Chainsaw safety ... the Widow Maker!

[Tree Spud]

To any of you going out and doing chainsaw work, speciffcally dropping trees, this can be very dangerous if you do not properly inspect the upper tree.

The term "widow maker" refers to a limb of a tree that has broken off from the tree and is suspended in the upper branches. The loose branches sometimes only need a little energy or vibration to break them free, or as the tree starts to lean and fall they can break loose. Very dangerous and could seriously hurt or kill someone if struck. How they may fall is very unpredictable as the lower weight can swing & twist the drop.

Below is a pick of a widow maker in a tree I was inspecting. Probably weighs ~125-150 lbs ... a lot of force if falling on you.

Be safe and aways look up at what you are cutting and always were a safety helmet! Even small limbs falling can do damage.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Knew a friend of a friend who died by a widow maker. I’m more of a hack and squirt/girdle guy!

 

[SwampCat]

I was duck hunting some flooded timber. Was easing along in a 16 ft aluminum boat. I was operating a tiller steer motor and my dad was on a seat about 4 ft from the front. Bumped a tree - and a limb about the size of the one in the above pic fell from the tree. Dented both sides of the boat - hit boat half way between me and my dad. Scared the crap out of both of us.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I look goofy as hell with the helmet, but never fire up the saw without it or ear protection and chaps

bill

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I look goofy as hell with the helmet, but never fire up the saw without it or ear protection and chaps

bill

Same here. And gloves

 

[buckdeer1]

I worked a call where a guy was cutting a small limb,size of your arm and it was pinched and flipped hit him in chest.He made it to hospital by helicopter but didn't make it through the night.

 

[bigboreblr]

I always trim out 2 exit routes before cutting a tree down. Clear dead branch, cut down small brush.

Really hate chainsawing alone, and delay as much as I can.

 

[chummer]

I was hit by a 1“ diameter stick about 5’ long. It hit between my peck and shoulder. Even with a sweatshirt on it impaled me. I had to to go urgent care and get a bunch of stitches. They thought I was in a knife fight. The stick wasn‘t even in the tree I cut. It was in the next tree and when the tree I cut fell it must of hurdled it back like a spear. Painful lesson for a 1” stick

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I had 2 storms come through last summer. I have about 40 Aspen trees that the tops broke off, and a lot of them are still attached, so they look like a “7”. I have left them be for the most part, hoping the tops would fall on their own, they haven’t. I have dropped a couple trees onto them to get them to fall, but only 1 of 3 that I tried this, actually fell.

I may just end up leaving them for now, until they fall on their own, because as of right now, the deer like to bed in the down branch tops. Once the snow melts some, I may get a rope and hook the tractor to them and see if I can pull some down, so I can safely cut them up. But we are suppose to get 12-20 more inches of snow this week, so that will put a stop to me cutting anymore trees down until it warms up and melts the snow. I had surgery last Thursday, and that put a stop to any sawing for a couple weeks anyhow.

Does anyone have a safe way to cut down trees that have the tops broken off, but still attached to the tree, and hanging down, kinda like the number 7 ?

 

[Buckhunter10]

Great reminder!! I have cutting to do this weekend! Thanks!

 

[Tree Spud]

I had 2 storms come through last summer. I have about 40 Aspen trees that the tops broke off, and a lot of them are still attached, so they look like a “7”. I have left them be for the most part, hoping the tops would fall on their own, they haven’t. I have dropped a couple trees onto them to get them to fall, but only 1 of 3 that I tried this, actually fell.

I may just end up leaving them for now, until they fall on their own, because as of right now, the deer like to bed in the down branch tops. Once the snow melts some, I may get a rope and hook the tractor to them and see if I can pull some down, so I can safely cut them up. But we are suppose to get 12-20 more inches of snow this week, so that will put a stop to me cutting anymore trees down until it warms up and melts the snow. I had surgery last Thursday, and that put a stop to any sawing for a couple weeks anyhow.

Does anyone have a safe way to cut down trees that have the tops broken off, but still attached to the tree, and hanging down, kinda like the number 7 ?

If it is hanging off the tree but not touching the ground, very dangerous situation as if the broken limb hits the ground the spring action from the top can push it anywhere.

 

[Tree Spud]

I always trim out 2 exit routes before cutting a tree down. Clear dead branch, cut down small brush.

