Wedge cuts vs. open face notches - which one do you swear by?

Ngl, I've been cutting trees for about 10 years now and I used to be all about open face notches for everything. But after a job in Vermont last spring where a big red oak started splitting on me mid-cut, I switched to wedge cuts for anything over 20 inches. Now I'm seeing way more control and less bar pinching. On the flip side, open face notches are way easier to aim with. So which technique do you guys lean on for bigger timber? Has anyone else had a near miss that made them change their cut style?

3 comments

3 Comments

jana76912d ago

Yeah I used to be a diehard open face person too, swore by it for everything including the big stuff. But then last fall I had a white pine tip over sideways on me and nearly took my saw with it, that scared me straight into wedge cuts for anything over 16 inches honestly. The control difference is real, like you said less pinching and more predictable fall direction. I still use open face for smaller stuff or when I need to drop something into a tight spot, but for the heavy timber I'm all wedge now. It just feels safer once you get the hang of lining it up right.

stella_scott9611d ago

Ever try using timber jacks on those bigger pines? I started doing that a few years ago after a close call similar to yours, and it made a world of difference for keeping the saw out of the pinch zone. For me, putting a couple wedges in early on the back cut and setting a jack on the other side gives me way more control over the fall, especially on leaners or twisty wood. It takes a little longer to set up, but I've had way fewer scary moments since I started using that combo on anything over 18 inches.

fiona_hunt7111d ago

Hmm I gotta disagree on the timber jack thing though. I tried that setup a while back on some 20 inch red oaks and honestly it just added extra steps without much payoff for me. The jack kept shifting in the soft ground and I ended up fighting it more than just leaning into a good wedge cut with a couple plastic wedges tapped in early. Plus on twisty wood like you mentioned, I found the jack can actually push the tree off your intended line if you're not super careful with the placement. I'll stick with a simple wedge and hinge combo for most stuff, feels like less can go wrong when you're already dealing with unpredictable timber.