Josh, hindsight is always 20/20 but I would recommend any time you are in a situation where you have to do something different to free a chainsaw I would recommend that you take just a moment and disconnect the bar and chain from the motor. This will allow you to store the expensive part of the saw in a safe place while you are manipulating the remaining portion of the tree to achieve the desired results. A bar and chain is much cheaper to risk than the sawhead. Maybe this helps.
Wedges will help when you want a tree to go where you want it to go. But this time it did not work. thank heaven you were not hurt. Great job on those trees.
Read the comments; yeesh! Your notch cuts, “birds beak” are habitually too deep (no more than 1/3). But first mistake was cutting weight off the side you wanted it to fall. Make all your cuts perpendicular to the tree, in this case level to the ground. All cuts are referenced to the previous cut, keep them in aligned with your “sight line” (where you want it to fall). If trying to force a stem to fall against the lean, insert wedge as soon as possible to prevent pinching your bar. Trim from the side you DONT want it to fall is good pre-cut practice. So much more, but that’s enough for now.
Instead of bringing the other saw at the point you got stuck I would've removed the bar/chain from the existing saw to save the motor, then brought over your skid-steer and pushed the tree from up high. Being in the machine would've provided some safety and you would've leveraged your existing holding wood to keep the tree going the way you wanted.
When I was young, I lived on a farm and to make extra money, I sold fire wood. I also learned over the years as a bridge construction worker and using chain saws many times, when you can, always have help with these type jobs. I applaud you for the safety equipment. Now with the saw stuck, next time, make the wedge cut a little larger and when you start with the back cut, make the cut thicker with more than one pass to keep the saw out of the bind. Here is a chance you may warp the blade. Maybe that tree is not large enough but some bigger trees can destroy the saw.
I have enjoyed your videos. Here’s my two cents. If you keep felling trees like that something bad is bound to happen. There were a lot of mistakes. But most importantly just slow down and take your time. The tree doesn’t have to go until you make it.
@@jontrip247 it starts to look like I’m an expert which I’m not. But as long as people realize I’m not trying to be nasty. First tree had a back or side lean. And he just went in with a face cut that wasn’t level and it was too deep. Then he came in with his back cut and overcut one side of his hinge. And this cut wasn’t level either. He didn’t have any wedges with him or an ax to pound them in. Then he got another saw and cut another set of cuts. But the tree actually didn’t go with that cut. It fell from the first cut. Maybe bc it started to fall from the second cut and had enough weight on that side to get it going. Idk. He did do a good job and being on that side tho. He likely could have wedges it up off the bar and it would have gone. The last tree he missed and over cut his face cut. Created a dutchman. So when the tree went it bottomed out. This could have caused the tree to lift and jump back at him. Thankfully the hinge was pretty beefy and it looked to be holding the trunk from releasing its energy into the stump. But again. Most of these issues are just simple and probably from a rushed state of mind. Slow down. Cut accurate, level and square. Learn to feather the throttle of the saw a little better. Use wedges.
@@stephendaniel168 I really appreciate the follow up details. I sincerely wanted to know/learn. We picked up 90 acres and I am about to start dropping trees and need to learn from others. I know I'll make mistakes and the best way to learn is to do it; however, anything I can get from folks before getting out there is tremendously valuable to me.
@@jontrip247 with acreage you can fell a tree most of the time in the direction it’s wanting to go. My advice is start with the basic hinge method in the direction it wants to go. At first Stay away from hard learners and standing deads that are too far gone. And build your knowledge a little at a time. And lovin it helps.
Love your Vids bud! Heres a few things I can hopefully help ya with. Cut the bottom notch on a 45 so the tree wont stop falling like the issue you had. Also clean the area around the tree in case you have to run for it so you wont fall and get hurt or worse. Im surprised you didn't have to replace that bar since it was wedged by that tree like that. Hope this helps, we all learn from one another. Keep the great videos coming man!
When that happens and it will again when you don't expect it to. Take the 2 bolts off the bar, and take the motor off, leaving the bar and chain stuck. A few minutes taking it off and putting it back on, may save your motor one day.
As a wood turner I would suggest you seek out a local turner and give him/her some of that oak you're using for firewood. They would love a couple of metres of trunk and you might get a nice bowl in return.
I use to cut trees for the co-opt in Georgia I love tree work it's very dangerous if you don't have a clue be careful a tree will kill you it doesn't have to be a giant
Determine the direction you want the tree to fall and then assess your lean. Depending upon the direction you want the tree to fall it may have side lean, back lean etc. When making your face cut on the tree I’d flip the saw over and let the bar be on the bottom, the saw balances itself and you won’t struggle to keep it level as much. Stick the dogs of the saw into the bark and rotate the saw into your cuts. When making your back cut towards the notch try to stay slightly above the notch making sure not to cut your hinge off as that is what steers the tree to the ground. Just slow down and take your time! Good day sir, God bless.
For a country boy ,you cant cut a tree. Clear the base (you left the sucker you cut)so you can escape was the first mistake. Pinching the saw, well we have all done that though just not on camera, hahaha. You have big Kuhunas for publishing this. Really enjoy your channel though.
Take the 500i off the pinched bar before attempting to continue to drop the tree with another saw. A crushed chain/bar is cheaper to replace than that 500i.
We’ve all been there, brother. I found through multiple cuts and videos. One of the best thing to do is to always face your notch properly and make sure your hinge is perfectly clean and then come in from the backside and work your wedges as you go, especially if there’s any back lean to the tree. A good tip is to always practice perfect cuts, even on the easiest trees, and those are the best trees to practice the more technical cuts on until you build your confidence then when you get into the situation right where you really need it, you know what to do. everyone can give you all the advice in the world but if you don’t try it and see what it does, you’ll never know and then it’s too late when you really need it .But good job we all learn from our faults and that’s what matters. Patience and try not to get frustrated it will save you!
