widowmaker trip.mov

[@tghoffmann]

Dan, Your method turns a tough sitch into a precise, controlled operation. I just tried it in a circumstance nearly identical to your vid, slightly smaller tree. The by-pass cuts keep the saw out of harms way and the top strap split off a 6-foot spear left standing on the stump. That spear gave me nearly a full extra second … I almost went out for coffee. Worked great. Thanks for the tip Murph.

[@lotty468]

I once bought an old boat with the idea of going out to sea. I took a course and learnt just how dangerous it can be, and gave up the idea. I now have a chainsaw just to do a few little bits, and your demonstration has taught me not only the danger, but also to know my limit. Thank you.

[@badasswood]

I love how this shows the very real danger of the tension in a hung up tree... nice technique... good explaination...

[@SA-ly9tl]

Thank you for a very educational video. I understand the "Don't try this at home" thing. I watched another video before this and the guy called it "how to fall a dangerous tree" but when I played it he already had the tree cut. So, I appreciate you going thru the whole process and taking your time to explain. Thanks

[@markproulx1472]

I have found that falling trees like this is easy. I give money to a competent tree faller and watch them do it.

[@pushinlinux]

Wow! I am really impressed with this demonstration. I was trying to get a widow maker down by cutting the supporting tree (20 years ago), they were not that big, but the second got lodged in a third so the stakes became higher. I was out on the tractor, I notched the third tree and started the back cut, then I tied a 60 ft kernmantle rope just above the hinge , got well clear and broke the hinge with the tractor pull. I was well out of the way when all 3 came down. Checked my jocks, scary!

[@davidblack2970]

Damn, this is one of the best felling videos I've ever seen for clarity. You had also better know whether any part of the trunk is rotten or not, because then they can really explode on you at any time.

[@Candlemanification]

Good video ,kids do not try this at home comes to mind.I cut a Huge oak out of a bedroom after a hurricane.The tree fell against the door and I could'nt open it.I had to cut my way in through the roof.Standing on bedroom furniture cutting a tree is quite an experience and mess too.Wish I had a video camera back then in the 70s.Would have made a great how to video

[@crisprtalk6963]

Man that came down so fast it didn't look like you had any time at all to get out.

[@nathanhill6042]

That’s what makes it interesting

[@murphy4trees]

the piece is coming straight down.. not back and down. The only way it is coming back and down is if it's top-heavy, which is extremely rare in hung trees. I use a slightly different cut for that.

[@ml9633]

Thank you. But this is out of my league. Now my wife understands what i mean about Widow Maker. She saw your video and said: that's scary. I said: that's why i just cut down wood on the ground. Thank you :) Maurice Note: Buying any size chainsaw does not make you a Lumberjack guys!

[@michaelneely4851]

Hell yeah Daniel. My uncle and I would cut fire wood every winter in Oklahoma. A lot of the places we would get our logs where overgrown forest. I have come across quite a few of the widow makers. However the first one will never leave my mind. I had the wrong angle on the bottom cut. sending the tree backwards. I am glad that scared the crap out of me, and made me take a step back. The tree rolled off the trunk and rested in my foot prints. Respect the work that's for sure.

[@rayt3342]

Thanks for the informative video, Daniel, as all of yours are. I happened to watch it this morning in preparation of helping a friend this morning with a similar Widow Maker hang up. Used your technique and worked perfectly-thankfully!

[@paulcornell3155]

Some of t,he great thinkers of this past and present time have said if you can't explain something clearly you don't understand the soulation, Though I have no intention on cutting down my leaning tree any time soon,clearly will take heed to what You made so transparently clear in this demonstration.

[@TheSpawnacus]

Great explanation. I'm very cautious of trees as I learn. Thanks

[@murphy4trees]

take your time and make sure you're not going to die before making that cut.. If you can't be sure, then don't make it!

[@craigt611]

Why reach up over your head like that, rather do the cutting at chest height. Wouldn't it be easier to escape if your not reaching up over your head?

[@frankiet7148]

Thanks for taking the time to show these things!

[@slpip]

I won't cut higher than my chest with a chainsaw. Cut about 2 ft from the ground and don't worry about kick back so high. Cut higher than a shoulder is dangerous. The tree plunge down could hit the worker.

[@tygrant9910]

That's a hung tree. Not a widow maker.. a widow maker is a limb or top of a tree that falls... I'm a arborist that was hit by one. The top of the tree fell and hit me in the face and gave me 52 stitches. Ripping the skin and muscle completely from my skull. They are deadly. A hung tree is only a widow maker if something breaks loose and falls.

[@annaaron3510]

Fine explanation and show and tell. BUTT you broke my rule about cutting over your shoulder. It worked out this time. Good job. I wood have done the cut much lower for more control. Nice ash.

