My other job

[Alvy]

Mike do you do the whole tree beginning to end and haul it off for people etc? What else do you have? Chipper? Stump grinder? Dump trailer? Loader? Or do you just strictly cut and buck and peace out?

[mjsoldcub]

I do not have any heavy equipment....Although I do haul away sometimes but it's the hard way, trailer or Sometimes I'll get lucky and just run a choker cable around a whole trees worth of limbs and drag to the dump, but that depends on city I'm working in...I am looking for a chipper, and would love to have that little Vermeer mini skid with a grapple, but like I said this is only my part time gig......Boy would I quit my job job in a heartbeat though if I knew I could stay booked...A mortgage and 4 kids scares me if it's feast or famin....

Thanks guys....
2 spruces to speed line Saturday I'll try to have someone get some pics....It's cool to see the limbs all Zipline on slings and the groundsman can control where and how they land...Conifers are easy....
Pics of case as requested...All original just have to paint seat...Thanks again to a forum member...I just took the plow off so the weight is still on the back, but I do have a sleeve hitch I made for it I put on in the summer.....All original except reciever on back, some electrical upgrades, custom rims and tires, and motor rebuild....I did repaint the tins as they were just pounded, it does have hydro lift too...It's an early model '71......Before they became the "standard line" it's a tank for a 10hp
Thanks again
Mike

Also a pic of that farm/ranch 290 turned crazy ported 390...(still a pig) and my little puddin...She probably actually does most the work....

[Riley Henderson]

Those are some nice pieces of equipment you have the tractors and the saws that is one job I could not do I get very nervous just cutting down 12" diameter tree for firewood in the woods a good distance from any important objects such as buildings. Stihl is all I use to
My big saw for bigger jobs is an 041 stihl 20" bar
Mid sized saw is 024 stihl with 16" bar my favorite of the 3
Small saw is a stihl 009l for small jobs like cuttin thorn sprouts.
I like the older saws just the same as the older cub cadets both were well built and still capable of doing agood days work.

[V30crewcab]

I just cut down 4 dead trees around my house, but I kinda cheated. I ran my winch cable from my scout thru a pulley and tensioned them, and had my buddy run the winch when I signaled him. Scared of heights! not doing any climbing!

[mjsoldcub]

Thank you very much...Besides being alot of money I am very ocd about my stuff...Since I repair saws and modify them, you wouldn't believe some of the stuff I've gotten in...Just impacted with wood and oil...Amazes what this stuff costs and how some people treat it...I damn near break mine down everytime and clean them thoroughly...

As for the tension line, that's not cheating...I will use pretension on a bad leaner from time to time...Usually I pound this big ass stake, (because there's no room) in and put a come along on it...The trick is that it's PRE tension and not trying to pull tree during fall...I've seen alot of guys do it and it never works...The line should slack when tree goes....I'm no expert but when it comes to directional, precision falling, it's first learn how to do a proper face cut... I use a Humboldt face and gun it up with the handle on your saw....1/3 the diameter of the tree is rule of thumb and then make the back cut about 3/4" higher than the hinge, leaving approx 2" between them..Make sure it's clean too.....Then I would say to anyone falling timber to invest in some good 10" or so wedges, at least 3....Holding wood is the key, and some species pull more wood than others....Ceder for example pulls alot, so I'll stay 2" or so away from face cut...Oak is different, need to get closer..Unless I'm in the woods or there's no need for a precise landing very rarely do I cut until tree is actually falling...I'll beat it over with wedges...Then there's little tricks like leaving more holding wood on one side to steer it some, and what not...But I won't bore anyone with all that....

Today I did 2 60' spruces 10' apart with cable and power lines between them... Speed lined all the limbs right onto the trailer...Climbed one and stalked it then swung over to the other and zipped all those limbs too...Few pass through cuts to bring them down to about 40;45' then fell the stalks...I was a little off my game and missed a mark by about 3'...Still went where it needed to, but just wasn't as close as I usually try to do...My groundsman got a video, but I doubt I'll ever be able to figure out how to upload it....3.5hr job, weather held, but she was blowin...Like being on a boat...Made for pushing off the tops kind of a challenge.....Anyways enough of my rambling...
Thanks for the responses guys...
Safe sawing and happy Easter...
Mike

[ol'George]

I Can't speak for others, but I always enjoy a story, good or bad.
Learned a lot over the years, reading about what others did.
Especially the ones that start with,
"here hold my beer and watch this" Ha,LOL!

[olds45512]

This is pretty cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxEX0qvQ4p8

[john hall]

Originally Posted by olds45512

This is pretty cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxEX0qvQ4p8

I've collected antique chainsaws for 30 years and that is a first for me!

[zippy1]

Just read through this thread, very interesting read.
I'm thinking it must be a real PITA for you walking. Cause after seeing those pictures of you up on the top of that tree, it must suck tripping over your balls, cause you got a pair to be up there.

[mjsoldcub]

Todd, it Keeps the bourbon away from me......


Looks like an old homie xl turned circsaw.......Blue means 71-72 or older....I think....