk had split, and shot up in the air, it broke off, and hit me in the head and arms, separating me and the saw on opposite sides of the trunk. Had I been six inches closer to the stump, I am betting that tree would have crushed me like a grape. I was bruised up and bleeding, but was able to finish work that day, and finish up the week.

So a whole lot of blabbing to get to the lessons. If you do not know what you are doing on felling, then don't fell trees. I am betting that over the past 25 years I have just been plain lucky. Every tree you cut, treat it as if it can kill you. If you are prior military, apply the risk management process you learned, or take it as serious as a live fire exercise. Never cut trees down alone, always wear a hard hat, and have a cell phone and first aid kit. Use this site and youtube to learn about "barber chairs" and other such situations. Seek out experts and learn the smart way. I know when you are young, or just starting out, that dad gum saw just feels good in your hands. Problem solving, and physics work much better than just having a big ego and can-do spirit.

sorry to be so long winded. If you actually read to the end, be smart, be safe, and don't be like me.

The attached pic is the trunk that almost got me.


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## SeMoTony (Jan 30, 2017)

armyrangerwoodcutter said:


> Just a wee bit of back ground before I get to the good part.
> 
> First off, I am not even close to being an expert nor am I a professional tree cutter. I just retired from the Army back in Nov after 29 years of service both enlisted and officer. Spent the entire career as an infantry soldier, to include five years in one of the Ranger battalions. I have done many dangerous things, to include 4 combat deployments, 82 parachute jumps, one actual combat jump in to Panama, and crap tons of live fire exercise, air assaults, fast rope missions... I never really considered cutting down trees as anything all that dangerous.
> 
> ...


Sir,thank you for your service,Sir! Glad you have survived yourself. Thank you for educating us


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## Marshy (Jan 30, 2017)

Welcome to the site and glad you are hear to tell the story. If you have the time on your hands take a read through this thread.
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/barber-chair.304946/
There is a little garble in there but there is a lot of good learning's about dealing with a barber chairs. 
Thank you for your service.


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## Ryan'smilling (Jan 30, 2017)

Welcome to AS. Glad you made out of that one with only flesh wounds!

I took a GREAT class on chainsaw safety from an organization we have in Wisconsin called FISTA. It's similar to the Game of Logging courses. I found details on mine from our county forester. I can not say enough good things about that class. I grew up cutting wood and was proficient running a chainsaw. I thought I had a good handle on things. I was wrong. As someone who knows there's a lot that you can still learn about tree work, I think you'd really enjoy a class like that. 

I learned a ton from that one day class. I use stuff that I learned there every single time I run a saw. I can not recommend enough that you find a place to have a similar learning experience. 

Stay safe, and have fun!


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## kz1000 (Jan 30, 2017)

Glad that you are alive to tell us and thank you for your service.


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## Westboastfaller (Jan 30, 2017)

armyrangerwoodcutter said:


> Just a wee bit of back ground before I get to the good part.
> 
> First off, I am not even close to being an expert nor am I a professional tree cutter. I just retired from the Army back in Nov after 29 years of service both enlisted and officer. Spent the entire career as an infantry soldier, to include five years in one of the Ranger battalions. I have done many dangerous things, to include 4 combat deployments, 82 parachute jumps, one actual combat jump in to Panama, and crap tons of live fire exercise, air assaults, fast rope missions... I never really considered cutting down trees as anything all that dangerous.
> 
> ...


 That wasn't a near miss but a direct hit. The trunk did indeed get you.
Good advice but why the sudden change?
I mean to say; You didn't seem to take your own advice right after you got hit.

You got hit in the head with a tree which could have caused internal bleeding or a broken neck and you worked the day out?
Look at the mechanism of injury and the body region. Any hit between the groin and the head should have you in the hospital in under an hour. We lost a partner on the hill this past July 4 due to a delayed helicopter evacuation. I know they removed his spleen but he ended up brain dead from lack of oxygen from shock (cardiac arrest.) I denied him his request of a drink of water that he would never have. We untied his hands at his request but maybe all that extra movement contributed? I know one of his last things he said was "phuckin' snag"!
We told him we would go cut it into tooth picks for him.

