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Topping is dangerous too!

Started by tmbrcruiser, March 18, 2017, 07:58:05 AM

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tmbrcruiser

I wasn't sure about posting this but if it helps prevent an accident it is the right thing to do. We lost a friend and logger topping a tree in his yard recently. First thing everyone thought a large tree must have fallen on him, wrong.

He was cutting a smallish maple from his yard. After felling the tree he was topping the log and left a limb that extended above him. Upon cutting a limb under the log the tree rolled and the extended limb struck him.

This guy was a very good logger and had worked around timber for a long time. It only takes one mistake, please think of this when topping.
Once you get sap in your veins, you will always have sawdust in your pockets.

petefrom bearswamp

Sad story indeed.
Working with trees whether in the woods or yards we are only one mistake away from the great beyond.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

coxy

that is sad more so being in your own yard   :( :( :(    it happened to me one time but i was lucky there was a lot of snow and my dad was there to help broke 3 of my ribs and a huge black an blue and a MAJOR WAKE UP CALL     not what we want to here but thanks for posting

Ed_K

 I got pinned under a w/pine once, cutting bottom limbs. Same as Coxy there was snow on the ground. I didn't break anything but was bruised good. No one working with me,cell didn't have bars and no one heard my whistle. I finally dug myself out from under it. Now I leave all bottom branches and use the skidder to roll it over. If your cutting ahead of the skidder put some red flagging on it and leave it for the skidder.
Ed K

killamplanes

Well I'm sitting on a couch with a broken leg because I let gravity win topping a tree. The key is taking all the stress away from the main stem. Me and many others have beat that in are head. Where I made my 2 second mistake was there were several small little trees putting pressure on the log, due to I pulled the tree down at an angle to fall it away from a small shed by a lake. So I put that tree under stress and decided to cut the top of on the wrong side of tree. Laziness and tired, of repeat long days and hours of trying to get wood to landing because i'm behind on tracts (2yrs). Lesson learned. Always take the stress of before cutting the main log out, and remember gravity always wins...sorry to here of the accident, it's a dangerous occuppation, high risk high gains..
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

lopet

Getting in a hurry , day dreaming, or being over worked quite often cause accidents like that. I have cut tops of stressed trees from the wrong side.
Touch wood, never got hit, but said to myself  " what in the world were you thinking " ??? 
Make sure you know how to fall properly when you fall and as to not hurt anyone around you.
Also remember, it's not the fall what hurts, its the sudden stop. !!

OH logger

personally I think topping is more dangerous than felling. when the tree hits the ground it is under strange pressure and stresses that it never was in before. a lot more chainsawing (limbing) also means a better chance for kickback and/or cutting yourself. there are also chances for limbs that you broke loose that are hanging by one fiber that can fall and get you... why the hell do I log anyways?? way too dangerous!! I should have been an accountant!!  :D
john

mills

Not sure which is more dangerous, topping or felling. Serious potential in both. Felling is more likely to get you killed, but topping seems more likely to get you hurt. Yesterday I fell twice while topping a massive red oak with limbs as big around as I me. And just for the record, old farts don't bounce as high as they use too. Or heal as quick. Guess that's what keeps us interested.

coxy

 :D :D :D sorry mills had to  :D  hows your cat running  we welded that fork in that cat winch 3 winters ago and its still working :-X :-X

BargeMonkey

Quote from: OH logger on March 18, 2017, 08:29:44 PM
personally I think topping is more dangerous than felling. when the tree hits the ground it is under strange pressure and stresses that it never was in before. a lot more chainsawing (limbing) also means a better chance for kickback and/or cutting yourself. there are also chances for limbs that you broke loose that are hanging by one fiber that can fall and get you... why the hell do I log anyways?? way too dangerous!! I should have been an accountant!!  :D
👍 yup. There's 360 degrees around that tree to run. I got hit pretty good this summer topping a big oak, I've learned the hard way to stand above the body wood when cutting off a top. It's sad to hear about someone getting killed, it's been a few yrs since someone here locally has gotten it. We are hosting the GOL logging rescue class up here this yr "Coxy" if you needed the credits. It's actually not a bad class to take.

thecfarm

That is too bad. A person can do something a 1000 time and something we don't notice or something we think won't matter can get us.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

treeslayer2003

Quote from: tmbrcruiser on March 18, 2017, 07:58:05 AM
I wasn't sure about posting this but if it helps prevent an accident it is the right thing to do. We lost a friend and logger topping a tree in his yard recently. First thing everyone thought a large tree must have fallen on him, wrong.

He was cutting a smallish maple from his yard. After felling the tree he was topping the log and left a limb that extended above him. Upon cutting a limb under the log the tree rolled and the extended limb struck him.

This guy was a very good logger and had worked around timber for a long time. It only takes one mistake, please think of this when topping.
i herd about this just yesterday.......still seems unreal to me. can't hardly believe it......prayers to the family.

livemusic

Thanks for posting this. Very sorry to hear about this man; the last thing he thought of that day was dying.

Convinces me I must stop doing some things.
~~~
Bill

lshobie

When I get a gnarly tree on the round and in a mix of smaller trees I hitch up and pull it out a bit to relive some of the stress - when possible and depending on the kind of tree.
John Deere 440 Skidder, C5 Treefarmer,  Metavic Forwarder, Massey 2500 Forklift, Hyundai HL730 Wheel Loader, Woodmizer LT40, Valley Edger,  Alaskan Mill, Huskys, Stihls, and echos.

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