RabSawMan

Thanks to everyone for their words of advice, the biggest tree I have felled so far is around 30". granted it was a "handy" one it was growing on the side of a hill so it was leaning the correct way before I started gravity just helped it on it's way. I totally get where you guys are coming from, I'll freely admit I dont have the experience felling those larger unsafe trees so I think it would be better on this occasion to get a man in with a 395. Especially so with the first child well on the way and a house just bought dont want to be taking any unnecessary risks. The consequences dont bear thinking about. I found him through a friend of a friend if that makes sense, I think he might take payment in the form of a nice beech so it would be suit very well plenty of trees to go round ? Eric yes those beech nearly always have rotten hardwood, I sawed up a windblown couple years ago and you wouldn't have thought there was anything wrong with the tree sign of any fungus above ground but the roots were all rotten. I was breaking them off the root ball with my bare hands. I will post some photos up when we do get round to getting the trees manufactured no doubt it will be an impressive sight a big saw happily chomping through a nice big stem or 4. Those couple photos only show two of the worst trees at this particular farm, theres a lot more I have been sawing at will keep snapping pics. Thanks again everyone Rab

By way of introduction I have been a long time lurker on this site and I have to say there is lots of invaluable information on here with everyone trying their best to help each other out which is genuinely a rarity in this self obsessed world that we all sadly live in. I was hoping I could get some advice on a couple of beech trees that I think are beyond their healthy lifespan and need to come down asap. The tree (first on the left beside the gate) looks very healthy canopy wise but upon closer inspection I noticed the rotten area in the trunk about 15 feet off the ground. Is there anything that could be done to help the tree or is it a case of fell it or just let nature take its course? This tree has been dropping branches for the last two years. Every time a branch drops it flattens the fence which is just to the right of the picture and I'm fed up having to keep fixing the fence. The trunk is about 5 foot diameter and I think having stood in front of it two men couldn't even join hands round it it's a big old tree. Thankfully all the branches have fallen off one side of the tree so it has a lot of weight leaning on the side away from the fence so it should be easy felled. Saying that I think its beyond the reach of the trusty 266xp and 24" bar. Would I be able to fell this with the 266 and the "wee" 24 bar? I think I read somewhere you can cut 2x wider than your bar if you plunge cut into your felling notch? I'm wondering would the 266 be fit for a 32 bar? I know it might be asking a bit much of the old girl but I do have a soft spot for her. The saw is actually older than me I think. It has got the black serial number plate. Thanks for taking the time to read this post Rab

That's a tidy looking job difflock, it certainly solves the age old problem of the bottom trunks getting wet and dirty. It would be a lot cheaper than concrete for the tight Ballymena men amongst us of which I am one ?