WTF can you say?

Thnk

*Edit I'll just say it's also very hard on other people it effects.
We had to do a drill with the basket and stretcher and helicopter four months later with another company. I went to talk 'about it' and I just froze up and kept going dizzy. I tried to compose
myself and start again but I couldn't talk about it. I'm sure you can relate, or maybe I'm the one that can relate


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## djones (Jan 30, 2017)

Welcome to the site, stick around and you might live a little longer. There are some great guys here with hundreds of years experience to help us all live longer. One of the WTF pictures gave a great quote recently. Good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from poor judgement. Yes we have to learn to crawl before we walk. I've been cutting since the 70's and still every tree is a new experience. I now study each tree before cutting, watch the wind, check the lean, check the limb distribution, decide where the hangups might occur, choose carefully the correct falling direction. Any tree I drop has to be away from maple trees as much as possible to protect sap production. Some trees get passed up just because of the surrounding maple trees. This site has provided many useful tips, suggestions and outright life saving instruction. I've learned that when in doubt, ask here and you'll get plenty of solid direction. Congrats to your long service to our country, many of us are veterans and /or retirees and we accept all newbies without reservation.


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## square1 (Jan 30, 2017)

Thanks for sharing. If one person stops to think about what they read here and applies a safer technique then your post has paid off.
When I went through formal training there were so many thing my dad taught me that had to be unlearned I seriously wondered how we (dad & I) were still alive.


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## cantoo (Jan 30, 2017)

I'm not new but I read it anyway. Sheet happens and it's best to be prepared. I still don't always wear safety glasses but on this day I was glad that I did. Mini sideways barberchair on a branch. Sometimes getting tired is a good way to get hurt.


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## ncpete (Jan 30, 2017)

armyrangerwoodcutter said:


> Just a wee bit of back ground before I get to the good part.
> If you actually read to the end, be smart, be safe, and don't be like me.
> 
> The attached pic is the trunk that almost got me.



Dammit, Sir! Don't you remember anything from your enlisted days? Where was the NCO to save your butt? As an LTC, you are not granted the same foolishness we allow Warrant Officers (The Army's "hey, watch this" crowd). Oofff. My dad also retired as an LTC (Medical Service Corp), was enlisted before hand, and also did some dumb things, even as he was working on his PhD. As an old soldier myself - SSG - USA (98 series - German, Arabic and French), I appraise every tree, and almost study the damn things to death before touching them with a saw. Not quite 'paralysis by analysis' - most usually 'paralysis by being sore as heck from previous days work'. And those are the days I don't cut, but they give me time to assess my future mistakes. 

Thank you for your service - what was your BASD? wondering if you may have been in my class at Benning before I got pulled for DLI?


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## rwoods (Jan 30, 2017)

Sir, thank you for posting. I'm glad you are still with us. Can't speak for the arborist community, but there sure are a lot of us non-professionals chainsaw wielding folks that should read and heed your story.

I may post a link to this thread.

Ron


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## svk (Jan 30, 2017)

Thank you for your service, and glad you are ok. I have a brother who is a Ranger and perhaps he served under you (he's only 19 though so has only been in for a year and a half).


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## kiteflyingeek (Jan 30, 2017)

Thanks for serving!! Glad you made it out alive -- from both things ;-)

--andrew


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## armyrangerwoodcutter (Jan 30, 2017)

ncpete said:


> Dammit, Sir! Don't you remember anything from your enlisted days? Where was the NCO to save your butt? As an LTC, you are not granted the same foolishness we allow Warrant Officers (The Army's "hey, watch this" crowd). Oofff. My dad also retired as an LTC (Medical Service Corp), was enlisted before hand, and also did some dumb things, even as he was working on his PhD. As an old soldier myself - SSG - USA (98 series - German, Arabic and French), I appraise every tree, and almost study the damn things to death before touching them with a saw. Not quite 'paralysis by analysis' - most usually 'paralysis by being sore as heck from previous days work'. And those are the days I don't cut, but they give me time to assess my future mistakes.
> 
> Thank you for your service - what was your BASD? wondering if you may have been in my class at Benning before I got pulled for DLI?


