Felled my first tree

[Streblerm]

Up to this point I have only bucked stuff already on the ground. I pruned some neglected apple trees (mostly with a hand saw).

I have been trying to figure out how exactly to fell this tree. Dead oak, right on a fenceline which limited my escape route. About 30' tall and 18"DBH. After kicking around in my mind for several weeks just how I wanted to fell the tree, I decided to just go for it.

It went very well. No surprises. The tree went right where I wanted it too. The Solo 636Magnum performed flawlessly. I had that 16" bar buried! I couldn't bear my weight on the saw, but just letting the saw do the work it was unstoppable.

I had everything limbed, bucked, and cleaned up in about an hour. Here's a couple of after pics. I'd be glad to hear any criticism on my hinge. Here's a couple of pics.

 

[Tzed250]

uhhh????....hmmmm...

 

[Lakeside53]

:monkey:

 

[Gologit]

If you plan on doing any more trees you might go through some of the old threads on falling and undercuts and such. Especially the ones with pictures.

 

[beelsr]

I had everything limbed, bucked, and cleaned up in about an hour. Here's a couple of after pics. I'd be glad to hear any criticism on my hinge. Here's a couple of pics.

Got any more pictures? Really like to see a before picture.

How much of that hour was spent felling the tree?

Your pictures remind me of some that TH posted a while back. Hmmm.....

 

[beowulf343]

Something looks odd about that first picture. No offense but that looks like the worst notch and backcut i've ever seen! And if you got that tree on the ground, cut, split, and everything cleaned up in an hour, i will hire you this second to work on my removal crew-you are better than my whole crew put together!:notrolls2:

 

[Tzed250]

It went very well. No surprises. The tree went right where I wanted it too. The Solo 636Magnum performed flawlessly. I had that 16" bar buried! I couldn't bear my weight on the saw, but just letting the saw do the work it was unstoppable.

I had everything limbed, bucked, and cleaned up in about an hour. Here's a couple of after pics. I'd be glad to hear any criticism on my hinge. Here's a couple of pics.

Did Tom put you up to this?:monkey:

 

[Gologit]

Something looks odd about that first picture. No offense but that looks like the worst notch and backcut i've ever seen! And if you got that tree on the ground, cut, split, and everything cleaned up in an hour, i will hire you this second to work on my removal crew-you are better than my whole crew put together!:notrolls2:

:hmm3grin2orange: You better kick your crew into high gear...that tree was only 30 feet tall by 18" DBH. I have an 80 year old FIL who could do that tree in an hour...and he'd let you know it, too. And I'm still not sure about that stump. Looks like a beaver did it...or maybe explosives. LOL Bob

 

[oldsaw]

I'd have to agree, short on style. Glad it went over okay. Work on the notch thing, and the back cut both. It could have easily worked out not as pretty.

Mark

 

[PA Plumber]

You get some points for the thread. You are a brave sole for posting the stump pics. You got the tree to go where you wanted and now know there is a better way to notch and back cut.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

In that first pic, it looks like some sort of hesitation cut, and then you committed to your face. Or did you start your face, and then decide to make it higher?

It looks as though your back cut may have been a bit high, and the tree beeing dead, it broke over instead of hinging over. An I seeing that right?

Dead trees are the worst. Remember, the saw won't hurt you unless you let it. It's the tree that can get you regardless of how carefull you are. This tree being dead, and with the condition of your cuts, no offense, but I'd say it was your lucky day that the tree went where it was supposed to. Better trees on better cuts have gone much worse.

Jeff

 

[smokechase II]

OK, what's up?

I've seen face cuts and back-cuts that are a lot worse.

I am suspicious that you have been on this site for a couple dozen posts and then post that for comment.

I have had the urge myself to post stumps that I've found for comment under an alias.

If this was a for real. Practice practice practice.

 

[Streblerm]

WOW, I thought my first post asking about the Solo would have brought more harassment than this. That's OK, I can take it. This is for real. I have been studying how to fell trees here and other places.

The extra cut below the face cut was actually after the fall. I was cutting the top of the stump flat, and realized I wasn't level. I stopped and made another cut.

The face cut was made without hesitation and both cuts met. The hinge looks a little odd, but I attribute that to the wood being a little punky. As far as the back cut goes, was it too high?

And as to my claim of being done in an hour, what can I say. It really wasn't that big of a tree. Most of the brush had already fallen from the tree. It was also close to my burn pile so I didn't have too far to carry the brush. One hour was from the start of the face cut to finished loading the wood in my wagon.

