Thread: Instruments for Logging

Be aware some trees have never read the rule book and they don't fall as expected.

Another option, although maybe not quite as accurate, is to stand 90 degrees to the estimated direction of fall. Hold a pencil or similar at full arms length and walk backwards (if room allows) while lining up the bottom of the pencil with the bottom of the tree until the pencil corresponds to the height of the tree. Then simply move the pencil to the horizontal with the bottom of the pencil still intersecting with the bottom of the tree.

Hope that sounds how I meant it to.

Trees read their own rule book. You should read it too.

The pencil method works fine, where there's enough room to use it. These instruments work in confined places.

There's no such thing as an all-purpose cure. If the natural direction of fall is awkward or ambiguous, some persuasion is indicated. BTDT.

Any method of estimating the drop can best be used to predict accidents, e.g. a tree too large to be felled safely. In such a situation, some prior aerial work will be needed - engage a professional.

Cheers,
Joe

Other than the instruments, more importantly think of the elements. Wind, canopy weight, terrain. When in doubt, take a bigger scarf cut and DONT run, you are always safer near the the butt watching. After having dropped thousands of trees, Im still here. Also when in doubt, get you felling ticket, not for knowledge but for insurance reasons as well

My dad was a tree faller who felled Karri that were as tall as 250 ft. To assess the length he carried with him an axe that was the same length as his arm. Holding his arm outstretched and level and the axe vertically upwards in his hand he would walk to a position where he could align the top of the tree with the top of the axe handle. This would give him an indication of the height but he would always add a serious safety margin especially on slopes, wind, tree bounce, etc

The problem with any of these methods is they won't work at all if you can't see the tree. In many Aussie settings the undergrowth or canopy can be just too dense to see the tree.

A small hand held surveyors inclinometer is the tool for the task, also for measuring slopes for gradient where logging is not allowed. I forget the exact numbers but around 75% of tree falling fatalities happen within 8m of the stump.
regards inter

how exactyl do u cary all this gear when you are felling trees. a decent faller can fall a tree threw a doorway without any of this fancy gear.

a falling kit should include. chainsaw (with 2 bars and chains just incase), half axe, 2 wedges, fuel and oil. thats all thats needed usualy. if the tree had a big lean and there is a power line or teh liek in teh way a hydrolic car jack can do wonders.

and i would never stand at teh stump ou are verry vorable to branch strike it amasing how far they can go. also the but can shoot out and if that happends you dont wanna be anyware near the stump. 2 clear tracks back to 2 trees is safest. the bigger teh better.

Carl, and others, that's what I meant when I wrote "engage a professional." I had the impression that these forums are read by DIY'ers of every stripe, not only those with sterling credentials and experience.

Thank you for your enhancing remarks.

Cheers,
Joe

Hi peoples

Obviously, everyone is an expert on tree fall, and in most cases people learn very quickly what not to do. I have no doubt that any equipment to calculate the fall direction, weight, speed, bounce, twist, and so many other variants, are a good help mainly to prevent certain under-looked details, which can be very costly and very dangerous. With this said, I have tested some of these instruments, and they work quite well, putting the prevention & security in a much better place but, I have also to admit, the total and full control of the fall is fully on the experience of the chainsaw operator, every single place and movement of that chainsaw touches on that trunk, determines what the tree will do, with proven accuracy of just a few inches either side. Now, this is in normal circumstances, counting that the conditions do not change dramatically while in the cutting process, otherwise the situation can get totally unpredictable where all the best calculations by any gadget can become totally obsolete. It is a big difference between cutting trees with a margin of error, and working with no error margin at all, that's when the simple dropping (removing) a mature tree can become near as technical as the built of a bridge. Some of you will know what I'm talking about!

The one way or the other, is something very "special" and at the same time difficult to explain, why the act of falling a mature tree, does become so significant and almost a "need" for some of us...! strange really, huh?

Cheers
RBTCO