Josh you need to purchase a few felling wedges if you haven’t already. Check the canopy of the tree for the lean before you cut. Get one of your many pickups, 100 feet of rope after slinging the sand bag with some dragline twine etc to pull the rope, then tension it with your pick up and make a 45° down notch not level. With all the room, you could pull that sucker right down.
I'll just say that sometimes things don't go right. Some of my thoughts are 1) the first tree it seemed like perhaps you didn't anticipate the lean correctly or tried too much to fight the lean you saw and it sat back. I've found no success fighting a bad lean unless I use rope to force it. 2) take the power unit off if stuck in the tree 3) the last tree stopped part way through the fall because your bottom cut of the wedge was cut too deep and was past the angle cut. As the tree fell the gap closed and stopped. Watch not to overcut the lines in the wedge. Like you said, nothing goes perfect in ranching. It's nice to see imperfection to learn from it so Kudos for showing it. I used it to educate my kids on tree felling. Keep on keeping on.
You might have gotten the saw stuck in one, but that wasn't the only tree that went the wrong way on you. The third tree had a face cut facing the overhead door of the building, you cut away and the tree was shown laying 90 degrees to the right. Friendly piece of advice. Slow down, think it through before you end up getting hurt. Having a tree go the wrong way is no joke, you can easily wind up hurt or worse.
I almost always use a Humboldt or Open face cut instead of Conventional especially when cutting high on the trunk. From what I could see of the tree it wanted to go back the whole time. You probably could have made it fall more to the left with a face cut on that side. Your back cut was too high and also angled down away from you instead of level.
Thanks for sharing the mistakes as well as the successes. I made this same mistake a few months ago. I didn't assess the lean properly, made my notch too shallow but kept going thinking I could still place it where I wanted. The tree sat back and pinched my bar like yours did. I was the only one around and I still felt embarrassed.
The saws have refrence marks to help line up your cuts. Safety gear is on point. Now take the time to make proper notches and back cuts. Keeps wedges in back pocket and a Lil sledge close
bhahhaha...what ya can't see on camera is that all 4 trees were leaning away from the area I wanted to drop them my friend....I've been looking at these 4 trees for 3 months knowing I needed to drop them...problem was the lean was too significant to drop them that way without roping them down....
For what it's worth. 1st. I dont think Luke (you) had your mind right. You weren't thinking about what you were doing. Probably something other than time constraints. 2nd. They weren't big trees, so you figured you would just breeze through them little stems. First rule of war I was taught Never Underestimate you enemy. The trees in this case. Just because they are smaller doesn't mean they are less dangerous. 3rd. Get a wedge in the tree as soon as possible. Sometimes, that may mean a shallower notch or making your back cut and putting a wedge in it before cutting your notch. Then bang it down with the wedge. You're a smart man. Get your head clear first. Study the tree. Make a plan that lets you get a wedge in it as soon as you can.
I’m interested in those boots but I don’t see the link in the description. I enjoyed the video. I can tell you from experience tree Felling doesn’t always go according to plan for me either.
Your notch should be 10% of the thickness of the tree free of dutchmen. Never, ever, I mean never walk behind a falling tree. Your cuts should be even, not angled. IMO that is what stood out the most to me. Cheers mate, keep on keepin’ on.
I understand you were under a time schedule, but I like to cut trees in the fall. If I have to cut in the spring, I wait until all the leaves are out, cut the tree down and then wait until all the leaves turn brown. It helps to dry the wood and it seems like it cuts easier.
If you want your tree to fall specific way you would either have to set your wedges sooner before you cut to far into the tree you need stackable wedges as well to get the height you needed., i would also used a rope puller to ensure it falls in the general direction you want as well .
If in doubt about which way the tree (and the wind) is going to go, I use a wire rope and a chain hoist to put tension on the tree the way I want it to go - especially when felling next to a building! There is nothing quite like that absolute look of disbelief and horror when a large tree is caught by a sudden breeze and comes down and crushes someone's home! (When in doubt, more than one wire rope!)
Something to consider about this is that you can put a lot of force on a free with synthetic rope line nylon, and due to the stretch in the rope, the rope will keep the force on the tree as it starts moving. Wire rope doesn't stretch much, so the force that the wire rope is putting on tree drops off pretty quickly once the tree starts moving.
@@andrewalexander9492 Absolutely! I use both, esp. when I am alone and there is no one pulling on the wire rope! We will be felling giant pines soon and they are all very close to our house so no room for mistakes!
My adventure has begun. New sub. I'm an old Chevy lover and love the old GMC truck. And your sound effects! lol That was the slowest tree fell that I've ever seen. That was close to the truck! Great use of log tool for cutting! That is a slick splitter blade! Less time spent splitting. Thanks for the Bloopers.
you need to bore the center of the tree out but leave a hinge on both sides of the lead notch, then come straight in from the back and have you sledgehammer and wedge with you. Best to have a plastic wedge, also you took the wind in consideration but you didn't look at the tree canopy and see where most of the weight of the tree was.
