Trees you've cut

[SpaceBus]

You seem like the type thats more suited for an electric saw.

I do plan on replacing my 395XP with a Logosol Speedsaw. Unfortunately nobody makes a battery saw that could work for my mill, or any mill that I know of. I prefer tools that can be used without hearing protection, so I hope that Speedsaw comes soon.

 

[Nathan lassley]

Whats it go like . Noticed them and been curious how they perform

It goes pretty good. The air filter doesn't let any fines in, and even the chain keeps a good edge.

 

[MustangMike]

I do plan on replacing my 395XP with a Logosol Speedsaw. Unfortunately nobody makes a battery saw that could work for my mill, or any mill that I know of. I prefer tools that can be used without hearing protection, so I hope that Speedsaw comes soon.

Nice operation!

 

[SpaceBus]

Nice operation!

Thank you, I'll have to snag some pics of my tractor and winch setup. My wife helps me when I fell trees by operating the winch while I make the felling cuts. These are some trees we felled back in the spring to clear a space for our vegetable garden. The but log with the saw on it is the largest tree I've personally felled, but it's not even that big at 16" diameter. You can kind of see the tractor with winch and grapple in the background. We have probably felled 50 or so trees in the size range in the pics. I really need to be better about taking pictures or I'll forget how much we have changed this place.

 

[Mastermind]

Thank you, I'll have to snag some pics of my tractor and winch setup. My wife helps me when I fell trees by operating the winch while I make the felling cuts. These are some trees we felled back in the spring to clear a space for our vegetable garden. The but log with the saw on it is the largest tree I've personally felled, but it's not even that big at 16" diameter. You can kind of see the tractor with winch and grapple in the background. We have probably felled 50 or so trees in the size range in the pics. I really need to be better about taking pictures or I'll forget how much we have changed this place.

So....you have learned to do all this on your own? No mentoring, or instruction from your elders?

Looks like you have plenty of drive and motivation. Well done.

What are your plans for the cleared land?

 

[RI Chevy]

He watched Utube boss. They are much smarter than forum guys. They tell you how to do things...[emoji2957][emoji16]

 

[MustangMike]

For pulling trees I love the Maasdam Rope Puller. I don't have a tractor, etc.

Some think it is inferior to cable because it is not as strong, but I like that I can do it even if I'm alone, and the rope has "stretch", so if you set the tension right it works real well.

Nothing will stop a tree already going in the wrong direction, but if you have constant tension on it, they will generally go in the correct direction. They have worked very well for me.

(Note: It is important to use good quality rope with it).

 

[SpaceBus]

So....you have learned to do all this on your own? No mentoring, or instruction from your elders?

Looks like you have plenty of drive and motivation. Well done.

What are your plans for the cleared land?

I said as much in the other thread, but yes, I did have to learn it all myself from forums like this and other resources. Learned a lot of wrong ways to do things and I'm lucky things didn't go south and maim or kill me. My situation is fairly unique and outside the scope of the thread. I'd be happy to engage in polite conversation via PM's if you like.

Edit: Just realized I didn't answer your question. We plan to use the cleared land for a garage, saw shed, and probably a basketball hoop. All of the cleared land we have now is soft/wet, sloping ,or our driveway. Eventually I want to clear some trees to make more quality pastureland for our three alpacas.

For pulling trees I love the Maasdam Rope Puller. I don't have a tractor, etc.

Some think it is inferior to cable because it is not as strong, but I like that I can do it even if I'm alone, and the rope has "stretch", so if you set the tension right it works real well.

Nothing will stop a tree already going in the wrong direction, but if you have constant tension on it, they will generally go in the correct direction. They have worked very well for me.

(Note: It is important to use good quality rope with it).

A come along, or even hi-lift jack, with quality winch rope, cable, or chain is also an option without the tractor. If I were just doing this for firewood I probably wouldn't have paid the expense for the skidding winch and grapple. When we first bought the property I was trying to do everything the hard way with one chainsaw (Husky 460 I got on amazon) and some splitting axes, mauls, wedges, etc. This was pretty awful and a few months of trying to do it all by myself with hand tools put me in the hospital. While laid up in the hospital I decided enough was enough and cashed in my life savings/retirement investments and bought serious equipment. Progress is still very slow, but I'm not killing myself every day to crawl an inch.

 

[Mastermind]

I said as much in the other thread, but yes, I did have to learn it all myself from forums like this and other resources. Learned a lot of wrong ways to do things and I'm lucky things didn't go south and maim or kill me. My situation is fairly unique and outside the scope of the thread. I'd be happy to engage in polite conversation via PM's if you like.

