My mother is one of those little old ladies that you mentioned...running around working on the farm...she's coming up on 94 & still using her electric chain saw to help clean up fallen stuff:) She's watched quite a few of your videos with me & says that she's learned a lot from watching them.
I’m an electrician, I became drawn to trees after stumbling upon on of your vids. I’m now pursuing a career change into a occupation I actually enjoy. So thanks for that
*I wish u actually shown more of the cut* I’m not a beginner I just like to learn from others 👍🏼 be safe out there “anyone who is around felling trees, pay attention and don’t be complacent with anything u do.
Good video. I agree with you that you don’t have to over pull. I give up on having the wife helping to pull a tree so I rig the rope pretension make the cut then go to the tractor and finish the pull. Watching your videos I have learned a lot from you and your crew
When I see you cutting hinges while the tree is falling...... I recognize your “Driving steaks” and not the normal 100 to 200 trees I drop a year. I follow my Department rules but learn SO much from what you ‘Teach!1111 I absolutely enjoy your content and the education you give to everyone across every level of experience. Plus the Billy ray plug was cool. You both are top level professionals at different ends of the field.
Always love the videos. I work at a computer all day, but between you and BBR, I worked up the courage to cut down two trees (not big, maybe 16" DBH) and dropped them right where I wanted them. Love the channel.
I've got a dying Ash tree leaning towards a fence that I need to drop the opposite way. This is a great video to give people like me ideas on how to do it safely.
I'm a new with 10 years as a ground guy. Now I'm running my own business. Your videos make me better. Wish I would have watched this first before today's job
It always feels extra nice when things go right! Well done! Thanks for all your insight & thoughts. It's important to teach each other & share experience & wisdom. Thank you guys!!
I'm commented before. I'm nothing to do with trees but you and your team are very inspirational in your professionalism. Absolute perfection is what I seek in my work. Top respect from the UK 🇬🇧. Give my regards to your team please
My favorite kind of video you do...I have a small property and cut trees pretty often on my place your videos have made me better at putting trees exactly where I want them not just close enough thanks.
August.....I know that you have great respect for Jerry Beranek and his book “The Fundamentals of General Tree Work”. Thank you for bringing your quick insights on tree work to RU-vid....in the personable, how-it’s-done style that makes your videos entertaining and informative.
Love the knowledge, love the sarcasm. So many know-it-alls out there. Keep up the great work. Watching you guys is like watching your favourite sports team. We play the game but at a completely different level and only dream of being that good. 👍 Dave in Ontario Canada
This engineer has enjoyed your teaching. Used a few tips with some trees I’ve needed to take down. Wish I’d had your knowledge 10 years ago. Didn’t get hurt, or damage anything, but would have been perhaps a bit less sketchy.
You explain things incredibly well! I love your videos that explain the process of falling trees. If you’re doing another video on tree falling, I would love to hear a detailed explanation of using gunning sights. Like the kind of tips that allow you to “drive stakes”. You’re videos are awesome!
Just a quick note on the gunning sights, after you make your notch, compare your sites to a carpentry square to make sure the are accurate / you are aligning yourself with them properly. Put the square with one side in the notch, and the other pointing out, this will point at where the tree will fall. To check your sights, align the pointing side of the square with the side of the tree. Your sights and your square should both be pointing at the same spot. Its useful to put an object where you are aiming as a reference point. I learned from a guy that did everything by feel, so it took me a long time to get good at aligning my notch where i wanted it, and have trouble using gunning sights. Come to think of it, sounds like i should follow my own advice and get the square out!
One point for that is essential is the height of your cable attachment on the tree. Pulling too low (us non climbers) can cause a hinge to shear off. Bad.
Woo! I'm a plumber! Only fell one tree ever...it didnt go great, but that was before i found your channel...I think i could do it now with all you've taught me. Thanks man!
Nice work as usual August. I love watching your videos and keep up on the explaining and banter I love it. Your guys must really enjoy working for and with you.
Dropped a nuber of leaning trees over the years on my property, using my Jeep, Waren Winch and snatch blocks. safer and a controlled drop. Not a tree specialist, just playing it safe. Great video.
