I've felt like that before, I remember one time saying, "I'm not cut out for this." But most of the time. . . I'm Made for This." So are you.

This is the crowning moment when transitioning from big company tree work to solo. One minute you have 3-10 guys on a job with dozens of eyes and now it's all you and your instincts. Thanks for sharing, this is the real world.

I have been a timber faller for 34 yrs and am still cutting. Don’t beat yourself up buddy you got it down. You are safe you didn’t hurt any one. You learned a lot on this tree. I’m going to give you a couple of pointers for next time… on this kind of tree in the future. Don’t be afraid to start your back cut first… drive your wedges up tight saw a little more wedge up tight then saw your face cut. This gives you pressure to lift first and also you don’t loose ground sawing the face in. Another thing is the 1/3 of the tree for your face cut isn’t a hard fast rule it’s a baseline most times it works. But when you have to lift the tree more to bring it out of a back lean that shallow face will hurt you more than help you. Your hinge is the pivot point the more weight that is behind the pivot point the harder the tree lifts. Cut your face a bit further into the tree will really help on lifting as you then put more tree weight in front of the pivot point. Also don’t be so concerned about your back cut being level with your face cut. Go 2 inch’s higher with the back cut that helps change the weight dynamics in your favor. But don’t go lower than your face cut. Higher in the back in effect let’s the tree fall into the face were as a low back cut you are lifting the tree up into the face cut. I sincerely hope this helps. Little hard to explain with out being able to show you lol. Keep up the good hard work keep being your worst critic keep being humble and never stop learning. You got this buddy.

As a well respected arborist and youtuber you just gained 10X more respect for sharing this. Its a learning/teaching moment, it promotes honesty and transparence and will ultimately help others understand the trials and tribulation of this kind of work and that "jobs may appear easier then they are" on youtube lol. Well done and thank you.

This video isn’t a lesson on tree felling, its a beautiful lesson on learning and humility. Great job brother. Everyone is safe.

The fact that you were humble enough to upload this tells us what kind of person you are. You made yourself extremely vulnerable to all of us at the end and that took a lot of courage. It was still an entertaining video to watch. I also appreciate that you give credit to our Creator regularly in your videos. You’ll do great things on this new venture

You're such a humble guy. No need to be embarrassed. The tree fell where you wanted and you went home safe to your family. That's a victory in anyone's book.

Massive kudos for sharing this, Jacob. We are all always learning! "If you're not failing, you're not pushing yourself." Way to learn from this and share it so we can too 👏🏽👏🏽

Don't be so hard on yourself Jake, you are a great tree climber, and trimmer, and faller, never doubt yourself, and don't give up your self confidence, you worked too hard for it.

The only hard part of watching this video was you being so hard on yourself. The tree came down exactly where you wanted it, you're great at what you do Jake and the fact that you're willing to still put videos out where things didn't go exactly to plan plays testament to your character. There are so many people out there waiting for us to fail that the one person that needs to believe in you more than anyone else, is you. That voice in our heads is always there, make sure it's saying positive things otherwise it can consume you. Stay strong my brother, on to the next one 👊👍🤟

I learned more about the arborist mindset in the last 10 minutes of this video than any other tree felling video I've watched on KZfaq. This is real life and this is how it feels every time I cut a tree. Nobody is ever 100% confident things will go the way they want them to. Every tree is different and has a mind of its own. Thanks for sharing.

You have my respect for showing how it happened. You have reminded the rest of us that it doesn’t always go according to plan and we just have to work through the complications and learn from them. You got it down successfully. Good video. A little “humble pie” once in a while makes us better in the long run.

Nice work. Honesty & humility always wins. No mistakes just lessons learned.

First day as an owner-operator solo arborist and you were able to apply every tool you own: knowledge, hardware, perseverance, and humility. The tree landed exactly where you wanted, you're safe, the homeowner is happy, and you insurance company didn't need to be involved. I'd call this a major win. It was from watching your videos I came to conclude wedges are cheap, but utterly indispensable. And you can never have enough :D

This may be your BEST video ever for so many reasons. The emotion, the anxiety, struggle, the doubt, the VICTORY! Loved it brother and thanks for sharing. I think people learn more from these types of videos.

