Not My Chainsaw!!!!!

A forester friend in Deep Southern Illinois took these photos about one week ago. I have included his description and thoughts below. Go down the left side to the Rules To Live By and review the long list of chainsaw safety rules. Every one of them is important. I frequently point out to saw operators that guns have only four basic safety rules, and you generally have to violate more than one of them before someone gets hurt. Chainsaws are a bit different; violate even one rule and you may pay for it with your life. Click Here for a short list of posts that will help you put trees on the ground where you want them. Sometime in the future I will be doing a post on lean, segments, and limits that will help you decide if you can handle the back lean and side lean of trees you may cut, so check back once in a while. Here is what the photographer had to say about this truck:

"I saw this as I drove through Carrier Mills, Illinois this morning. Since the view was so striking, I thought I should share to those who work with chainsaws. There were two stumps in the yard. Both stumps were in the neighborhood of 30 inches at the stump and both were within 25/30 feet of where the truck was parked. This occurred yesterday and I heard that the truck belongs to the tree cutter and not the homeowner. I do not know how/why (other than the obvious) this happened. Will try to get the story later today. Always remember that when you are cutting trees, you must have a safety zone around the area of the cut. Some tips to consider when hiring an arborist to remove trees on your property.

-Copy of insurance papers, public liability and workers accident cover.

-How they will access the jobsite?

-How they will remove the tree? Will they climb it or use a tower or perhaps a crane, etc. The condition of the tree may influence this decision as well as the site.

-How long will removal take?-What equipment do they have and are qualified to use (see crane question above)?

-How deep will the stump grind be? (Did you know there was a stump grind!?)

-Will all debris and wood be removed from the site? Is there extra cost for cleanup?

-Is the tree cutter a qualified experience professional.Perhaps the last point is the most important!

No, I do not yet know the story of the pictures. I heard that the truck belongs to the tree cutter, not the landowner! Will get the story out when I hear what happened."