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NW Iowa. / SW Arizona | I’ve been cutting tress for over 4 decades and have never encountered trouble until today, all of my fault. I was clearing some volunteer trees that were in a cluster. There was 5-6 within a close proximity to each other. The sizes ranged from 6” to 12” in diameter. The wind was blowing pretty good clip and I was cutting a 12” x 25’ to30’ tall tree, I notched it like I’ve done to probably thousands of trees over the past 4 decades.
Normally I can get a tree to fall pretty close to where I want it to fall. Today’s problem was I had it falling into the wind or at least that’s what I wanted it to do. As I was cutting the tree it was starting to fall the way I wanted it to then it spun around and went 90
degree to the left, unfortunately for me I didn’t have a good escape route lined up like I know I should’ve. The tree landed up against me and pinned me against another tree. I was literally trapped in between the down tree and a standing tree. I could only move about 6” with my arms. The chainsaw was still running in my hands so I carefully cut the down tree close by to free me.
I do have some deep scratches and bruises on about 15” of my back. I can’t believe how fast the tree spun
around on me, I’m pretty sure the wind shifted at that time which caused me to get trapped.
I am thankful to be able to share my story with you, I know for a fact some people haven’t been as fortunate. |
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Central NC | You are lucky, always have an escape route |
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Texas | Glad you’re ok. I’ve read and heard of instances where someone was cutting a tree and it jumped back over the stump or splintered. That’s something that has always played loudly in my head as I’ve felled large trees.
Edited by Pigpiggy 5/22/2020 20:59
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west-byGod-Pa. | I, personally have had some near similar situations happen. Have seen BIG trees behave in ways I did not know were possible. Regarding cutting your way free-glad it worked. Decades ago, there was a story in Yankee Magazine about a logger in Maine who was a monster to work for. So, often, he worked alone. One time a tree fell on him. No one to know-or care-where he was. Cut his own leg off with chain saw & somehow managed to not bleed to death. |
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SW WI | Glad you are here to tell the story |
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Frytown, Iowa | Mark I’m glad your ok. |
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North of London | Glad to hear it worked out as well as it did.
I think anyone who has cut trees for very long can tell about a tree that did not fall they way they wanted or intended and a few others will tell you about the damage it did to them when that happened/
Your post is a good reminder to all of us to not get careless and to do all the things we know we should before rushing to the tree with the saw running.
Thanks for reminding us to be careful
Who knows how many you might keep safe. |
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NC Iowa Thompson | Happens so fast, glad to hear the story ,meaning you can tell it. |
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central Ia | Glad your okay, we don't heal as fast as we used to Mark |
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Embarrass WI | "Here", there are a lot of trees that end up not getting cut down because I absolutely refuse to go in the woods alone. It seems that someone in this area gets killed by a tree at least once a year, and the common thread is that they were working alone.
I'm glad that you survived. |
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| Thankful you are not injured more than the scratches Mark. Things can happen so fast. |
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Somerville, Indiana | Tree changed directions on a good man here fairly recent...He made the mistake of trying to out run it and lost.. |
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Central ND | I've cut only trees as a home owner and some of them were large cottonwoods probably 50-60 foot high and a foot thicker than the chainsaw bar was long. The one thing I learned about cotton wood is the notch is unpredictable as the hinge point as the wood breaks off ona "short grain" and they can go where ever they like.
I helped a friend cut blue spruce trees down along his house a few years back. He absolutely couldn't grab the concept of why you make a notch in a certain side to make a tree fall that direction. |
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barry county mi | Mark you got out of that mess darn glad your not any worst off archie |
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NW Iowa | Glad your ok. I have a few chainsaw/tree stories. Theres a lot if things that we farmers do that are very dangerous. Probably why I have a hard time waring a mask during these times. |
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| Glad you’re OK, (for the most part), Could’ve been a lot worse.
I have a similar resume to you. Couple days ago I had a 2 foot diameter 60 foot tall ash easily waited in one direction. I cut my slightly larger wedge on the heavy side. I came in from the back side, a little bit more severe angle and had about 1-2 inch to get to the wedge. (WTH) nothing...
The wind was blowing pretty good. I got my saw out and the backside saw cut closed. Tree might be heading the wrong way...
I got the hell out of there and left it for a few minutes. When the wind changed it finally came down as expected. Whew!
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Schlegel Farms, Hagerstown Indiana | Wow, scary stuff, glad you are OK. |
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Schlegel Farms, Hagerstown Indiana | Wow, scary stuff, glad you are OK. |
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SE Nebraska, Near Misery and Cans Ass! | Just about 90% of the stuff that happens to me is all my fault or at least there was something I could have done to avoid the situation that I neglected to consider. I just pray that my own carelessness never harms another person. |
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ECIL | You should put some extra in the collection plate Sunday, or send a larger offering. |
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Nevada, Iowa | Glad you weren't hurt any worse. Things happen so fast. |
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| Consider yourself lucky. I have a friend who had a tree spin & fall on him 10 or so years ago. Busted him up pretty bad, including breaking his back. Has had 2 or 3 surgeries, walks like Guadimoso, the hunchback of Notre Dame
It can happen to the best as well. Guy my daughter dated in HS has worked as a professional blogger most of his life. He had a tree come back on him & butt end hit him in the chest. He was working by himself, luckily managed to get to his truck & to the hospital. For a few days des were sure if he would survive.