Don’t be embarrassed, you got it down virtually alone, and in the end exactly where you needed it. We don’t have to be perfect. Have fun doing what you do. Even if we get frustrated at times, I’d rather be outdoors than cooped up in a office or kitchen.

Something you said spoke to me, "I was going to charge the customer too much." I am a contract pilot for a living and my job got easier when I realized short changing myself by not doing the job in the safest manner wasn't in MY best interest financially as well as mentally. At the end of the day I'm the guy tasked with keeping everyone and their aircraft in one piece. There are days when I could fly through bad weather and save the owners thousands of dollars in fuel and an unplanned overnight stay by flying through something that I'm 99% sure we can get through it safe but if my gut tells me to go around the weather then so be it...we are going around. Be safe, charge commensurate with your skillset. Professional work isn't cheap and cheap work isn't professional. Remember the proverbial corner you cut could sink your business. I wish you the best and love your humbleness as much as your content. Godspeed with the new endeavor and I hope to watch you succeed for years to come.

12 years experience and still winging it sounds like pretty much every tree man ever, if it works it works

Anyone who has cut down a big tree but encountered geometry and resistance that defied all logic and observation feels for you. It's that hollow chest, high heartrate and abject fear that you can't understand or control. You did good son. The battle ended the war with no casualties on your side. Carry on.

Great video of the job. The reason for the lean was the extra growth on the back side. When you climb to set your line, remove the limbs on the heavy side and the front limbs will counter the lean.

I’ve been there! Heavy wood back leaners make solo work really stressful. Prayers never hurt in those situations, and Im glad you found that extra wedge. I still learn a lesson at every job, even if everything goes according to plan. Thanks for sharing, Jake! These videos and your thoughts always help me think of better ways to do the work!

It's funny how we beat ourselves up so bad when we make mistakes. I've been in the tree business for over 20 years and atleast once a year I have a moment just like you did. It took alot to put the video out and for that you gained a tremendous amount respect. We are constantly learning and everything isn't always perfect. Keep on keeping on

Man, every tree person has their own wisdom, experience, capabilities. We should all be humble and learn from each other. You got it done man👌 I’ll offer you what I see on this. What I do in these situations is set up a good solid 3:1 which will hold the weight, and then I’ll add a fiddle block 5:1 system to do the real pulling, and again the 3:1 will hold and the 5:1 can be reset as many times as needed. Thanks for sharing man 🔥

You’re so humble and honest! Great job, safe felling, tree went where you wanted it, house is intact and everyone is safe. Job well done! You’re an inspiration!

When your not expecting to learn lessons.. life never fails to teach you any way. Good job man may have taken you longer then you would of liked but the tree is down safe and your safe

Thanks for posting this video Jake. I admire your honesty, it took some serious guts to post this. I’ve had days like this too, so I can feel you, I appreciate you.

The fact that you spent time obsessing about getting it right is proof you're on the right track. We are all just practicing to make ourselves better at this because, like you, we care about doing it right. Good luck and God bless.

I have watched a lot of tree felling videos and this one was the best I have ever seen because of the raw emotion and the real feeling I got by your experience. Bravo. I really enjoyed this one to the max.

Safe to say you will always remember your first “0n you own” job. You did great, yea maybe since you were up the tree anyway cutting a few big back side limbs would’ve been good, but hey, alls well that ends well. You are the real deal, honest, and humble is worth a lot. Thanks Jake, keep the videos coming! Thanks

You dropped the tree accurately, safely, and while filming and narrating. You literally did the work of 5 men by yourself (not including your pulley system). Brother, the first day out in your own is a ton of pressure on top of all that. I'm proud of you, and you'll soon settle in and be comfortable again. Keep up the great work. God Bless

One thing I have learned in my 30 years of life, and it applies to everything you may do, you never know everything and you can ALWAYS learn something new. I have felt this way multiple times with tree work, I absolutely love chainsaws, climbing, the adrenaline rush, all the gear that goes into it, and all the hard work we put into it, but sometimes I question myself if I know what I am doing and if I should be doing it.

