Too many trees getting hung up

[EbS-P]

I've used a cant hook to roll stuck conifers caught in another conifer, but it's not my favorite method.

Have you ever wrapped the wench line to roll it out? I’ve seen the wrapped lines used once they are on the ground.

 

[DonTee]

I busted out the owners manual for my winch and figured out how they want the cable routed and secured. It comes down through the pulley, around the drum, and then through the front side of the drum. It gets wrapped around once and then has a little plate that’s supposed to hold it down.

I’m not sure how the cable pulled out of this. I was pulling the cable out by hand when I came loose.
Oh well. The cable is in good shape for a 10 year old winch stored outdoors.

 

[SpaceBus]

Have you ever wrapped the wench line to roll it out? I’ve seen the wrapped lines used once they are on the ground.

If I can get the winch cable on it, I don't need to worry about rolling/turning, I'll just drag it out. However, I can see how that would be useful if one tree is hung up in another one you want to keep in good shape. I've killed adjacent trees pulling hung up trees out of the woods.

 

[DonTee]

I haven’t tried wrapping the cable around the tree and pulling like that. But it sounds like it could be helpful. If Its done the way I’m thinking.
Sounds like instead of hooking to the chain on the front side of the tree, I would come around the back of the tree and then hook to the front. I think that would be about a 270 degree wrap.

My goal is to be as nice to the surrounding trees as possible when getting these ash out. It’s so easy to rip off branches and bring down smaller trees with the winch.

 

[Nealm66]

We call it putting a turn on the log. It should help some but if you haven’t knocked the tree your hung up in over and trying to avoid damage it’s still probably better to slice it down angling your slices so the butt walks to the side that will free it. Sometimes even making a face and essentially a back cut and maybe pulling ( or kicking if it’s small) it to the side so it’s not going straight towards the tree as you break it down. Hope this makes sense. Every cut you make takes pressure off and walking the butt to the side is way safer since you have a better chance of it rolling out before your underneath it. But safety first. If in doubt, rip it out

 

[Ashful]

.. . This is used a lot to jump a pinched motor. I’ve only done all this with humbolt type undercuts and not sure they will work very well or at all in your circumstances. Angling your slices as your piecing a hung up tree down can help it roll out so your not working underneath it.

That’s pro advice. 😀

Have you ever wrapped the wench line to roll it out? I’ve seen the wrapped lines used once they are on the ground.

I use this technique all the time for moving logs on the ground, or re-arranging them on the trailer. Works real well if you have a very sharp hook on end of winch line, that can find purchase in the log after wrapping, but can also be done by just adding wraps over the end (think timber hitch), if you don’t have a hook.

But I’ve never tried this for pulling down a hung-up tree, I only use it for moving logs on my trailer or in my large piles, to get things stacked neatly and efficiently, as they can sometimes land haphazard or crooked by dragging alone.

Will try to post photo of my favorite hook, which came from a very, very old cant hook or peavey, when I’m outside later today.

 

[Ashful]

Will try to post photo of my favorite hook, which came from a very, very old cant hook or peavey, when I’m outside later today.

I bought this for hooking my winch cable to the far end of a log, to hook on the far end of the log and pull it the last foot onto the trailer, after tongs or choker does 90% of the job. But since then, I've found it very handy for rolling logs. Whatever you use, having it sharp enough to easily bite into the log makes setting it much easier.



This hook was part of an old peavey or cant hook, the ring slipped over a wooden handle. I can't read the maker, but can clearly see it was made in Bangor Maine.



I added the orange striping, after nearly loosing it several times in autumn leaves or on brown dirt. I'm a big fan of striped patterns on equipment used in the woods, since any solid color is harder to spot in a quick survey. Now, nearly all of my equipment is painted with contrasting stripes.

 

[Nealm66]

I paint my ax and my bar wrench. Stuff disappears in the woods. Got big ravens that will tear into your pack looking for shiny stuff or snacks. Amazing how strong those things are and once they target your pack cus they found some goodie’s they don’t give up

 

[DonTee]

Man, bird attacks, that’s crazy. The only things bothering me in the woods are black flys, deer flys, and mosquitos. Fortunately ticks can’t fly

 

[Ashful]

I keep my snacks in a toolbox. Not sure if it's necessary, but I'm already carrying spare chain, scrench, wedges, and sunscreen in the same toolbox... might as well throw my cereal bars in on top.

 

[DonTee]

I do the same. My toolbox has everything yours does except sunscreen. I usually throw some granola bars in there.

I also keep an extra bar (old one) and chain in my toolbox. There’s been a few times where I’ve pinched the bar and used the spare to get it out.

There was one time when I pinched both bars and had to go back for another saw. And another time before I carried the extra bar that I got both saws stuck, and had to use an axe to finish the job. Lol.

 

[Ashful]

I stage my logs in a field, to load them into the trailer, hence the sun screen. I don’t bother varying an extra bar, as I always carry three saws: 064 AV, 036 PRO, 435T.

