You gotta admit this gentleman did a good job staying visible with the vest and then the tie dye shirt 😂

In 25 years logging production falling I never once saw so many things wrong in such a short time.

Hey man, you could've kept this fail to yourself and taught others nothing, but you shared your mistake with the world so others could learn from it. That takes guts and character--I hope your future felling adventures go a bit more smoothly than this one. Everybody walked away and some lessons were learned--life wasn't as harsh a teacher as she could've been on this one.

My neighbor fell off of a 40’ ladder yesterday while felling a tree. He’s fine, he was only on the first rung. 😅

When your saw gets pinched in the cut while falling…. Just remove your bar nuts and take the powerhead off the bar…. That way the worst thing that can happen is you bend a bar and it cost 70 bucks instead of 600 or more.

When the hi-vis comes off and the tie dye comes out it's serious business.

It did come down. Sometimes hangers happen to the best of us. What you had there was a lightweight dead tree that was tangled up in a healthy tree, and when that happens it becomes a struggle to avoid the widow maker. I've been cutting trees every spring and fall for almost 40 years. You all walked away and got her done. So Kudos.

I love the way he is clearing out tripping hazards before he starts cutting on a dead tree-don't forget to look up for the dead limbs that are heading your way...

Appreciate that you showed this alot of guys wouldn't be man enough to show they're mistakes

Norwegian here, thisone was HAARD to watch, but my guy OWNED IT! Really awesome to upload thisone. I would never speak of this again. I salute you🇳🇴

Dry dead trees can be unpredictable. The fibers don't bend like in a green tree. You saw that right away, and then it came back and pinched your saw. The mistake here was not getting wedges in early as soon as you get a chance put that wedge in when you have an inch of space. It has saved me a lot of grief. And believe me I have done just what you have done enough times in different scenarios to respect this video. Thank you brother

The tree walking out of the woods straight up was hilarious!😂

Seems like he forgot to study the intended fall before he commenced. Those branches were almost interlocked. He had many trees around to anchor a winch on and steer for a more open area. However, since he wasn't ashamed to post his fail, he probably intends to learn. 👍🍻

I am still an idiot with a chainsaw, but this guy makes me look like a well seasoned logger.

Never underestimate a tree's unwillingness to come down. That tree was stubborn! (and a bit hung up on its neighbors)

Seriously, many folks wouldn't have attempted what you did, let alone shared it on the internet. Thank you for showing this, so hopefully others can avoid risky fells/trees, and/or look for guidance/assistance with problem trees. Good job

I started from scratch when I was about 35, bought my first chainsaw and some books on how to fell trees etc. Then I did a proper chainsaw course, luckily along the way I took my time, then I started working with the local council and worked with some professionals, I was learning all the time and now I feel reasonably confident. At 78 I need to take my time and think things through, this video was brilliant, couldn't see why the bloke did aim the through through the gap to the right of the tree he got hung up in!! maybe he didn't know how to aim the tree, he certainly took out a huge sink!! Maybe a short introduction on the use of wedges would have helped!! Fine entertainment all the same, thanks.

At least he allowed the video to be shown, which may help others.

Well, the tree is down. Plus, you got a great video and story out of it. Thank you for posting it.

And the cowboy says “ the bigger the tree, the bigger the ladder”

We’ve all had a bad day where we thought we had things figured out. None of us are perfect. As long as no one was hurt and lessons were learned, then everyone goes home safe and humble.

Thank you for putting this one up. It is good to learn from our mistakes. Hung up trees can be very dangerous!

To all the haters, if you do something long enough you experience all aspects of it. This was not a fail at all. The job got done and no one got hurt. That’s all that matters.

Reminded me of a Benny Hill sketch, with the speeded up noises. All you needed was an old bald guy.

Thank you for sharing your misadventure. The thing that caught my attention was besides the obvious face cut was the tossing of a hot saw into the super dry leaves. I have caught myself setting my saw down in dry grass but after the East Troublesome fire a few years back we on the crew have all gotten much more aware of where we set our saws. Above all cutting dead and dry trees suck. They are incredibly unpredictable.

Thanks for sharing you experience, which most of us have had in our own woodcutting experience at one time or another. But that’s how we learn. Clearing your space as you did is always wise. I once failed to move a one inch stick that tripped me as I ran for cover. The tree fell properly but a 3” limb landed next to me where I had fallen. Indeed, making a pathway is always good. Kind Thanks and Many Blessings! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania

Thank you for posting the video that took guts. You’re a gentleman for putting this out there.

