Felling trees in the wind

[weaver]

I was talking to a guy yesterday about a tree that he had felled.

Was quite a large manna gum at about 1.4m DBH and the guy who felled it waited for a stiff breeze in the direction that he wanted to it to fall (away from the road). With the wind blowing the way he wanted he set about falling it and it dropped right where he wanted it to go.

Similarly about three or four weeks ago when we had some really bad wind up this way some pines were felled apparently with the assistance of the wind and also coincidentally away from a road.

At the time I thought the guy was mad but am I wrong? I have been taught that felling in light winds can be a good thing but in many cases will make a tricky good into a tough one and a tricky job into a dangerous one. The main reason that stronger winds can be unpredictable increasing in strength causing the tree to fall prematurely or worse dieing away so that the tree rocks and binds the saw or worse goes over backwards.

Opinions anyone.

[Brosh]

Providing the wind is blowing consistantly then it is applying a crown force in the direction of your choice. Difficulties would arise if the wind was inconsistant - dropping off just as the felling cut is made would be not what the doctor ordered. Hence most would prefer to fell on still / light breeze days. Good luck felling in a stong wind.

[glenn k]

I like to do back releases especially when it is gusty as you can scaf it up do most of the back cut wedge it and wait for the wind you want then let it go. You also can leave the danger zone earlier.

[weisyboy]

you should never fall in a wind.

wind although it seams it is never consistent and swirls and changes.

if a gust of wind comes and you haven't quite cut threw far enough it can push the tree forwards then drop it back causing the tree to fall the wrong way. it only takes a very small change in wind direction to cause a lot of damage and injury.

a tree can be dropped in any direction on a calm day quite simply.

[glenn k]

you should never fall in a wind.



a tree can be dropped in any direction on a calm day quite simply.

With a D9 and a big cable maybe.

[weisyboy]

under normal circamstances a pretty big tree can be pulled with a rope and a 4wd. i pulled a 1.5m bluegum with me ute one day.

most rrees can be felled with a wedge and trickyer ones ya just use a tree jack. or rope.

[glenn k]

Yes Carl that's true; but if a big tree had a side lean I'd want something a bit more heafty than a 4wd on it, or take some weight off it first. But back on the topic wind can be very helpful we often picked our job for the day depending on which way the wind was blowing.

[InterTD6]

If you could only fall trees on calm days with no wind nobody would have much timber to build with, so falling with light wind is the norm, falling or going into the bush with high winds is a totally different story & should not be attempted.
Also pulling trees over can be very dangerous & the pulling machine should be a couple of tree lengths away with FOPS as the falling tree can send limbs or a tree down & onto the winch machine & its best to have the winch machine heavy enough not to be pulled backwards by the tree if a gust of wind were occur.
regards inter

[echnidna]

Glenn I have a big macrocarpra that needs to come down but its about 10 - 12 feet diameter for the first 15 ft above ground, would you be interested in the job?

[glenn k]

Your a long way from WIlliamstown Bob. My brother may be interested he's a lot closer.

[echnidna]

how do I contact him Glenn?

[Krunchie]

Have used wind to help fall trees on many jobs. It is the need for constant wind in the right direction that will help.
Did a job a few weeks back the power line guys had cut the weight of the back and made the trees (pines) into a front weighted sail I used a closed scarf and a plunge cut out. over they go

[glenn k]

Have used wind to help fall trees on many jobs. It is the need for constant wind in the right direction that will help.
Did a job a few weeks back the power line guys had cut the weight of the back and made the trees (pines) into a front weighted sail I used a closed scarf and a plunge cut out. over they go

What might a closed scarf be?

[Krunchie]

What might a closed scarf be?
an acute angle (less than 45 degrees)

[glenn k]

I sometimes do that if I want the tree or branch to snap off and bounce to jump a fence etc. Why would you do it other wise? The wider the scarf the longer it is attached to the stump thus the safer it is. It is now being taught to make the scarf 90 degrees so the tree is attached to it hits the ground and don't step the back cut and back release so you have more time to move away. It makes sence but it will be a long time before it is standard forest practice, when it is it will save lives.

[artme]

Interesting topic. My father and his brothers all grew up around timber and worked as tree fellers and sleeper cutters. Would never drop trees in the wind. Whether it was the fact that they used axes and cross cut saws that made it so, or whether they simply had too much respect for their own safety I don't know. I suspect it was the latter.

Dad's mother remarried to an Austrian fellow many years after dad's father died. He was a tree feller and sleeper cutter too. "I don't verk in ze vind huh. Vend is ze vind ze vind controls ze axe,huh." Some wisdom there I think.