Would you have tried this?

[Samuel]

a very simple answer NO

[Tom Dunlap]

In the US we are not required to do risk assessments like in the UK.

 

Given that amount of tree that was on the far side of the lines would anyone be able to proceed with the job the way that Daniel did? Not 'would' you...

 

What sort of load calculations were done? The pulling ropes were much smaller than I would have used in that situation [given that the wires were NOT there].

 

How much sound wood was in the trunk at the face/back cut? Was a drill used to do some probing? That whole trunk could have been fractured.

 

The bucket truck was sitting right there. I wonder if it would have been smashed if the tree went back over the lines.

[Ian Flatters]

Fair play on that. He seemed like he had it planned out and i went like he said. Personally i would of just used a platform.

[rbtree]

My comments in bold

I am surprised at some of you experienced guys thinking the way you do. From start to finish the job went pefectly. But he took huge chances, and made many mistakes. He had horrible line angles. His choice of rope may have been poor. He ventured into the kill zone. Had the line parted, the carnage could have been catastrophic. Same goes for the mini driver. Is there a guard on it? He used shackles as he was shy of enough blocks, which introduced friction and a way too small bend radius into the line.. He didn't show us the choice of tie off slings, some of which would have been experiencing some very high forces. Had there been a failure, what about those live power lines?Some things you just have to try or do. You have to trust your experience and own theories. Daniel is winging it as he goes. A few years ago, he was a neophyte. Now he comes across like a know-it-all, and is closed minded to constructive criticism. He thinks no one else is doing what he is doing....yet most of what he does has been done before--long before...but by far more experienced arborists. anytime i have had a big tree to fell out in the open i have tried doing things a little diferently, bigger gobs, thicker or thinner hinges, really trying to hang the hinge on a bit longer all diferent kinds of stuff. There is only 1 way to find out. If you take away the wires and the garden surroundings then this guy is just focusing on the tree, nothing else. Look at the guy in the states that fellwd the 100foot tree between the houses, AWESOME! he knew what he was doing and just did it. That was me--and Dave Stice. The tree was 146 feet tall. It was a straight fell-nothing fancy, just a tight spot. But Daniel even tried to pass it off as if it was nothing. I used to like him, he used to respect me, as do a lot of you youngsters. He will have to learn a lot and change his attitude dramatically before he garners any respect from me or from most of my online peers.

[Stephen Blair]

i will take on board everything you have said RB as you have been there and done far more than i ever will, thanks for your time to post on the subject:thumbup1:

[dadio]

This video has been greatly misunderstood, and often demonized..

 

In part due to the mistaken chronology in the editing, which shows the notch being cut after the line is pulled.. The notch is visible in both sequences showing that it and the backcut were made before the tension was put on like that..

 

The other part of the misunderstanding is that people make up stories based on limited information.. they see some little part of a job in a video and don't think that there might have been a lot more going on than was shown.. and for some reason, many seem to think its the producers obligation to demonstrate the techniques and calculations used to ensure the safety of an operration..

 

If you look closely there were four line legs coming off the top of the tree.. , one retainer line and two pull lines... one pull line was doubled.. test pulls were made before cutting the notch, two lower limbs had been cut back to prevent limb lock, again they are visible as the tree stands up..

 

Load limits were kept to 50-60% tensile.. and mcuh more..

 

you may think it looks like a "hope and a prayer cut", but it was 100% in my mind.. the only variable was the need to make the final cut. Once the piece stood up, I tried to break the hinge with the retainer (right angle) line. When that failed, I stepped in and cut the holding wood to trip the tree into the field, as I didn't want to lay it up into the trees that were being used as ground anchors.. By the time the tree started to stand up there was less force needed to do the pulling, thus ensuring the ropes would not fail, as they had held at much higher applied force.

 

 

 

Here's another example of similar wok:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9Lkw8sbI]YouTube - backleaners[/ame]

 

In case you all haven't seen this one: another couple back leaners..

 

the firs twas pulled against the lean to free it of the tree it was tangled up in, with intention that the hinge would fail and the tree to drop harmlessly into the yard, as I didn't want it laying up in the anchor trees, or getting the fence..

 

the second came up and over the creek, before the hinge failed, at which time it fell maybe 15-20º from the intended lay. This was no problem as it did no damage whatever to the tree it laid up in. I had cleared that contingency with my customer, prior to pricing the work. Might have got that one to the lay, had more care been taken with the direction of pull...

[18 stoner]

Ok Daniel, so you have finally shown your face on here, first of all, welcome.

 

Perhaps you would care to answer a couple of first questions.

 

Why is it you persist in carrying out these type of far fetched and risky methods instead of dismantling in a more controlled and safer manner?

 

On many, if not all of your vids there seems to be a much safer way of getting the tree down.

 

Can you justify dismissing safety and replacing the main priority with your higher risk methods?

[skyhuck]

This video has been greatly misunderstood, and often demonized..

 

In part due to the mistaken chronology in the editing, which shows the notch being cut after the line is pulled.. The notch is visible in both sequences showing that it and the backcut were made before the tension was put on like that..

 

The other part of the misunderstanding is that people make up stories based on limited information.. they see some little part of a job in a video and don't think that there might have been a lot more going on than was shown.. and for some reason, many seem to think its the producers obligation to demonstrate the techniques and calculations used to ensure the safety of an operration..

 

If you look closely there were four line legs coming off the top of the tree.. , one retainer line and two pull lines... one pull line was doubled.. test pulls were made before cutting the notch, two lower limbs had been cut back to prevent limb lock, again they are visible as the tree stands up..

 

Load limits were kept to 50-60% tensile.. and mcuh more..

 

you may think it looks like a "hope and a prayer cut", but it was 100% in my mind.. the only variable was the need to make the final cut. Once the piece stood up, I tried to break the hinge with the retainer (right angle) line. When that failed, I stepped in and cut the holding wood to trip the tree into the field, as I didn't want to lay it up into the trees that were being used as ground anchors.. By the time the tree started to stand up there was less force needed to do the pulling, thus ensuring the ropes would not fail, as they had held at much higher applied force.

 

 

 

Here's another example of similar wok:

 

 

In case you all haven't seen this one: another couple back leaners..

 

the firs twas pulled against the lean to free it of the tree it was tangled up in, with intention that the hinge would fail and the tree to drop harmlessly into the yard, as I didn't want it laying up in the anchor trees, or getting the fence..

 

the second came up and over the creek, before the hinge failed, at which time it fell maybe 15-20º from the intended lay. This was no problem as it did no damage whatever to the tree it laid up in. I had cleared that contingency with my customer, prior to pricing the work. Might have got that one to the lay, had more care been taken with the direction of pull...

 

What was the reason for using wedges?????????????

[MaxJ]

I do like the use of the chain brake, work position around the base of the tree, eye protection oh and those new chainsaw protection trainers! Mind you, they do come in handy when a swift exit is needed for dealing with a hung up tree!

[Catweazle]

I'd have wanted much bigger ropes and a pulling method that couldn't suddenly lose traction or fry the clutch and get pulled forwards, a big Tirfor would do.

 

I'm just a pessimistic amateur though .