Be safe out there.

doc henderson · March 29, 2025, 09:18:38 PM

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nxbSqSmWL6Y

some videos are goofy, these look legit.

LeftFinger · March 30, 2025, 12:01:33 AM

How do they catch that many people playing silly buggers

TreefarmerNN · March 30, 2025, 06:55:39 AM

The wild fire guy had guts and skill to cut into a smoking tree. Some of the others shouldn't and probably won't pick up a chainsaw again, or at least not the saw they ruined and got hurt trying to save it.

cutterboy · March 30, 2025, 07:04:36 AM

GET AWAY! GET AWAY! Forget the saw!!!

thecfarm · March 30, 2025, 07:53:52 AM

I am not the most smartest person in the world.
But you should always get away from the tree when it starts to fall.
Yes, things can happen quick, and I have seen the "quick" a few times. But a good escape route has saved me a few times.
But there was a few on there, I would not have been doing.

I agree with cutterboy 10 times over.

Old Greenhorn · March 30, 2025, 11:00:46 AM

Yeah, they all look legit. Some are pro's doing a good job, some are having a bad day, and some are just stupid people. I have always felt that when doing work like this you have to consider all the things that could go wrong and have a plan for each. For instance, if my saw pinches when a tree starts to fall and it doesn't come out with the first yank, I leave it and get out of the way. The chances are that saw will be just fine and if it isn't, at least I am in one piece and can fix it. But you only get a few seconds to make that decision, so you had better thing about it well ahead of time. This also includes standing on 'the safe side' when you cut lest you get a butt log in the crotch or face.
As far as that burning tree goes, it had to come down before the fire climbed up to the crown. I have done one or two of those (although smaller) and it's not much different than a regular cut. It just has some pyrotechnics to make it look interesting and the smoke can be distracting.

TreefarmerNN · March 30, 2025, 01:34:15 PM

My worry with a smoking tree would be that I don't know how big or how compromised the hollow is. With any luck, I'll never have to do one but if I do; you can bet I'll be as nervous as can be until it's headed toward the ground.

Old Greenhorn · March 30, 2025, 01:44:42 PM

Well of course you are right. The unpredictability goes way up with those. On the other hand you don't have worry about loosing timber value with poor cutting.

You jut want to get it to fall into 'the black' if at all possible.

aigheadish · March 31, 2025, 01:42:00 PM

We have two big ash trees, on the property line, that are dead standing, and are threatening with wind and age, to fall on the barn.

The wife dragged me out yesterday to show me a limb about 8 inches around that had broken off. I've already asked the neighbor if I can drop them in her back field (she'd never notice anyway) and she is ok with that.

The trouble is that I'm pretty scared of these trees. The big one is probably too big to hug by a good amount and there are some big branches up in it. It's full of cracks and I'd rather not touch it, but I can't afford to hire someone, nor do I have big ropes to attach. I've got the backhoe and I can gently shove it up around 15-17 feet high and see what happens, and likely dislodge some of the more loose branches. I've had a branch from a different tree fall on top of the backhoe when I was pushing a much smaller tree over and it was scary. I can probably get ropes or chains and give a tug from far away with the backhoe...

I'd be very pleased if they just fell over on their own, even on to my scrap pile back there, but miss the barn. My son is willing to climb the trees but I don't think I'd trust the branches for him to try.

teakwood · April 01, 2025, 07:27:30 AM

You are right, these are dangerous trees and if you don't feel right don't try to drop them.

the chain idea is not bad, give them several good shakes and then you know that all the rotten branches have come down. put the backhoe bucket up to height so you have a roof (inda like your personal FOPS), then make a felling cut and the backcut and run away, don't try to push them over with the backhoe. Backhoe don't reach very high and don't have the power to push trees over.

don't let your son climb the tree neither!

aigheadish · April 01, 2025, 10:31:22 AM

The bucket as a personal ROPS is a pretty good idea!

Uh, i have to disagree about using the backhoe to push trees down, it works really well for me. Some folks will dig out the roots on one side, then push and claim that works well too.

chep · April 01, 2025, 02:13:10 PM

@aigheadish

I disagree with putting your bachoe on them with no cuts made. An 8 inch limb has already shed out with no machine bashing it... think about what might come out of it when you try to get it moving with hydraulics. A tree service to just put it on the ground will be way cheaper then a. Your life b. Your pride c. Your machine getting smashed d. Your wife dealing with wiping yer backside for eternity

Or use a throwball and throw line and try to pull limbs out bit by bit from a distance

aigheadish · April 01, 2025, 07:32:29 PM

Yeah, I get it, and agree on these trees.

I'd forgotten about using cables to try to pull on it instead of chains. I have some cable laying around if I can get it in there and have something good to yank against.

Thanks guys for the tips and advice!

TreefarmerNN · April 02, 2025, 10:47:49 AM

I've used a cable to break limbs down on dead trees and it works well, most of the time. The hard part is getting a messenger line up as high was you want and over the right limb.