Josh I would recommend you getting a come along and rope so you can hook to trees and pull them the direction you want and use them to pull the tree like when it was stuck on your bar
Yeah, that's one of those trees that's too large to manhandle, and too small to get felling wedges in behind the saw bar. Here's a method I've used on trees which want to sit back on the stump, and are too small to use felling wedges: Tie a rope around the tree as high up as you can, use a ladder (Yeah, I know, tree guys will say never use a ladder to take down a tree, sure, don't cut down a tree from a ladder) Run the rope out to a suitable deadman like another tree, etc. and hook it to a come-along, and put a fair amount of strain on the rope. Most synthetic ropes like nylon or polypropylene have a significant amount of elasticity, so you can stretch it a bit (I don't think it will work with Dyneema rope, I understand that is not very elastic) So now there's some pre-loaded force on the tree in the direction you want it to fall. Now get out the chainsaw and notch and cut the tree. (It's recommended you take your ladder down first) The force stretched into the rope will keep pulling on the tree until it is over-center and falling in the direction you want it to go. You might be able to use this method after you get a saw stuck, but be careful climbing a tree that's already been cut part-way. Note, pre-loading force on the tree before cutting it can make it more likely to barber pole, so be aware of that. Also, once you get a saw stuck, take the power head off and just leave the bar and chain in the tree. That will keep the power head from getting damaged if things go badly. Also, if there's any room at all to get a felling wedge in behind the bar, do it before the tree sits back on the stump.
It happens to the best of us. One suggestion though, your back cut should be horizontal not down on an angle. Also when that happens and you don’t want to crush the stuck saw you can just unbolt the bar from the head and leave the bar in the tree by itself
I never saw you look up to see which way the tree was leaning. Doesn’t matter how you notch it if it’s center of gravity is beyond the mid point of the tree. It’s going to fall where gravity takes it
Outdoors with the Morgans had an accident at the wood splitter where a log jumped off after splitting a knot, and the log blew through and hit someone in the nose. Be alert of where you stand when you’re splitting wood on that machine the video they put out just a couple days ago if you’d like to watch it.
When cutting the wedge, top cut at about 40 - 45 degree angle at least 1/3 diam. of tree, 2nd cut level to join first cut. Back cut no more than 2" above front level cut.
All the money in the world & fancy gear doesn't supercede knowledge & experience. As soon as you started cutting that sucker off the back it was obvious you're inexperienced, which should have been cut clean giving you the ability to cut lower. The lower the better & around the flare is the best place, starting with making your face cut at a 45° slant, 1/5-1/4 depth. Then the bottom cut, level not to exceed the face. Next you plunge through the tree parallel to the notch you just cut, with about 1"-2" hinge, cutting backwards till you have only the holding wood(trigger) & hinge. Wedge if necessary, cut the trigger watch it dive for the exact spot you're aiming. That said, all those are stems, barely even trees.
I feel like a plunge cut w/ trigger is way harder on medium trees and only useful on the larger stuff. I personally would not be plunge cutting a 18" tree with that giant 500+cc chainsaw he was running...
The branch that you cut-off first needs to moved from the Area, this give you a clear working path and you don't have to keep climbing over it. I would have also put a rope on it to pull it the direction you want. And maybe cut a bottom notch verses the top notch that you cut.
many a tractor has been crushed by doing this....not advised to push a tree with a tractor my friend....back hoe...maybe...but tractor is asking for a big problem
First one was pretty sketchy The notch was way too big for that tree This was the biggest mistake imo When going against natural lean a deeper notch will make it more likely to fall on you Shallower cut then wedge is what you should have done :P
Never walk on the falling side of the tree when you’ve started cutting it. There were branches down you were stepping over which could have caused you to trip and fall. While trying to get away from a falling tree. I like the blog and don’t want to be reading your obituary.
I think part of the problem when you cut that you cut the notch a little bit too high I don’t think it should be more than 2 inches above the opposite side of the tree where the V notch is. So when is Kyle from RR buildings coming out to survey for Your barndominium
He said to comment below about what went wrong, it looks like it pinched the blade and chain. I do it sometimes, I see people wedges, but I always forget to buy them.😂
I can't really comment without seeing the top, cut a smaller wedge and use wedges on your back cut, but make sure that your cuts are level and straight
Boy I'd and im sure others would like to spend a week helping your dad and learning. Especially slaughtering and possessing animals. 🍻 Josh, love the videos buy no chainsaws for you😅 Thanks again!
While doing your backcut you should really be watching the top of the tree for movement, watching your kerf will not give you the same information as watching the top. Try doing the back cut incrementally instead of cutting all the way up. Taking bits of wood at a time will allow you to see if the tree is favoring your notch or setting back. Plumb bobs can be used to judge the relative lean and always consider branch weight when assessing direction of the lean. All that said, sometimes you get it wrong. I've found mistakes make better teachable moments than successes.
Skinny trees bit harder to move around because bar in way but have you ever used a Jack?, if I’ve go a tree that I would prefer to go a certain way I’ll Jack it
8:29- Apparently the center of gravity of that tree was not on the wedge side of that tree. To fell in the direction that you cut the wedge, looks like you'd of needed a pull rope to pull it in that direction. Now... back to the show... 🙂
Not a lumberjack but I see two things that could’ve contributed. 1. Not cutting level. This can get the bar pinched. Also. Didn’t you remove limbs form the side you wanted it to fall to. Limbs = weight. Weight helps gravity fell them where you want them.
You have a lot of viewers, might I suggest getting a professional or a few to come do a video with you so you can learn and also your viewers can learn with you. I don't mean to come across as being negative it's just a very hazardous job. Just thought it would be good for all.
yeppers I hear ya...maybe we can do a "how to" drop trees video ....I assure ya the gallery will have something to say about how we did everything wrong lol...chainsaw vids bring out the experts for sure bhahahahaha
@@StoneyRidgeFarmerI hear you on everyone having a different way but there are many small details that they all agree on. That's why I mentioned maybe getting a few so they can agree on what the important details are. Also I know you've dropped enough trees in your life so I was torn on whether or not you did what you did just for views or even to elevate comments. Which if so then it worked.
