Spent 6 hours on a single oak removal because of one hidden bolt

I got called to take down a big red oak in a backyard last week. Thought it would be a quick 3 hour job, chainsaw and ropes all ready. Got up in the tree and found a massive 1 inch steel bolt buried in the trunk that someone had put in decades ago. Took me forever to get around it with my saw and then I had to climb back down to grab an extra bar just to finish the cut. Has anyone else hit random hardware like this in a tree before?

3 comments

3 Comments

lily_cooper18d ago

Metal detector or not, that bolt was just waiting for somebody to find out the hard way. Sounds like that tree had a little surprise retirement plan in store for you.

nathankim18d ago

Yeah a metal detector is a lifesaver for that exact reason. Walk the trunk real slow before making your first cut and you catch bolts like that before they mess up your chain. Saved me a trip back to the truck more than once.

nathankim18d ago

How long you been running a metal detector before cutting? I'm curious if you sweep just the face of the trunk or actually work your way around the whole thing. I've had times where a bolt was buried deep in the bark on the backside and the detector barely picked it up until I was right on top of it. That's the kind of thing that makes me wonder if I'm being thorough enough or just getting lucky most days.