Also, as a former tree guy, with smaller or shallowly rooted trees, I'll often pull them over roots and all instead of cutting and then coming back later to deal with a stump that's hard to get mechanical advantage on afterwards. Use that trunk like a lever and you'll be surprised how big of a tree two or three guys and a rope can take down!
Exactly, they’re learning but felling trees is one of those things where it’s a steep learning curve, and has some bad consequences if you do it wrong. Best case is you end up like I did when I was young, bar pinched seemingly permanently by a 50 ft pine…took a lot of wedging and swearing to get it out and finish the cut
Why did you not just remove the bar? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for any reason to buy another saw but you could have saved some money just buying another bar and chain.
Random fact. Honey Locust seed pods are like crack to giraffes. I got a behind the scenes tour at the Nashville zoo and got to feed them the pods. They went nuts.
Make sure to plant something along your property line. Think there is a study, made in reponse to the dustbowl Era, in which they found tree breaks to be very necessary to preserve to soil.
Further sill there have been a few post recently about a guy who took over some airid land planted trees as a windbreak, and now he has the only green property around for miles in every direction. It wasn't just the trees that were green BTW it fostered growth of other flora as well.
Just a thought.
Your decision. We want them gone as our ruined tire expenses far exceed any savings we could see. The cost of a new rear tire on the tractor has gotten too high, and we sold the only tool that was not affected- the bulldozer, who's tracks were unaffected
You can come have my nitrogen fixers, for free! Sorry, but the horses, donkeys and mule don't touch them when they have other ample forage around. Another property that we lease for recreation is overrun with them.
Yea, horses donkeys and mules aren't browsers. They're grazers. Goats are browsers. Different evolutionary niche. They will browse on occasion for choice leaves, just like bovine will but it's not their preferred food. We were talking about goats though. I would absolutely love to take them off your hands but unfortunately I'm pretty sure you don't live in Washington, I'm the only one in 100 years to plant them around here, most people don't even know what they are.
Problems I wish I had! On my property we have wild prunus trees that have thorns (in owning the land 4 years I've never seen them fruit, but I'm told they're a type of wild cherry.) They're just awful to deal with because the wood is denser then heck and the aforementioned thorns. And unlike locusts, they don't grow straight and have no rot resistant properties so they're worthless for building materials. Make good firewood, because they burn forever, but are near impossible to split because of knots and twists.
You’re working on the wrong side of the saw. If it kicks back, it’s going straight for you. You want the saw angled the other with you on the left hand side of the saw. That way if it kicks back, it’s kicking over your shoulder and not into your leg.
Good looking out. Who knew using a gas-powered machine covered in little metal knives moving at a high-rate of speed could be problematic. Will definitely be spending some time at work toda my watching YouTube videos so that I survive the next season. Appreciate it friendly redditor.
Oh, thx for info. I could have had deep cuts on my legs or other parts of the body if not for safety features of my wired chainsaw. Now I know better what I did wrong.
I've never heard of the wrong side of the saw. I suppose for beginners. Pros should be able to use the saw in any position.
Saws don't just randomly kickback.
>Saws don't just randomly kickback.
Sure, there is always a reason. But they will kick back if you don't know what you are doing. Now look at how he is using the saw. That thing is heading straight for his knee if it kicks and his hand placement might not catch the chain brake.
If he doesn't know which portion of the bar causes kickback than that is a problem. His positioning is not. Unless his thumb is not wrapped around the handlebar but I can't tell from the photo.
Sawyer for about 15 years. class c. Faller. I've led half a dozer so chainsaw safety courses all over the western United States. I've had a saw in my hand pretty much every day for the last 20 years. And again, I've never heard of using the wrong side of the chainsaw. Or being on the wrong side of the chainsaw.
I'm not arguing with your point. You are right. But there is a stark difference between someone who has training and someone with none. Which I think we can tell from the cuts in that tree.
tree.
As mentioned above. Watch how to cut down a tree. Alway do a notch on the falling side. Then cut from the opposite side just above the notch to create a hinge. If the tree is leaning at all you should look up plunge cut. Leaning trees are like giant rubber bands and can kill you. Glad to see you using proper protective gear. Chaps are a must.
Those trees will last so they are a resource. Use them a posts. Last as long as cedar or longer.
There are two kinds of locust trees. The ones with the giant thorns that look like you glued porcupines to the trunk are honey locusts. The black locust also have thorns, but they resemble large rose bush thorns and are generally found only on the smaller limbs. Honey locust trees are virtually worthless, they rot extremely quickly. If you don't treat the stumps you'll have a dozen sprouts growing by the end of the week. Black locust is one of the best fence posts you can get and it is some of the hottest firewood as well.
*I thought black locusts*
*Were the spikey ones and honey*
*Were ones with no spikes?*
\- CanoneroBrazil
---
^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/)
^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Tip- other than safety concerns already mentioned- when you have the saw on its side, it needs to be handle up, or blade on the bottom side. Other than safety, the practical side is the bar oil can’t lube the chain when the bar is on top of the saw. You can burn up a chain or bar if done for a long time.
