Need advice felling this forked, split tree

[CTYank]

Trust me, that saw has balls. It's an 85cc Dolkita Big Bore. It just seems weak because it's running dull full-comp on a 32" bar completely buried in hard white oak and I was making the mistake of (subconsciously) compensating for the inadequately-prepared chain by forcing it too hard.

Not meaning to Monday-morning quarterback, or pick, but no matter how much it has in the way of "balls" it falls short in the brains dept. with dull/insufficient-joint chain. Especially approaching such a tree.

Whichever side of the chain is the dullest will generally wear down the bar rail on that side, too. :msp_sad:

It is a CHAIN-saw after all. Just glad to see you got it down without incident. Go file that chain.

 

[bcaarms]

Arborist site?

I find it interesting that no one wanted to climb the tree above the split and throw the two leads as singles. Im 62 and don't have spikes anymore. In these last few years I have used a ladder to get up into a tree. Climbing is slower than it used to be, however I feel safe once in harness and tied in. I do not like cutting off of the ladder itself. Many times climbing a neighboring tree is a solution if the object tree seems unsafe to climb.

 

[Gologit]

Ok folks, I've finally taken it down; only 6+ months late!

A little backstory: the land actually belonds to my grandfather (Papa). Once I was prepared to take down the tree in December, he changed his mind about wanting me to take it down. I think he was hoping that the tree would heal. Fast forward to this past week when the tree is full of leaves and has split a little more due to weight and wind. He changes his mind again: time to get to work!

As you'll see in the video below, I keep bogging down my saw and throwing dust instead of chips. That's because I didn't file down the rakers when I sharpened the chain. I realized the problem once I started cutting, but I decided just to go with it. The job would have obviously gone much more quickly and I wouldn't have kept bogging the saw if the chain was properly prepared, but whatever.

Anyway, aside from the chain not being aggressive enough, everything went pretty much according to plan.

Enjoy!

[video=youtube;MAEhGTJlaB8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAEhGTJlaB8[/video]

View attachment 297432
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:msp_rolleyes:

 

[40YearHomelite]

Not meaning to Monday-morning quarterback, or pick, but no matter how much it has in the way of "balls" it falls short in the brains dept. with dull/insufficient-joint chain. Especially approaching such a tree.

Whichever side of the chain is the dullest will generally wear down the bar rail on that side, too.

It is a CHAIN-saw after all. Just glad to see you got it down without incident. Go file that chain.

I sharpened it right before I started the job. I just didn't take down the drag teeth. Like I said, I noticed the mistake once I started cutting, but I decided to just go with it rather than stopping, filing the rakers, and restarting.

It's a minor mistake. I acknowledged it. I'm sure it's common.

 

[RandyMac]

I sharpened it right before I started the job. I just didn't take down the drag teeth. Like I said, I noticed the mistake once I started cutting, but I decided to just go with it rather than stopping, filing the rakers, and restarting.

It's a minor mistake. I acknowledged it. I'm sure it's common.

Yeah, all too common, slow, forced sawing keeps you in the danger zone far too long.
Wise up, be totally prepared or stay home with the kids.

 

[Gologit]

It's a minor mistake. I acknowledged it. I'm sure it's common.

No, it's not common at all. Not for people who know what they're doing. You obviously don't.

RandyMac was right, too. I didn't mean to sound like I disagreed with him. He said right, I said it right...we just said it differently.

 

[RandyMac]

Hey Boss.

From what I see here on AS, success is measured in lack of death, injury or property damage, regardless of the apparent lack of forethought, skill level and self knowledge. When some hack gets away with some project, that they were clearly unprepared for, they get the obligatory chorus of ,:msp_thumbup: good job. So a guy buys a chainsaw, armors himself with PPE, cuts some firewood, thinks he has got down, when he should be wearing an apron, burning weiners on the grill.

 

[R1!]

From that video do you gents really think he would have been safer with a sharp chain?
Not trying to start anything just asking.

 

[Gologit]

Damn well said. That video should be entitled "How close can you come to a barber chair without actually killing yourself"?

I thought about taking the video down but I think now I'll leave it up. It's an object lesson for everybody who, through lack of experience or just plain ignorance, confuses balls with brains.

It's also an object lesson, for anybody who cares to learn from it, in exactly what not to do with a heavy leaning split tree.

