Injury while doing firewood.

[EbS-P]

I have been 18 feet up a ladder, sawing with a chainsaw. I didn't get hurt but, damn that is dangerous.

When I got my first chainsaw I promised my self and my family that I would never use both a ladder and a chainsaw at the same time. I’ll keep that promise.

 

[Ashful]

I love pole saws. There, I said it.

I have an adrenaline-powered version with about ten segments of 6-foot wood poles and aluminum fittings on each end, and a 15-foot'ish version powered by 2-stroke. I have even used the gas-powered variant to cut storm-blown trees under pressure, when I didn't want to stand too close to what I'm cutting.

 

[bigealta]

I love pole saws. There, I said it.

I have an adrenaline-powered version with about ten segments of 6-foot wood poles and aluminum fittings on each end, and a 15-foot'ish version powered by 2-stroke. I have even used the gas-powered variant to cut storm-blown trees under pressure, when I didn't want to stand too close to what I'm cutting.

would love to see pics

 

[gzecc]

I love pole saws. There, I said it.

I have an adrenaline-powered version with about ten segments of 6-foot wood poles and aluminum fittings on each end, and a 15-foot'ish version powered by 2-stroke. I have even used the gas-powered variant to cut storm-blown trees under pressure, when I didn't want to stand too close to what I'm cutting.

I have a battery powered one as a gift. No power house, but cuts smaller branches up high with no problem. Very useful. Keep the chain sharp.

 

[PaulOinMA]

When I got my first chainsaw I promised my self and my family that I would never use both a ladder and a chainsaw at the same time. I’ll keep that promise.

I always think of the person in England that fell off a ladder and put a chainsaw in his wife's neck when I hear chainsaw and ladder. Search "Roland Pudney."

I also always keep in mind the "do not use a chainsaw above shoulder level."

 

[clancey]

Hope your ankle feels better and I am afraid of chain saws---won't see me holding one especially going up a ladder with it-lol clancey

 

[Ashful]

would love to see pics

Will get some this weekend. Which one?

 

[EbS-P]

I love pole saws. There, I said it.

I have an adrenaline-powered version with about ten segments of 6-foot wood poles and aluminum fittings on each end, and a 15-foot'ish version powered by 2-stroke. I have even used the gas-powered variant to cut storm-blown trees under pressure, when I didn't want to stand too close to what I'm cutting.

Much safer than a ladder. I want one.

 

[bigealta]

Will get some this weekend. Which one?

both but especially the connections u use on the pole saw sections. I'm always looking for a better version of mine. I've even taped 10ft of pvc pipe to the end of my 16' pole saw. Talk about wobble city!

 

[blades]

about this time last year I was moving 4x8' skids for another row of splits to be stacked on. These being made out of 3x3" Oak stringers. Very heavy . wind comes up and of course pallet acts like sale twisting out of my grasp . so one of the slats slides down my leg, didn't tear any cloth or skin but one heck of Bruise down my calf stopping just above ankle. that developed into a very large hard type scab/blood bilster ( there is a specific name for it). hurt like the dickens. barely walk. had a doc apt. to get new primary care person in a week so toughed it out. showed to new doc , ended up in hospital for removal of same( worried about blood clots) that left me with a 3x4" hole in my leg almost all the down to the bone. so I am hobbling around, go to give dogs a bath in tub , the one is a pistol ,wiggling all over ( 55# worth) trying to get her out of tub ( deep soaker style) and pop a hernia. not going to self correct, got that fixed Feb. So we have an ice storm day after hosp visit, hid out for week. then it warmed up enough so ice was starting to melt a bit. Figured i get the tractor out and scrape off drive. got to move truck first to get tractor out. move truck to gravel area, go to get out of truck woke up about 10 ft from truck broken rib and badly banged up right shoulder, did't blow any stiches though. now a a year later leg is 99% healed, hernia is mostly healed, rib is healed but shoulder is still a problem. Got to start saws with left side apendages as the right isn't up to the task yet. rough end to 2021 and start of 2022. Got to noodle those 18" on up rounds in half cause I can't pick them up yet. got 4 cords done so far kind of slow going though.

 

[Bobbob]

Wow! Hope the rest of this year is better for you. I think you have had your share

 

[ericm979]

It'd be way more fun to fell a tree with a gun. Just sayin'...

