Current Job...

**MCW** · 25th October 2009, 09:02 PM

Hi Fellas.
I hang out on AS as a rule but got asked by a WWF member if I'd like to start a thread on a current job I've been doing. To start with, I do not fell trees full time. I am actually a senior horticultural Agronomist with AWB Landmark. I also have a chainsaw supply (chains, bars etc) and a tree felling business that I do after hours. Basically the tree felling side of things has far overtaken the other side of the business. Before this job I was doing just the odd tree job for people as I do not advertise locally. It is all word of mouth.
Anyway, a large corporate citrus/avocado/winegrape farm asked me to fell their Casuarina windbreaks. These trees have been sucking too much moisture out of their orchard and have gotten too big to be managed. None were planted earlier than 1991 and many of these are around the 32" to 44" mark. There are many "Elephant's Foot" type trunks that at their widest point could even be up around 50". There are a lot of bifurcated trunks which you have to careful with - it is not unusual for some of these to split on the way down so you have to cut as low as you can.
As far as numbers go, there are around 15,000 trees on this 1000 acre farm at 2-3m spacings in a grid pattern across 90-95% of the property. This same company also has around another 1000 acres of farms in the region, all with Casuarina windbreaks which would bring the total trees to be felled at around 25,000-30,000. These trees all have to be directionally felled to avoid irrigation valving, filter setups, signs, fruit trees etc.
So far I have dropped 4,000 trees, having had about 6 go where I didn't want them. 5 of these my fault (cutting too fast and too far through the hinge on smaller trees).
The other one that wasn't really my fault snapped off 90° last weekend even with a decent hinge when a sudden side gust of wind pushed it over as I was wedging it. Apart from a few small orange tree branches being snapped I was lucky. I am also lucky that the managers of the property are a great bunch of blokes and in reality any damage caused would be lucky to total $100. I can come and go as I please as long as they know when I am there.
This property is still picking later varieties of Citrus and some of the pickers can't speak a word of English. They have been good so far but I have to have eyes in the back of my head!
The saws I have been using are a pair of Dolmar 7900's for probably 95% of the work and my smaller Dolmar 5100-S for the odd smaller, younger run of trees where the trunks might average 12-14".
I also dropped about a dozen larger trees with my Husky 3120 which is fun for a little while but that's about it. I placed it back in the ute tray pretty smartly! Anybody that says they can swing an 880/3120 around all day felling trees is either a steroid abuser or a BS artist. Just picking them up and dropping saws of this size into logs is easy. Doing horizontal felling cuts for any length of time is a different kettle of fish. I'm 6'3", 115kg and relatively fit - it is not easy. My 3120 is basically now kept for just massive trees or my GB mill.
Despite Dolmars copping a bad wrap from some people who've never used one in my experience they are the equal of any Pro Saw on the market. The 5100-S filter is a bit marginal in some timbers (to stop finer dust like Redgum etc you have to oil them) but I have fitted the recently released HD filter kits to both my 7900's. These are right up there with any saw filtration on the market as far as I'm concerned. I'll post some photos later in this thread.
The 5100-S has been using nothing but a 18" bar and full chisel chain (either Stihl RSC or Oregon LGX - both good chains as far as full chisel goes) and the 7900's have either been wearing a 24" or 32" Pro Top and apart from a short run on some Carlton full chisel skip on the 32" I have been using either Carlton semi chisel or Windsor 63A semi chisel non skip. Early on in the piece I was using a GB Titanium 25" roller nose but I bent the tip when it got pinched. I managed to starighten it but it weakened it too much.
One of my 7900's is stock, the other has had a wood's port and muffler mod by a respected builder from the US. The difference in performance compares it favourably to a stock 90cc saw with bars up to 32" using 3/8" semi chisel.
Anyway an estimation on this job from a logging company earlier on stated that their saw guys could drop 30 trees an hour (all they want is them felled - they clean up

).
I said, when asked by the manager, that if they can drop 30 an hour I can too, just at $10 an hour less. I supply everything - fuel, oil etc.
Wind is the biggest factor as far as speed is concerned. My first day on the job I dropped 357 trees in 7 hours and didn't have to wedge a single tree.
Over the 4,000 trees I have currently averaged 41 trees an hour. In shorter spurts this has gone up to 128 in an hour on smaller trees and long runs with good wind, and as low as 12 an hour where they have been large, tricky leaners that have needed a lot of work to get them where you want them. Remember all I have to do is drop them!
I have been using just a standard scarf for felling. I normally use Humbolts as a rule but they take quite a bit more effort at the rate I have been cutting as you have to hold the weight of the saw on the undercut to some extent. I used Humbolts for the first hour or so on this job (a few months ago) then swapped to a standard scarf.
Anyway, photos and videos are in the next few posts.
Hope you enjoy them

Matt.

**MCW** · 25th October 2009, 09:13 PM

The entrance into the main property...

**MCW** · 25th October 2009, 09:15 PM

**BobL** · 25th October 2009, 09:28 PM

Hi Matt,

Good to see you on board!
Someone with your experience will be handy to have around.

BTW Really nice pics, pity those trunks could be put to some good use?