That tree looked like it was bound to get hung up. At 2:40 you can see the tree had a very small area to fall through. He missed it but he got the tree down, nobody got hurt and there was no property damage. Good job!

I love how he spent so much time clearing all the debris from around the tree then proceeds to cut the tree with no chaps,no hard hat and no common sense.

The sound of the speeded up chain saw motor reminded me of a root canal. Glad you didn't get killed.

Love this. ~ Sincerely, your friend at the Church of Natural Selection.

Something like this happened to me one time. The tree was only about half the size of this one so I was able to lift it off the stump but the trees branches were so tangled up in the branches of the tree beside it, the stupid thing wound up hovering about 2 feet off the ground beside it's own stump! I took pictures of it because I didn't think anybody would have believed me otherwise.

"Houston.. we've got a problem.." You know things aren't going smoothly when the guy in charge keeps circling his prey and hopelessly looking up with the odd head scratch here and there😂😂. But I commend the guy for being lucky enough to post what not to do, and hopefully educate a few others by way of some commentators who have fell many times without this level of drama and luck. 🙏

A very, very clever compilation of a list of “What not to do-s”. All that was missing was the Benny Hill theme :

This is why they call pines (and other conifers, but around here we mainly have pines) "velcro trees" -- that one was hung up with the next one toward the house, which was also dead. Bringing in the truck was definitely the right call, and keeping it there to take out the next dead pine would have also been sensible (don't know, maybe you did after you stopped filming)...

I come from a logging family and I have never heard of or seen anyone have that much trouble bringing down a tree! That poor guy!

Is he wearing science goggles?? At least he had a safety vest and Hi-vis color dye.

I was doing handyman jobs as a side gig. A renter reported a tree that was leaning over in the back yard, I was asked to take a look at it. The tree was starting to uproot, and was essentially held up by the power line running from the utility pole to the house. I let the agent know I didn't have the equipment to handle the tree while protecting the power line. A week later she calls me back, the power company came and disconnected the wire, moved it to the other side of the tree, and re-connected the power, so can I go back and cut down the tree. What ensued was very similar to this scenario, with the tree finally coming down and a branch smacking and bending the top rail on a chain link fence. Too bad I didn't have a Go-Pro!

Every once in a while, a little screw up can get you back on track to doing things better. Seemed when I first started I needed 2 saws to fell one tree quite frequently. As we all should know, every stump tells a story of what went right and or wrong. We learn and move on. As long as nothing gets destroyed or anyone hurt, it's just another tree down.

Wow! He picked the only tree in the forest that was anti-gravity.

Good on you for posting the vid. Someone else said this earlier in the comments and I agree with their advice which was take the top first, which stops a lot of the tangles. Cutting the top, however, would mean bucket cutting or climbing and I understand not everyone can do that or afford to pay for it. In the end you and your mate got it done and you probably learned a few things along the way. cheers for the vid

I had one be held back by three little strands of vine, about 40' up the tree. I never thought they were strong enough to hold it from falling (my bad). I ended up taping five furring strips together, with a pruning saw blade on the end. I was able to cut the vines... but it didn't fall until the last one! Those suckers are STRONG.

You know it's gets serious when the hi-vis comes off, only to reveal a shirt just as bright - yet the tree continued to say "nope, not today"

Dude! you were lucky! I suggest buying G.F.Beraneks book - The Fundamentals of General Treework. It may save your life :) The main issue here is the dutchman you left in the face cut. That is what stopped the movement (and of course the tips)...what you did could've worked out much worse for you. Also look into the proper method for removing hung up trees....climbing up the trunk to move the rope you put in the wrong place is probably NOT a good idea. Your friend may not last too long taking risks like that. Anyway glad you got it down without injury.

Im a couple of years in to learn tree felling and chainsaw work. Im using youtube and people around me that are more skilled than I am. I really like and appreciate the comment section in videos like this. People give advice, share concern about taking safety serious, show humbleness and support to each other. Best regards from Norway

One suggestion i have... when the bar gets pinched, take the bar off, to make sure you don't damage your chainsaw.

One tip: use wedges. They're less expensive than replacing a bent bar and chain on a tree-bound chainsaw.

For everyone wondering; He simply forgot to yell TIMBER!

For those of us old enough to remember, looked like a scene from Laurel and Hardy.

The Eureka, CA, Times-Standard newspaper always was, and probably still is, very careful to identify logging accidents as professional or amateur.