Today i learned... ...that everybody's an expert in felling trees. Sometimes it just doesn't go according to plan. And sometimes this happens because you calculated the lean of the tree before trimming off some if the low branches like i did the other day - it changes the weight distribution of the tree.
YEah, no. What I see in the comments is there there's a lot of folks who have a fair amount of experience felling trees and are pointing out some of the (many) things Josh is doing wrong. Shrugging things off as "Sometimes it just doesn't go according to plan" is glib and pointless. If things didn't go according to your plan, that means there was something wrong with your plan, and it's an opportunity to learn what you did wrong.
need a bigger wedge (1/3 of the diameter) you need a more open face so it falls through more of the angle before hitting your holding wood. your back cut should be flat and level to avoid binding. Don't be afraid for a deeper back cut either I saw you leave 4+ inches of holding wood, even only 1" of holding wood will do ALOT. Use a small saw if you can, im exhausted watching you buck with the huge saw. all the professionals I know will buck with a 16" bar and a small saw.
Josh Loved the wood chipper it's 3 to 4 times as fast as the ones I've used probably twice as fast as the arborist I've had on projects the throat on that is nice & big its funny I have the same pickup truck original color was mariner blue as is yours I painted it white then 56 57 corvette color Cascade green it's a blue green color in comedians drinking coffee with Seinfeld Fallon one great color hard to mix to right proportions I have excellent color vision & it took me 5 mixes to get it right but pretty good pickup I have the 2WD Sierra Grande camper special version it's a GMC. But I also have an 88 toyota pickup 2WD long bed 22R carburated it gets around 27mpg but mine has ~500,000 miles on it with I had a long bed 4WD the color is a blue metal flake but it's sitting waiting to get repaired crazy mainland Chinese driver who shouldn't be driving on usa highways did an insane T bone into baracade then drove to R shoulder hitting 2 other cars one both front & rear ends. Then his actions caused 4 other cars to crash I couldn't stop fast enough to ot hit the SUV that braked in front of me. What the hay-eck. Hence crazy Chinese driver could speak but a couple words English came over for Microsoft, nice car crashes and returned to mainland China. Grrrrr How big is throat on your chipper it throws out excellent and really gets down on branches & leaves I'm impressed
Josh, hindsight is always 20/20 but I would recommend any time you are in a situation where you have to do something different to free a chainsaw I would recommend that you take just a moment and disconnect the bar and chain from the motor. This will allow you to store the expensive part of the saw in a safe place while you are manipulating the remaining portion of the tree to achieve the desired results. A bar and chain is much cheaper to risk than the sawhead. Maybe this helps.
Wedges will help when you want a tree to go where you want it to go. But this time it did not work. thank heaven you were not hurt. Great job on those trees.
Yeppers....I don't think I was in any danger of getting hurt...but the trees most certainly wanted to fall the other way today lol
Read the comments; yeesh! Your notch cuts, “birds beak” are habitually too deep (no more than 1/3). But first mistake was cutting weight off the side you wanted it to fall. Make all your cuts perpendicular to the tree, in this case level to the ground. All cuts are referenced to the previous cut, keep them in aligned with your “sight line” (where you want it to fall). If trying to force a stem to fall against the lean, insert wedge as soon as possible to prevent pinching your bar. Trim from the side you DONT want it to fall is good pre-cut practice. So much more, but that’s enough for now.
Three words…
Buckin Billy Ray
Watch his videos and learn.
yep I watch him....but I'm not running a chainsaw channel....and nobody is gonna be perfect all the time....that's why I show the imperfections
Instead of bringing the other saw at the point you got stuck I would've removed the bar/chain from the existing saw to save the motor, then brought over your skid-steer and pushed the tree from up high. Being in the machine would've provided some safety and you would've leveraged your existing holding wood to keep the tree going the way you wanted.
I have done something similar using the bucket on my tractor at max elevation to take the pressure off.
This is what's good about the Stihl the clutch is on the inside.
Wow you're a f U ck ing genius...😂😂😂
When I was young, I lived on a farm and to make extra money, I sold fire wood. I also learned over the years as a bridge construction worker and using chain saws many times, when you can, always have help with these type jobs. I applaud you for the safety equipment. Now with the saw stuck, next time, make the wedge cut a little larger and when you start with the back cut, make the cut thicker with more than one pass to keep the saw out of the bind. Here is a chance you may warp the blade. Maybe that tree is not large enough but some bigger trees can destroy the saw.
I have enjoyed your videos. Here’s my two cents. If you keep felling trees like that something bad is bound to happen. There were a lot of mistakes. But most importantly just slow down and take your time. The tree doesn’t have to go until you make it.
What mistakes did you note?
@@jontrip247 it starts to look like I’m an expert which I’m not. But as long as people realize I’m not trying to be nasty. First tree had a back or side lean. And he just went in with a face cut that wasn’t level and it was too deep. Then he came in with his back cut and overcut one side of his hinge. And this cut wasn’t level either. He didn’t have any wedges with him or an ax to pound them in. Then he got another saw and cut another set of cuts. But the tree actually didn’t go with that cut. It fell from the first cut. Maybe bc it started to fall from the second cut and had enough weight on that side to get it going. Idk. He did do a good job and being on that side tho. He likely could have wedges it up off the bar and it would have gone. The last tree he missed and over cut his face cut. Created a dutchman. So when the tree went it bottomed out. This could have caused the tree to lift and jump back at him. Thankfully the hinge was pretty beefy and it looked to be holding the trunk from releasing its energy into the stump. But again. Most of these issues are just simple and probably from a rushed state of mind. Slow down. Cut accurate, level and square. Learn to feather the throttle of the saw a little better. Use wedges.