This is the most inspirational tree video yet. It just goes to show when everything goes as planned trees will teach you something new. I've got a lot of respect for you after this video! I've been doing tree work for about as long as you and I never film myself because of moments like this where you get humbled. Your the man! I'd love to get to climb with some of y'all one day!

Evey thing has a learning curve, being on you own is not the same as working with a team. Great job on the tree, be safe and take care..

The tree went where you wanted it to go, and it seems you left the experience with more knowledge and resources than when you began. Congratulations! I imagine there is a great future for you as an independent arborist.

The emotion and vulnerability you showed in this video is incredible! Never forget how you felt in that moment! Either we stay humble or get humiliated...I think you were very much the former. You are an inspirational young man...keep doing what you love!

Bro, I just started watching your videos. I am starting my tree work journey right now. Your love and passion shine through. From my perspective you had a great day! The tree hit the ground safely, and you learned a lot! I learned a lot watching you! Thank you for posting, and please continue being an inspiration.

Thank you for still uploading this Jake . It’s great to see when things go wrong too as it’s not shown online enough. Let’s everyone learn from each other’s mistakes making the tree world safer for all . Your vids are helpful aswell as entertaining keep at it dude 🤟

As a rank amateur who has been helping his neighbor with some of his dead oaks, it is reassuring to see a pro have difficulty now and then. Glad to see that you got insurance and look forward to following you on your journey.

Your humble mindset is amazing. Never stop learning. Your first job as a business owner added a lot of stess and worry. Keep at it. There is a reason you get so many compliments.

I just wanted to say thanks, your humbleness shows your character you may have saved someone’s life by being honest. I’m 58 years old I have trees on my property I’ve paid arborist to cut the big monsters down and I’ve fell a few myself but understanding the mechanics of it all and those teaching moments you will help people make safe decisions. Blessings my friend.

You never loose, either you win or you learn...I would say you've had both today. Thanks for sharing your journey

Respect for sharing this, we all struggle some times. Turned out good in the end. Lessons learned, experience gained, happy customer. Great videos Jacob

Dude it take so much strength and courage to admit you made a mistake. A lesser man would blame it on something else but a real man admits a mistake and gets better and learns for next time

hey Jacob, I worked for a company for three years and knew every aspect of what I was doing. I went out on my own and the first job by myself under my own company name I looked like it was my first day lol. keep your head up it will only get better

In summary, nothing and noone was hurt and the tree's on the ground. Life's constantly a learning process. You did a very great job. Love your videos, keep the motivation high and most importantly: be kind

You're my tree-felling hero! I just felled a 30 foot Walnut and the stuff I learned from you helped me tremendously and saved my bacon.

Had a tree like that myself once and know what you were feeling in this video, or close to to it anyway. You pulled it off and learned from it...same as we all do...you stuck to it and accomplished the task...believe me when I say that you'll eventually figure it all out and that you are made for it! 😉 Thanks for the honesty and sharing your hard days experience with us!

This is what makes your vids great, brother! You're honest and interested which makes you our ambassador to understanding; the worst teachers are proper experts in their field, the best teachers are students, themselves. Thank you for asking our questions and deepening our understanding as you go! I've learned a lot esp the long videos of you asking the experts your questions - more of those, please! You're creating a learning series for a new arborist. It's a gift to education and I cant thank you enough, especially for sharing your struggles.

Man I really felt ya at 18:48 I have steel wedges and after a few minutes of pounding them in I am whipped! I’m 57 and own 20 acres in SE Ohio and it a healthy mix of hardwood and pine. Always great to watch you as you gave me the courage to buy climbing equipment and being my own personal arborist! Many thanks sir!!