[@murphy4trees]

@splnkerd . the piece wants to drop straight down with gravity, so a vertical cut allows the piece to fall w/o binding on the remaining stump. A vertical cut is well suited for the job. I do not care for a notch and back cut in these situations, though I know some manuals recommend it. The plunge prevents saw pinch, as the tension/compression is hard to judge and is effected by weight of the top, and the angle of the trunk. Also allows for a bit of holding wood up top, which can slow the fall.

[@northtrailadventure6054]

Well done, a longer bar is also advanced to give you additional distance away from the tree

[@logdog8920]

Good job man, We cut some "Junk" trees that way at times. Usually we cut em off down low so as to save as much lumber value as possible. Then cable them down with the "Skidder". A

[@mmzz833]

wow.i jumped a foot when it dropped

[@reecevazey4278]

I do this on a daily bases with a few various techniques similar to this. Very different when the branches are all intact aswell sometimes you got to do it till the tree almost verticle then fold it back on itself

[@cbr600rrturbo]

Cutting trees in my woods 75% time it gets hung up because there's so many trees around so I thought I got pretty good at dropping widow makers but I've never seen them cut at this angle I always just cut horizontal on the tree, I'm gonna try it your way,thanks man

[@usm-4kagnew165]

Good technique. Didn’t look like the release was slowed much. Still very fast.

[@Yousemimight]

Yeah it was a bit slower at least when ur cutting it feels like it because you can watch that spot and it will tell you when to leave.

[@ck-4203]

Yep

[@JustinCglass]

In my line of work, this is really good to know Thank you for demonstrating this

[@fackurfeelings715]

I don't know how my dude walks with all those balls in his pants. Awesome work!!

[@magicponyrides]

Great video and your East Coast (NY?) accent is music to my ears.

[@MAAAH1581]

he break the golden rule “never cut above shoulders

[@dexter4378]

that's what I thought

[@rogercunningham9987]

He apparently knows what his limitations are

[@NETroutAngler]

I use this technique often but always started the from the back side and just cut straight down until it fell, much safer this way. Thanks Daniel you're the man! The gents at work often wonder where I come up with these little tricks. My secret! Haha

[@jimboofharrock]

I thought that, but the saw is obviously sharp and if you look closely you can see the chips coming out. I think this is an excellent demonstration and it shows at the end how quickly they come down.

[@fakeusername7620]

wow this is 13 years old and ive never seen this technique before. great video

[@pcdubya]

Nice job, You obviously know exactly what the hell you are doing, thanks for the lesson. Not me though " a mans got to know his limitations".

[@nocomment6168]

That was GOOD..The way you left the rear part of the tree there, to "catch" it as it dropped, then separate upon hitting the ground, made is SAFE for you. That was SMART! You know what you are DOING!

[@r.b.4611]

Jesus it sure does look dangerous

[@christopherspringmann]

Yes, it is dangerous. I often do plunge cuts. When you release the strap, things move very, very quickly, as they did here, especially with a leaning tree like this. Not for me!

[@michaelpcooksey5096]

So Imagine a 3.5 - 4 foot dia. Oak with one particular horizontal branch (approx 1 foot or more in diameter) hanging East over old community treasured gravestones. This problem tree had another large dia. (3 ft.) tree close to it (1 ft.) on the North side thus providing a ‘duck behind’ safe spot. Not being able to reach the large overhanging branch and unwilling to attempt dropping it with a ladder, ropes and axe...my grandfather solution was to simply drop the tree away from the stones. The pastor wanted all rough bark trees removed from the perimeter of the cemetery anyway so eventually it all had to go. First I tied the massive tree in place using adjacent trees, multi free strands of para-cord and a roll of climbing rope. Idea was to stop the initial small angle lean therefore preventing the drop till I wanted it to happen. Well, it worked in an amazing fashion. With initial chopping done the tree didn’t want to drop…annoying!! so I kept chopping till it looked like a beaver cut all around the tree with only a pencil left at the core (40 deg above and below the horizontal) . Clipping that with a swinging duck behind the tree and it STILL stood defiant. Loosening the main rope a bit allowed the lean to begin but the tree trunk base swung West suspended in mid air above the stump. I hooked another bunch of ropes to the trunk and attached it to my pickup and pulled it West a few feet more to avoid major headstones then released all the ropes holding it in place. Lucky to be alive, I will never do it again.

[@michaelpcooksey5096]

Cutting tools available: Only a carpenter cross cut hand saw, very sharp single bladed axe, and hatchet.

