To cut or not to cut?

[Shipper50]

How close is the nearest tree to a building or wires? You say you just bought your first saw a month ago? If all the trees are out in a open area and cant fall on anything that would be harmful, then ask someone you know that has some experience in using a chain saw to show you the ins and outs of running saw and felling a tree.

I have been using a saw for over 20 years and still don't know what I would like to know how to fell a tree properly. It only takes one bad one to make a life time of pain.

Shipper

 

[jeffman3]

How close is the nearest tree to a building or wires?Shipper

To be honest I just don't know yet. I will need to physicly go there and see what all they are talking about. My wife has the same concerns. She told me "You don't have a licence for felling trees." I laughed, and told her that you don't need a licence to cutt down trees, and was told that I do in this house. If I'm uncomfortable with something I just won't do it! I have done alot of reading and asking questions here, and other places too, but I won't let the situation push me into something I don't realy believe I can handle. You have to cut your first tree sometime right?

 

[Shipper50]

How close is the nearest tree to a building or wires?Shipper

To be honest I just don't know yet. I will need to physicly go there and see what all they are talking about. My wife has the same concerns. She told me "You don't have a licence for felling trees." I laughed, and told her that you don't need a licence to cutt down trees, and was told that I do in this house. If I'm uncomfortable with something I just won't do it! I have done alot of reading and asking questions here, and other places too, but I won't let the situation push me into something I don't realy believe I can handle. You have to cut your first tree sometime right?

Yes some people will want to cut a tree for the first time, but dont let me scare you, dont let it be your last.

My first tree was in 87 and after having the salesman show me how to start my Stihl 041, I took it to my land and cut the FIRST tree down. Only thing was, after seeing where it fell, I about sh--. I parked my truck just off the road and I was cutting trees to clear my driveway. The tree fell where I wanted it too, but it was a lot closer to the truck than I first had figured. If the tree was 10 longer, I could have used it for a hood ornament.

Shipper

 

[jeffman3]

I will be careful, thanks for the heads up. I won't do it if I'm not sure of my abilities. My thought is to work on the downed stuff till I really get the hang of it. I have cut some downed cottonwood, and that went well. I will learn as I go, and read all I can in the mean time. I probably won't be dropping anything of size till I gain allot more experience, and know how. I know that a chain saw is probably the most dangerous power tool a person can buy and use without a licence of some sort, and I have a great deal of respect for that power. By the same token experience has taught me that you can't be fearful of equipment, or you will get hurt. A health respect , and proper safety practices are absolutely a must have.

 

[Bill]

I would recommend that you get steel toed shoes, Kevlar chaps, bump cap with hearing protection, and Kevlar gloves. It's so easy to get hurt. For about $100 to $150, you can protect yourself against a very painful and serious accident. It only takes one second to change your life for ever, be very careful. Your new to chain saws, so your chances of getting hurt are high.

 

[jeffman3]

Thank you for the advice, I appreciate that. That is why I love this site so much. The people here really do care about the welfare of the rest of the membership, and are more then willing to share their experience with others. I always read well ahead of doing anything, if i don't know about it. If I'm not sure how to do something safely, I just don't do it until I can learn more, and do the thing in a safe way. My health and well being, as well as that of those around me, is more important then rushing to get a job done.

 

[Shipper50]

As Smokey suggested having the right safety gear can save your life. I didn't wear chaps for years and bought a pair and was cutting some downed wood and let the saw swing to my left a little and it bumped my leg while slow running and the next thing I knew it had caught my chaps and stopped the chain. Not sure if it would have cut me bad, but with a chain saw anything can be bad.

The true way to learn with a saw is by using it, you can read all you want. Kinda like sex? Reading about it is fun, but nothing like doing it?lol

Good luck, watch the bar at all times and let us know how it goes. I am not a Paul Bunyan by any stretch of the imagination, but have run a saw a bit.

Shipper

 

[jeffman3]

I have most of the gear suggested, and I am looking at chaps tomorrow, well I will start tonight actualy. I am so grateful to all those here that are willing to help someone, they don't know, find a better way of life, and help them do it in a safe way. I thank all of you. Does anybody know of an on-line supplier that sells kevlar chaps at a reasonable price?

 

[Shipper50]

I bought my chaps off ebay. You might try looking there for you size, or if you have a TSC or other type store near you they might have them. I was told to have them longer than shorter, especially if your cutting a lot of downed wood. Also one more suggestion from an older guy. Wear some kind of ear protection. I see guys all the time not wearing anything and once your hearing goes, you cant get it back.

