Stacking wedges in felling tree

[treeslayer2003]

how can ya push a tree heavier than the skidder?

Gears / leverage / mechanical advantage?

How can a 16# sledge with a 2 ounce wedge push over a 2-ton tree?

You're not trying to lift the tree, just tilt it. Half the tree is being "lifted" but the other half is being lowered.

two ton? i was thinking more along the lines of 5+ton trees with heavy lean. it takes a big skidder to push them.

[John Mc]

Never seen a thing like that.
And by the time you had all the wedges in I would have the tree on the ground.

I'd be interested in hearing your technique, particularly if you have one that's quicker that doesn't involve heavy equipment.

[Pine Ridge]

I do it the same way Ohlogger described, drive one wedge in all the way, if the trees still standing stack two more like an X , drive them in alternately. Wear your forestry helmet and pull the visor down when your pounding wedges, when they spit out they have alot of force behind them.

[Peter Drouin]

Never seen a thing like that.
And by the time you had all the wedges in I would have the tree on the ground.

I'd be interested in hearing your technique, particularly if you have one that's quicker that doesn't involve heavy equipment.

I use steel wedges and with a wire feed welder I put a line of weld on the 2 faces and the thing will not pop out.

[CCC4]

This thread is nearing the point of an argument. I hate to see that happen actually. The cut is very odd, not meant to be a production cut...actually I don't see where it would be used for anything than novelty just so you said you could do it I guess. It looks a it serves zero purpose.

A far a techniques on getting a tree down in a faster manner than the one posted by the OP...just about any cut will apply there. By the time you mess around with the kerfing involved and placeing the wedges, I would assume you are looking at a 6 to 7 minute ordeal. On a normal basis I will fall 4 to 6 trees in that amount of time and use wedges when needed. Thats all fine, but I am paid production and I have no choice but run and gun when I have 2 skidders on me at all times.

Like I said earlier, it seems to be a novelty cut...it is interesting...glad it was shown and shared here for review and I am gonna leave it like that. 

[brendonv]

Ive used cutting board material cut into small squares. Insert wedge, pound, insert square with wedge on top, pound. Remove initial wedge, stack two squares amd wedge, pound.  Works well.

[John Mc]

This thread is nearing the point of an argument. I hate to see that happen actually. The cut is very odd, not meant to be a production cut...actually I don't see where it would be used for anything than novelty just so you said you could do it I guess. It looks a it serves zero purpose.

If my post came across as argumentative, it was not meant to be. I was actually hoping to hear from Peter what he does to drop back leaners, since I know he's far more experienced than I am. I don't do "production felling", so I have the luxury of time. However, that doesn't mean I'm not interested in finding a faster/better way.  I have a tractor with a logging winch, but it's not always out in the woods with me, and if it is, it may be nowhere near where I'm cutting (or it may be in use by one of the friends I cut with). So techniques for felling heavy back leaners that don't involve heavy equipment are almost always of interest to me.

I'm cutting firewood for myself and a few friends, as well as for donation to families in need in my area. Since this is often thinning of culling poorly formed trees, I'm often trying to drop a tree in a direction that is not "the easy direction". I'd have to damage a tree with some commercial value or trash that nice apple tree or some hard mast tree that's providing a lot of wildlife benefit just to get a "junk" tree on the ground.

I've never done what is shown in the photo the OP posted. I only carry two wedges with me. If I need more than one, I use the wedge and cookie technique described above (much like what Brendonv is doing with his cutting board pieces). It works for me, but it may not be the fastest way.

[CCC4]

John Mc, what diameter trees are we talking about? There are a few options for wedging a back leaner. The main thing I have found is making sure you have enough of a back cut to utilize a wedge and get your lift. It took me a bit to change up my cuts to figure out what worked best for me in a given scenario. Also, if I am cutting lead in steep ground and I have a back leaner that is going to cause a lot of work or danger...I will send it straight up the hill.