I started Basic Training out at Harmony Church in Aug of 1987.

Thanks for your service


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## armyrangerwoodcutter (Jan 30, 2017)

Good advice,


Westboastfaller said:


> That wasn't a near miss but a direct hit. The trunk did indeed get you.
> Good advice but why the sudden change?
> I mean to say; You didn't seem to take your own advice right after you got hit.
> 
> ...


by

Good Advice.

You have to get in line to chew my butt though. My brother and wife were on me for not going to get checked out. The worst I got was the massive bruise to my forearm. The entire arm is turning blue and green but is healing up. I used to box, and I have had the bell rung a few times. I instructed boxing at West Point, and know the dangers of concussions. If I ever get binged in the head again, I will be sure to get it checked.

Thanks for the reply


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## troutbum (Jan 30, 2017)

We did a job last summer for an hoa cutting about 300 2-3" dead lodgepole pines. I was knocking em down and had three guys behind me hauling the trees to the road. By 10am, we had 80 cut and staged. Next thing i new, I woke up with one of my guys saying "hadn't heard your saw running for a while, thought I'd come check on ya". I got cocky, and one had enough lean and life left to smack me in the side of my helmet. Man did I feel like an idiot. Took the rest of the day off and had a sore jaw for a month or so...but got really lucky and learned another value lesson.


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## ncpete (Jan 30, 2017)

armyrangerwoodcutter said:


> I started Basic Training out at Harmony Church in Aug of 1987.
> 
> Thanks for your service


March 88. Sand Hill.


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## JimMorrison (Jan 31, 2017)

Damn glad you made it sir, and I admire your post. Southern MN is the top of the prairie and the wind has a long, unhindered path to get here. Trees are a godsend. I stand in my yard and revere them. If I am looking at a tree, with a saw in my hand, only one thing comes to mind, kinetic energy.


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## armyrangerwoodcutter (Jan 31, 2017)




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## JimMorrison (Jan 31, 2017)

The leaners look easy and usually are, but once in a while.


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## DavisL. (Jan 31, 2017)

Glad you are okay. Thank you for the great advice.
Even the experts need a refresher. More accidents happen to experts because they get relaxed. 
I used to cut that way but now have learned about bore cutting, hinges and triggers. 
And most of all thanks for your service!

Sent from my LG-K550 using Tapatalk


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## JanThorCro (Apr 8, 2017)

Damn glad your still with us, sir. I second the guy about the training class. Last year I went to one of GOL's classes and it was a huge affirmation for what I had learned online and from books. Great class and good crowd of men & women learning to be better tree fallers.

Thank you for your service and Semper Fi.


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## Mustang71 (Apr 8, 2017)

Dude wtf I read the whole thing. Either you made it up or you should write a book about it lol you did 4 tours? Awesome thanks for your service.
I work construction and always will. I went to college and hated my job. Now I'm stuck in the business love chainsaws and cutting wood for heat. Also live in NY.


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## Jamesdavk (Apr 15, 2017)

Well Sir, you being a prior enlisted man I would have expected more smarts than an LTC could muster.  I was in the 101st... no ranger here. Enjoy your "retirement" and I enjoyed the story!


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## Mustang71 (Apr 15, 2017)

Ya know I remember those times as a confused teen wondering if I should join. Some friends did I know wish I would have but back then I had no idea. Now in the construction business I meet many people who live the secret life of person who went to Iraq and did such and what not and I am thankful for them. I've met some who did 3 tours but never 4...


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## Marine5068 (May 10, 2017)

Wow! If you look at that log it wouldn't look like a widow-maker at all.
Stuff can happen, so as a former boy scout I've always remembered the motto, "Be Prepared"
Glad you're still here and on the site.
Welcome.


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