Husky 365 with 34" bar and full skip chain

[maple flats]

I am going to use my new saw with a 34" bar and full skip chain for the first time this week. A friend has asked me to come get him out of a bind. He has a large tree (I haven't seen it yet but he says it is a nut tree) that was up rooted and blown over on the edge of a large drop off at the back of his property. He says the tree fell parallel with the bank and that a large limb is hung up in a cherry tree on the same bank. The nut tree is resting on the ground but only a few inches from the bank with that limb in the crotch of the cherry and broke/hanging down the embankment behind it. The drop off is about 70-80 feet at about 75 degrees if I remember correctly with a creek at the bottom and about 4-5 foot deep water. I'm going to try cutting some short logs off the nut tree (I think it might be butternut, I have gotten a few butternut logs from him in the past). Then I will cut and drop the broken hanger down the embankment unless I think it can be saved by winching or par buckleing. If in doubt I will try with an older rope that will break if it can't be held. This tree is supposed to be about 98" circumferance at just above the root swell and I can't get to the other side to use a shorter saw. This will be the first test for the 365 with the long bar.
Anyone have any suggestions? The land on top is nearly flat and he has an old Oliver crawler (about 3 ton) but he fears the tree would pull everything over the bank if the tree starts to go. I do not know how close other trees for a good anchor might be. If there is one or more I will anchor with chain first to save the logs.

[celliott]

Can't really give you any advice, besides be careful and safe.  But I definitly want to see some pictures of this!

[Rocky_J]

Ditto. And where do you guys keep finding these oddball size bars? I've never in my life seen or heard of a 34" bar. They are probably on the shelf right next to the 22" bars.  ???

[bandmiller2]

Flats I would dismantle the tree same as you'd take down a standing tree only do it horizontal.Pull the pieces up over the bank with ollie logs if you can handle them or firewood.Its hard to cure firewood in a creek.Frank C.

[chainsawr]

If it is a butternut, it would be well worth saving the logs.  They are becomming scarce and worth a good price.

Go easy on the 365 with that long bar and you should come out alright.

[Cut4fun]

Baileys seems to carry  odd size bars. I picked up a 33" there. Poulan 330 3750 3450 has always used 22", along with Husky, but I ain't never seen a husky come with 22".

[01crewcab]

Obviously you'll want to buck off the rootwad first.Personally I'd try leaving a "russian" in each log you buck, and hopefully the Oliver can then yard it up without the log going over the hill. Really just thinking outloud without actually seeing the lay of the land :-\

[Al_Smith]

Don't under estimate how much a little Oliver crawler can pull if it's up to power . I own an OC -6 and did have an HG .I used to haul out some pretty good sized stuff with that little HG which only weighed about 5,000 pounds .As as matter of record an OC-6 was the only crawler tractor ever tested at the Nebraska tests that could pull more than it's own weight .As a general rule a crawler will pull about 90 percent of its weight .

I haven't seen the situation but if you're worried about the log pulling you over the embankment snub it off to a big tree with a cable before you cut it loose .

[bandmiller2]

Al, is your oc-6 the narrow 48" sidewalk plow or wider track.I used one for years to yard out logs it wasen't much wider than an old mare.Only real complaint is they wont track straight you have to keep correcting them,reason no steering clutches like a usual dozer,they just have a band brakes and use the differential to steer.Frank C.

[Mark K]

I have an HG-42, it's a handy little machine. Has a loader on it and we used to pull it off to skid logs in the woods on wet ground. We pull more than you think it could. It suprised me a good many time.