The OP got away with this one but if he'd been working for me I would have sent him home early. I wouldn't have sent him home for being green and dumb, he can't help that. I would have sent him home for ignoring six pages of pretty good advice on how to handle that tree and doing it his way...which was the worst way possible.

When he was backing it up, with that miserable chain that he should have fixed before he started, and stopped and walked away well before the tree was sawed up I just couldn't believe it.

The fact that he knew he had a crappy chain when he needed to really hammer the back cut and went ahead anyway speaks volumes.

 

[40YearHomelite]

I would have sent him home for ignoring six pages of pretty good advice on how to handle that tree and doing it his way...which was the worst way possible.

Please inform me what good advice I ignored and forgive all of us, oh lord of logging, who don't do this for a living, but prefer to learn from research and experience and maintain our own land with our own tools and skills.

 

[40YearHomelite]

From that video do you gents really think he would have been safer with a sharp chain?
Not trying to start anything just asking.

Even I agree it would have been safer to have an ideally-prepared chain, but this crap is just ridiculous:

No, it's not common at all. Not for people who know what they're doing. You obviously don't.

stay home with the kids

he should be wearing an apron, burning weiners on the grill

Again, forgive me for not having a career of cutting down trees every chance I get that fills me with the arrogance to be condescending to someone asking for advice on an advice forum.

 

[showrguy]

wellllllll, now,,,,,

this could get fun !!!!

 

[Trx250r180]

i think most of the danger was having his face real close ,and walking behind and in front of a tree that could chair at any time ,have you ever barber chaired a tree ? i have and it happens real quick and there's no time to get out of its way


also if Gologit or Randymac have any advise ,i would listen to them and don't take it the wrong way ,they don't like seeing people get hurt .

 

[moody]

Even I agree it would have been safer to have an ideally-prepared chain, but this crap is just ridiculous:





Again, forgive me for having a career that doesn't involve cutting down trees every chance I get that fills me with the arrogance to be condescending to someone asking for advice on an advice forum.

No reason to bull up about this. The only reason they're frustrated is because you take it like it was supposed to go that way. It's never taken me 10 minutes to put a tree down, because if I need to stop and think it over while cutting it I'm not safe. The tree can let nature do its job. If you're thinking doesn't change your tour in the woods may be short lived. A dull chain killed a local logger with a cottonwood similar to yours. I've got his saw now. One last tree for the day without the proper chain got him smashed. It's not something you take lightly. nor the saw or the tree is a toy. They wouldn't get onto you if they didn't care.

 

[RandyMac]

Even I agree it would have been safer to have an ideally-prepared chain, but this crap is just ridiculous:





Again, forgive me for not having a career of cutting down trees every chance I get that fills me with the arrogance to be condescending to someone asking for advice on an advice forum.

Oh, let's have the arrogance to be passive/aggressive.

You don't need to be a career faller to be properly prepared.
Go find something frilly to wear.

 

[R1!]

Bore cut example - YouTube

Bore Cut Demonstration and Practice Post - YouTube

Are these examples of a good bore cut?
To relieve the barber chair.
Im a newb.

 

[exSW]

That tree was a tricky b!tch to do from the ground no matter how,just a matter of LESS or least dangerous method.Everyone of you Pro's with a bucket truck would have used the truck and taken it as two trees.If you didn't,who's the fool.Every time you cut a tree down you learn something(if you live)this guy learned a lot.The longer I looked at that thing,the more creeps it gave me,maybe he just didn't look at it long enough.exSW semi-pro(who knows when to call the truck).

 

[R1!]

Higher cut?
Waist height or whats the most comfortable
So to avoid the squat and faster reaction time?
Danger means when she goes drop the saw and burn it out of there 45% away from the most likely way it will go?

 

[exSW]

Higher cut?
Waist height or whats the most comfortable
So to avoid the squat and faster reaction time?
Danger means when she goes drop the saw and burn it out of there 45% away from the most likely way it will go?

No,No ,No there is so much pre load in a tree like that you can't be fast enough if it goes wrong.Did you watch how quick it went and the final configuration of the two halves on the ground?Looked like a pair of open shears.

 

[R1!]

Planning, planning planning.
If there is anything in your way in the escape road cut it to ground level dont want a trip.
Two escape roads is better just in case, take the optimal and if it goes to shat the back up.
This is what I was shown.
After all that it has to be a fluid plan cause if it does everything its not supposed to free style it, but not preferable ever.
You can buy a new saw you cant buy a new life.