[@arborist460]

Used this today....worked exactly like that...bad persimmon hanger safely down

[@christopherkickdintheface7677]

"Just showing whats possible" I like it

[@cuttingwoodagain]

Same as as, I jumped and spilled my coffee!

[@murphy4trees]

the ONLY time the but is going to come back, is when the tree is top heavy. which is a very rare situation. I've dealt with a few monsters leaning on houses that had so much weight over the peak of the roof, that they were top heavy. When hung in other trees, I've only seen a top heavy leaner one time. It was hung in a low crotch of another tree that was only a few feet away, making it top heavy. Other than that, it's extremely predictable, its gonna go straight down. looks dangerous but is not

[@travisfleury-lopez6788]

Is it necessary to leave so little fiber when felling a tree this way? And no, I have no plans to try this without reading To Fell A Tree twice

[@FranktheDachshund]

Why was the cut so high up the tree, seems safer to work lower.

[@drandrewclarke]

thanks.question not criticism.why do the cuts so high? Why not at shoulder height?

[@PATCsawyer]

I've seen your technique used a couple times since you posted it and each time it worked as shown. That top strap did delay/control the drop for just a moment. I'd still call this an eyes-wide-open technique (not that you ever want to be distracted when running a saw).

[@AkatarawaJapan]

Super clear video, thanks. Would the same cut pattern be appropriate for a healthy tree on a similar lean but not hung up?

[@murphy4trees]

no... front leaners require a different strategy

[@AkatarawaJapan]

@@murphy4trees Thanks again. I've checked out your other vids and found great info.

[@martinradtke5181]

Good video with strong safety messages.Quick question - will this work on dead trees? Dead wood is weaker than live wood.

[@KMoran-cw2fd]

Would this work on a hung up white pine?

[@savage22bolt32]

5/2021 - This is an old video, but you just got another subscriber.

[@blakespower]

I thought a widowmaker was a large branch that fell off a tree and its stuck and is just waiting to fall and kill someone

[@murphy4trees]

@kalob35 ya there are a couple of different situations that are refered to as a "widow maker" However a split trunk is not necessarily a barber chair.. Barber chair refers to the movement of a tree or spar that splits during the fall and hinges to a higher point on the trunk than the notch.. this results in a lifting of the trunk on the back sideof the split, which resembles the movement of a barber chair lifting. Any split trunk is NOT a barber chair.. remember Shigo we must define ouor terms

[@holeshot1721]

U make it look so easy

[@kennethmikaelsson7990]

Workt felling in the power line gates and this is a useful teknik to have.. Almost every tree there is a problem tree at the powerlines..

[@davidhunt9477]

Ok its an advanced technique but why couldnt you just do a back cut at the base and fell it down a little slower?

[@murphy4trees]

there is always a chance of bar pinch or having the tree sit down on itself and sieze.. too much to explain here... if you are talking abotu makign an upward facing notch and back cut from bottom up, that can work, but its a lot more work and a lot more difficult, especially on bigger trees...

[@wildfireslayerjesse3112]

Undercuts save lives. Thanks for this

[@CARTSpeed22]

I used this technique today, Thanks. Successful & Home Safe.

[@murphy4trees]

it works every time... people think it's dangerous cause they haven't seen it before and watch how fast the spiked butt drops, but it is only going straight down, so it really can't hit the faller unless it's top heavy, which is extremely rare and generally very recognizable.

[@Sethhaun78]

Best videos out my man

[@murphy4trees]

thanks... that's an oldie.. And it still works...

[@goerizal]

that was very good. it helped me a lot. thanks.

[@thecollectoronthecorner7061]

Just subscribed. We posted a video on our channel of me taking down a hung red oak with a vintage lombard saw. I used offset cuts and then a wedgeto break it apart. that way in not holding a running chainsaw when it starts moving. Im 70 and have been using a saw since 64 when my father bought a new Xl 12 homelite.

[@myhermitlife]

Man. I jumped in my seat 😂

[@spelunkerd]

Do you angle the bore cut to better define the fall path? If you had used a notch at the top, would you still have angled the bore? Is the main advantage over a standard bore cut the fact it is faster?

[@murphy4trees]

sometimes I angle the cut to keep the but sliding away from me. The cut is still verticle, just angled away (left to right) , so as the but slides down it can't come towards the saw operator

[@laldan29]

There's a huge Ash up the track to my work that's well hung looks like it sunk at the base.. Hopefully it starts to die so it'll go naturally and I'll take the wood home

[@roycestreeservice]

Thanks Dan. I like the technique. Hopefully I won't have to use it anytime soon, but my crew likes to stick trees from time-time, so probably sooner than later.

[@brantswanson3763]

Always wondered about how to take those down

[@dddhhh2612]

This is expert level stuff for large trees . . .