A couple of warnings. Make sure you have a way to get your cable back if the limb doesn't break. Either double the cable back to the pull point or tie a good pull rope to the shackle or other way you loop the cable. It would be embarrassing to have to leave a cable up the tree until things rotted more.

This one is a big safety issue. Make sure your cable is long enough so that if the trunk breaks or the tree uproots you aren't under it. I was breaking limbs on a dead cherry and was surprised when the whole tree fell over. I was using a Tajfun winch on my tractor which had 190' of cable and was well out of the way but dead trees are full of surprises. Don't let one of them be your last surprise.

And like anytime you are pulling with a cable, chain or rope be aware that they can whip around if they break. This is especially important when the cable is up in the air as it will fly a long ways and have gravity helping it along. Do NOT get a running start to snatch on the cable. Bad things happen with sudden shock loads.

aigheadish · April 02, 2025, 02:56:01 PM

Good advice Treefarmer, thank you! I certainly worry about getting caught up in an unexpected loop of cable or rope that decides to take off. That sounds terrible!

Big wind this evening may solve my problems or cause new ones!

doc henderson · April 03, 2025, 04:08:18 PM

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GWc3PrF6s-c

aigheadish · April 04, 2025, 07:02:46 AM

The trees still stand but a neighboring tree a tree or two down the row fell over a couple days ago.

I hadn't previously watched those videos Doc. Jimoney Christmas!

dougtrr2 · April 05, 2025, 09:13:23 AM

Before you say you can't afford to pay to have them dropped, call and get actual estimates for dropping it and walking away with no cleanup. You might be surprised. The last time I called for that type of service I asked how much I saved by doing the cleanup and he said the price would have been double to do cleanup.

If the price is "outrageous", that is another indicator of just how dangerous it is.

Stay safe.

Doug in SW IA

GRANITEstateMP · April 05, 2025, 09:24:30 AM

My buddy that does danger / yard trees loves doing a "chop and drop". It's a lot less work on his part, he still gets a minimum to show up and put his skills to work, but your not paying him to do the less skilled and heavy labor cleanup

doc henderson · April 05, 2025, 11:20:57 AM

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LNNqhEG3pz4

Old saw fixer · April 06, 2025, 11:26:35 AM

Wow!

John Mc · April 06, 2025, 02:16:57 PM

doc, those videos reinforce he idea that there are some people you just don't want to be around when they have a chainsaw in their hands.

Some years ago, I was out helping to clear roads after a big storm hit the area. THere were power outages all over the state. A number of community members were out dealing with the trees that were in the roads and not fouled up in electrical lines, so that the power crews could get to and focus on the trees that were involved with power lines. A few of us work working on a tangles mess of pines that was in the road and hung up in some trees still standing along the roadside. We were trying to open up access to a a friend's house about 100 yards up the road.

There was one "tough guy" with no PPE at all working at a furious pace and barking orders at others in the area. I quietly suggested he slow down a bit and make sure others were clear before cutting. I was in chaps, chainsaw boots & helmet with eye & hearing protection, and - a rarity for me - wearing a Pfanner chainsaw jacket my brother had given me (I confess I don't wear the jacket much - it's too hot most of the year. In this case, i was cold enough for the jacket to be tolerable, I figured there was no telling what I might run in to, and this was some nasty work.) He looked me up and down, sneered, and turned back to his work, barking for someone to hold a limb out of his way.

I turned and started walking back to my truck. The friend asked what was up. I told him I was not going to be a part of an operation where that guy was working... I'd find some other problem area to work. I suggested he pull other volunteers back from where this guy was working.

I did hear the aftermath the next day: turns out the tough guy himself was fine and there was no incident at that particular blockage. However, another volunteer badly sprained/bruised their ankle at another site just up the road when "tough guy" misread the tension on a log, made some cuts, and things let go, ending up with a limb knocking the other volunteer's feet out from under him.

doc henderson · April 06, 2025, 02:33:48 PM

It is good to see the energy and force given by these trees and limbs. Helps the young folk who think they are too fast and lucky to be injured.

Old Greenhorn · April 06, 2025, 04:49:01 PM

........ there are some people you just don't want to be around when they have a chainsaw in their hands......"

Yeah, but on the other hand, they are entertaining as long as you can observe at a safe distance. Best case you have a comfy chair, a cold beer, and a high tolerance for moronic behavior. I have opportunity to do this more than I would like right in my own back yard watching my neighbor. Unfortunately, I lack that high tolerance I mentioned. There is only so long that you can listen to a absolute dull chain scream away and blow clouds of smoke.

aigheadish · April 07, 2025, 07:22:15 AM

I may have mentioned this elsewhere but at my old house a big (for the yard and area) had cracked and started falling off a tree next to the garage. It was enough that the garage was inaccessible and had to be taken care of, so I called off work. My wife at the time (now ex) went out and said what's the big deal and kind of gave me grief for taking so long to look at and cut the limb up. She was not aware of the serious pressures and tensions in a tree and thankfully I was. This was before I'd ever run a chainsaw, which would have taken care of the limb in about 20 minutes. I think I used a sawzall to hack it up.