Small diameter (18" or less) back leaners are the tricky ones, and for me I use an unconventional method of making my back cut first and placing a wedge then doing my face cut and driving her home. This technique is very effective but tricky to learn. It is actually one of the few full hinge cuts I will make. If the hinge placement is not spot on and correct thickness, this cut become dangerous. Very very effective but I honestly would not recommend it. It really takes some time to perfect and has a large potential for error until dialed in exactly correct.

[Peter Drouin]

This thread is nearing the point of an argument. I hate to see that happen actually. The cut is very odd, not meant to be a production cut...actually I don't see where it would be used for anything than novelty just so you said you could do it I guess. It looks a it serves zero purpose.

If my post came across as argumentative, it was not meant to be. I was actually hoping to hear from Peter what he does to drop back leaners, since I know he's far more experienced than I am. I don't do "production felling", so I have the luxury of time. However, that doesn't mean I'm not interested in finding a faster/better way.  I have a tractor with a logging winch, but it's not always out in the woods with me, and if it is, it may be nowhere near where I'm cutting (or it may be in use by one of the friends I cut with). So techniques for felling heavy back leaners that don't involve heavy equipment are almost always of interest to me.

I'm cutting firewood for myself and a few friends, as well as for donation to families in need in my area. Since this is often thinning of culling poorly formed trees, I'm often trying to drop a tree in a direction that is not "the easy direction". I'd have to damage a tree with some commercial value or trash that nice apple tree or some hard mast tree that's providing a lot of wildlife benefit just to get a "junk" tree on the ground.

I've never done what is shown in the photo the OP posted. I only carry two wedges with me. If I need more than one, I use the wedge and cookie technique described above (much like what Brendonv is doing with his cutting board pieces). It works for me, but it may not be the fastest way.

I notch, bore the tip in cut from the hinge and leave a strap, Put in a steel wedge, I like them they have more lift. Cut the strap and drop the tree . But in the woods you have to have a plan. Going in and only cutting junk trees is good, but how hard do you want to work?
I now will clear cut an acre skip 2 or 3 and clear cut . That way I have habitat for all kinds of wildlife. And have new growth coming in and the new is not fighting for sun lite.
In a year or two I can go in with a brush saw and cut all the new junk coming in and leave the nice trees.
I do leave all the slash too, Just cut it up some, The rabbits love it.

[John Mc]

Peter -  I occasionally do some patch cuts. They've mostly been on my own land. The other place I cut is co-owned with 15 other families. There we have a forester mark 3-cord firewood lots, and I can only cut what he has marked. Up to now, that's been mostly releasing crop trees, no clear cuts. However, the new Forest Management Plan calls for some patch cuts (in fact, it calls for enough of them that we're concerned that the 4 of us who are "regulars" for firewood will not be able to keep up with what is called for in the plan).

CCC4 - Most of what I cut is under 18". I have done what you describe on some of my back leaners. It let's you get the wedge in while the tree is still supported. More often, I'll do an open face notch, bore cut behind and parallel to the hinge, get my hinge set, then cut out part of the back cut (leaving enough holding wood to keep the tree from settling back) tap in a wedge, cut the holding wood, and drive the wedge.

On trees where the wedge will bottom out against the back of the hinge, I'll change the technique a bit: open face notch, bore through the center of the hinge and out the back, offset up or down slightly and bore through again just enough to get through the hinge, but not into the wood behind the hinge. Tap a wedge into the back of the first bore, then make the back cut by cutting on either side of the wedge (offset up or down so I don't hit the wedge), then drive the wedge in to tip it over. That bore cut through the hinge makes a place for the wedge to go, so it doesn't bottom out. The second bore cut just makes space so the wedge isn't trying to lift and break the hinge itself when I drive it in. It takes a little more time, but can be done with no other tools than a chainsaw and a wedge (and something to drive the wedge with, though a good size limb works OK if I don't have my ax handy).