I Cut A Leaner Today

[smokinj]

quads, stepping away is a must! But it also has to be in the right direction. Best is a 45 degree angle away from the tree. I've seen guys go straight back....and get hit with flying limbs. Also the butt can kick back when those limbs hit the ground and will also sometimes go sideways. So I always make sure I have a path before I cut the tree and go out at an angle. So far, so good.

Yes, absolutely! And above all else, people need to pay attention. Most accidents happen because they don't pay attention to what they are doing and they don't think things through. If you're standing there with your mouth hanging open, you're probably going to get hurt.

I have to much respect for my saw to do that! lol I have drop a lot of trees and still do a rebel yell after it hits the ground and not a house..lol

 

[Danno77]

if you've never been worried that you ruined a bar because you ran away like a screaming girl and looked back to see it bouncing away still in the cut and idling, then you are either A.) a safer cutter than I am and never had anything go slightly awry, or B.) too stupid to run away when you should.

I may love that saw almost as much as my children, but at least it'd be an excuse to get a new one.

 

[smokinj]

if you've never been worried that you ruined a bar because you ran away like a screaming girl and looked back to see it bouncing away still in the cut and idling, then you are either A.) a safer cutter than I am and never had anything go slightly awry, or B.) too stupid to run away when you should.

I may love that saw almost as much as my children, but at least it'd be an excuse to get a new one.

lol no reason If you done it right that you should ever have to leave your saw.......this would awesome that rigging and wedges are in place.

 

[Chrisg]

I would also like to add that giving things a minute to settle down and look up to make sure there are no widowmakers waiting to drop after the tree has fell complettely,leaner or not, is good self preservation insurance. I like to shut my saw off flip up my face screen and flip an ear open to get a good look and listen before stepping back in to begin limbing and bucking. Nice job quads once again you make it look easy.
Chris

 

[quads]

Accidents have happened. For example, the saw on the right in this picture. I bought these saws from a neighbor. When he owned them, he got the one on the right pinched when felling a tree and it broke the handle. His repair is the aluminum casing with the screws through it on the right side of the saw. Not too long after they became mine, I was wrestling with a leaner and got it to come down by pushing and kicking. Well, I had set the saw down behind me and off to one side, and when the tree fell it rolled off to the side and jumped back a little. Just enough to break the handle on the other side. The pop rivets (with a piece of pipe inside) are my repair.

 

[Country Lady]

As soon as I can get DH to help with pictures, I'll post a few. DH and I both are in our 60's and don't run as fast as we use to. Anybody know what I mean? Other than the tractor work and cutting large tree trunks up, I pull my weight with getting in our wood. My health is holding up much better than his. We don't want to take any risky chances, but hate to see a good tree go to waste.

Here are a few pictures of the leaner I am referring to.
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[quads]

As soon as I can get DH to help with pictures, I'll post a few. DH and I both are in our 60's and don't run as fast as we use to. Anybody know what I mean? Other than the tractor work and cutting large tree trunks up, I pull my weight with getting in our wood. My health is holding up much better than his. We don't want to take any risky chances, but hate to see a good tree go to waste.

Here are a few pictures of the leaner I am referring to.

That one is probably going to require you to pull it down. It's hung up pretty good in the tops. In this case I would cut a few rounds off the bottom, (bear in mind that it's going to want to pinch the saw) then hook onto it and pull it down.

 

[Medman]

Thanks for the great pics.
Looks like a few other future leaners there too.
I see you got some fish bait too. Alway wondered what they turned into, some kind of beetle I think.
Deer looks happy winter is over.

I get literally hundreds of these in the bottoms of the red oak logs I have delivered. Not as many in the maple - that tends to be ants. The logger tells me they are June Bug larvae? I don't know if the fish like 'em, but I have to keep the dogs away from them - the mutts gobble them then throw them up later, usually inside.

As for the leaners, I usually do all of the above - cut on the side away, use a winch or vehicle to pull the trunk out, whatever is safest. I have lost a bar and damaged a saw cutting leaners. Thankfully it was my old Homelite saw - now rebuilt and serving as my backup for when my dad comes to help.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Those leaners are the worst kind. Even a high wind won't take it down for you. But in your favor, it is a small tree.

It is difficult cutting because it is such a short angle but quads nailed it. Cut a couple of logs from the bottom and you do have to be careful to avoid pinch. Don't try to cut into 4' sections on these though; cut to firewood length. After cutting a couple of logs I would go by how the tree is reacting. I might continue to cut all or I might winch or pull it down, hooking the chain or cable close to the butt.

On the above I stated to not cut into 4' sections. There are times when I won't but then after cutting a couple of short firewood lengths and seeing how the tree is reacting, then I might very well cut into 4' sections. I've done this and the tree does not want to go one way or the other so I cut almost all the way through and then just gently push the tree over, cut another 4' and push right to the top.

Good luck and if in doubt, don't.

 

[smokinj]

As soon as I can get DH to help with pictures, I'll post a few. DH and I both are in our 60's and don't run as fast as we use to. Anybody know what I mean? Other than the tractor work and cutting large tree trunks up, I pull my weight with getting in our wood. My health is holding up much better than his. We don't want to take any risky chances, but hate to see a good tree go to waste.

Here are a few pictures of the leaner I am referring to.

That one is probably going to require you to pull it down. It's hung up pretty good in the tops. In this case I would cut a few rounds off the bottom, (bear in mind that it's going to want to pinch the saw) then hook onto it and pull it down.

+1 thats in there good...

 

[firefighterjake]

Those leaners are the worst kind. Even a high wind won't take it down for you. But in your favor, it is a small tree.

It is difficult cutting because it is such a short angle but quads nailed it. Cut a couple of logs from the bottom and you do have to be careful to avoid pinch. Don't try to cut into 4' sections on these though; cut to firewood length. After cutting a couple of logs I would go by how the tree is reacting. I might continue to cut all or I might winch or pull it down, hooking the chain or cable close to the butt.

On the above I stated to not cut into 4' sections. There are times when I won't but then after cutting a couple of short firewood lengths and seeing how the tree is reacting, then I might very well cut into 4' sections. I've done this and the tree does not want to go one way or the other so I cut almost all the way through and then just gently push the tree over, cut another 4' and push right to the top.

Good luck and if in doubt, don't.

This is pretty much how I would handle it as well . . . hoping that by knocking off a few bucked lengths that the tree's angle would improve or it would reach the point where it would fall naturally . . . if the angle doesn't improve or gets worse by cutting off a few bucked lengths then I would attempt to winch it at the base.

A side note . . . when cutting those lengths off the base of the tree be very careful as the tree will drop suddenly and could pinch the saw (best advice is to undercut the wood) . . . or worse it could cut it to the point where the tree not only drops suddenly, but drops and then changes angle and begins to fall in a different direction. These types of leaners can be quite challenging . . . and dangerous.