 

[beowulf343]

And as to my claim of being done in an hour, what can I say. It really wasn't that big of a tree. Most of the brush had already fallen from the tree. It was also close to my burn pile so I didn't have too far to carry the brush. One hour was from the start of the face cut to finished loading the wood in my wagon.

Ok-that makes a little more sense-i hate trees like this loaded with branches-they hit the ground and will shatter over a couple of yards-a serious pita to cleanup. Kinda figured a hour was quick for you after seeing you needed an extra cut to make your notch-wasn't sure if you knew how to handle a saw-that will slow things down.

 

[Streblerm]

Ok-that makes a little more sense-i hate trees like this loaded with branches-they hit the ground and will shatter over a couple of yards-a serious pita to cleanup. Kinda figured a hour was quick for you after seeing you needed an extra cut to make your notch-wasn't sure if you knew how to handle a saw-that will slow things down.

The extra cut wasn't for the notch, I made that after I felled the tree to cut the top of the stump flat. The first cut on the stump (after felling) wasn't quite level, so I started again AFTER I felled the tree.

 

[John Ellison]

I like the looks of your tractor. What kind is it?

 

[Tzed250]

WOW, I thought my first post asking about the Solo would have brought more harassment than this. That's OK, I can take it. This is for real. I have been studying how to fell trees here and other places.

The extra cut below the face cut was actually after the fall. I was cutting the top of the stump flat, and realized I wasn't level. I stopped and made another cut.

The face cut was made without hesitation and both cuts met. The hinge looks a little odd, but I attribute that to the wood being a little punky. As far as the back cut goes, was it too high?

And as to my claim of being done in an hour, what can I say. It really wasn't that big of a tree. Most of the brush had already fallen from the tree. It was also close to my burn pile so I didn't have too far to carry the brush. One hour was from the start of the face cut to finished loading the wood in my wagon.

The back-cut looks to high. Cutting dead trees is really dangerous, so you might want to practice on healthy wood before cutting more dead. You will learn much more as the felling process is much more predictable. Dead trees demand the highest level of caution. As far as the Solo is concerned, you wont find many bashers here. The Solo is a well built German saw, it just does not have the dealer network that Stihl and Husqvarna have. Keep trying, look at pics here and other places of proper felling technique, and get some training if its available. Good luck, and stay safe.

 

[Streblerm]

I like the looks of your tractor. What kind is it?

Holy thread hijack, I guess it's ok since its my thread.

That would be a 1977 Speedex model 1632. 16 because it has a 16hp cast iron barrelled Briggs and 32 because it has 32" tires on the back.

This was a tractor made in Ravenna Ohio and rarely seen outside of the region. Its a neat little machine. It is all belt drive with hydraulics and plenty of attachments. I have a 48 and 60" belly mower, plow, disc, cultivators, and a snow blade.

 

[John Ellison]

Holy thread hijack, I guess it's ok since its my thread.

That would be a 1977 Speedex model 1632. 16 because it has a 16hp cast iron barrelled Briggs and 32 because it has 32" tires on the back.

This was a tractor made in Ravenna Ohio and rarely seen outside of the region. Its a neat little machine. It is all belt drive with hydraulics and plenty of attachments. I have a 48 and 60" belly mower, plow, disc, cultivators, and a snow blade.

Nice looking machine. Oh yea.
Did you have an open face notch or was it a Humboldt? As these guys have mentioned dead trees are extra dangerous. The backcut was too high(no more than two inches usually) and on a dead tree it is better to bring your backcut in where the hinge stays the same width all the time. If it is decayed you cant count on the strength like in a green tree. Usually best to fall in the direction of lean or close to it. Make sure you have a clean notch like you mentioned and have an open enough face that it does not close before it is well committed, at least 45deg. And look up buku times before and during the process. Then look up some more. Hit the road when she starts to take off.
You're on the right track though, hang around here and you will be an old pro in no time.:biggrinbounce2:

 

[jrclen]

95% of what I cut is dead oak and like the other guys said, they can be unpredictable to say the least. Look up. Wear a hard hat. But be aware that a big dead limb coming loose can kill you grave yard dead in a second. I cut one last year that was 30" across and had been hit by lightning. One large limb had already crashed to the ground the year before, and the trunk was starting to hollow out. I was very nervous on that tree. I thought about just leaving it out there for the squirrels. It fell right where I wanted it too, because I felled it to the natural lean.