I enjoyed the video very informative. I'm going to cut a tree down close to my house not nearly that tall though and hopefully it won't end up laying on the house lol 😮. If there's any doubt about being able to pull it with a vehicle in the right direction I wouldn't do it.
Greatly appreciate these videos. The first guy i worked for approached pulling this way. Didn't realize other people didn't understand it till i worked elsewhere and had to teach them this way. To elaborate on August a little, when you have experience with trees, you gain a feel for the tension in the wood, by looking at it, as well as when you are cutting with your saw, and working together you can calibrate as you go to give yourself the best chance at a very safe, precise, controlled lay over that allows you time to observe where its going and make any corrections as needed. And because you are calibrating your pull as you go, there is very little concern of barber chairing as you are only applying what you need. Another point about doing things this way, slow and controlled, it gives you time to recognize if things are not currently going to achieve your goal and make adjustments as needed before you the tree and gravity take over, at which point you are committed and responding rather than dictating. Working this way is stress and drama free, while achieving precise results.
As always good show August. Good explanation of how important finesse is when pulling trees over. People tend to think along the lines of big tree, big weight, pull with everything you got or push hard with the excavator... not fun trying to out saw a potential barber chair.
A trick for extremely heavy learners like 70 degrees or worse when using a wire pulley, by hand or with a machine is to do the back cut just 1-2cm under the notch lowest point, that will make the tree safely going down with full control even when it's pulled over to the direction you want just work the holding wood off. Been doing it on trees in very tight powerline streets for a long time
I sit here pause staring at my phone wondering what to say Express how you and the guys make this such a great place the setback and watch someone who is honestly is made for this I went to your website looking at your saddles and got caught up in some of your old videos good man good crew we're all made for something and you found yours
Dude, your kid at the end is so freaking cute! They’re so adorable when they’re first learning to talk. I have three myself… youngest is 16 so it was quite a while ago for me.
Years ago I had borrowed a still 021 from a friend and it had been his mother’s saw so we called it grandma, I ran to New York for a big weekend of cutting trees and was mocked by the crew for my little “grandma” saw. Lots of brush to cut that weekend and went around running like made with that light little saw, all the others had 440 saws and at the end of the day they were impressed what “grandma” was capable of! Kinda random grandma story 😆😆😆❤️
Dag nab it . Called me out . I appreciate it though . I'm the farm guy but , I'm really a framing carpenter . Love heights, adrenaline and learning from you ,Reg and billyray. Thank you
Correct pulling power at the correct time is essential when falling any tree. Me & my guys do this all the time, but for some reason one of my guys decided to excessively pull on one the other day. Soon as I touched the tree for my back cut....it started moving. I quickly punched the saw in, as I watch the tree begin to barber chair. This is one of those tricky situations. Do you run & get away from the potential barber chair? As I punched the saw in, I could actually watch those vertical cracks close as I cut. Thank goodness for a sharp saw, & plenty of power. Good video & great info STAY SAFE
I appreciate your timing with posting this up August. I'll be pulling a couple big Oaks over on Thursday. Love picking up those helpful little nuggets you drop..... 😉 Thanks and keep yourself safe! 😃👍❤️🌲 Randy
Everyone who has these swing back and hit the house, was pulling hard and came loose or lost force somehow, and effectively spring it back so it can break off the way it wanted to go. I suggest you apply a force with a winch or vehicle until you get the center of gravity where you wish it was. Then hold that, so it never increases to break loose, and make your cut with a fixed force the entire time. The tree could split off a piece and smack you, so you either do a plunge cut and come out backwards or just stay well back as you cut. I’ve been doing this on 22 acres I’m clearing to build. I have a variety of hard woods and partly dead trees. I know it could go badly any single tree, but this has been very smooth compared to cut first, try to pull it over, cut again, pull again, repeat.