Cheers

**MCW** · 25th October 2009, 09:29 PM

And some creeper holding a tree up

**MCW** · 25th October 2009, 09:34 PM

And a pretty solid sucker and associated video

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIDM7rIeDcQ"]YouTube - Casuarina 05 10 2009[/ame][ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIDM7rIeDcQ"][/ame]

And felling a bifurcated trunk with a 4 tonne strap...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIKr8XJi_HI"]YouTube - Felling Bifurcated trunk with 4 tonne strap...[/ame]

Basic felling 101...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LC2LKHg3g0"]YouTube - Six in a row 7900HD 06 09 2009[/ame]

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

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqkqnmYsfVE"]YouTube - Valve Jump 27 09 09[/ame]

**MCW** · 25th October 2009, 09:44 PM

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlwG2_F3C6M"]YouTube - Casuarina Tree Felling 2 - Part 1[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yeesCNI4wU"]YouTube - Casuarina Tree Felling 2 - Part 2[/ame]

And the new Dolmar HD filter kit that I tested out on dead, dry Pinkgum yesterday.
Standard filters on the 6400-7900 series Dolmars and the 6401-7901 Makitas are pretty marginal in tough, dusty conditions. I thought I'd give the new HD filter a workout.
While cutting one handed on a 30" stump (I know, I know) I was catching in my left hand heaps of the dust/chips from the chip guide and pouring them into the intake. After nearly a tank the saw started slowing then stopped and wouldn't restart.
This is the result with no visible signs of dust getting through to the intake tract...

Note prefilter blocked solid with dust...

Despite some dust being visible this has fallen off when removing the filter. Only a handle of saws in dry Redgum/Pinkgum can keep dust like this at bay. The HD Stihl 880 Extreme Filter setups will keep dust like this out and my oiled 3120 filter will as well but a standard 7900 filter most certainly will not. The new Heavy Duty kit is right up there with the best as far as I'm concerned.
P.S. I didn't think it would pass to be honest!

**MCW** · 25th October 2009, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by BobL

Hi Matt,

Good to see you on board!
Someone with your experience will be handy to have around.

BTW Really nice pics, pity those trunks could be put to some good use?

Cheers

Thanks Bob and I know who to ask when I have milling questions

Apparently there are a few people with their hands up to take the leftovers as firewood but at the moment there is one massive mess. If the trees aren't in anyone's way the management are happy to leave them there for now which is why I'm dropping them out of everybody's way and leaving at least one of the two headlands clear when possible.

**Burnsy** · 25th October 2009, 10:50 PM

Hi Matt, great to see you hear, just as good a read the second time around

Loving my Dolmar, don't really do enough work with it to justify the HD filter kit. Only time I spend hours watching dust fly is when I am standing behind my Lucas

I would have thought that the management would be worried about the fire risk of letting the fallen trees sit around for to long with summer just around the corner. You definitely got the fun part of the job, I hate cleaning up fallen limbs.

**MCW** · 25th October 2009, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by Burnsy

Hi Matt, great to see you hear, just as good a read the second time around

Loving my Dolmar, don't really do enough work with it to justify the HD filter kit. Only time I spend hours watching dust fly is when I am standing behind my Lucas

I would have thought that the management would be worried about the fire risk of letting the fallen trees sit around for to long with summer just around the corner. You definitely got the fun part of the job, I hate cleaning up fallen limbs.

I think the fire risk would be something to get concerned about but with the price of citrus and winegrapes at the moment a fire is probably more profitable as far as insurance goes

Glad you're liking the Dolmar too mate. Gutsy saw and a good price to boot. Did you end up getting it from the dealer I sent you a link to?

**Burnsy** · 25th October 2009, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by MCW

Did you end up getting it from the dealer I sent you a link to?

Yep, great guy, easy to deal with and kept me informed of what was going on, I let him know you put me onto him. Postage was really quick.

**artme** · 26th October 2009, 01:17 AM

G'day Mattt. That is a great WIP. If I may call it that.

Lots of good pieces there for boxes, turning and the like.

Millions of pen blanks,

**MCW** · 26th October 2009, 08:17 AM

Hi artme.
Casuarina as a rule is very hard wood and as you mentioned, good for making things. Unfortunately on this property the windbreaks had received massive amounts of water and fertiliser and the timber really isn't much good for anything. It has a massive water content and it is not uncommon to see water running out of tree centres. I have seen growth rings over an inch apart and after an hour odd on the same chain the sap really makes a mess. I have had to soak chains in acid to remove the sap as it sets like concrete. It is also making a mess of the saws, particularly clutches, and is very hard to get off.
With slower grown Casuarinas the wood is excellent for furniture etc with some nice grain.
Matt.

**artme** · 26th October 2009, 10:23 AM

Well there ya' go! Never gave a thought to the rapid growth because of growing conditions. Might not even make good firewood.

**pjt** · 27th October 2009, 12:48 AM

.had to soak chains in acid to remove the sap as it sets like concrete. It is also making a mess of the saws, particularly clutches, and is very hard to get off.
HI MCW umight be able to try a resin buld up mover for Table Saw blades cos it can remove that baked on stuff
Peter

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