Edit: Just realized I didn't answer your question. We plan to use the cleared land for a garage, saw shed, and probably a basketball hoop. All of the cleared land we have now is soft/wet, sloping ,or our driveway. Eventually I want to clear some trees to make more quality pastureland for our three alpacas.




A come along, or even hi-lift jack, with quality winch rope, cable, or chain is also an option without the tractor. If I were just doing this for firewood I probably wouldn't have paid the expense for the skidding winch and grapple. When we first bought the property I was trying to do everything the hard way with one chainsaw (Husky 460 I got on amazon) and some splitting axes, mauls, wedges, etc. This was pretty awful and a few months of trying to do it all by myself with hand tools put me in the hospital. While laid up in the hospital I decided enough was enough and cashed in my life savings/retirement investments and bought serious equipment. Progress is still very slow, but I'm not killing myself every day to crawl an inch.

Let's not worry about the scope of the thread. Derails make the best topics it seems. I find things like this fascinating.

So you have been able to do research and teach yourself how fell trees, and turn them into usable lumber. You evidently are highly motivated, and intelligent.

This brings us to the "nature or nurture" question. Is it our DNA, or genetic memory that determines our abilities, or is it what we are taught?

My father left us when I was 8. One of my grandfathers passed away before I was born, and the other when I was very young. My older brothers left home when I was young as well, with the exception of Glenn, who was far more intelligent than me, and reminded of that daily, if not hourly.

So, how did I learn to port chainsaws? Research. Trial and error. More research.

But I have always been interested in machines, and what makes them tick.

No one peaked my interest, it was just something that I wanted to do.

I found out when I got older that my dad was a gearhead too. So, did I inherit that gene? He never taught me anything.

Thoughts?

 

[Mastermind]

I also love farming. Found out just a few years ago that my grandfather, and great grandfather on my dad's side were farmers. I had no idea. By the time I was born, the family farm had been sold because none of my grandfather's offspring wanted to work it.

I have become a believer in the theory of genetic memory.

 

[deye223]

Let's not worry about the scope of the thread. Derails make the best topics it seems. I find things like this fascinating.

So you have been able to do research and teach yourself how fell trees, and turn them into usable lumber. You evidently are highly motivated, and intelligent.

This brings us to the "nature or nurture" question. Is it our DNA, or genetic memory that determines our abilities, or is it what we are taught?

My father left us when I was 8. One of my grandfathers passed away before I was born, and the other when I was very young. My older brothers left home when I was young as well, with the exception of Glenn, who was far more intelligent than me, and reminded of that daily, if not hourly.

So, how did I learn to port chainsaws? Research. Trial and error. More research.

But I have always been interested in machines, and what makes them tick.

No one peaked my interest, it was just something that I wanted to do.

I found out when I got older that my dad was a gearhead too. So, did I inherit that gene? He never taught me anything.

Thoughts?

I often wonder this myself Randy nobody in my family was in to chainsaws fishing or shooting I tend to excel in all three along with everything else that goes with it .

sometimes I wonder weather somebody jump the fence while the old man was at work none of my abilities where inherited keeps me wondering everyday

 

[Mastermind]

I often wonder this myself Randy nobody in my family was in to chainsaws fishing or shooting I tend to excel in all three along with everything else that goes with it .

sometimes I wonder weather somebody jump the fence while the old man was at work none of my abilities where inherited keeps me wondering everyday

Maybe it skips a generation? No one in the last generation of my family did any of the things I do now. No farming, no timber harvesting. None of my brothers are interested in mechanics except one of my older brothers. But he's decided to give up messing with such things as age and injury takes the fun out of it.

 

[Moparmyway]

Let's not worry about the scope of the thread. Derails make the best topics it seems. I find things like this fascinating.

So you have been able to do research and teach yourself how fell trees, and turn them into usable lumber. You evidently are highly motivated, and intelligent.

This brings us to the "nature or nurture" question. Is it our DNA, or genetic memory that determines our abilities, or is it what we are taught?

My father left us when I was 8. One of my grandfathers passed away before I was born, and the other when I was very young. My older brothers left home when I was young as well, with the exception of Glenn, who was far more intelligent than me, and reminded of that daily, if not hourly.

So, how did I learn to port chainsaws? Research. Trial and error. More research.

But I have always been interested in machines, and what makes them tick.

No one peaked my interest, it was just something that I wanted to do.

I found out when I got older that my dad was a gearhead too. So, did I inherit that gene? He never taught me anything.

Thoughts?

