Here are some of the trees I need to fell...

[Billy_Bob]

I went out and we marked the trees which need to be felled, most of which are small diameter maples.

As the land owner started pointing out which trees he wanted felled, he managed to point out trees, one by one, which had every different felling cut in the book!

(Pictures below)

1. Maple Leaner

2. Maple double trunk

3. Maple small trees - 4" left in picture, 5" right in picture. Tree on left is backwards leaning from direction it needs to fall. So 4" tree, back cut with wedge, then face cut? (Very small tree here.)

4. Fir snag (short). What about this? Looks ok up top on other side of loose limbs?

5. (2nd post) Maple 4 trunk mess! He wants to keep the 4 red tagged trunks and cut the rest. I said I didn't know about messing with that tree, especially removing the dead trunk in the middle, but that I could safely remove some of the stuff around the sides. He said he might try to pull the center trunk out with his tractor.

6. (2nd post) Maple High up split trunk. He said he thought this tree would split when falling it and best to leave it for the bucket truck folks. What do you guys think?

All the rest of the trees (30 to 50) are in a row and all mostly leaning the same direction, so nothing very interesting there.

 

[Billy_Bob]

Rest of pictures...

 

[Nailsbeats]

Bob, have you dropped trees before?

There aint much there to worry about. Nothing big, not a whole lot to screw up aside from a pinched saw and a widow maker comming down. Doesn't look like you have to worry about fiber pull or butt logs, just bringin em down.

I would use a 1/3 depth traditional notch on almost all of those, just look up to get out of the way of incomming and wear a hardhat.

On the small back leaner you could use the technique you mentionioned with the backcut wedge, then setup the face, and drive it over. Bore cut the forward leaning maple, then set up the face and trip it.

That high split maple shouldn't come apart, just face it so the hinge isn't parallel to the split.

 

[Billy_Bob]

Bob, have you dropped trees before?.

Yes, but the large trees we typically have around here. Plenty of room for wedges, etc. And everyone I know here is experienced with the large trees (loggers) but they don't know all these tricks about small trees that I'm learning here.

Actually a logger friend asked someone else and he did know about the backcut first wedge trick.

Of course there are plenty of arborists in Oregon, but I don't know any of them.

Anyway I'm glad I asked *before* felling any of these small trees. I'm learning all sorts of new things. If you ask me, there is a lot more to felling small trees than there is to felling large trees. (So I am learning!)

 

[oldirty]

on that leaner (1st pic)you can try the bore cut for sh!ts and giggles just to say youve done it but on the others, as nails has said, traditional cuts will work out just fine. look up look out!

 

[secureland]

Those don't look like log trees.

Why not cut them at an easy height (slightly lower than chest high)? It's a safer height to cut at, and easier to control your cuts.

 

[2dogs]

Just drop the trees with one swift angle cut on the small ones and a conventional face and backcut on the snag and the forked maple. Drag the trees where they need to be and cut the stumps to the ground. Simple.

 

[Billy_Bob]

Those don't look like log trees.

Why not cut them at an easy height (slightly lower than chest high)? It's a safer height to cut at, and easier to control your cuts.

Correct. He just wants those trees out of there. So I can do anything I want!

Good opportunity to learn about cuts other than Humbolt which is primarily used in my area...

 

[Billy_Bob]

Just drop the trees with one swift angle cut on the small ones...

I know, I've done that before. But that is no fun! I want to experiment a bit (sort of a challenge here with that small tree) and see if I can do the backcut first thing, then itty bitty face cut and get it to fall the opposite way of the lean.

How small of a tree can you wedge? (I found some small wedges BTW).

 

[secureland]

Absolutely,
I've become a big fan of bringing the cutting height up to a comfortable level.
If the trees are for firewood, I measure up from where the stump will bew cut off so that I can make even pieces out of the trunk that is remaining.

I'm enjoying the discussion that you're posts have generated.

 

[2dogs]

I know, I've done that before. But that is no fun! I want to experiment a bit (sort of a challenge here with that small tree) and see if I can do the backcut first thing, then itty bitty face cut and get it to fall the opposite way of the lean.

How small of a tree can you wedge? (I found some small wedges BTW).

The smallest wedge I have is about 5" long. I put a thong through it and use climbing, though not very often. I don't know how small wedges get down to. Practicing seldom used techniques is good though I wouldn't try to put a wedge in a 5" tree.

 

[Billy_Bob]

...I'm enjoying the discussion that you're posts have generated.

Thank you, me too! It is amazing what you can learn on the internet in a very short time. You basically get the experience of a lot of experts in a particular field for one specific question.

 

[Bushler]

Where you located, Billy Bob? If close by I can drop by and critique your work. I'm near Gold Beach.

 

[Nailsbeats]

I know, I've done that before. But that is no fun! I want to experiment a bit (sort of a challenge here with that small tree) and see if I can do the backcut first thing, then itty bitty face cut and get it to fall the opposite way of the lean.

How small of a tree can you wedge? (I found some small wedges BTW).

You can put a wedge in any size tree, check out Ekka's 1/4 cut video. There becomes a point however that it becomes pointless, the point where you can push the trees over by hand or with a pike pole.

As for trees that have compromised integrety, cut'em as low as possible, this is usually where your strongest wood is, unless of course it is obviously not due to defect. Healthy non saleable trees can be cut at waist level for physical ease, however I always find the most control is close to the ground, no stump to finnish either.