@@stephendaniel168 I really appreciate the follow up details. I sincerely wanted to know/learn. We picked up 90 acres and I am about to start dropping trees and need to learn from others. I know I'll make mistakes and the best way to learn is to do it; however, anything I can get from folks before getting out there is tremendously valuable to me.
@@jontrip247 with acreage you can fell a tree most of the time in the direction it’s wanting to go. My advice is start with the basic hinge method in the direction it wants to go. At first Stay away from hard learners and standing deads that are too far gone. And build your knowledge a little at a time. And lovin it helps.
@@jontrip247 Buckin' Billy Ray has some good videos on his channel about felling trees
Glad u OK. Take your time. Tree felling ain't no joke. Those smaller trees can easily kill
Love your Vids bud! Heres a few things I can hopefully help ya with. Cut the bottom notch on a 45 so the tree wont stop falling like the issue you had. Also clean the area around the tree in case you have to run for it so you wont fall and get hurt or worse. Im surprised you didn't have to replace that bar since it was wedged by that tree like that. Hope this helps, we all learn from one another. Keep the great videos coming man!
That works except you won’t have a control hinge then
@@xltranger98 I beg to differ That is your control hinge! I highly doubt you have ever fallen a 300 foot tree!
@@jimbrock8310 never a 300 ft tree but plenty of trees as I was on a tree crew for 36 years
When that happens and it will again when you don't expect it to. Take the 2 bolts off the bar, and take the motor off, leaving the bar and chain stuck. A few minutes taking it off and putting it back on, may save your motor one day.
amen!!!
Thats a darn good idea right there. Thanks for that tip! Been there....
It's happened to all of us Josh. Good of you to share the real life as always. Awesome you and your pop got to spend Fathers Day together! Wooooo!
thanks Doug!
Check the canopy for which side the most weight might be, just glad that you got the tree down without getting hurt.
As a wood turner I would suggest you seek out a local turner and give him/her some of that oak you're using for firewood. They would love a couple of metres of trunk and you might get a nice bowl in return.
I use to cut trees for the co-opt in Georgia I love tree work it's very dangerous if you don't have a clue be careful a tree will kill you it doesn't have to be a giant
Determine the direction you want the tree to fall and then assess your lean. Depending upon the direction you want the tree to fall it may have side lean, back lean etc.
When making your face cut on the tree I’d flip the saw over and let the bar be on the bottom, the saw balances itself and you won’t struggle to keep it level as much. Stick the dogs of the saw into the bark and rotate the saw into your cuts.
When making your back cut towards the notch try to stay slightly above the notch making sure not to cut your hinge off as that is what steers the tree to the ground.
Just slow down and take your time! Good day sir, God bless.
I could see the look of determination on the last couple of trees. Moving with confidence but still doing it wrong. I’ve been there. 😂
For a country boy ,you cant cut a tree. Clear the base (you left the sucker you cut)so you can escape was the first mistake. Pinching the saw, well we have all done that though just not on camera, hahaha. You have big Kuhunas for publishing this. Really enjoy your channel though.
Yep....that was a big mistake...lesson learned!
Take the 500i off the pinched bar before attempting to continue to drop the tree with another saw. A crushed chain/bar is cheaper to replace than that 500i.
Plus you could put another bar and chain on it to finish the job. A wedge would work well too.
We’ve all been there, brother. I found through multiple cuts and videos. One of the best thing to do is to always face your notch properly and make sure your hinge is perfectly clean and then come in from the backside and work your wedges as you go, especially if there’s any back lean to the tree. A good tip is to always practice perfect cuts, even on the easiest trees, and those are the best trees to practice the more technical cuts on until you build your confidence then when you get into the situation right where you really need it, you know what to do. everyone can give you all the advice in the world but if you don’t try it and see what it does, you’ll never know and then it’s too late when you really need it .But good job we all learn from our faults and that’s what matters. Patience and try not to get frustrated it will save you!
Josh you need to purchase a few felling wedges if you haven’t already. Check the canopy of the tree for the lean before you cut. Get one of your many pickups, 100 feet of rope after slinging the sand bag with some dragline twine etc to pull the rope, then tension it with your pick up and make a 45° down notch not level. With all the room, you could pull that sucker right down.
I'll just say that sometimes things don't go right. Some of my thoughts are 1) the first tree it seemed like perhaps you didn't anticipate the lean correctly or tried too much to fight the lean you saw and it sat back. I've found no success fighting a bad lean unless I use rope to force it. 2) take the power unit off if stuck in the tree 3) the last tree stopped part way through the fall because your bottom cut of the wedge was cut too deep and was past the angle cut. As the tree fell the gap closed and stopped. Watch not to overcut the lines in the wedge.
Like you said, nothing goes perfect in ranching. It's nice to see imperfection to learn from it so Kudos for showing it. I used it to educate my kids on tree felling. Keep on keeping on.
I always appreciate you sharing the 'realness' of your life. Even as a 70 year old farm lady, I always learn something from you!
One more word of wisdom. A good way to get a new back glass for the pickup is by standing back and chunking wood. lol
Bound the saw because of uneven angle of the back cut
Being uneven will only cause it to roll off the stump. This thing was leaning opposite the way he wanted it to go.
