New Phrase. Stupity Switch

[luvmexfood]

Stupity switch. That is my new phrase.

Stupity switch. That is my new phrase. Earned it today. First I was cutting a hard maple that had a hollow spot in the very bottom. Came up about 3 ft. and made my notch. Started cutting, set my hinge and all was well. Started my backcut an put in a wedge but a little off to the up hill side. Not much. Cut a little more on the uphill side and started to cut on the downhill side. Saw the tree set back on the bar and was standing their holding on to saw. Saw tree start over a little backwards then straight over me. Got about 6 ft clear when next thing I know I feel something hit my hard hat and either I fall or it knocks me down. Very small dead branch. After the dust settles only damage to saw is a bent bar. Mind you the tree was coming down right over the saw.

Ok. Retrieve  saw and go to truck for spare saw. Would not start. So decide to get tractor and skid out what I had cut and bucked so far. Thought I will only be skidding so leave hardhat at truck. Go down to first tree, turn and hook-up. Was an about 2.5 inch sapling I had forgot to cut and it was directly in front of tractor. No biggie. I will just let the bumper/grill guard ride it over. It did no problem. As the back of the tractor passed over the sapling it stood back up. Then the log hit it and next thing I know the sapling switched my head good. Hence the phrase "stupity  switch".

Did go back and look at the stump on the tree that almost got me. What I think happened was I had undercut the hinge a little when I made the notch allowing the hinge to break loose. Just didn't think to check the notch to see if it was correct.

Lesson learned. This one from the school of hard knocks. Those are the ones you really remember.

So next time you have an incident that was similar to this you can say. "I must have had my stupity switch on".

[Southside]

Glad to hear you are OK, I think we have all learned lessons like you did today, I know I have, thanks for sharing it.

[Maine logger88]

Glad to hear you are OK, I think we have all learned lessons like you did today, I know I have, thanks for sharing it.

X2

[timberlinetree]

X3 work safe!

[RunningRoot]

My worst accident while logging was close to what you described. Was on the old loader and the track had pushed down one little sapling and it was compressing another I did not see... I saw it after I came too ( woke up ) as it drew back and smacked me right in the mouth so hard it knocked me out cold, loosened 3 teeth and split both my lips to the point one needed  a half dozen stitches....

[chester_tree _farmah]

Glad u r safe. U just never know out there. As a general rule try to make final cuts from the up hill side when felling on slopes.

[luvmexfood]

*chester_tree_farmah*

Glad u r safe. U just never know out there. As a general rule try to make final cuts from the up hill side when felling on slopes.

Thanks for the tip. Never thought of it and can't even remember it being mentioned in any of the videos I watched or the book titled "Professional Timber Falling. A Procedural Approach".

Makes sense.

[Southside]

My worst close call happened when I mis-judged how much pressure I had applied to a big sweet gum with my tree pusher on the grapple, turned out I had basically not put any as one of the back tires had run up against another tree and I did not realize it.  When that one started to go the wrong way my best option was to dive under the belly of the skidder.  Tree did not hit the skidder but it was close.  Got a real good luck at the belly pan. 

[Ianab]

Glad u r safe. U just never know out there. As a general rule try to make final cuts from the up hill side when felling on slopes.

Thanks for the tip. Never thought of it and can't even remember it being mentioned in any of the videos I watched or the book titled "Professional Timber Falling. A Procedural Approach".

Makes sense.

Often referred to as "good side" and "bad side".

There are various reasons you might label them like that, and being downhill of a falling tree is one of them. Poor escape route, the tree leaning that direction, a huge prickle bush etc. Any of those reasons make that NOT the place to be when the tree starts to fall. You want to be on the "good" or safest side where you have space to get clear as needed when you complete your felling cut. If you do have to make cuts from the "bad" side, do them first when there is no danger of the tree moving yet.

And at least you know WHY the cut went wrong. Means you know what to avoid next time  ;)

[lopet]

Knock on belly pan . I bet it seemed like the right thing  to do at that time when there is no other escape route.