Great job man, Eirik working for someone is one thing, getting out on your own adds a whole new level of stress and anxiety. You didn't quit which shows value. Speaking of value never be afraid to charge for your skills. You are performing a service that is very niche. You are worth every penny!

I really love the community for this channel so much support and I'm glad you uploaded this.

I watch so many of your videos and think man it looks so much easier when you do it than when I do, so its nice to know you are human too. But it's all a part of life, and sometimes we need that little bit of humility to keep us grounded and moving. Honestly a great video and one that I enjoyed so much. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us, I learn something new every time I watch.

You are good at it! Don't beat yourself up, s*** happens. You had the jitters, don't let this get you down. The tree hit its spot, the house isn't damaged, and you and all involved are safe. The only advice I can give is in a couple days when you shake this off, watch this video. You learned things today that will keep you with us for a long time. Love watching you. Be safe and God bless.

Learning from and sharing a humbling experience helps everyone doing tree work. Thank you for the honesty, and be safe up and out there.

Hey Jake and I'm a retired tree man I did it for 26 years I work with my father for many of those years he taught me a lot of different things and I learned a lot from a lot of tree men just like yourself.. I went and worked for different companies checking out different rigging techniques and everything to learn more about doing tree work.... But nowadays from what I'm seeing the tree industry has really evolved a lot more with new technology and everything. We all have our bad days we all have our days when we're scared that something could go wrong or go smooth as glass.... But you don't know how the tree is going to actually go until you actually go through the trials of everything that you're doing .... But I have to say I'm impressed with a lot of the shows that I have seen of you and the things that I've seen you you do are very impressive. Some of the stuff that you've done with crane some of the stuff you've done with the rigging techniques... But not a lot of guys out there that are in the field have the courage like you do ... Some of them even hire other to do their work and there's nothing wrong with that.... It's just that some people have a little bit more skill some people don't unless they actually keep on moving forward with the business. Congratulations on getting your insurance it is a very stressful, Dangerous and expensive way of making a living and it can also be very rewarding.... So never get yourself down and always keep your head high... Because we all have our bad days but you did a great job you got the tree on the ground and everything was safe and you made the customer satisfied because the job is done and his property is now a lot safer because of what you perform ....Well done keep up the good work I look forward to seeing a lot more videos of anything that you put on here ..Because it makes me feel like I'm back in a tree and I really miss climbing and I really miss doing the job that I loved doing ...I had to retire because of medical reasons otherwise I'd still be doing it. But if you ever South West Florida I would definitely want to be able to meet you and shake your hand .. So take care of yourself Jake keep me climbing through you.

It is incredibly liberating, encouraging and enabling to see and hear you express what is in your head. The genuineness and self-deprecation is endearing. Your curiosity about treework in different settings is going to increase your wisdom. Your complete honesty and humility transcends the profession. In my view it will benefit anybody to watch this. G'man Jacob!!

I know the feeling. At the end of the day, the tree is in the right place, nobody injured, and a lesson learned. I like the maasdam rope puller for tree pulling scenarios. No maxing out on that and it’s cheap. Love your content, keep up the good work!

Congratulations on your new business. I wish you all the success you can dream of.

Gotta say, have watched a lot of content and this job was great watch and educational for us both, im happy for you being your own business man, learning your own lessons and learning from your own mistakes. I've done rigging for many years and i was with you the whole way, that tree must of been leaning back very hard. credit to you bro, be there to support you in your journey, Keep it up . Much love from Qld Australia.

I am from Australia, you did well. The only problem l see is you were by yourself, you need to have someone with you at all times for safety reasons. You did good!!

It’s easy to share success. To share how well things go when they turn out smooth. Real life hits hard and fast and doesn’t care who you are. Thanks for sharing the struggles. It’s brave and inspiring. I have days with doubt. I doubt my skill, my intelligence, my grit. Did I bid it right? Did I choose the right strategy? Should I even be taking on this tree or is the client better off with someone else? Keep up your faith. Keep improving. Stay safe.