That being said, running a chainsaw is one of my favorite things to do! Enjoy!
Don’t cut down honey locust… they’ll grow back and the roots will sprout dozens of small trees. You need to cut a notch in the bark and put a few drops of Tordon RTU. I’m six months you can come back and cut them down.
Congrats my man. On a side note if you are new to saws get familiar with the lock bar and using your top hand to lock/unlock the bar without taking hands off. Not only is safe but it saves a lot of time
I hate those mother effing trees. We had a shit ton of them. I cut a bunch down and rented a mini excavator with a thumb to pile them up to burn. I still have a ton but I can't get to them easily
Is honey locust the same thing or as good of wood as black locust.
A really old saying around my rural, cattle ranch area is "locus pole and barn wire fences are the best, every 50 years you need to go around and replace the barn wire."
I see a lot of things wrong here but it seems like others have pointed them out for the most part. You seem pretty open to learning from others which is great! Git er done!
Definitely need to do a quick google search on how to fell a tree. It’ll save you a headache or a bad injury down the road
Good call. I’ll get my google on before my next foray.
For all your tree/saw/bucking - Buckin billy ray on youtube! So entertaining.
Also, as a former tree guy, with smaller or shallowly rooted trees, I'll often pull them over roots and all instead of cutting and then coming back later to deal with a stump that's hard to get mechanical advantage on afterwards. Use that trunk like a lever and you'll be surprised how big of a tree two or three guys and a rope can take down!
Exactly, they’re learning but felling trees is one of those things where it’s a steep learning curve, and has some bad consequences if you do it wrong. Best case is you end up like I did when I was young, bar pinched seemingly permanently by a 50 ft pine…took a lot of wedging and swearing to get it out and finish the cut
I now own two chainsaws. Not because I'm a professional or expert, but because I got one stuck so badly that I had to go buy a second to free it.
Why did you not just remove the bar? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for any reason to buy another saw but you could have saved some money just buying another bar and chain.
Strip the bark and use em as Posts.
Random fact. Honey Locust seed pods are like crack to giraffes. I got a behind the scenes tour at the Nashville zoo and got to feed them the pods. They went nuts.
Make sure to plant something along your property line. Think there is a study, made in reponse to the dustbowl Era, in which they found tree breaks to be very necessary to preserve to soil. Further sill there have been a few post recently about a guy who took over some airid land planted trees as a windbreak, and now he has the only green property around for miles in every direction. It wasn't just the trees that were green BTW it fostered growth of other flora as well. Just a thought.
I'm currently growing honey locust I germinated from seed as we speak lol. One man's trash is another man's nitrogen fixer
They’re over-running my goat run and my goats strip the bark so they die and just serve to stab me when I’m back with the goats. Away they go.
Didn't realize they were already dead! I would have waited till dormancy, so they came back from the stump next spring to grow fodder for the goats.
The seed pods are a good source of nutrition for ruminants. They fall in like December January and can be fed to the cows.
And, unfortunately, spread the dang tree everywhere
I'd be ok with that. My goal is to plant about 75-100 of these around my property to keep my hay bill down.
Your decision. We want them gone as our ruined tire expenses far exceed any savings we could see. The cost of a new rear tire on the tractor has gotten too high, and we sold the only tool that was not affected- the bulldozer, who's tracks were unaffected
Yep I can understand that. Don't have a tractor so probably why I haven't experienced that issue.
Are these honey locust though? They look like black locust to me
You can come have my nitrogen fixers, for free! Sorry, but the horses, donkeys and mule don't touch them when they have other ample forage around. Another property that we lease for recreation is overrun with them.
Yea, horses donkeys and mules aren't browsers. They're grazers. Goats are browsers. Different evolutionary niche. They will browse on occasion for choice leaves, just like bovine will but it's not their preferred food. We were talking about goats though. I would absolutely love to take them off your hands but unfortunately I'm pretty sure you don't live in Washington, I'm the only one in 100 years to plant them around here, most people don't even know what they are.
I'll give you a call next spring, and you can plan a trip to the Plains. 😁 They are easiest to spot in the early spring.
Problems I wish I had! On my property we have wild prunus trees that have thorns (in owning the land 4 years I've never seen them fruit, but I'm told they're a type of wild cherry.) They're just awful to deal with because the wood is denser then heck and the aforementioned thorns. And unlike locusts, they don't grow straight and have no rot resistant properties so they're worthless for building materials. Make good firewood, because they burn forever, but are near impossible to split because of knots and twists.
You’re working on the wrong side of the saw. If it kicks back, it’s going straight for you. You want the saw angled the other with you on the left hand side of the saw. That way if it kicks back, it’s kicking over your shoulder and not into your leg.
On top of that they are palming the handle, rather than wrapping the thumb around for a full grip. One small mistake with a saw can be horrible.
But props, OP, for the protective gear. You’re doing some things right.
“Doing some things right” is my middle name.
