Dutchman/soft Dutchman

[pault]

So been out felling for the last 2 weeks clearing a large site of about 50 large ash, oak and alder and was explaining the mechanics/ applications of a Dutchman/soft Dutchman cut to a colleague of mine as there were a few tall skinny ones that would have been ideal candidates to demo it but they werent marked to come out. Showed him the cut on a high stump but its hard to describe how it works without showing.

Just curious as to how many of you have ever had to use one in anger and what percentage are successful as i know it can be a bit hit and miss with these cuts (holding wood quality, species, frozen, lie of the land etc etc)

Any pictures or videos would be interesting to see.

 

Cheers guys and gals:thumbup:

[Pete Mctree]

It is a cut of convenience for me. I am not skilled enough to use it in a critical situation, despite my increased success with the cut.

[Paul Jenks]

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/logging/manual/felling/cuts/unacceptablepractices.html#swing_dutchman

Not recommended in America.

Looks like fun to try in the woods though.

[pault]

There are a few good videos on youtube showing it. I have had quite a bit of success with it but was just wondering how many of you have used it and in what situations?

[Ty Korrigan]

The domino fell looks like a lark...

Ty

[Brushcutter]

  Ty Korrigan said:

The domino fell looks like a lark...

Ty

 

It's fine if you have a 20t pull skyline carriage. Otherwise its a PITA.

 

As for Dutchmen cuts tried them. They're OK but i'd never have the stones to use them how they do in the states. House 32"DBH Pine using a dutchmen to throw them away from the house. Not for me.

[daltontrees]

As far as I can tell they don't do anything a tapering hinge and a wedge doesn't do better. I have about 100 trees to fell tomorrow (and every day for the next week) and they need to be swung away from a loch, so I'll have a go.

[pault]

  daltontrees said:

As far as I can tell they don't do anything a tapering hinge and a wedge doesn't do better. I have about 100 trees to fell tomorrow (and every day for the next week) and they need to be swung away from a loch, so I'll have a go.

 

Valid point. I think its one of those cuts that is intended for speed in a logging setting, for example if you get paid by the tree you dont want to be having to wedge over every tree if you can avoid it. As a practice and experimental cut its good to try out if you have the room and no obstacles to hit. I have to say that the success i have had has been with mainly spruce that can only be felled one way and have a slight side lean to them away from the target area and had to try and avoid the unmarked trees/ younger trees etc growing near by.

Good luck experimenting with it and let us know how you get on.

[teepeeat]

  daltontrees said:

As far as I can tell they don't do anything a tapering hinge and a wedge doesn't do better. I have about 100 trees to fell tomorrow (and every day for the next week) and they need to be swung away from a loch, so I'll have a go.

 

dont forget the camera for a few examples

[IanW]

is this similar to releasing one side more than the other and getting it to swing to your preferred direction of fell? its fun watching them dance