The outcome was perfect. The tree landed in a perfect position. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Not every tree is the same, they are challenging things to overcome.

This video is perfect in so many ways. Everyone is safe, the tree is where it needs to be, you learned something and shared it with us. You shared some valuable lessons. I hope you keep sharing.

Jacob, you probably can't appreciate (now) how much you have and will grow from this particular experience. You added a ton of knowledge to your mind by this one tree. Moving up in knowledge is always painful and comes at a cost. Whether you know it or not, you are now a much better feller. Thanks for showing the real side of your line of work. Well done. Well done.

Good job; happy to see you striking out on your own. I know the “OMG what have I gotten myself into” feeling. I went from being a partner in a very large company to me, myself and I. I appreciate your down to earth honesty.

Congrats on the big move. Been here for about a year now and took down my first tree yesterday. Did it all safely but have an even greater respect and admiration for you and everyone in the industry. Thanks for inspiring so many. We'll be here for many more to come. Stay safe and have fun!

Great video. Thanks for being honest and showing when things don’t go exactly as planned. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom 👍🏿

Your passion for the work is to be admired. Thanks for sharing your ups and downs plenty of KZfaqrs wouldn’t have uploaded a challenging job. Your honesty is so real. You did it your way and it worked. It can’t all be rock music and fast cuts all the time. Keep up the great content. All the best Pete 👍

Mad respect for sharing this man. I know it must've been hard, and it shows a lot of character.

Every tree job has it's challenges. You did a fine job man. Congrats on going solo. I look forward to watching you kill it on your own

Priceless video Jake! In life, we ALL have had moments that make us stronger and wiser! Some experiences we never forget. As a senior, I can say that without hesitation. Thank you for sharing and keeping this tree felling experience VERY real with your passion, faith and sense of humour. May you always be blessed and kept safe. Finally, congratulations on your solo business venture! Cheers🍺!

Great job for posting this honesty online. Hard job and you slightly underestimated it but you pulled it through. We can only learn from these humble videos. Thx

Hey man, really good seeing honesty in an industry of show offs! Been loving your videos from New Zealand! Little tip with the 4:1, use a Prussik instead of putting a bowline on the line and (as you mentioned) have your progress capture on your anchor. This way you can pull till the pulleys touch then push your system back up the rope to get more pull. Especially helpful if you’re running low on rope to work with. Happy to make a video if this isn’t clear! Nice one mate! Onwards and upwards!

Been there man! Don’t beat your self up!! A old head once told me you learn something on every job you go on, if you don’t it’s time to get out of tree work! Went the right way no one got hurt. A+ job in my book brother!🤘🏻

I've done a ton of trees like this and it's never easy. You've left enough of a hinge. For me the hardest is also lining back cut up with the front one. I always seem to have a different angle. I use steel and plastic wedges btw. Every cut stresses me out still. And so it should.

Dude, look where that tree is lying... nobody got hurt and nothing got damaged. You Learned the lesson and will carry it forward. Great video!

Attach your pulley closet to tree with a prusik knot. It will allow you to adjust your pulley nearest tree and if you pull the pulleys to close together you can capture progress with the static pulley then slide your other pulley back towards tree. That’s watch we use in high angle rope rescue

Going out into business on your own takes real courage and can be very very stressful, but you have to start somewhere. Well done Jake and your honesty is to be admired.

This here along with the other video you recently posted of a stubborn fur was some of your best content. This was so personal on every level when being a owner operator. When your sure of yourself and take into consideration different variables and then we hit a brick wall. Then all our past learning experiences, training videos we watch come into play and some how the man upstairs works it out and we go home. I’ve been there so many times where your heart is in your throat but yet trying to stay professional and positive. Keep up the great work and please keep posting your content.

never give up Jacob, thanks for sharing. great lesson and glad you did not get hurt.