[maple flats]

2 things, first, I got the bar from GKS in Rome, NY when I asked for a 32 and he said he had gotten some 34's in error and was selling them for $50 ea to get rid of them.
Second, I think my buddies Oliver is an OC3 and think the weight about 3 ton
I have not gone to cut yet because my Dr sidelined me a few days because of Pneumonia. Must await his permission to return to work. I'll get some pics when I do this but then I'll need to figure how to post them in my scrapbook. I did a few a long time ago and didn't really figure what to do so I'll need to learn again. If I did it more often I'm sure it would get easy. My biggest problem is I take the camera but forget to use it. I'll try harder. (really my biggest problem is CRS {can't remember s&%t})

[JohnG28]

Let me know if ya need a hand.  Not looking as work, but sounds interesting and something I havent done before.  If you could use an extra set of hands when you get on your feet Id lend a hand if I can.  Im out of school for the summer and free before 3 all week, and have a Stihl 361 if you need an extra saw. 

[Al_Smith]

Al, is your oc-6 the narrow 48" sidewalk plow or wider track.

Both the OC-6 and the HG which I used to own are 68" gauge .After I rebuild the HG it could pull pretty good but before it could barely climb a hill in first gear .

The OC-6 on the other hand also has a rebuilt engine with a big bore .That thing can spin the tracks in second gear going up hill with dirt rolling off the top of the blade .

The problem with the Ollies over the Cats is Olivers all used single flange rollers and are prone to spit a track on a side hill .My old D4's with double flange could side hill from here to California and not toss a track . The Cats will pull more but the little OC-6 has the ground speed  .I think it will run faster in high reverse the the D4 will in 5 gear . 

Which reminds me I have to make sure the old duffer starts,it's been a few years since and I have to muscle over a big hickory pretty soon .All 100 foot of it .

[maple flats]

From the previous time I cut at this location I found the OC3 to be very tired, sounds rough and the hydraulics are poor. The brakes are weak so turning is difficult. I think these factors are why he doesn't think it could hold the trunk or pull it. On the otherhand It could be parked against a solid stump farther away from the drop off and be uses as a good anchor point for a winch. My portable winch is only 2000#. I also have some pulleys and lots of good chain so I could easily double the pull of the OC3. I still have not been able to go see it. The landowner has just described it to me. I am however familiar with his property from cutting and hauling logs 2 other times in the past.
Hopefully the DR will release me to return to work when I go to my appointment today, I feel much better, but since the landowner in question works where I do and I am on sick leave I can't sneak over and do this job until the Dr says OK.

[maple flats]

One more thing. When I mounted the big bar and chain on the taw before I knew I was being sidelined I did a test cut by squaring the but end of a yellow poplar that is about 28". I just took a 1" cookie but it cut very well. I've only cut butternut 2 times in the past and don't remember for sure but I think it might not be too much harder than the Poplar I cut for a cross cut. But when I saw it I find yellow poplar harder than butternut to cut, I get a nice smooth cut with butternut but seem to get a "fuzzy" surface in many spots on yellow poplar. The Butternut was nice to cut and real nice looking lumber.

[maple flats]

I got the word from the DR, I can return to work. Now I've got to coordinate with the landowner to set a date to work on the tree mentioned above. I also have a couple of nice white pines free for the taking, about 20 and 24 DBH, the 20" has a fast taper  and I'll only get 1 log maybe 12-14' but the 24" has a nice trunk for at least 24 maybe even 30', with a slow taper. I'll be getting that before the butternut, trees are being dropped Saturday by a tree climber (both next to the house). The last logs I got from there had only 1 pc of metal but the detector found it.

[SawTroll]

Ditto. And where do you guys keep finding these oddball size bars? I've never in my life seen or heard of a 34" bar. They are probably on the shelf right next to the 22" bars.  ???

There are 33" ones out there as well...... :D :D :D

....not to mention the fact that many bars are shorter than "called"!   :

[arojay]

[quote My biggest problem is I take the camera but forget to use it./quote]

My biggest problem is that I take the camera but I'm usually in the picture that I want to take!

[maple flats]

This fell thru. I talked to the landowner who had asked me to cut the log on the top of a high bank this morning trying to set a time to do it, this is the first I've seen him since I got Pneumonia. It turns out he had a 7 man tree crew working next door and they cut it for him. I am now going over sometime next week to look at some cherry that is down but it sounds much smaller. I guess I'll take the 34" bar back off the 365 for now.