Brand New Chain Saw!
With the bank account full and an income tax refund.... I went shopping at Bill's Small Engines in Spring Green!
A brand new Husqvarna 585 XP is now my tool of choice for felling timber.
The old Stihl 036 is along for the ride, just in case - I always carry two saws when I cut timber. The temperature was a record high of 79 degrees today - March 27!
We are still cutting the oak wilt trees that died last summer. The deep snows are gone and I want to have all my woods work done by April 1st. It is best to not do any logging from April to October, though we do carefully cut some trees for special reasons and for training. The bark on the trees gets loose and soft - insects and fungus spores are flying around, and its just too darn hot!
A quick tightening of the chain and I'm ready to go.
An Open Faced Notch is made to aim the tree toward the target. I set my notch and hinge to be one inch above the dirt on the upper side of the tree.
Next I bore into the tree on the far side
Leaving just the right amount of wood in the hinge is important in this method of felling. These dead red oaks are very brittle, so the hinge won't hold for long. When boring in from each side on a large tree, your cuts should match and you will feel the saw go into the cut made from the other side.
Once the hinge is set, I cut backwards with the saw to remove the wood on this side of the tree. I leave at least three inches of holding wood on the upper side of the tree.
After I cut my notch, set the width of the hinge, bore out the tree from both sides - I stop and make sure things are safe for felling the tree. The tree has not moved yet! Then, when I am ready, I cut in from the upper side of the tree to cut through the holding wood.
I hear the wood crack, then it is time to go. Shut off the saw and move 15 feet away from the stump. I turn and watch for branches flying back. Its pretty exciting!
Nice Saw! I'm impressed! (and the Stihl just rested all morning!) These trees average 300 board feet - Scribner tree scale. That will mean $3,000 per tree in income next year when the flooring is installed. Yes, I can afford to use the BEST tools!
By felling these trees, the spread of oak wilt will be slowed. It feels good to use these dead trees to supply our business.
photos by Shawn Olmstead