Glad your Dad was able to help you happy you werent hurt with the tree whooooo
You might have gotten the saw stuck in one, but that wasn't the only tree that went the wrong way on you. The third tree had a face cut facing the overhead door of the building, you cut away and the tree was shown laying 90 degrees to the right. Friendly piece of advice. Slow down, think it through before you end up getting hurt. Having a tree go the wrong way is no joke, you can easily wind up hurt or worse.
I almost always use a Humboldt or Open face cut instead of Conventional especially when cutting high on the trunk. From what I could see of the tree it wanted to go back the whole time. You probably could have made it fall more to the left with a face cut on that side. Your back cut was too high and also angled down away from you instead of level.
Thanks for sharing the mistakes as well as the successes. I made this same mistake a few months ago. I didn't assess the lean properly, made my notch too shallow but kept going thinking I could still place it where I wanted. The tree sat back and pinched my bar like yours did. I was the only one around and I still felt embarrassed.
I use the front end loader on my tractor to make the tree go where I want it. If you've got it, use it.
dangerous
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer the front end loader isn't much different from putting a rope up in the tree
The saws have refrence marks to help line up your cuts. Safety gear is on point. Now take the time to make proper notches and back cuts. Keeps wedges in back pocket and a Lil sledge close
bhahhaha...what ya can't see on camera is that all 4 trees were leaning away from the area I wanted to drop them my friend....I've been looking at these 4 trees for 3 months knowing I needed to drop them...problem was the lean was too significant to drop them that way without roping them down....
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer yet you attempt it anyways? Lucky to be alive
For what it's worth.
1st. I dont think Luke (you) had your mind right. You weren't thinking about what you were doing. Probably something other than time constraints.
2nd. They weren't big trees, so you figured you would just breeze through them little stems. First rule of war I was taught Never Underestimate you enemy. The trees in this case. Just because they are smaller doesn't mean they are less dangerous.
3rd. Get a wedge in the tree as soon as possible. Sometimes, that may mean a shallower notch or making your back cut and putting a wedge in it before cutting your notch. Then bang it down with the wedge.
You're a smart man. Get your head clear first. Study the tree. Make a plan that lets you get a wedge in it as soon as you can.
Take the sawyer course at Rockingham Community College the next time that they have it. You'll learn how to avoid this problem.
I’m interested in those boots but I don’t see the link in the description. I enjoyed the video. I can tell you from experience tree Felling doesn’t always go according to plan for me either.
Never mind. I found The boots are in your Amazon store which is linked
Bam!! There ya go buddy.....hey, email me brother if you wear my size I might have something for ya! Plus...we need to colab!
Your notch should be 10% of the thickness of the tree free of dutchmen. Never, ever, I mean never walk behind a falling tree. Your cuts should be even, not angled. IMO that is what stood out the most to me. Cheers mate, keep on keepin’ on.
I understand you were under a time schedule, but I like to cut trees in the fall. If I have to cut in the spring, I wait until all the leaves are out, cut the tree down and then wait until all the leaves turn brown. It helps to dry the wood and it seems like it cuts easier.
yep....I prefer cutting trees when it's cool out too my friend...but this had to be done for the fence project
NEVER turn your back on a tree like that my friend. Also take the time to clear a getaway path.
Back cut first and put a wedge in to prevent the tree from sitting back. Then your face cut and drive that wedge to knock it over.
Hey Josh, you and your dad should do another old fashioned hog scrape and butcher. I think it would make a great video for either this Fall or Winter.
I'm not sure dad can handle it, we'll do another one for sure....but dad's back is really bothering him
If you want your tree to fall specific way you would either have to set your wedges sooner before you cut to far into the tree you need stackable wedges as well to get the height you needed., i would also used a rope puller to ensure it falls in the general direction you want as well .
If in doubt about which way the tree (and the wind) is going to go, I use a wire rope and a chain hoist to put tension on the tree the way I want it to go - especially when felling next to a building! There is nothing quite like that absolute look of disbelief and horror when a large tree is caught by a sudden breeze and comes down and crushes someone's home! (When in doubt, more than one wire rope!)
Something to consider about this is that you can put a lot of force on a free with synthetic rope line nylon, and due to the stretch in the rope, the rope will keep the force on the tree as it starts moving. Wire rope doesn't stretch much, so the force that the wire rope is putting on tree drops off pretty quickly once the tree starts moving.
@@andrewalexander9492 Absolutely! I use both, esp. when I am alone and there is no one pulling on the wire rope! We will be felling giant pines soon and they are all very close to our house so no room for mistakes!
If you are doing large trees next to a house you should really be Limbing thenmand topping it
My adventure has begun. New sub.
I'm an old Chevy lover and love the old GMC truck. And your sound effects! lol
That was the slowest tree fell that I've ever seen. That was close to the truck! Great use of log tool for cutting!
That is a slick splitter blade! Less time spent splitting. Thanks for the Bloopers.
Welcome to the channel!! Where you been lol
thanks for the video, and the hard work that you do to post it for us. have a great day
you need to bore the center of the tree out but leave a hinge on both sides of the lead notch, then come straight in from the back and have you sledgehammer and wedge with you. Best to have a plastic wedge, also you took the wind in consideration but you didn't look at the tree canopy and see where most of the weight of the tree was.
Get a 100' strap and use one of your tractors to take pressure off of the saw in these situations.
Josh I would recommend you getting a come along and rope so you can hook to trees and pull them the direction you want and use them to pull the tree like when it was stuck on your bar
Want to get better at falling timber watch buckin billy ray. His videos on falling are some of the best.
First thing is probably not to try to fall too much against the lean. It's just not how gravity wants to work.