[@lowrangeoverland9013]

Job well done my friend!

[@sylviacandler5541]

Fantastic! Thank You!

[@murphy4trees]

ya. very practical.. fast , safe , easy.. I have put hundreds of trees on the ground with this cut

[@rupe53]

Why do I think this tree went down just a LITTLE faster than he was predicting?

[@gotrocksinhead]

I thought the same thing at first but in the slow mo shot he didn't even flinch. He just watched it go.

[@gavindecker6722]

Wait, so did he purposely make a barber chair?

[@murphy4trees]

That's not a barber chair... please get your terminology straight

[@gavindecker6722]

@@murphy4treesI was asking a question; I’m trying to learn. What is it called?

[@rudychavira5558]

That was slow?

[@richardfld]

That sawdust is looking pretty damn fine...

[@halopub]

Very helpful! Thanks

[@sylviacandler5541]

love it! Thanks!

[@murphy4trees]

You are most welcome!

[@sticknstonesbrkbones]

That's a neat technique. My question is; Will this same technique work on a tree that was a dead standing and fell into another tree and is hung up. As you know dead standing have no bark and are basically sun hardened. That being said, I don't think that the scenario described above will have that same peeling effect from the upper uncut wood. In other words its not green wood. Im going to give it a try but I think I should probably build up some kind of support under it that I can then cut away and have it fall. idk. haha You are the human termite. hahaha give me advice.

[@murphy4trees]

don't bother trying to build a support under a hing tree. You want gravity to work. Yes the properties of wood change significantly when it's dead. You don;t really need it to peel though. The laws of physics are going to take that piece straight down. The only exception is if the piece is top heavy, which is very rare. It wold have to be laid up fairly low in a crotch with a big top sticking out ast the other tree. Make sure you use a sharp saw. get a new chain if needed. and use wedges to keep from pinching if needed... good lcuk with it.. get some fil on it and share the link .. THANKS

[@sticknstonesbrkbones]

@@murphy4trees Thanks for the advice. I might buy a gopro to film it.

[@springhollerfarm8668]

Yup, there is a reason it is called a widow maker. A LOT of tension and weight involved there.

[@gricka1000]

nice :) , thanks for sharing bro !

[@iansmith2921]

Well demonstrated and well said If you can’t do it safely DONT TRY IT

[@jonathangreenwood2842]

I love cutting these hang ups

[@gaylanbishop1641]

Outstanding!

[@zandemen]

That would really suck if there was any side load on it and it kicked toward just a little bit. Steel toes or composite toes in your boots would not save your foot at all lol.

[@bbigrocker1]

nicely done

[@stevecavanagh712]

Bro!! You are the f*****g man!!!

[@Anythingforfreedom]

Well done. Too dangerous for me!

[@timorum]

thanks - learnt something

[@suziehartwright]

Thanks 😉👍

[@Tarranttreeservices]

u tha man murph! forget the jealous know it alls, theyre just mad cause lack skills of badassness... ha

[@MrAndrewUrban]

Nice job

[@gregtaylor8327]

No need to cut it so high. Shouldnt be over shoulder height.

[@murphy4trees]

This one would have dropped with a lower cut, but when making multiple cuts on a hung tree, the higher the cut, the more they drop before they get straight. I had enough control of the saw to operate safely here and more important have enough experience to when its a good idea to break the rules, which are set up for rookies. Do you think that a man with 30 years of sawing experience should have to follow the same rules as a rookie?

[@gregtaylor8327]

@@murphy4trees I meant no disrespect but i have seen the results of high cutting a hung up tree. It looked like a Shark bite through his shoulder. He had approx 25 years experience. He was using a 380 Husky with a long bar limbing up a standing Pine tree. So that when it hit the ground he already had an 8 foot post limbed. Nearly killed him. To be fair the money we were on back in the eighties you had to cut as fast as you could to earn a good living. All the highest paid blokes took risks but i weighed up the law of averages and stopped that practice. The method you use here would have been invaluable for getting hung up trees down.Stay safe.

[@moochythecat3435]

Every tree is a widowmaker....

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

That was mortifying to watch.

[@marcellino1956]

so many dynamics

[@jeanboisleduc5255]

well done

[@hcdh8773]

Awesome

[@TheCondor300]

You really know what you're doing! Scared me when she let loose... SHIT!

[@davesweeney9677]

nice

[@stuartwhelan3258]

Looks very dangerous to me.

[@slit4659]

OR You could just let it fall on the Trail and STEP OVER IT......🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@EdH-c7b]

Time for a sharpening looks like powder

[@murphy4trees]

Rakers were high

[@kenweis7913]

So dangerous

[@mohamedwdalnor6893]

This is so easy LOL