wrapping a chain around the trunk to prevent barber chair

[steveh2112]

hi all, i just saw this video
#353 DANGEROUS TREES! Severe Lean, Good info to share - YouTube
and thought it very interesting at 5:45 he wraps a chain around a leaner to help protect against barber chair.


i'm curious what are your experts thoughts on that, seems like a good idea to me but i'm a beginner, just looking for any way to maximize safety

thanks

[Skeans1]

Personally I wouldn't do that, a chain can slide up a tree as well as if it does snap a chain that's a lot of metal flying through the air.

[mike_belben]

im on the fence.  ive put chains around buttlogs a few times just so i wont have to fish one under after its down in a bad spot, but never had a chained tree chair.  then obviously ive had trees chair that werent chained.  guess i can only speculate as to if itll be good or bad.  

[steveh2112]

actually the guy in the video said he'd use a strap if he had one, i do have one so thinking that would be a bit safer if it did break.

good point about the potential for it sliding up the tree however.

i see there is another thread on this subject where the consensus was don't bother but this guy used one on a tree way more massive than mine
Underbid Tree Job - YouTube

i have about a 14" tree on a pretty steep lean, about 45 degrees but its leaning into the hillside so not too far to fall

[Southside]

Just because you can, does not mean you should.  In addition to slipping and breaking a chain could transfer stress to another spot in the log where she blows apart and you never expected it.  

[BradMarks]

That wasn't a dangerous tree. What it was was a dangerous operator.  Who leaves a hung up tree until next time...?, to say the least.  Add a chain where not needed, a plunge cut not needed, and improper face cut.......

[ehp]

I have put a chain around hundreds on trees , If I got to winch a tree backwards that has grade and no knots I put a chain around the butt, Never had a problem other than sometimes the chain slides down the butt and gets pretty tight to unhook it 

[Ianab]

Add a chain where not needed, a plunge cut not needed, and improper face cut

If that was a local cypress and you did a conventional cut on it, 100% it would have barber chaired, and things would have got exciting real fast. 

But yes, leaving the tree hung up was poor form. 

[BradMarks]

Red Alder here, nothing barber chairs quicker IMO.  Cut a lot of them.

[HemlockKing]

That wasn't a dangerous tree. What it was was a dangerous operator.  Who leaves a hung up tree until next time...?, to say the least.  Add a chain where not needed, a plunge cut not needed, and improper face cut.......

chain seems dull too and that was buggering me, notch cuts didnt meet etc, this guy isn't in any position to be giving chainsaw tips IMO.

[firefighter ontheside]

He seems to be making up everything he does.  He doesn't know how to do a boring back cut.  Didn't cut the notch properly to have a hinge that would direct the tree all the way to the ground.  One of the biggest benefits of boring back cut is to safely cut leaning trees.  I would spend more time getting the method right than wrapping a chain around the trunk.  With a leaner like that, I think it is likely to just break right at the chain and still barber chair.

[stumpjumper83]

I chain doubles togther frequently when I want one to follow the other.  Also use this technique to fell split trees.  Last winter I was asked to fell a large maple with helical split, chained it in 3 spots, and used a d4e cat dozer to winch the tree over.  Tree was too dangerous to climb, leaning towards a house, and split.  A few chains and the right crew and it was over.

[bushhog920]

I would bore cut the tree and make a trigger on the back side. Little chance of barber chair when the center is cut first.

[Old Greenhorn]

Out cutting, bucking, skidding all day. I was thinking of this thread when I dropped this tree, a heavy leaner, not much choice as to where it was going. About 14" on the stump. 



 

I left the hinge a little thicker on the left side (foreground) to try and pull it a little. I put in a bore cut, then cut the trigger, but the thing I found interesting is before I could clear off the trigger, the tree went (and I backed out). If you look at all that fiber pull, what you are really seeing is the beginning of a barber chair that had nowhere to go. That is a lot of fiber pull. By the way, the tree hit the ground without damaging the keepers. Skidding it out was less fun, have you notice the brambles are in full bloom. :D I have.