Rate this Felling (vid)

[NickfromWI]

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Only about 40' tall. Pittosporum undulatum. About 30" across. 24" bar. Had a slight lean in direction of fall. Canopy was bone dry. Set line and used wedges just in case. When I started cutting, the trunk was still wet, so that was nice. Hinge held perfectly.

Any feedback'd be appreciated.

love
nick

 

[rumination]

It sounds like your chainsaw might need a tuneup.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I think you shoulda spent more time making the cut!

 

[sotc]

Don't hit the kill switch as you start the back cut looked fine to me Nick. Except there was significant head lean not just slight. There was wood weight and brush weight where you wanted, If you had to fall it against the lean you would see how much weight was there

 

[NickfromWI]

The saw was actually rental. It was in bad need of a tuneup. It was a 361 and had trouble cutting through the sortof soft wood of the pittosporum.

Just glad it fell where I wanted it to. Client got several quotes. Mine was the cheapest because everyone else was afraid to fell and wanted to climb it, then was charging extra to climb a dead tree.

There was one bucket-truck bid that was cheaper than mine, but they didn't want the truck driving on the lawn.

Lucky me!

 

[NickfromWI]

If you had to fall it against the lean you would see how much weight was there

Point well taken.

 

[Blinky]

That thing cut loose kinda suddenly, I don't think the hinge held at all... which would be typical for a dead one anyway.
It went where it was supposed to, nice job, check in the bank.

When you have a tightline set, you don't need wedges.

With dead ones, I don't cut till it falls. I stop the backcut a little short and break it over with a 5:1 or something... that's just me though.

The comments in the video were damn funny.

 

[Blinky]

Mine was the cheapest because everyone else was afraid to fell and wanted to climb it, then was charging extra to climb a dead tree.

Why would anyone want to climb it? Looked like a clean line to me.

 

[stehansen]

Did you have any cones out?

 

[simplypete]

Looked good. Second the 5:1 advantage for control and security, I also like leaving something of a hinge. Tree's on the ground with everyone accounted for.

 

[NickfromWI]

Did you have any cones out?

Nope.

 

[Blinky]

Cones would've been good, you can steal'em from the phone company for free.

 

[NickfromWI]

With dead ones, I don't cut till it falls. I stop the backcut a little short and break it over with a 5:1 or something... that's just me though.

The comments in the video were damn funny.

Not a bad idea.

My intention was to do a plunge cut where you leave a little holding strap at the end. When I started the cut, the wood was still very alive so I decided it wasn't necessary.

 

[NickfromWI]

Cones would've been good, you can steal'em from the phone company for free.

I'll keep my eye out!

We did have the truck parking to block the street...but that didn't stop pink shirt guy that walked by at 6:39

 

[NeTree]

I saw way too many mistakes to count- sorry, Nick. But I'll start with these...

You got lucky, since it was a small tree, but you're setting yourself up for bad habits when they get bigger.

1- Dull saw. Rental or not, you could have sharpened it. A dull saw on a head-leaner is a recipe for barberchair.

2- No work zone protection. Cones, signs, SOMETHING besides just #3.

3- Stupid groundman with a cell phone. Lose the phone or lose your job. I have zero tolerance for this. They're an unnecessary distraction at inopportune times.

4- Said groundie spent the whole time watching what YOU were doing, not what was going on around him.

5- Groundie was standing in a bad spot. Should have been well to one side or the other.

6- You crossed a couple times in front of the tree after the back cut was started. BIG NO-NO, that would have gotten you fired from a logging op.

7- Cutting correctly, you could have stayed on the same side of the tree, and not had to do #6.

8- When you finished the back cut, you had your back to the (possible) targets. Also a big no-no. Unnecessary, if you'd not done #7.

9- You never appeared very alert to your surroundings. Tunnel-vision is a killer!

10- Groundie didn't run up to pink-shirt-guy and stop him, alert him, or interact with him. He should have.

 

[SkwerI]

I was wondering why you kept walking in front of the tree after you had made the notch and 2/3 of the back cut? I'll stop there because I couldn't see enough detail but that was one of the more serious mistakes I could see.