 

[DonTee]

Man I wish I had a field. Haha

I usually just have my Husqvarna 455 with me. In the past I’ve had a Stihl 044 also. That’s a family owned saw though, so I don’t always have it at my house.

I’ve gotten over 10 years out of the Husqvarna 455. I’m thinking about getting a Echo CS-620 to take its place. I don’t really need anything bigger than that both motor or bar wise.

 

[Ashful]

If you keep cutting at your current rate, Don... you may have a field soon!

My cutting process over most of the last decade was to fell and buck in the woods, at 15 foot lengths. I'd place a choker chain on each log, and my buddy would back his Ford 3000 up to it. I'd hook the chain to a hook on a drawbar on the 3-point of the tractor, and he'd lift the leading end and skid the log out of the woods. He would leave them all staged in a field, where I could fetch them the next day, or whenever it was convenient to come get them. We could do 6 - 10 cords per day this way, without killing ourselves, as my buddy was in his mid-70's.

 

[Nealm66]

That just reminded me of when a really good friend I grew up with asked me to take some trees down for a friend of his dads. I hadn’t seen the job but told him to have his dad call me. He did and described the job enough so I knew what to bring. I asked if he wanted me to buck it up for him he said nah, he’s only 76. Me and my friend got a good chuckle out of that. Hope I’m half as able at 76. His dads somewhere in his 80’s and still fake punches me in the stomach when he sees me

 

[Ashful]

It's all in the genes. Healthy or poor living can bump the needle a bit one direction or another, or improve or degrade the quality of those last years, but in the end... genes.

 

[DonTee]

From what I’ve read I could sustainability harvest between 1/3 to 1/2 cord of firewood per acre, per year from my property. With 119 acres, I’m not sure I could keep up unless I worked on it a lot more than I do now.

I wish I had an acre of ash trees together. That would be my field for sure! Haha. Unfortunately they’re sprinkled throughout the property.

 

[DonTee]

@Ashful
6-10 cords per day is pretty impressive. I’m lucky to do 1/3 of that in a week.

 

[Ashful]

@Ashful
6-10 cords per day is pretty impressive. I’m lucky to do 1/3 of that in a week.

That's just felling and skidding out of the woods to a field, two or three men and a tractor, and ideal conditions (clean straight trees we can drop without hang-ups). There are many more days invested, before it's hauled home, bucked, split, and stacked.

I haul 1 to 2 cords per load on my trailer, let's say 1.5 cord per load average, and will usually tap out around 3 loads in a day. That's more about me having enough of it for one day, than running out of daylight, but it is what it is.

Likewise on the bucking/splitting/stacking operation. I will do 0.5 to 2.0 cords per day, but likely average close to 1 cord per day. Again, it's not about hours in the day, but how long I'm willing to do one thing so monotonous and repetitive on the shoulders and elbows, in a single day.

 

[Ashful]

I was just sorting some directories of photos, and happened to come across these, showing how we stage in the field adjacent to the woods.

Dragging it out:



Staging in the field, back before I had a winch, and had to buck every round before individually loading into the trailer:



Staging in the field after I got the winch:



Bring it home and unload:

 

[Nealm66]

Looks like nice saw logs for lumber! Look heavy too

 

[Ashful]

Looks like nice saw logs for lumber! Look heavy too

Yeah, I've been called a firewood snob. I really don't like to bother with anything less than perfectly straight trunks.

Between Irene, Sandy, EAB, and a 2019 tornado, we have had enough trees down the last 10 years, that I haven't had to touch anything uglier than what you see in those photos, in a very long time.

 

[DonTee]

Yeah around these parts those would be sawlogs.
The stuff I cut is usually smaller, uglier, and harder to split.

 

[DonTee]

I cut up everything to the limb wood. I keep a separate stack of wood that doesn’t need to be split. I’ll go as small as about 2” diameter limb wood.

My favorite size tree to cut is where the pieces can be split 1-3 times and be a good size to burn. Anything bigger than about 16” diameter is harder to do anything with. Although with the ash I’m cutting now I’m getting stuff much bigger than that.

 

[Ashful]

I cut up everything to the limb wood. I keep a separate stack of wood that doesn’t need to be split. I’ll go as small as about 2” diameter limb wood.

My favorite size tree to cut is where the pieces can be split 1-3 times and be a good size to burn. Anything bigger than about 16” diameter is harder to do anything with. Although with the ash I’m cutting now I’m getting stuff much bigger than that.

I remember doing that as a kid, helping my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather fill their wood racks. But at the volume I'm currently processing (variable 5 - 20 cords per year, with average 11.5 cords per year over last 11 years), it's easier to just lop the top off in the woods and take the trunk. Others who are only burning 1 - 3 cords per year, and who are less equipped to haul full trunks, usually help themselves to the tops. Or they rot in the woods, back to nature.