Tree work today

[JCM 8,612]

Decided with the nice weather predicted for today I contacted my neighbor last weekend to see if he was interested in removing a few trees. He retired last year from the sheet metal trade doing commercial and industrial type jobs. He owns some nice acreage around me and enjoys the challenge. The first tree to go is the Oak tree with a Maple in the v shape form in the first picture. The Maple I left but the Oak is a real pain with acorns not being able to park anything nice under it and the leaves are ridiculous. I do cut trees myself but I had an idea that this Oak with it's lean was going to pull the old barber chair trick, which it did. The second tree was a Black Birch again with a good lean, but no barber chair upon felling. The last were Pines and small Oaks located near the house. Hopefully split this up this weekend. This wood other than the pine will be used to add to future years firewood. The Husky's were singing today and the 418-A was on hand ready to help. Nothing much better on a cool fall morning and the smell of 2 stroke oil.

[Pullstart 59,547]

TIMBER!

[JCM 8,612]

You should have heard that Oak before it hit the ground when it split @pullstart , nothing for the inexperienced to mess with, as Clint Eastwood say's, A man's got to know his limitations.   

[ebinmaine 62,953]

No worries Jim. 

Just wrap a rope around 'er and giveahsome!!

Hope for the best... And set to slicing. 

 

Lucky for us we don't take anything down near the house so it's been a great learning experience for us. 

 

Next year we'll be taking down some bigger stuff in the backyahd. I've borrowed a long rope from the ole man and we'll hook a tractor or something to them and pull!!!

 

 

[8ntruck 6,358]

Looks like that oak needed a wee bit more notch on the leaning side before the felling cut was taken.  Just armchair quaterbacking here.

[JAinVA 4,619]

Don't worry one of our Canadian members will be all to happy to tell you what they think you did wrong! 

[JCM 8,612]

We did have to use a 1999 F-250 with a cable hooked to the hitch ball to tension up 1 of the pines near the house. Haven't been behind the wheel of a FORD in 35 years, felt like old  school stuff. She did good.

[ebinmaine 62,953]

14 minutes ago, JCM said:

We did have to use a 1999 F-250 with a cable hooked to the hitch ball to tension up 1 of the pines near the house. Haven't been behind the wheel of a FORD in 35 years, felt like old  school stuff. She did good.

Old style square nose?

Good trucks there. 

 

[JAinVA 4,619]

Don't think you will see many in Maine anymore Eric!

[JCM 8,612]

I heard it come up the driveway and didn't know what it was, complete with a 9' fisher plow hanging off the front. Dedicated plow truck with a farm plate. didn't think to get a pic of it. He's had Chevys and GMC his whole life.

[ebinmaine 62,953]

1 minute ago, JAinVA said:

Don't think you will see many in Maine anymore Eric!

My favorite type of truck there. 

Next vehicle will likely be one. 

[JAinVA 4,619]

Jim. Off road use is the only reason that old square nose is still around.I brought my dads 78 F250 home from Maine.Truck has only 28.000 miles and is rust free.He only used it to plow snow at his home.

[Handy Don 10,550]

I've noted that the pro tree people NEVER attach their truck to a tree they are felling. If the tree can't be made to fall where they want it, they take it down piece by piece from a bucket or else someone climbs and cuts. A 13 or 14" diameter oak, maple, or hickory that is 30' tall will weigh well over 1,500 lbs. Pivoting on the stump as it falls gives it leverage. So depending on direction (that rope to the rear hitch does angle upward, lifting the truck right?), well, lets say it could well take your truck for a ride! A lowly 600-800 lb. Wheel Horse is not even gonna slow it down. (There are some great vids on the Y tube of tree felling fails with trucks--some by folks trying to earn Darwin awards.)

 

[JAinVA 4,619]

Well with climate change it seems Canada has now migrated to NY. If you make your living felling trees or a are professional arborist I will listen. If you want to tell us what you see on You-tube well,, snooze! Not everyone can afford to hire

someone with a bucket truck to try deal with problem trees in the safest manner. To have a tree barber chair is deadly for sure!  My challenge is show how it's done and I don't mean a You tube feed. Show us how YOU do it I post this because I can't do a thumbs down. I have offered this challenge before on this subject and, well silence! The closest answer was I saw dad do this.Well yawn.

