felling bar cuts

[cerneARB]

Just got shown at college on friday the use of the felling bar cut / cushion cut.

 

Does anyone use these felling cuts and in what circumstances would you use them?

[Andy Collins]

I'd rarely find a felling bar much use in felling, prefer to use a pull line, and/or wedges. Too easy to strain your back with felling bar!!

[vduben]

felling bars are pants, like big a, bull rope and/or wedges!!!

[Andy Collins]

And I know someone who snapped a felling bar trying to pry over a tree!! Found it a bit hard to believe, but then knowing the physical strength of the guy, its possible.

[Marc]

And I know someone who snapped a felling bar trying to pry over a tree!! Found it a bit hard to believe, but then knowing the physical strength of the guy, its possible.

 

I believe it with some of those small Stihl ones, with a kind of I shaped cross section. I broke a levering pole once and smacked myself on the chin, not funny!

 

Now I prefer mechanical assitance in the form of wedges, or pull ropes set-up with pulleys or a simple truckers hitch.

Or even a mini forwarder, although I know crews that have become very reliant on their forwarder, its very handy to know multiple ways of bringing trees poles over.

[Marc]

Just got shown at college on friday the use of the felling bar cut / cushion cut.

 

Does anyone use these felling cuts and in what circumstances would you use them?

 

Do you mean a split level cut? I was showed this in my nptc but have never found a practical use for it, as there has always been an easier alternative.

 

Still usefull to know.

 

 

And are you being taught how to fell poles? As in trees that have had there canopies dismantled and are now standing trunks?

 

Had an intresting discussion with one guy about this, when I fell a pole I always do a deeper face, as the center of gravity is straight up now the crown has been removed, so a usual 20% face cut just makes getting big trunks over hard work as you have to get the center of gravity over further with a pole before it falls.

[Jay]

cushion cuts- this is the same as a split level cut. you put your gob in as normal then take out a quarter at the normal hight of your back cut. and put your felling bar in there. then you take out the other quarter cutting at an angle to cut under your felling bar but still above the bottom of your hinge. this basically creates a step cut for you to break using the felling bar.

 

its used to fell trees against the lean, but only on small trees and you would use it on anything leaning to much .

 

i was shown this at college and had to do it on my nptc assesment.

[Jay]

i was at a local arb shop the other day and they must of had 3 felling bars returned all snapped. all broke off where the flat plate on the end is joined to the bar. but then anything big and heavy you would use wedges.

[bill]

the small ones arent much cop, use but a big felling definity has its uses.

[Brushcutter]

I have the Bacho felling bars both 31" and 42" the little one is great but i've put a little bend in the big one.

 

I will normally use a wedge though as i don't see the point in busting your back trying to leaver something over when a wedge and a sledge will do it for you.

 

I do like the split level cut though and i do use it quite a lot. I've been told that you can't use a wedge in place of the bar on CS31 as wedges aren't in the course. I think you do less damage to your back with a sledge and a wedge rather than trying to lift the tree over with a bar.