Hey, Jake. Logged in (I never log in to KZfaq) just to drop something you may find useful. When I'm taking trees out by myself, I use a Maasdam rope puller clipped to an earth auger anchor set in the ground(one of those really heavy duty ones they use to anchor trailer homes). This allows me to pull a tree any direction I want without needing another tree to anchor to. The rope puller has worked perfectly for me every time, even with some trees with significant lean. Just make sure you have that anchor set in deep and you can put as much force as the Maasdam rope puller can output (3/4 a ton). I often don't even need any wedges. Anyway, thank you for the videos. I know you aren't the guy to like a lot of pats on the back, so I'll just say "Keep it up!" And keep talking about Him and letting Him lead you. In the end, it's all that matters, brother. ~~Jesus Loves You~~

Well, that wasn’t click bait!!! God bless you Bro!!! You are god at it my maaan, one of the best!! This is how things work when it’s your first day in the job. Much ❤️🙏🏻💪🏼👍🏻

Bro! Thanks for sharing this! I so appreciate your honesty and humility. You got the job done safely and gained some good experience. Wish you the best!

Man I really appreciate your honesty. The fact that you feel that way will allow you to learn and get better. I honestly thought the tree was going to clip the house or something. You are better than you think you are!

We should always be learning, great job!! Love your honesty!!

I have literally watched every tree cutting video on KZfaq. This is by far the best video I have ever seen right from the start of video you showed great humility despite being a very very competent arborist. This shows all the emotions and risk and skills required in this industry and was truly brilliant to see

Happy you found ins. that works for you! Honest, good job, I like it. Thanks for posting.

As a new business owner on my own working solo I feel this so much. Thank you for posting! Also, I have absolutely been right in your shoes with a tree too. Leaning over a barn on a windy day with an inadequate jack and not enough wedges. All the prayers you say pumping and beating those wedges and then the relief when the tree is on the ground, Sure is wonderful when God gives you those victories. Good job! I really enjoy your videos!

Having been there for the entire process of you cutting down this tree I still think you are an amazing arborist! I can’t even imagine what would have happened if I tried to tackle this one myself.

one definitely needs the strength of 5 men to do tree work alone. people really appreciate honesty - even if / especially if it goes pearshaped - the recovery to get up and ride again - that counts.

Dude - don’t beat yourself up. You did an excellent job. Safety and slow and steady is always better than fast and loose. Most of us only know that the tree is down and in a good place. The technical details are for you to know so you can continue to grow your business safely.

Every time I watch one of your videos I learn something which is great. Don't beat yourself up, it was felled, no one was hurt and the log cabin wasn't damaged. Good Job.

Wow man what an exciting experience. Thank the lord. You gotta love the realism that was one of the best videos I've seen. Even not getting the tree falling over. Great work man

Dude, we've all been in that exact same situation. You do it right and the tree won't drop. Don't sweat it.

What a great humbleness and honesty you have. I have learned from a lot of my mistakes. But this one seemed to just be a tricky tree as well. All in all you got it done and did it without any injuries or destroying things. Keep up the great work my friend!

Awesome Job! You got it down and didn't wreck anything! Insurance these days is tough, Glad you were able to find some!

dude, don't be so hard on yourself! everyone has days that don't go well in this industry. My grandfather told me it keeps you grounded to have days of struggle. And if you're learning on every job you do then you're doing it rite. be safe out there.

Jake, you’re the man. So humble and such a legend. We are all human and these things happen to all of us. I’m pretty new to the game and your videos have helped me so much. Keep the great content coming!

Geez, I'm not a tree guy but I find this stuff fascinating. I commend you for sizing it up, gettin after it and seeing it through. These are the kind of videos that I really learn from.....you know...the ones that show the ups and the downs. Tree down...on target....success! Thank you

If you're setting a line like that where no one is actually pulling on it, a static line is probably worse. Having a bit of stretch will let the rope pull for a bit longer by itself and since you have a binding mechanism you should be able to get it almost as tight