Edited by boog 5/22/2020 22:36
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Graymont Illinois | Not a tree thing but I once was behind a combine and thought I could do something before my dad backed up.
Dad backed up combine at good speed and I was on a jd4020 narrow front with a 158 loader. I tried to get out of way but my gear shift jammed.
Dad hit me on the loader bracket almost tipped me over as the the rear end of the JD 7720 combine hit and jumped into the air.
My fault and I should not have been there.. Words were exchanged but I knew it was my fault. |
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| I have just about given up on cutting trees down.
I can rent a hoe. I sit in a nice comfortable place. I don't work hard. I don't trip and fall or slip off a terrace.
If the tree goes wrong I have some protection and a chance to push it a different way. |
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Cambridge, southwestern Nebraska | Glad it wasn't worse for you Mark. Sometimes odd things happen. You will remember that for a long time. |
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coast of Maine | Those escape routes are the option one must have when felling trees,always de brush around base,be very aware of wind its not your friend,widdow makers from above here are most common killer,Its not that you can out run but you can out dodge most tree bases,standing prone by the net one as you did is best,and it can get you on an excavator also,almost the most dangerous job there is in the USA.Glad you are ok.Here with variable terrain a common mistake is the bottom log bounce after top hits ,that gets you dead quick. |
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Northwest IOWA | Glad you are o.k.,Mark ! |
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100 miles north of the NYC crapper | I used to cut and sell firewood.
Had one barber chair on me one day that opened my eyes. I was lucky to be standing to the side. Wasn’t long after that I stopped doing it. Getting old and crippled up I just wasn’t able to move fast enough. Being out there alone it just wasn’t a smart thing to be doing.
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Chaffee, Western New York | Glad you made it. Once a year our FD responds to a very serious injury where a chainsaw is involved.
Before the Covid stuff a group of us had the FD board working on getting a Game of Logging class to come to town. Hopefully to reduce the number of injury.
The tree rolled because the hinge broke and was no longer holding the tree. The hinge brakes when the notch closed. Go to the spot and pick up the wedge you cut out. The tree went as far as the notch was open and then broke the hinge. How far did the tree get to go before the notch closed, 35°? When it was free was the stump side of the notch cut horizontal if so the tree is free to go anywhere, whereas if the bottom of the notch was angled where where you wanted the tree to go it would have slipped down that cut . A notch with more opening would let the tree get almost to the ground before closing and breaking the hinge.
Everyone who can should take a Game of Logging class.
Edited by Bruised Spud 5/23/2020 06:45
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NC KS | Hoes are much safer but a tree can still get you. Cab structure cannot withstand a tree fall or a branch coming through. |
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ncks | And I swear they fall twice as fast when they’re headin in your direction |
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west central Iowa | Glad you're ok, the worst thing I've done with a chainsaw so far is take the hide off my kneecap when a small tree pushed the saw towards me. I had to quit watching YouTube videos of chainsaw accidents or I would have got too scared to use one, but there are lots of good instructional videos. There's one where they use a hydraulic Jack in a hole they cut in the tree to help get the tree to fall in the right direction, I used that and it worked well. |
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Starbuck Manitoba Canada | Just finished cutting several hundred maple trees (Manitoba maple) going along the edge of the field. Many of the trunks split back. Always stood to the side. Always cleaned an escape route. These trees were little saplings 40 years ago when I first stated farming the field. Well they grew up and out in search of light because of the large established forest. Many had a curve upwards in shape so when they fell the curve of the tree would cause the end of the trunk to jump up 5-10-upwards of 15 feet. talk about a rush to have a 15+ inch trunk (trees 50-60 feet tall) jump up and come crashing down like that. I am glad I got that job over with. In hindsight I could have taken care of the whole half mile in a day way back then instead of a few months. |
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| Maybe not necessarily by posting on here, but someone close to you when you teach them your experience.
Thank goodness you are ok. |
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Pittsburg, Kansas | Glad you came out alive. I like you had a close call last fall. I like you have been running a chainsaw for well over 40 years. Fell looked straight forward but was up against a 5 wire gaucho wire fence. Notched it but made the mistake of when cutting through went too far and cut the hinge. Tree spun around like I never imagined and instead of felling 90 degrees to the fence fell right next to it with me in between. But luckily not like you, I was unpinned. Not a scratch on me but hardly any clearance between me, the fence and the 18" tree. But it sure made me do some reflection. 30 miles from home, alone, 3/8 mile away from the road. Could have turned out bad. John
Edited by John Burns 5/23/2020 12:12
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Lancaster, OH | Glad you're OK. Also, never cut trees alone. |
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Cleveland, MS. Own small farm near Booneville, MS | Trees can do funny/strange/unexpected things. I had one take out a power line when it spun while falling. I've been careful and fortunate. My worst injury was when cleaning off a ditch bank. I was cutting a tree and didn't see the vine that connected it to the next tree. The vine was about 3 inches in diameter. When the tree I was cutting started to fall that vine caught me right in the top of the head. Before that I thought that cartoon thing about "seeing stars" was a joke. It's not. I saw stars. Fortunately I'm hard headed. |
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I had a close call today, all my fault.