My father left us when I was 5
My older brother ............ a doctor
My younger brother ....... a burnout full of excuses and blame for everything that isnt good in his life
I'm an engineer

Could be DNA
Could be in the water
Nobody taught any of us how to be a man, I learned fast at 18 when I enlisted, and some of those guys I went to boot camp with didnt even learn then

Conclusions ????
Here is mine:
I think the keyboard makes it rough to get to know some people
Everyone has their opinion and experiences (or lack thereof) behind their opinions
Each and every one of us can say whatever we want, at the end of the day, each person made the decision to do or say what they chose to, and bear the consequences of those choices.
Nobody taught me how to fell trees, I went and learned
Nobody taught me how to work on bikes, buildings, cars, turbines, etc ...... I went and learned
Nobody pays my bills but me, and I had to earn every red cent I have, so now I pay the bills for 6 people, every day.
I think people can teach themselves how to learn and grow, some do well, some not so well
Being responsible is about choices, good ones and bad ones
Being smart is learning from those choices
Being mature is owning those choices

 

[RI Chevy]

Well stated Kevin...

 

[Mastermind]

My father left us when I was 5
My older brother ............ a doctor
My younger brother ....... a burnout full of excuses and blame for everything that isnt good in his life
I'm an engineer

Could be DNA
Could be in the water
Nobody taught any of us how to be a man, I learned fast at 18 when I enlisted, and some of those guys I went to boot camp with didnt even learn then

Conclusions ????
Here is mine:
I think the keyboard makes it rough to get to know some people
Everyone has their opinion and experiences (or lack thereof) behind their opinions
Each and every one of us can say whatever we want, at the end of the day, each person made the decision to do or say what they chose to, and bear the consequences of those choices.
Nobody taught me how to fell trees, I went and learned
Nobody taught me how to work on bikes, buildings, cars, turbines, etc ...... I went and learned
Nobody pays my bills but me, and I had to earn every red cent I have, so now I pay the bills for 6 people, every day.
I think people can teach themselves how to learn and grow, some do well, some not so well
Being responsible is about choices, good ones and bad ones
Being smart is learning from those choices
Being mature is owning those choices

Excellent post my friend. Thank you.

I'm attempting to get to know SpaceMule. I feel as though I jumped in on the group lynching thing too quickly.

I would like to set that right.

 

[Moparmyway]

Excellent post my friend. Thank you.

I'm attempting to get to know SpaceMule. I feel as though I jumped in on the group lynching thing too quickly.

I would like to set that right.

I think SB got used to the AS 'tude and is working on getting to know us as much as we are getting to know him.
Group lynching ???
Meh ......... I think group reaction from this "getting to know process"
I dont think you or anyone else was too quick, it wasnt just one post.
That being said, his posts have been more grounded lately, so kudos to you, your crew of mods, and our forum members !
And kudos to @SpaceBus ........... looks like things are moving in the right direction

 

[SpaceBus]

I'm pretty much self taught in all parts of life that aren't military, but I am also from a military family. Not everyone is able to have the willpower to get out of the figurative (sometimes literal) swamps they were born into. You ever wonder why we have the last names we do, like Sawyer or Thatcher? Because those were family businesses and that's how knowledge was passed on. This forum is made up of OPE enthusiasts, so I would expect all of you to be self taught since that takes enthusiasm for the topic.

When I say a generation, I'm not talking about the tiny microcosm of forum members that use OPE, I'm talking about the millions of kids living in apartments, condos, row houses, and other city accommodations that don't lend themselves to OPE usage. While most of us are living in rural areas the vast majority of humans on the planet do not. Living in the city IS instant gratification. There's a food stand or take out join on every corner, drug stores everywhere, don't need to own a car, etc. Everything happens quick in the city, but not when you live in the country, much less remote corners of Maine or Montana. Most folks living in the city are more progressive minded because they have to be living packed in like sardines. Well, the poor people are, wealthy folk live in large apartments or whole floors of a skyscraper. Millennials were raised with the internet and TV, more instant gratification. Amazon has been offering free two day shipping for years now. Do you think tablets and smartphones are helping anyone's work ethic or attitude?

There's a whole generation of young adults who have no idea what to do or what the point is because of the world we live in. It's not the kids' fault they are *f-worded up, they just got tossed out into the world right after the economic crash in 07. As a teenager I worked fast food with adults that lost careers due to the crash. My parents' generation and those older got to start out in an awesome job market that didn't require any education. Highschool drop outs could get a job that would afford them to let their wives stay at home raising the kids and then buy a boat. Now it takes two adults working to support a household, wages have been stagnant for decades. Welders used to make $15-20/hr in the 80's and they are still making the same money, or maybe even less. I worked at a family business that made media blasting cabinets and a welder that had been with the company for 20 years was making $15/hr. I started out making $14/hr for the same company managing a parts room, and that's only because I had military experience and a stack of good leadership evaluations.