A few years ago a friend from work was helping his son-in-law cut a tree when the saw got stuck.The son-in-law went to get another saw and my friend turned his back on the tree. The tree fell on him. He spent many months in the hopital and rehab. Was never able to walk right again. Always be aware of what's happening around you.

This video had me in tears laughing. Thank you sir.

Good on you for sharing this failure mate - none of us are perfect. Glad everyone was unharmed. It was a tough job from the beginning for an amateur. Easy to say climb & buck from the top but takes skill or money. Good to see the recovery technique by your neighbour.

Yes, a hung-up tree that resisted falling, but hardly a FAIL Good job.

Good to see comments of support for this guy. Absolutely no point being too negative. Landowner to fellow landowner: 1. Whichever direction it ended up falling no danger to structures etc. So no harm in having a go for experience etc better for him in the long run. 2. Hangers are bastards and you learn to be over defensive expecting them. I cut in bush that you can hardly wheel a barrow thru its so timbered. Get a throw line (and throwbag launcher even) and get a rope up there before you even start if required. If I cant pull with a vehicle I use a Masdam type rope come along to pull. 3. If pinched disconnect powerhead from jammed bar and chain. 4. Wear helmet in case of falling crown limbs. They come out of nowhere. 5. Face and back cuts, hinges, wedges is a science. We just have to learn and stay safe.

Hey…they got it down. He had it aimed toward the house-so I thought it was going to end very very badly. Part that made me laugh the most was him overdoing it on clearing the area of teeny tiny sticks before cutting. A safe flight path is right thing to do…but that was hilarious 😂

What in the kentucky fried did i just watch...

the most dangerous home owner power tool on earth doing one of the most dangerous home owner task on earth, so much can go wrong but Im glad yall got it with no injuries. Im no arborist but ive cut several dangerous trees and never enjoyed any of it whew!! Kudos to tree service guys they are worth their salt for sure.

I don't even know where to start but they did get it on the ground. Curious how the splitting went. 😅

The way he kept hanging out in the danger zone freaked me out

All that "work" calls for another two dozen doughnuts from Krispy Kreme, and a case of beer. 😂

This lumberjack’s expertise in picking up small twigs at the base of the tree is unparalleled! 😅😂

10/10 for actually posting this incompetence.

For one to cut down a tree and replant in same instance needs recognition 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 well played good sir, well played

I would agree that everyone of us has had a bad day. The guy did just fine. I have fell alot of trees. And I have also got them hung up in branches from other trees. It's a pain in the ass for sure. Given no trees were in his path it would of been a perfect felling job. Hats off to you good job.

Ah yes, the ol’ 1:1 mechanical disadvantage 😊

That hurts just looking at it. Glad they were able to walk away. Hopefully they learn some valuable lessons. Kudos to the decent camerawork.

Hire an Arborist. But if you refuse to go that route… 1. Don’t cut through your hinge.. ever. If you don’t know where the tip of your bar is, then stop cutting. 2. You can’t fell a tree that’s tangled up in another tree without felling both, or putting a rope in it, that’s physics, you won’t win.

thankyou to the peanut gallery, comment section is always funnier than the actual video.

I had a guy come over, and he had almost the same problem. The only thing that saved us I was clearing out the lot to build our house. We had to take down the other trees that got the first one hung up anyway. 😅 You need a whole different set of skills when falling trees on a hill side.😊

At 1:15 you can see that his knotch is cut way to deep. Also it's cut on the wrong angle for the slope of the ground.

If you haven’t been through this, you aren’t felling trees! LmFnao! Thanks for posting this!

I've felled ~500 trees. I'm still quite green. A big issue is that 49/50 fellings go by the numbers, and so it is easy to become complacent.

It makes me think of the movie, “Deliverance” where that mountain man said to Burt Reynolds: “Where you going, City boy”! We’ve all had our bouts with trees (haha).

Absolutely no business being near a chainsaw and a tree at the same time.

I wonder at what point did one say to the other, "Just leave it."? Has felled many trees? Judging by this little gem, I find that hard to believe. There must be a large number of trees around the country magically standing proud whilst detached from their bases after Paul Bunyan here has gone to work.