Yeah, that's one of those trees that's too large to manhandle, and too small to get felling wedges in behind the saw bar. Here's a method I've used on trees which want to sit back on the stump, and are too small to use felling wedges: Tie a rope around the tree as high up as you can, use a ladder (Yeah, I know, tree guys will say never use a ladder to take down a tree, sure, don't cut down a tree from a ladder) Run the rope out to a suitable deadman like another tree, etc. and hook it to a come-along, and put a fair amount of strain on the rope. Most synthetic ropes like nylon or polypropylene have a significant amount of elasticity, so you can stretch it a bit (I don't think it will work with Dyneema rope, I understand that is not very elastic) So now there's some pre-loaded force on the tree in the direction you want it to fall. Now get out the chainsaw and notch and cut the tree. (It's recommended you take your ladder down first) The force stretched into the rope will keep pulling on the tree until it is over-center and falling in the direction you want it to go. You might be able to use this method after you get a saw stuck, but be careful climbing a tree that's already been cut part-way. Note, pre-loading force on the tree before cutting it can make it more likely to barber pole, so be aware of that. Also, once you get a saw stuck, take the power head off and just leave the bar and chain in the tree. That will keep the power head from getting damaged if things go badly. Also, if there's any room at all to get a felling wedge in behind the bar, do it before the tree sits back on the stump.
It happens to the best of us. One suggestion though, your back cut should be horizontal not down on an angle. Also when that happens and you don’t want to crush the stuck saw you can just unbolt the bar from the head and leave the bar in the tree by itself
I never saw you look up to see which way the tree was leaning. Doesn’t matter how you notch it if it’s center of gravity is beyond the mid point of the tree. It’s going to fall where gravity takes it
First thing I would’ve done prior to getting the other saw is remove the money end from the pinched bar. But it worked out, lol, lucky!
I learn something every time I watch a SRF vidja! Thank you brother. Place looks amazing
It may be the wind, I was more thinking the weight of the tree is not where it looks from the bottom
Outdoors with the Morgans had an accident at the wood splitter where a log jumped off after splitting a knot, and the log blew through and hit someone in the nose. Be alert of where you stand when you’re splitting wood on that machine the video they put out just a couple days ago if you’d like to watch it.
It’s a good idea to wear a helmet with face shield when using a log splitter.
When cutting the wedge, top cut at about 40 - 45 degree angle at least 1/3 diam. of tree, 2nd cut level to join first cut. Back cut no more than 2" above front level cut.
When fighting some wind make a larger notch cut but angle from the bottom not the top and a straight on back cut
Always look at what way the tree is leaning ! If its strong the way ur back cut it its going that way unless u wedge it the other way or you rope it
Keep it up man! Love watching your videos when I have the time to sit down. It ain't easy being a farmer!
You got that right!
I don’t pinch a saw often but when I do I take the motor off pinched saw before I grab the second saw.
All the money in the world & fancy gear doesn't supercede knowledge & experience. As soon as you started cutting that sucker off the back it was obvious you're inexperienced, which should have been cut clean giving you the ability to cut lower. The lower the better & around the flare is the best place, starting with making your face cut at a 45° slant, 1/5-1/4 depth. Then the bottom cut, level not to exceed the face. Next you plunge through the tree parallel to the notch you just cut, with about 1"-2" hinge, cutting backwards till you have only the holding wood(trigger) & hinge. Wedge if necessary, cut the trigger watch it dive for the exact spot you're aiming. That said, all those are stems, barely even trees.
thank you doctor
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer I'm no doctor, I'm just the guy who wrote the standard for all advanced arborist training. And you're welcome 😉
I wouldn’t plunge cut. You were able to cut plenty away and it still held. There’s no need to overcomplicate it and take more risks.
I feel like a plunge cut w/ trigger is way harder on medium trees and only useful on the larger stuff. I personally would not be plunge cutting a 18" tree with that giant 500+cc chainsaw he was running...
@@zachwak its only harder if you're inexperienced at it. Having decades of experience says otherwise.
Good thing your father was there to keep you from hurting yourself!
The branch that you cut-off first needs to moved from the Area, this give you a clear working path and you don't have to keep climbing over it. I would have also put a rope on it to pull it the direction you want. And maybe cut a bottom notch verses the top notch that you cut.
use tractor bucket to push it and get your saw out. Then push harder and cut it down
many a tractor has been crushed by doing this....not advised to push a tree with a tractor my friend....back hoe...maybe...but tractor is asking for a big problem
14:30 "I think it'll be ok". Famous last words!
Hey Josh I’m sure it happens to the pro’s too. That STIHL pole saw was really nice!
Your wolf ridge has the built in back savor 3000 lol I love it..
Holy cow, that wood chipper is the cats meow
First one was pretty sketchy
The notch was way too big for that tree
This was the biggest mistake imo
When going against natural lean a deeper notch will make it more likely to fall on you
Shallower cut then wedge is what you should have done :P
I’ll stick with chickens and cows 🐓🐄
Risky bud! when you pinch a saw like that take the powerhead of and leave the bar and chain in the tree. You got lucky on that one.
Does ash from burned wood work for sheep and goats too? Also, are there certain types of wood to avoid when burning for ash for the animals?
I like to cut branches for kindling. But chips are good too
Curious, do you have a Fuel transfer tank? How do you get all your diesel fuel to your farm and then to the equipment?
Never walk on the falling side of the tree when you’ve started cutting it. There were branches down you were stepping over which could have caused you to trip and fall. While trying to get away from a falling tree. I like the blog and don’t want to be reading your obituary.
you need a wedge
I think part of the problem when you cut that you cut the notch a little bit too high I don’t think it should be more than 2 inches above the opposite side of the tree where the V notch is.