Daniel Murphy has an excellent video demonstrating the steering of a falling tree using the back cut. Save the driveline in your winching vehicle and chock the wheels (Watch out! A steep line angle and a heavy pull can take a surprising amount of weight off the front of a winching vehicle)
I have a 1 ton dually with 4-wheel drive to. I have a few trees leaning the opposite way. So I was wondering about what size rope you use and around how much pull. From what size winch and how far your cutting in tree on pull side. Any advice sure would be nice man. I'm a subscriber and watch your and Billy video's alot. Thanks in advance. Peace out. Born on 4/20/63 Got spikes and belt and have some steel cable flip LANYARDS on order. Want be long I'll be ready to do some climbing. Oh I think I need to get some long spikes from N.C..pine, oak and sweet gum and poplar trees mostly
So nice to watch a true professional at work with just the right amount of explaining you mentioned another person who's head is soooooo big I can't believe it fits in the camera shots not that I'm perfect but come on...
It's so inspiring to watch people who are really good at their trade. August and his team are The Pros From Dover. (ten bucks for anyone who knows what I'm referring to). If I were a young man, I would love to work for this man.
Outside troubleshooters who are called in to fix a problem they can’t handle themselves. M*A*S*H character Hawkeye called he and Trapper The Pros from Dover referring to a con he used to pull at Pro Shops to get free golf passes. Yes? Ten bucks please.
Nice one. Something people don’t seem to stress(perhaps it’s obvious?) is that many poor hinging woods might only have 10 degrees of bend in them, and if the tree is leaning back 10 degrees then it is going to be broken by the time it is upright and will fall where it’s weight takes it. Not such a worry with pine as you say, often still hanging on after 90 degrees 👍
Howdy August, I dunno about the "it's good to have an audience" statement....that's usually when Mr. Murphy shows to upstage your best efforts. Knowledge nuggets dropping like pine cones from the trees. Thank You. Have A Day! ;~)
August, that is a lesson I taught my eldest boy, "What you need is somewhere nearby you just have to look for it." I would buy your t-shirt but it doesn't look anything like my Husqvarna :P just kidding you know I will buy 2 T-shirts.
Continuing to back cut certainly has its place for either that last little bit of English or on a heavy lean when in the tree, less paddle ball action 👍
Now I watched some videos about back leaners and they said start with the back cut first. To help loosen the top of tree to be pulled over some. I would sink a wedge in the cut so it can't sit down. Then face cut open and then you can finish in the back side while pulling over. Been using a 3/4 rope attached to 10k winch on a truck anchored to another tree so no risk it slides
How to you figure out the amount of pull you're gonna need for a particular job? Like this job: Red Oak and a 5-6° back lean on a 24" round that's 60' tall and splits in a V halfway up so you can only hook halfway up..
Awesomeness, thank you for the vid and the content!!! I have to say something here: BBR is great and all but; "and I tell you what ya got to do it like this or..." I guess what I mean is, you explain it then just DO IT.....that is the difference.....thanks. Blessings and prosperity.
@August Hunicke - using your teachings in Wisconsin to drop pines, when you set your rope in these trees, how did you canopy tie with all the limbs? I have some similar types to pull this weekend so curious if you have a chance to answer. Great vid - I've learned so much and it's really helped my business over the last several years.
Sometimes you have to climb up there and set the line to make sure that you won’t get a sudden line slip at the wrong time. Sometimes you can throw a line over and base tie it without wondering if it will slip.
@@AugustHunicke Appreciate it, will be at the job site tomorrow and will do it both ways you recommended. A few weeks ago I had a job to take down some tall red pines. I didn't waste any time trying to set a climb line. Just grabbed the spurs and hiked up the tree. You've said it a few times in your videos about how that's how it's done and so that is what I do most times. Super appreciative of your videos, so many one-liner words of wisdom that are literally game-changing for me. Take care!
Speaking of Billy Ray, I've seen him do the back cut first in a few of his leaners, placing wedges early. Then he does the face afterward, then spends time wedging the tree over. His point is that it is hard to get the first wedge in if the face is already cut, since the tree tries to lean even more the wrong way after the face cut is done. What do you think of that method? Not really worth it if you are using a winch to power it over?
Yes, any experienced faller will do the occasional back at first. It’s usually a diameter driven decision because you will need a wedge right where your bar would be if you didn’t make the back cut first. Somewhere in the back log of videos I’ve done it on video. Pull ropes are more common though around homes.