 

[SpaceBus]

Also I'm not whoever "SpaceMule" is/was. I use the Spacebus moniker on a few different forums.

 

[jacob j.]

This brings us to the "nature or nurture" question. Is it our DNA, or genetic memory that determines our abilities, or is it what we are taught?

Thoughts?

I think this thread has taken an excellent turn. In regard to nature vs. nurture - I think it's both. My dad, grandpa, and great grandpa were all career timber fallers. My grandpa and great grandpa were on Weyerhaeuser falling crews and lived in the big logging camps here. My dad definitely did NOT want me or my brothers going to work in the woods, but we did, because it's "in our blood." My dad saw the end of the days of big timber coming as early as 1979. He was best friends with a Forest Service timber sale administrator and that guy was already talking about the shutting down of federal timber sales due to wildlife habitat issues in '79. I went into wildland fire fighting first, and then timber cutting later. My interest in fire fighting was "nurture", as two good friends of my folks were Forest Service Smokejumpers that later became fire managers. My older brother started out on a logging crew for a local mom and pop logger and then cut timber for ten years.

Carl Yeung had a theory about "collective unconsciousness" and I think there may be some merit to that. Perhaps it could just be storage of things we witness as kids in our unconscious mind that we unknowingly bring to the surface later.

Maybe it skips a generation? No one in the last generation of my family did any of the things I do now. No farming, no timber harvesting. None of my brothers are interested in mechanics except one of my older brothers. But he's decided to give up messing with such things as age and injury takes the fun out of it.

I think there's some basis for that theory as well. My grandpa was a wonderfully talented woodworker and Luthier. He made some amazing things, including a hand-built violin that took him six years. My dad was not a woodworker and wasn't interested in it. Both my brother and I have an aptitude for woodworking and have made a few things.

Also I'm not whoever "SpaceMule" is/was. I use the Spacebus moniker on a few different forums.

I don't think Randy was confusing you with Spacemule. From what I've seen, you've done very well for yourself and have picked up some great skills as a result of your own initiative. I have a lot of respect for people who go forward and get 'er done, even if they're learning it themselves. The pioneers in this country had to learn a lot by trial and error (or trial by fire).

 

[Moparmyway]

I'm pretty much self taught in all parts of life that aren't military, but I am also from a military family. Not everyone is able to have the willpower to get out of the figurative (sometimes literal) swamps they were born into. You ever wonder why we have the last names we do, like Sawyer or Thatcher? Because those were family businesses and that's how knowledge was passed on. This forum is made up of OPE enthusiasts, so I would expect all of you to be self taught since that takes enthusiasm for the topic.

When I say a generation, I'm not talking about the tiny microcosm of forum members that use OPE, I'm talking about the millions of kids living in apartments, condos, row houses, and other city accommodations that don't lend themselves to OPE usage. While most of us are living in rural areas the vast majority of humans on the planet do not. Living in the city IS instant gratification. There's a food stand or take out join on every corner, drug stores everywhere, don't need to own a car, etc. Everything happens quick in the city, but not when you live in the country, much less remote corners of Maine or Montana. Most folks living in the city are more progressive minded because they have to be living packed in like sardines. Well, the poor people are, wealthy folk live in large apartments or whole floors of a skyscraper. Millennials were raised with the internet and TV, more instant gratification. Amazon has been offering free two day shipping for years now. Do you think tablets and smartphones are helping anyone's work ethic or attitude?

There's a whole generation of young adults who have no idea what to do or what the point is because of the world we live in. It's not the kids' fault they are *frenched up, they just got tossed out into the world right after the economic crash in 07. As a teenager I worked fast food with adults that lost careers due to the crash. My parents' generation and those older got to start out in an awesome job market that didn't require any education. Highschool drop outs could get a job that would afford them to let their wives stay at home raising the kids and then buy a boat. Now it takes two adults working to support a household, wages have been stagnant for decades. Welders used to make $15-20/hr in the 80's and they are still making the same money, or maybe even less. I worked at a family business that made media blasting cabinets and a welder that had been with the company for 20 years was making $15/hr. I started out making $14/hr for the same company managing a parts room, and that's only because I had military experience and a stack of good leadership evaluations.

OK, lets get back to the important part, the one where we see pictures of your felling cuts, stumps, muffler mods, saws, other equipment too. Pictures of sharpened cutters and for the love of all humanity, let us know what oil & ratio you use. For Jeefus, he’s going to be wanting a few air filter pictures, he’s strange, but he’s family, so we just post them and try not to imagine what he’s doing with them ...........