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OT--Cutting a tree safely

J

Jiles

Well-known Member
A few years ago, I had a strong storm come in that took a large oak tree down. I was living on the river and this tree was on the bank with about 1/3 of the roots washed away. The tree fell uphill and across my chain link fence.
Hard to explain the situation, but I had to make my first cut about ten feet up from the root system, and although I was careful--the saw was pinched and stuck!
No great problem, I just got another saw and made a cut above the pinched saw. When I completed the cut, the top of the tree fell to ground--about a foot and the rest of the tree, with pinched saw, stood back up!!!!
Unbelievable that the pinched saw stayed in the cut and lucky that it didn't fall in the river!!
I got my extension ladder and retrieved the saw.
In a situation like this, I ALWAYS look the situation over and try to do the job with safety in mind, but sometimes a tree does what it wants to!! Today, I look back and laugh, but the outcome could have been a lot worse!
 
Two ways. jack or block up the tree below your cut, or cut out a V like you would dropping the tree. Small depth at a time. This happens a lot to us cutting tree in the mountains and they catch on another tree.
 
I am currently working over ice storm damage. I am over 70 and
have a 16" Stihl for my primary cutter. I don't want to wind up in
the hospital so I take it real careful. Some of the trees are
adjacent to structures and I don't want to cave in the roofs. I use
plastic wedges to keep the saws from binding. Eyes always on
the tree. First sign of movement tells me what it is going to do
and I adjust accordingly.

I try to minimize the risk by cutting the limbs I can away from
the main trunk. The ones I can't get to, I tie a rope or chains to
it and put a lot of stress on it with my tractor, well away from the
danger zone. Then wedges help it to become a success.

Just finished a couple whose diameter was greater than my
whole saw was long.

Now I am building a wood splitter cylinder driver to split it all up.

Mark
 
Thats pretty funny. I cut up a tree that fell a few years back and when we got to the last 10 feet my grandson pushes up and it goes back up about 80 percent. I laughed but did never finish cutting the last section by the time we got rid of the other cut wood. . Now it is covered with ivy that at least the deer won't get. But I have seen the big stumps pop back up.
It seems only half the roots rip out and the rest have a spring back tension on them to prop the tree back up.
 
helped cut one down notch cut skid loader pushing its
going to go one way after all had an amish guy cutting
right??? the power company sent two trucks out local town
lost power i like to know how much it cost but was afraid to
ask . if i remember the guy missed his back cut coming
back and do to the size of tree and the little piece holding
on the right side of the bucket when it started falling it
turned. then the best part sparks everwhere and the guy on
the bobcat revs up and shoves it off the wire
 
I cut a dead elm a couple of days ago, expecting it to fall. It didn't. Wind blowing and tree rotating/rocking slightly on the stump. A couple of small limbs and a vine held in the top of an adjacent tree. It was too dangerous to stay, so I came back to the house to wait for the wind to do its thing. It didn't. Then I remembered a large cant hook in the garage. I hooked it and two twists later the tree was down right where I wanted it.

Larry
 
know this has little to do with the post, but several years ago my BIL went back to the bush to cut up a 50 foot maple that had blown over in the wind, roots & all
as usual, BIL took his 6 pack & 2 young boys, 6-8 years old, made his first cut about 1/2 way up the fallen tree, by god if the tree did not flip back up-right & 10 foot dia root drop back in the hole
as BIL peed his pants, he was relieved to see his 2 young boys about 10 feet from being crushed by the tree some people just don"t take safety seriously
bob
 
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