I Had my saw stuck in the exact same situation, though when the tree started to lean the saw swung 180 degrees to the side the tree was falling then dropped to the ground, the tree then jumped off of the stump and landed right on top of my 6-month-old MS 290 and drove it about a foot into the ground.😯😳😞 What stopped it from going deeper was a big rock under the saw.... A very expensive lesson to learn.😭

Would you suggest logging as a career?

the sidestep where the tree stays vertical after detaching instead of toppling over is the scariest. One time I felt the tree starting to go and i raced down a 32 foot ladder just 1 second before the whole tree swept down the ladder rungs where i was

I wouldn’t call it a “fail”. It didn’t go easily, but still ended up on the ground.

Please leave it to the professionals.

lol, Glad no one got hurt! I always carry an extra bar and chain and tools in case my saw gets pinched like that.

BEEN there!!!!!!! High Cut and Snatch it.....Sometimes you HAVE to do this, they Won't fall if they're Snagged!.....and you cannot climb dead trees.... Common problem on the East Coast. Sloppy job, but sometimes you gotta improvise and get it done. You can "talk" all you want, but get out in the Real world, it's a different game, period. There's no houses around, and at least he was Smart enough to bring Multiple Saws. I learned that real fast too.

Conventional wedge was way too deep lol, I personally use humbolt wedges but you only gotta go in about maybe 4 or 5 inches for that size tree but it’s hard to tell on video the actual size of it

I was out cutting in the forest the other day. Had a look up and around for danger in widowmakers, limbs half broke hanging, falls that are hung up, the usual. I'm cutting away under a massive red gum that had lost a limb (half the canopy) and taken an iron bark down with it. Anyway it was while loading I had a better perspective from away from the spot where I saw what was essentially a person sized tree dart hanging by its leaf branches pointing straight down at my cut pile 😮 clean shaft bushy top. The thing even had had a nice sharp point from the break and was lined up beautifully. I lassoed the bottom and was able to pull it down quite easily, when it hit the ground between bucks at the edge of the pile it drove about 4/5 of a foot into dry land. I had missed it somehow looking straight up at it 🤷‍♂️ it was a lightly windy day with gusts, i was cutting alone. Be carefull out there guys and girls👍sh .it happens.

God must have been watching over them. Watching this reminds me of some of my misadventures, and a quote from Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, "A good man knows his limitations". I don't do electrical work, plumbing on gas lines and the only trees I have cut up were already down. There is a science and art to felling trees safely.

It is always best to have someone who knows what they are doing show you how to do the job. They might even convince you to not try it yourself. Falling trees is very dangerous business. I'm just glad that you came out OK.

I've truly never seen anything like this

I love the part where he shortened the tree by a foot and a half

Good job! Always nice watching a true professional in his natural habitat

Ya have to respect a man that post his "How Not To" videos.

I knew it was about to get real when he broke out the poulan 😜

A chainsaw is one of those tools that you really need instruction and or mentorship from someone who really knows operation and safety. ” my daddy did it this way, his daddy did it this way…..” does not cut it with chainsaws. There’s physics, science and all the properties of reactive forces that are best schooled unknowns. Even with experience, training and safety equipment which should be standard, things can still happen. Please be safe and get training from someone who is experienced and don’t ever compromise any of the safety equipment. Thank God I have been trained by one of the worlds most foremost chainsaw experts, Tim Ard of Forest applications. Thank God you’re OK, please get some training

There's so many comments about all the things he did wrong but very few explaining what, nor what he should have done. Plus, 20/20 hindsight doesn't count. From it's weight alone, the tree should've fallen. The entangled branches from it, and the other trees, were stronger than one would've thought, keeping it upright. Good video. I'm just glad no one got hurt. 🙂 Or blew a motor. 🚘😄 👍

When I was a kid, I spent some years working in the woods. I was a choker setter, skidder operator, cat skinner, and a faller............I ain't never seen any shit like this.

One thing's for certain, he could have been a hell of a lot stupider. At least he didn't get hurt.

I mean, yeah, that was a rough one to watch. Not sure what those side cuts were meant to accomplish. Glad he got it safely on the ground. Would definitely benefit from reading Jepson's "How to fell a tree". That said, for all of the keyboard warriors out there pretending like they've never looked up at a snagged tree and thought, "well shoot", then I question your honesty. We've all been there. Maybe not quite to this extent or with this many errors, but this is how you learn what you don't know. Hopefully the guy gets some inspiration to get some formal training.

You have to admire that Tree, it really had a sense of humour.

Piece of cake. He does a great job at clearing the work area, I'll give him that.

I showed this to friend of mine who owns a tree bussines. He said he hadn't seen so many ways to die in removing a tree.