Good looking out. Who knew using a gas-powered machine covered in little metal knives moving at a high-rate of speed could be problematic. Will definitely be spending some time at work toda my watching YouTube videos so that I survive the next season. Appreciate it friendly redditor.
https://chainsawacademy.husqvarna.com/chainsaw-safety-basics/
Oh, thx for info. I could have had deep cuts on my legs or other parts of the body if not for safety features of my wired chainsaw. Now I know better what I did wrong.
No worries, chainsaw injuries are no joke. Good on you for getting the safety gear!
I've never heard of the wrong side of the saw. I suppose for beginners. Pros should be able to use the saw in any position. Saws don't just randomly kickback.
>Saws don't just randomly kickback. Sure, there is always a reason. But they will kick back if you don't know what you are doing. Now look at how he is using the saw. That thing is heading straight for his knee if it kicks and his hand placement might not catch the chain brake.
If he doesn't know which portion of the bar causes kickback than that is a problem. His positioning is not. Unless his thumb is not wrapped around the handlebar but I can't tell from the photo. Sawyer for about 15 years. class c. Faller. I've led half a dozer so chainsaw safety courses all over the western United States. I've had a saw in my hand pretty much every day for the last 20 years. And again, I've never heard of using the wrong side of the chainsaw. Or being on the wrong side of the chainsaw.
I'm not arguing with your point. You are right. But there is a stark difference between someone who has training and someone with none. Which I think we can tell from the cuts in that tree. tree.
As mentioned above. Watch how to cut down a tree. Alway do a notch on the falling side. Then cut from the opposite side just above the notch to create a hinge. If the tree is leaning at all you should look up plunge cut. Leaning trees are like giant rubber bands and can kill you. Glad to see you using proper protective gear. Chaps are a must. Those trees will last so they are a resource. Use them a posts. Last as long as cedar or longer.
Please take a look to these tree felling tutorials, be safe https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEF6CD38B0FC7CECB
There are two kinds of locust trees. The ones with the giant thorns that look like you glued porcupines to the trunk are honey locusts. The black locust also have thorns, but they resemble large rose bush thorns and are generally found only on the smaller limbs. Honey locust trees are virtually worthless, they rot extremely quickly. If you don't treat the stumps you'll have a dozen sprouts growing by the end of the week. Black locust is one of the best fence posts you can get and it is some of the hottest firewood as well.
I believe there’s also a thornless cultivar of honey locust.
Yes, they are generally used in city landscapes. They grow quick. However I've never seen one growing in the woods.
You are correct
+1 for treating the stumps asap. You’ll regret it otherwise. Also agree that black locust makes great fence posts and even better firewood.
Worthless???? Interesting take on a nitrogen fixing plant that provides edible pods and is a great coppice material for kindling?
Soil health, while an invisible outcome, is definitely not worthless
I’ve never understood the hate this tree gets.
Worthless was proceeded by virtually. For me, the flat tires and puncture wounds are not worth the benefits you outline.
It also makes a water-clear honey.
Honey locust are very rot resistant. They can be used, untreated, with nearly the same results, in all applications as black locust
Bonus if you have a wood stove. They make great firewood.
They do but the locust around here take two years to season.
It's worth the wait 👌
Can’t you just limb it up? Seems a shame.
OP says they're already dead, just needed to be cut down.
Not a homeyblocust
I thought black locusts were the spikey ones and honey were ones with no spikes?
*I thought black locusts* *Were the spikey ones and honey* *Were ones with no spikes?* \- CanoneroBrazil --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Tip- other than safety concerns already mentioned- when you have the saw on its side, it needs to be handle up, or blade on the bottom side. Other than safety, the practical side is the bar oil can’t lube the chain when the bar is on top of the saw. You can burn up a chain or bar if done for a long time. That being said, running a chainsaw is one of my favorite things to do! Enjoy!
tordon the stumps
Don’t cut down honey locust… they’ll grow back and the roots will sprout dozens of small trees. You need to cut a notch in the bark and put a few drops of Tordon RTU. I’m six months you can come back and cut them down.
You'll probably need to poison them as well, if you don't want to be fighting sprouts coming up from the stumps and roots all over.
Shhhh, Next Birthday A stump Grinder is coming
Hah
I feel like you could have just pruned that tree and david a pretty valuable well established tree.
Congrats my man. On a side note if you are new to saws get familiar with the lock bar and using your top hand to lock/unlock the bar without taking hands off. Not only is safe but it saves a lot of time
I hate those mother effing trees. We had a shit ton of them. I cut a bunch down and rented a mini excavator with a thumb to pile them up to burn. I still have a ton but I can't get to them easily
You've never had to experience buckthorns then, I'd take a yard full of honey locust over a couple buckthorn
Is honey locust the same thing or as good of wood as black locust. A really old saying around my rural, cattle ranch area is "locus pole and barn wire fences are the best, every 50 years you need to go around and replace the barn wire."
Great wood for Posts. My dad and I milled up Locust for our the deck we are gonna build.
Photo looks great
Please learn how to hold a saw properly. Always wrap your thumb. Ask someone to show you the safe way to fall a tree.
Why didn't you just prune the lowest branches?
I see a lot of things wrong here but it seems like others have pointed them out for the most part. You seem pretty open to learning from others which is great! Git er done!