I've actually done that and it's one of those things that is not as cool as it sounds.

One of my jobs with the USFS involved climbing trees to pick cones or cut scion wood for grafting. We had a lot of trees that were in a program and would be harvested repeatedly, so we climbed in a way to not damage them. But once we were to get scion from a tree that was never going to be used again so it was ok to damage it. We used a rifle to shoot out the top of the tree for the scion. We were both decent shots and were shooting where the trunk was about 4" and it still took so long that it got tedious and wasn't much faster than climbing it would have been.

 

[Ashful]

would love to see pics

So, the gasser is shorter than I had realized. Using extensions, I can adjust it from 7' to 13', shown here with a single extension at 10':



The one powered by adrenaline and elbow grease has 7 sections at 6' long each, so theoretically up to 42 feet plus implement (i.e. 44 feet). But it starts getting real wobbly with more than 5 sections (30 feet), and raising it from the ground at that length would likely snap the section in your hands, so I play the game of getting it propped up against the tree at 4 or 5 sections, before adding the remainder.



Here are close-ups of the female and male socket ends, both aluminum. Poles appear to be a stiff softwood, likely yellow pine or doug fir.

 

[Simonkenton]

"A few Jotul Firelight 12's, a couple of BK Ashford 30's, some open fireplaces..."

Ashful you have 4 wood stoves. Your house is bigger than mine.

 

[blades]

my dad -eons a go would bring a christmas tree home from up north after deer season . shot the top off a pine tree - 8mm Mauser lead round nose slugs, no idea how many shots, I can say that the entrance hole was about 1/2" and the exit side was about size of a football, from personal experience- missed the deer but got a pine tree dead center that was in line of fire -iron sights- back when I could see those.

 

[Ashful]

"A few Jotul Firelight 12's, a couple of BK Ashford 30's, some open fireplaces..."

Ashful you have 4 wood stoves. Your house is bigger than mine.

Well, the house is too large, but it's all we could find that fit our more important criteria. I'm heating 7800 of our total 8100 sq.ft., between main house and carriage house (currently workshop).

But I'm not actually running four stoves, only two. I sold the three Jotul Firelight 12's shortly after buying the two Ashford 30.1's. I still have one open fireplace, the other three either hold wood stoves or have been closed off to use.

 

[Simonkenton]

7800 sq ft. Good God! I am having to get by with 2100 s ft.

Is your house real old?

 

[boomfire]

When I got my first chainsaw I promised my self and my family that I would never use both a ladder and a chainsaw at the same time. I’ll keep that promise.

i am guilty of doing that with a small electric chainsaw to trim dead branches

 

[Ashful]

Is your house real old?

Parts of it are. One corner, roughly 500 sq.ft. of the current structure, is believed to be 1734. We know the main structure (4000 sq.ft.) was built atop this older building in 1775, with a date stone to confirm that.

But on the other hand, it's not the oldest or most historically significant house that I've lived in, all things being relative.

 

[Simonkenton]

1775. Good Lord! Must have a great foundation and roof. The only houses around here in 1775 were wigwams. Post pics of your house please.

 

[Ashful]

1775. Good Lord! Must have a great foundation and roof. The only houses around here in 1775 were wigwams. Post pics of your house please.

I've posted so many pics of this house over the years, that every other long-term member of this forum is already groaning. I'll PM you some info.

 

[Caw]

I've posted so many pics of this house over the years, that every other long-term member of this forum is already groaning. I'll PM you some info.

I'll post some new Gordon pics and we can really take over the thread

 

[Ashful]

i am guilty of doing that with a small electric chainsaw to trim dead branches

You could be a YouTube star, someday! My un-scientific count seems to indicate at least half the "tree fails" videos include a ladder.

My latest favorite starts around 1:30 in this montage:

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[Simonkenton]

The one at 2:00 about gave me a stroke. An older guy way up a ladder. He had to be hurt badly, might have been killed.

 

[stoveliker]

He's likely dead indeed. Poor folks; many people watching.
He didn't even secure himself...

What did the first (Dutch...) people try to do? It was not an axe. So a wedge? The cut he made afterwards was still rather substantial for this to be a (useful) wedging?