Notchless Felling?

gf beranek said:
Clearing lays for larger trees I back-chained a lot of small trees right off their stumps. No need always for face, but you got to know your limitations.
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For sure...and like Stig was saying, clearing a whole bunch of small stems. But I don't really consider that felling, that's just knocking down the crap in your way to get at the trees to be felled:). I don't think Jer or Stig do, either.

If it is over 6 inches, give or take, it gets a face if I'm doing the cutting.
 
I think it also comes down to regular practices, having learned the negatives of what can be the result of not following them, AS A RULE. If you want to analyze the complexities of every situation, there are no doubt things that can be done out of the ordinary and you can get away with it, and there might even be a degree of merit in doing it that way, say save thirty seconds. As a general rule about procedures however, it comes down to something different. I don't really consider that not thinking out of the box. People often get praised for consistency, and being successful at being original is only something that can be accomplished by the rare few. It is one of the beautiful things about learning manual skills. if you follow the general rules, you can be successful and safely make a living at it. I don't think such an approach is open to any criticism.
 
Back chaining 6''ers is one thing, murph and the op are saying directionally fall large stems, how is that done? Not to mention that cutting at the root flare in most residential settings is going to dull the chain which by itself is a large argument against doing it that way, imo.
 
I'm with Cory on this. There needs to be some clarification of what the technique is and what it's being used for. Stumpjumping or just cutting and pushing smaller stems over with just a backcut is sop until some measure of control is nescessary.

KISS. I don't find it hard. I don't feel that I'm wasting energy. I do find the tried and true works extremely well.
 
If sawing a notch in a mature tree is taking too much time on your job, you need to sit down and take a serious look at how you bid work.
 
from what little I could see(not a lot of close up shots) I noticed quite a few notches, anyway each to their own. hopefully your track record on accidents is low. if you feel like what your doing is controlled, and safe, good.
 
RopeArmour said:
Anyone give this a go?
I ahve done this many times,
Fluchcut with the ground and utilizing the root flare to get it to the lay.
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This is what is being discussed afaik, I didn't see any of that in the Murph vid? Cutting leaning large pieces is SOP when it is called for.
 
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  • #46
Thanks Cory
Just thinking back over the years of tree failures, I can't remember one
that barber chaired at the root flare.
I have also done plenty of removals and few well over 24" where the root flares are dug
out and then cut with the chainsaw to drop the tree stump and all.
This is nothing new, in days of old this was sop in clearing land.
 
I don't think it is simply root flare or no root flare. Degree of lean, condition of the wood, and species are also factors.....maybe even luck. Black Acacia wet or dry is very different wood. Such variable are one of the reasons that general rules are made.
 
Well boys, here's my general rule...put in a properly shaped face and all will be well; do otherwise, and Satan shadows you 'til he makes up his mind about your future.

Just sayin'.
:D
 
I have fell many highvalue hardwood trees using tiny notches (10% of the diameter & very narrow). That in itself is hard work & the control achieved is much less than a conventional face cut. To rely on variable sap-wood & buttress roots, which can pull out of the ground or split & twist - without a face cut would be folly IMO - Control will be lost & that tree will spin out of control sooner or later.
 
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