So when is Kyle from RR buildings coming out to survey for Your barndominium
He said to comment below about what went wrong, it looks like it pinched the blade and chain. I do it sometimes, I see people wedges, but I always forget to buy them.😂
Didn't access the Trees lean. Back cut first, Wedge, shallow front cut.
I have a question...You talk about "chain saw safety boots". Are those different from "regular" safety boots? If so, how?
I can't really comment without seeing the top, cut a smaller wedge and use wedges on your back cut, but make sure that your cuts are level and straight
Boy I'd and im sure others would like to spend a week helping your dad and learning. Especially slaughtering and possessing animals. 🍻
Josh, love the videos buy no chainsaws for you😅
Thanks again!
While doing your backcut you should really be watching the top of the tree for movement, watching your kerf will not give you the same information as watching the top. Try doing the back cut incrementally instead of cutting all the way up. Taking bits of wood at a time will allow you to see if the tree is favoring your notch or setting back. Plumb bobs can be used to judge the relative lean and always consider branch weight when assessing direction of the lean. All that said, sometimes you get it wrong. I've found mistakes make better teachable moments than successes.
Skinny trees bit harder to move around because bar in way but have you ever used a Jack?, if I’ve go a tree that I would prefer to go a certain way I’ll Jack it
a jack would have been half way through the trees he was cutting or more
Looks like your Back cut was too high from the hinge.
Make your pocket cut bigger
You notched it wrong and created a vise when tree wedged your saw. Cut low in side you want to fall cut high first then low.
8:29- Apparently the center of gravity of that tree was not on the wedge side of that tree. To fell in the direction that you cut the wedge, looks like you'd of needed a pull rope to pull it in that direction. Now... back to the show... 🙂
Are the boots specific for logging or are they general purpose? As an electrician I wear timberland boondocks
these are specific for chainsaw work....but they make all sorts...check out my link in the description and search haix boots on my Amazon page
Awesome saw!
Back cut first, wedge, then face cut.
Not a lumberjack but I see two things that could’ve contributed. 1. Not cutting level. This can get the bar pinched. Also. Didn’t you remove limbs form the side you wanted it to fall to. Limbs = weight. Weight helps gravity fell them where you want them.
You have a lot of viewers, might I suggest getting a professional or a few to come do a video with you so you can learn and also your viewers can learn with you. I don't mean to come across as being negative it's just a very hazardous job. Just thought it would be good for all.
yeppers I hear ya...maybe we can do a "how to" drop trees video ....I assure ya the gallery will have something to say about how we did everything wrong lol...chainsaw vids bring out the experts for sure bhahahahaha
@@StoneyRidgeFarmerI hear you on everyone having a different way but there are many small details that they all agree on. That's why I mentioned maybe getting a few so they can agree on what the important details are. Also I know you've dropped enough trees in your life so I was torn on whether or not you did what you did just for views or even to elevate comments. Which if so then it worked.
West Coast man is shaking in his boots
🫣scary stuff.
Today i learned...
...that everybody's an expert in felling trees. Sometimes it just doesn't go according to plan. And sometimes this happens because you calculated the lean of the tree before trimming off some if the low branches like i did the other day - it changes the weight distribution of the tree.
YEah, no. What I see in the comments is there there's a lot of folks who have a fair amount of experience felling trees and are pointing out some of the (many) things Josh is doing wrong. Shrugging things off as "Sometimes it just doesn't go according to plan" is glib and pointless. If things didn't go according to your plan, that means there was something wrong with your plan, and it's an opportunity to learn what you did wrong.
need a bigger wedge (1/3 of the diameter) you need a more open face so it falls through more of the angle before hitting your holding wood. your back cut should be flat and level to avoid binding. Don't be afraid for a deeper back cut either I saw you leave 4+ inches of holding wood, even only 1" of holding wood will do ALOT. Use a small saw if you can, im exhausted watching you buck with the huge saw. all the professionals I know will buck with a 16" bar and a small saw.
a long bar can save the back by not leaning over
Josh
Loved the wood chipper it's 3 to 4 times as fast as the ones I've used probably twice as fast as the arborist I've had on projects the throat on that is nice & big its funny I have the same pickup truck original color was mariner blue as is yours I painted it white then 56 57 corvette color Cascade green it's a blue green color in comedians drinking coffee with Seinfeld Fallon one great color hard to mix to right proportions I have excellent color vision & it took me 5 mixes to get it right but pretty good pickup I have the 2WD Sierra Grande camper special version it's a GMC. But I also have an 88 toyota pickup 2WD long bed 22R carburated it gets around 27mpg but mine has ~500,000 miles on it with I had a long bed 4WD the color is a blue metal flake but it's sitting waiting to get repaired crazy mainland Chinese driver who shouldn't be driving on usa highways did an insane T bone into baracade then drove to R shoulder hitting 2 other cars one both front & rear ends. Then his actions caused 4 other cars to crash I couldn't stop fast enough to ot hit the SUV that braked in front of me. What the hay-eck. Hence crazy Chinese driver could speak but a couple words English came over for Microsoft, nice car crashes and returned to mainland China. Grrrrr
How big is throat on your chipper it throws out excellent and really gets down on branches & leaves I'm impressed
Bucking Billy ray Smith
Why someone would risk destroying a 1600$ saw for the lack of loosening 2 nuts makes no sense.
hey....it happens lol...but you are right...should have removed it
Your back cut is going downhill. Should've kept it flat.
👍