Edited November 21, 2020 by JAinVA

[tom2p 2,393]

8 hours ago, JCM said:

 

The Husky's were singing today and the 418-A was on hand ready to help. Nothing much better on a cool fall morning and the smell of 2 stroke oil.

 

agree - love the smell of 2 stroke oil

 

but rather be riding a Husky instead of cutting with a Husky !

 

 

( great looking vintage Husky ! )

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by tom2p

[tom2p 2,393]

5 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

No worries Jim. 

Just wrap a rope around 'er and giveahsome!!

Hope for the best... And set to slicing. 

 

Lucky for us we don't take anything down near the house so it's been a great learning experience for us. 

 

Next year we'll be taking down some bigger stuff in the backyahd. I've borrowed a long rope from the ole man and we'll hook a tractor or something to them and pull!!!

 

 

years (and years) ago we cut some big trees on property my dad owned 

 

we used a winch / 'come-a-long' ? (with long cable) to pull / tension the trees to get them to fall in the desired direction ;  one end hooked to the tree we were cutting and other end on a nearby tree 

seemed to work fairly well

 

 

around 20 years ago had some big pine trees cut on our property 

 

fun to watch - guy cut branches as he climbed up the tree ... then cut sections of the trunk as he descended 

 

big guy with arms the size of my legs - no trouble to handle big chainsaw with one arm 

 

guy had a big chipper on site - and when full unloaded wood chips back of our property ... had a giant pile 

 

all was well - until the pile of chipped bark began to smoke ...  oh oh ...  to time to spread that bark ! 

 

we used the Wheel Horse tractors and dump carts to carry and spread the bark

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by tom2p

[tom2p 2,393]

around 15 years ago a close friend purchased 50 acres 

 

recruited a small group of guys to help clear an area where he planned to build his house 

 

mostly out-of-shape office jockeys like me ... not good lol

 

(property / house pictured below)

 

I had my trusty small homelite chainsaw that barely had any use 

 

two weekends and a few weeknights later we had the area cleared 

 

my hands were tingling for a couple of weeks after that ...

 

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by tom2p

[ebinmaine 62,953]

5 hours ago, tom2p said:

fun to watch - guy cut branches as he climbed up the tree ... then cut sections of the trunk as he descended

Watched that once close-up myself. My parents had some pines that they wanted felled. 

Guy did the same. 

Had at least 2 gas saws and several hand tools hanging off his shoulder and belt harness. 

Drop a branch. Climb. Repeat. 

 

Trees were 80 to 100 feet. He'd section the tops until they were short enough to drop without unwanted collateral damage. 

 

[ebinmaine 62,953]

5 hours ago, tom2p said:

hands were tingling

I've had to change saws because of that. 

Long term nerve damage can result and I'd rather be safe. 

Sold a 1987 Sachs Dolmar 60cc which was an absolute beast. Bought my Echo CS490. Not in the same class of machine but it'll do. 

I run 3 saws now (that's the largest) and only wish I had more power on the 15+ inch trees. 

 

[Handy Don 10,550]

IMHO, this course is worth every minute and every penny.

http://www.gameoflogging.com

[ebinmaine 62,953]

13 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

IMHO, this course is worth every minute and every penny.

http://www.gameoflogging.com

Agreed. 

 

 

I've learned all the lifts, cranes, and every other piece of equipment or tool by first hand experience. 

That is NOT the best way for some. 

 

We do training on a regular basis. 

Even if I learned absolutely nothing about the piece of equipment the training is about I DO learn at every training not to be complacent. 

Complacency is a leading cause of injuries in many fields. 

 

THINK. Before, during, and after every cut, notch or felling.  

[JCM 8,612]

A few more pics of the cleanup and 90% of the splitting and stacking completed today. My better half had to work so this was a solo endeavor and makes for a long day.That Black Birch was a real pain in the neck to split even with a log splitter and that is the other 10% that needs to be completed. Sorry for the 2 other colored pieces of equipment but the horses need a rest once in a while. It is almost a shame to put that beautiful red oak in the woodstove, do you agree @formariz .

[ebinmaine 62,953]

16 minutes ago, JCM said:

beautiful red oak in the woodstove

Let that set for 3 years and it'll be lovely fire 🔥 maker. 

[formariz 11,849]

Beautiful straight stuff. Would have made nice boards.

[ebinmaine 62,953]

We have a couple trees here that could be processed to veneer. 

Super straight oaks.