Everybody raves about notch cuts but I've had better luck with a simple straight cut on most removals.

Three years ago up in Eugene I started skipping the notch on smaller oaks and just doing a straight back cut with a wedge, and I've had fewer hung trees using that method. Has anyone else tried ditching the notch on certain species?

3 comments

3 Comments

theas283d ago

Wait you're skipping notch cuts entirely on oaks? That's wild. I feel like oak is one of those species that punishes you hard for any shortcuts, man. I've seen guys try straight back cuts on red oaks and end up with a barber chair so fast it made my head spin. Not saying you're wrong, but that takes some serious guts or a lot of experience to pull off without getting killed.

charles_coleman3d ago

Did you bore a relief cut first to release the tension or just commit to the straight back cut?

thomas_price3d ago

Man, @theas28, I feel you on that. I've seen the same thing happen to guys who got too confident, and it's no joke.