Shipper

 

[jeffman3]

I wear my shooting muffs when I run the saw.! I have a moderate to severe hearing loss already, and I am very careful with that now! When we go hunting, my wife can hear things that I just can't hear, like deer moving though the fallen leaves. I have had to go with a faster( hotter) shot shell when bird hunting, because I just can't hear the flush. I have to rely on sight to pick up the rocketing pheasants coming up out of the cover. By the time I see them and react they are starting to get some distance and momentum, and I need ammo that gives me a little more reach with the shotgun. It makes it harder. It saddens me that I wasn't as careful as I should have been when I was younger. I guess what I'm saying is that I morn the loss of my hearing, and would encourage anyone and everyone to wear the hearing protection, even when doing things like running a lawn mower. I didn't, and now I can't hear the coyotes howling at night. Or my children when they want to tell me they love me, as I tuck them in at night, while they are half asleep and speaking softly.

 

[BrotherBart]

Lowe's carries Husqvarna consumer chaps and helmets. That is what I wear.

 

[rdrcr56]

Sounds like you might have also just found yourself another place to hunt

 

[jeffman3]

Sounds like you might have also just found yourself another place to hunt

If you are talking about my aunt and uncles land, I WISH That is forbidden ground They won't let anyone hunt anything on their land, for any reason, ever! They are way, way out left on that! I would give my eye teeth to take my labs in there late season after a 6" snow. The pheasants flock in there by the hundreds I am told. My aunt has told me that there are times when the sound of the roosters crowing drowns out normal conversation. All the way around it is farm land, and the birds nest by the hundreds, in the dense cover on their ground.

They call it a game sanctuary. Though they have no official designation. My uncle actual patrols the perimeter during hunting season, and has talked about putting up video surveillance so he could prosecute hunters that "cross the fence". They also have mule deer and the Gods only know what else. He is way, way out there on this issue. It has been made very clear to me that I am never to even ask about hunting it. :sick:

 

[jeffman3]

Sounds like you might have also just found yourself another place to hunt

But it is a nice thought! :coolgrin:

 

[jeffman3]

Lowe's carries Husqvarna consumer chaps and helmets. That is what I wear.

I did some calling around and found that the local hardware store carries Husqvarna and has some in stock. It turns out that they are also listed on my gift certificate (x-mas bonus from work) so instead of paying $65 I will only have to pay $45. :cheese: (I like saving money!) Does that make me cheap?

 

[begreen]

Nah, it makes you frugal, and that's a good thing. ;-)

 

[Hotnall]

Hi Gent my first post woooohoooo!

We also cut our own wood here and have found the best way is to use a small hydraulic press to split and cut the Blue gum tree branched we have all over the place.

I regularly do a trip into the mountains to my aunts place with a 8 ton truck to load and cut wood for clients on my time off.

 

[G-rott]

Look into the bump cap with hearing protection and face screen. It is much mor comfortable than Shooting muffs and saftey classes and the screen won't fog up in the cold weather. Sound like you are well on you way to having a nice supply of fire wood.

I would usualy sugest doing a little extra clean up(like raking the area near the cutting or the entrance) or clearing a little more than aggreed upon, but the way your uncle is I might not set the precident(sp).

Garett

 

[jeffman3]

I hope to talk to my uncle Christmas day when the family gathers at my Grandmother's house. (May even take a ride up there to look things over.) I really think this is going to work out as long as my aunt is in the loop. She is really very reasonable. I hopefully will end up cutting the downed, and hopefully dry enough, wood now, as well as dropping some trees for cutting up this next spring for next year. That is what I am hoping for. We'll see what he is expecting. I have told them, and will tell him/them again that I don't have allot of experience, and if I don't think I should do a thing, I just am not going to do it. (Example... dropping a tree that could hit a building, wires, etc...) I also won't be climbing any ladders or trees with the saw! If he/they will accept that, I think I'm in, and cutting as the weather permits!

As far as doing extra, I think you are right. I will do what is expected, and do it to the best of my ability, but I don't want to set up precedent that I am going to go over the top for them/him.

HOPE...HOPE...HOPE... knock on wood! ;-)

 

[jeffman3]

New update! I worked out a deal with my aunt and uncle! I went up to look the place over and we will have enough wood for years just in downed elm branches! I will cut down sapling's they don't want, and that kind of thing for them,(I get the wood) in addition to cleaning up the dead branches. I say branches, but some of these are 10 inches diameter, not bad for branches! There is more wood up there then I thought! The plan right now is to stack 2-3 cord at our house in town, and hopefully keep another 2-3 cord cut and stacked out there. That way we can just go get some when the weather is good to do so. I should be set for years to come, and the work won't be to bad, with the added bonus that I will be helping them out too.