Timber!!!
 

This was a tree I wouldn’t tackle. My friend has brass balls. This tree was leaning against the adjacent tree for a few years. I was afraid it was going to fall on me when I was under it.
https://youtu.be/HmX3lwvvBkc

And that’s why I got a professional to drop that puppy. That tree was growing out of a drainage ditch and the drop down was almost 6 feet.

Looks like the berm was far enough away to avoid an immediate snap and hit in the face. That said, it isn't good if you do something where your position will become a death zone depending on timing. What if it happens faster than you think and you can't step out of the way fast enough? Also certainly would wear proper PPE, he has nothing. May as well show up in flip flops next time.

I grew up in the woods and there was a dead hobby-lumberjack every year in the greater area of my home town. I have a lot of respect for trees and chainsaws ...

G

Professional? No safety gear - no goggles, short sleeve shirt?

I'm no pro but I can see about 3-4 things wrong with the approach, least being no helmet system and vest. Call me a pussy but I like my body parts to remain attached. Not trying to be a dick, and granted I can't really see the full picture (lean, location, etc.) so can't say for sure how/where he did the plunge cut and notch or the size of the hinge, but the way he cut the backstrap was sloppy, doing that without some wedges to guide the roll wasn't wise.

He seems to know enough to be dangerous, his balls may clank but his luck is gonna run out.

He has been falling trees for a long time. He does it for a living. And yes, eye protection and hearing protection are not his thing.
No wedges needed as that tree had a very pronounced lean.

He knows what he's doing. He shaped the cut and then switched at the right time.

Great execution but with a lean like that a 12 year old could have done it.

Over 20 years ago, when I lived on Vancouver Island, I was a ‘professional’. I worked for the biggest tree topping company in the area. I still have my climbing gear and one of my saws.

I got mad watching this idiot you hired after about the 1/2 way mark of your video. His saw is under powered or his chain is dull (or both). I couldn’t figure out the strategy. What was the deal with the old lady in the blue shirt standing where the butt can kick if it hangs up?

There was no professional in that video. I seriously thought this was you doing this for the first time until I read the follow up posts...

No wedge needed... umm hmm.

You always cut a wedge and use the shape of your holding wood to control the spin. Without a wedge, you can’t control the spin as it falls.

That guy is an idiot...I ran out of fingers before counting the ways. Not a pro...but 45 yrs of country boy "experience" and still alive. Scary to watch a Darwin dude....

You definitely didn't hire this guy.

https://media.tenor.com/images/c02f7...f911/tenor.gif

so much anxiety taking trees down......hire pros

I am glad that video ended well, it made me apprehensive.

This.

I wouldn't hire that guy again. Even if he's bonded.

All I have to say is.....he has cut down and climbed numerous trees at my place. He has been falling trees for over 20 years. He is still alive. Most tree guys in my area don’t wear eye, ear or head protection. Just my observation.
Just another note. From the camera angle one can’t see the extent of the angle that tree was leaning. It was being held up by another tree. Not an easy drop. He plunge cut into it. From experience he said that is how it’s done.

He's been lucky...and a hack. His chainsaw is dull, tuned like crap, and how many times did he restart it :(? Plenty of stoooopid have been crippled or killed because they are...

"My" tree guy (I don't climb), will tell you how quickly yer life can end :(.

My tree guy is better than your tree guy . na na na na naaaa na
https://www.facebook.com/fred.grosshaupt/videos/733503663379605/?t=13

Would notching the drop side help get it away from the other tree?

One thing is for certain: You're gonna have firewood.

I always have at least a half dozen big ol' trees to deal with...called "my" tree guy off this week...it's still summer :(....just want him to drop one (with me)...takes two for this one ;).

I wear eye protection, ear plugs, and boots....redneck safe :)

I do use my 45 yrs experience and brain tho'...

and saws that GROWL....LOL!

The video was like watching grass grow. And I've never understood why chain saw jockeys always finger goose the throttle all the time. Waa...waa...waa,waa,waa...waa..... So fooking irritating. Like listening to an idiot mow and blow artist with his back pack blower.

Lowest common denominator of humanity.

i had to take down a huge oak that was in the arm pit of where my house was "L" shaped.
even had limbs hanging over the house.
I took it down limb by limb then dropped the "pole" that was left.

my friend did his pines the same way (I used his climbing gear). 80ft pines, he would climb them, top them then cut each limb. some he had to rig ropes from adjacent trees to lower the limbs,. then he would cut 4ft sections and drop them.
NOT ME. im not climbing 80ft and hanging from a swinging pine after topping it.

Even with "So Called Pros" there is anxiety..

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RZyzla18Ow4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Really!!

+1 I couldn't make it through the entire video. That's a few minutes of my life I'll never get back

That's how they keep their HDs runnin' at stop lights :)

I had a girl's bike fer years....straight pipes...VROOM, VROOM ;)

I've got old old growth trees on my acreage near Seattle.


6-8 foot diameter trees.


I've counted 100 rings per inch.


yes that's a 6 foot step ladder.


I'm building a RC truggy crawler course over it.


stumps are 14-16 foot high. 2 spring boards upper notches are still there.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1568302783.JPG

You need a 5' bar ....fer drinkin' :)

How old are the trees...they vary so here...one red oak I counted (mebbe 5' dia) went back to Revolutionary times...not "that" old. A similar white oak in size might be 80... twigs for you ;)!

Uncle Billy,
I think what you are calling a wedge, I would call the notch. To me, a wedge is a wood or nylon piece placed in the kerf on the back side of the cut to stabilize the tree so the bar isn't pinched if the mass of the tree is not helping it go where it needs to fall.
I agree, the remaining wood between the notch and the main cut will control the direction of fall, if you do it right.
And that guy's chain is duller than mine!

Milt,
Many years ago, I worked for a couple of winters with a guy who was always blipping the throttle, possibly a hold over from days of running a saw which wouldn't idle. The boss used to remark that the guy cut twice as much air as wood.
Best
Les

Same dull saw guy trimmed all of my trees. No fear in these fellas.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1568334330.jpg

Glad he is ok, but that was all kinds of stupid. You have no idea what kind of tensions are on the base of that tree. It could have kicked sideways and killed him like nothing.