You might consider sticking to splicing, Nick. Tree work is dangerous.

Love, Brian

 

[NickfromWI]

Brian, don't be an ass. Look at the post prior to yours. Constructive criticism can be given without condescending remarks.

 

[NickfromWI]

Eric- points well taken. Lemme comment on these...

1- Dull saw. Rental or not, you could have sharpened it. A dull saw on a head-leaner is a recipe for barberchair.

The chain was actually brand new (the rental place always provides them with a new chain, for some reason). It's a stihl chain, too. Part of it was the power of the saw...part of it may be how I'm runnin' it.

2- No work zone protection. Cones, signs, SOMETHING besides just #3.

3- Stupid groundman with a cell phone. Lose the phone or lose your job. I have zero tolerance for this. They're an unnecessary distraction at inopportune times.

The phone thing was just a joke. We keep phones in the truck. He was adjusting his earplugs. Usually wears earmuffs and decided to give the plugs a try.

4- Said groundie spent the whole time watching what YOU were doing, not what was going on around him.

Good point.

5- Groundie was standing in a bad spot. Should have been well to one side or the other.

I agree. Next time I'll keep 'em all out of the landing zone 100% of the time.

6- You crossed a couple times in front of the tree after the back cut was started. BIG NO-NO, that would have gotten you fired from a logging op.

Crossing behind the tree was not an option. There was about 4" of clearance from the fence. I needed to get to the other side to see how far I was cuttin' over there. But you're right. I noticed it felt wrong every time I crossed to the front.

7- Cutting correctly, you could have stayed on the same side of the tree, and not had to do #6.

8- When you finished the back cut, you had your back to the (possible) targets. Also a big no-no. Unnecessary, if you'd not done #7.

Could you clarify which part you mean? You mean as I was walk/running away as the tree is falling?

9- You never appeared very alert to your surroundings. Tunnel-vision is a killer!

I did take peeks a few times...but perhaps not enough.

10- Groundie didn't run up to pink-shirt-guy and stop him, alert him, or interact with him. He should have.

Pink shirt guy was WAYYYY outta the landing zone. He exited a house across the street and down one, then headed away from the work zone. I saw him and Cam saw him. Had he walked towards us, I know it would have been a different situation.

Good feedback. Thank you.

 

[Gord]

Brian, don't be an ass. Look at the post prior to yours. Constructive criticism can be given without condescending remarks.

Lol tell him.

It's hard to say much about the actual felling of it but overall it went well. As Erik said, it's easy to forget about your surroundings when you're falling, so someone has to watch and it didn't appear that your groundman was doing a good job of it.

 

[NeTree]

Nick,

#6- Yeah, I realized that. Still, it looks like you could have maybe peeked around from the side you were on? But really, you should be able to tell from one side blind how deep your cut is; use the bottom of the saw as a pointer, and add a few degrees for bar offset.

On the rest of your points, I do realize I wasn't there, and was watching a video. No worries, bro- just don't want to see you hurt.

On #8, while you're finishing your back-cut from the left in the video, your back is facing the LZ. You couldn't have seen someone wandering into your LZ, for example.

 

[NeTree]

Also noted... wedging wasn't necessary. However, I will often stick a wedge in just barely, and watch it as I finish my back cut. It'll act as a tattle-tale for when the tree starts to move, and it's time to make a safe exit. On that note, yours looked a little too hasty; walk away fast, but don't run- you can trip.

 

[simplypete]

Great dialog. Good to see people on the Internet behaving in such a way. Benefits both sides as well as the people who read it. Thanks

 

[wiley_p]

Nick, new chain is dull. Depth gauges are too high, and the cutters aren't razor sharp. on chisel bit, if one looks closely the corners are high, and low rarely ever perfect. I run only Stihl chain and it comes off the roll dull, just like all the others.

 

[lumberjack]

I've never noticed that problem, Dave.

 

[Gord]

It seems sometimes it's sharp, othertimes it needs work. It used a new chain today, oregon i think, that cut like it had eaten a lot of dirt. Couple strokes off the rakers and the teeth.