Thread: Current Job...

One hell of a job - have you estimated how long the task will take?

soth

Originally Posted by masoth

One hell of a job - have you estimated how long the task will take?

soth

G'day mate. Not far away in Mildura! I used to do a lot of work out at Nangiloc/Colignan area.
I am only doing this after hours on weekends etc but I estimate to be on this job for at least another year.
As mentioned I'm averaging around the 40 trees an hour mark and this is unlikely to change. I am probably averaging about 14 hours a weekend including the odd weekend off.

Is there any particular reason for your scarf cut being so deep & your back cut being so high, also why you walk around the other side of the tree to do the backcut ?
regards inter

Originally Posted by InterTD6

Is there any particular reason for your scarf cut being so deep & your back cut being so high, also why you walk around the other side of the tree to do the backcut ?
regards inter

Here's the height reason;

"and leaving the neighbouring stump high so that I can bounce the following tree off it to avoid irrigation valving..."

Originally Posted by InterTD6

Is there any particular reason for your scarf cut being so deep & your back cut being so high, also why you walk around the other side of the tree to do the backcut ?
regards inter

Yeah mate I do cut the scarf quite deep sometimes, no reason for it. Quite a lot of the trees I cut are past the magic 1/3 mark, but generally only with strong winds. When wedging in calm conditions they are generally always 1/3. No reason for it, just overcutting on my part and something I should take into account more often
The reason I walk around the other side of the tree (not always and mostly with larger trees) is because by staying on the "right hand" side my wedges are on the wrong side for easy access and I am dominant right handed. If you saw me trying to knock wedges in with my left hand you'd see why
There are many correct ways to fell trees successfully and most people have a favoured technique.

When you have a lot of trees to fall you'd be looking for any time saving there is
Shallower scarf = less time to cut
lower backcut = tree falls easier & better hinge ( thicker & safer)
staying on same side of tree to cut = less time to fall tree
regards inter

Originally Posted by InterTD6

When you have a lot of trees to fall you'd be looking for any time saving there is
Shallower scarf = less time to cut
lower backcut = tree falls easier & better hinge ( thicker & safer)
staying on same side of tree to cut = less time to fall tree
regards inter

G'day inter.
Exactly right mate but I'm getting paid by the hour, not by the tree I'm also no pro logger and despite reasonable experience there are many things I could learn. The management of the property are also extremely happy as the logging company from the Adelaide Hills said they could average 30 trees an hour whereas I've been averaging 40-41 at this stage. Even though I believe the logging guys would have no problem averaging what I'm averaging I'd bet my left nut they'd have held their average to 30 trees an hour and milked it for all it's worth if they got the job - and the company would have been none the wiser.
As far as the thicker and safer part you are most definately right but when the winds have been averaging 30kph the trees pretty well fell themselves. I'd like to show you 4,000 photos of every stump as the overcut trees are few and far between. Overcutting is not something I plan to do, but when some days have averaged 51 trees an hour perfection can sometimes be hard to achieve and in these particular circumstances the results are exactly the same. When I'm being paid to knock a big gum over in someone's yard then a lot of extra time is taken and the cuts are textbook.
A lot of these trees are also far from perfectly round. Early on in the job I was doing sidecuts etc, getting rid of lumps/bumps to even the tree up but this was too time consuming.
Generally all of the trees under about 18" are cut from the same side but with the top of the bar. If you go over to AS and read my thread there and watch some of the videos you'll see I've mentioned this numerous times in relation to speed. I am most certainly not ambidextrous though and am far more dominant with my right hand.
Backcut height also varies with the size and species of the tree.
Please don't think I'm trying to be overly defensive as I agree with everything you're saying, and if I was concentrating 100% on all 4,000 trees then I'm sure 99.9% of them would be perfect. Most of the days I have been on this job there have been really strong winds and no matter how bad the felling cuts are they will fall where you want them with no danger.
Matt.

I was under the impression it was a per tree job, so thats why the time saving was a thought, still though because your backcut is so high your having a very narrow hinge being left, which means you might lose a bar or 2, or a saw along the way when a tree goes the wrong way from being overcut.
ps, used to fall proffessionally with a 076 & 3120 in steep country & they are light compared to a 090 with a 36" bar which were the generation before these saws. A fellow I worked with used to fall an average 120m3 of logs a day with a 3120 & he is about 90kg
regards inter

Originally Posted by InterTD6

I was under the impression it was a per tree job, so thats why the time saving was a thought, still though because your backcut is so high your having a very narrow hinge being left, which means you might lose a bar or 2, or a saw along the way when a tree goes the wrong way from being overcut.
ps, used to fall proffessionally with a 076 & 3120 in steep country & they are light compared to a 090 with a 36" bar which were the generation before these saws. A fellow I worked with used to fall an average 120m3 of logs a day with a 3120 & he is about 90kg
regards inter

Yeah I know what you mean mate and thanks for the tips. Sorry to sound defensive as I'm become accustomed to explaining myself to people who have no idea on tree felling.
I have overcut a few smaller trees around the 12-18" mark and had them go sideways (I also bent a bar tip!). I think over 4,000 trees I've had 6 go the wrong way although the number of overcut smaller trees that didn't fall the wrong way may be 20 or so. Always when not paying attention I probably should stop cutting when I start thinking about what I'm having for tea that night!
When my new ported and modded 7900 arrived I realised overcutting was easy with more powerful saws on smaller trees, especially running an 8 tooth sprocket.
I used my 3120 in Tasmania earlier this year for about a week dropping firebreak trees on a mate's property (my 7900 had blown a base gasket) and it is one hell of a workout. I ended up mainly using a 36" GB Hard Top which was overkill on most trees (my next pro saw down is a Dolmar 5100-S with 18" bar). I suppose it depends on the rate you're dropping trees though. If you're only felling a10-12 every hour it probably isn't too bad as once they're in the cut you don't have to hold much weight. Then again, if I had to swing around a 3120 all day to feed my family I'd probably dig a fair bit deeper too