Really hate chainsawing alone, and delay as much as I can.

I agree, always know your exit route is clear and free of stuff you can trip on.

 

[bwoods11]

Had a friend luckily with helmet on have that exact scenario of widow maker happen. He said he saw Stars ️ like you see on the old cartoons , temporarily stunned him.

The helmet probably saved him !

 

[4wanderingeyes]

If it is hanging off the tree but not touching the ground, very dangerous situation as if the broken limb hits the ground the spring action from the top can push it anywhere.

I have a quite a few down, and almost all of them are still attached about 20-30 feet up, and the top piece is either hanging into other trees, or swung to the ground, but is still attached. My only attempt to do anything with them so far, has been to cut a different tree and drop it onto the broken off tree, but that only worked on 1 out of 3 so far. The other 2 just hit it, then slid down to the ground.

 

[Telemark]

I had 2 storms come through last summer. I have about 40 Aspen trees that the tops broke off, and a lot of them are still attached, so they look like a “7”. I have left them be for the most part, hoping the tops would fall on their own, they haven’t. I have dropped a couple trees onto them to get them to fall, but only 1 of 3 that I tried this, actually fell.

I may just end up leaving them for now, until they fall on their own, because as of right now, the deer like to bed in the down branch tops. Once the snow melts some, I may get a rope and hook the tractor to them and see if I can pull some down, so I can safely cut them up. But we are suppose to get 12-20 more inches of snow this week, so that will put a stop to me cutting anymore trees down until it warms up and melts the snow. I had surgery last Thursday, and that put a stop to any sawing for a couple weeks anyhow.

Does anyone have a safe way to cut down trees that have the tops broken off, but still attached to the tree, and hanging down, kinda like the number 7 ?

You might be able to do a tongue and groove cut to drop them sideways.

 

[bigbendmarine]

Thankful for this thread as a reminder for me to try and be a bit less stupid when it comes to risks. Crazy lucky to have been unscathed to this point, but also know luck only goes so far.

Can share a painful yet funny chainsaw story regarding my Dad, though.

In the 70s he bought 300 acres of a kudzu-ridden forest in South Carolina, determined to create beautiful heavily wooded lots for nice homes. A corporate lawyer by day he worked every moment he had free with daylight on the land, and using me and my two brothers as servants he ultimately created a really nice development... but did get bit by a chainsaw.

Young enough I blessedly don't remember it TOO vividly, but after cutting through a limb he wasn't able to slow the saw fast enough to keep it from slicing his leg open. Got a fair number of stitches, but against the ER doctor's orders he was out working again immediately... AND managed to repeat his cutting error and have the blade barely touch the SAME EXACT spot, just enough to rip open the doctor's stitchwork.

According to my Mom, when they arrived back at the ER the same doctor was shaking his head the moment my father was brought in... with his very first comment to him being, "I think you need to give up chainsawing and focus more on lawyering." Definitely left him with a thick ugly scar on his leg for the rest of his life.

 

[buckdeer1]

I haven't seen but a couple saw cuts in 40 years of treating emergencies.Then a couple years ago a neighbor to the south and one to the north of my farm had saws kick back the same week and hit them in the forehead.Remove a few bone chips and some stitches,they were lucky.I will say you know what saw chips look like when they shoot back off saw when cutting.Lay your forearm across a chain when running and it will go all the way to the bone before you can move and leaves a nice red and wood chip stripe across your shirt.Wasn't me, tree trimmer after an ice storm

 

[Apple Junkie]

I would recommend anyone using a chainsaw on a regular basis take the "Game of Logging" safety course if it is offered in your area.

 

[cavey]

I've learned to just walk away... I have enough acreage to ignore the little bit that hanger is on... come back in a month or year and their usually down.

The only thing dumber I've done is felling trees at night on a large wildland fire... youthful stupidity. Nothing like getting bombed by a limb in the dark will being distracted by red fireflies.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I've learned to just walk away... I have enough acreage to ignore the little bit that hanger is on... come back in a month or year and their usually down.

The only thing dumber I've done is felling trees at night on a large wildland fire... youthful stupidity. Nothing like getting bombed by a limb in the dark will being distracted by red fireflies.

The walk away thing I have been doing since last summer. It may have not worked much, but so far I havent injured myself. Once the snow receded some, my plan is to drop trees onto them and see if I can get them down, if not, then I just created some bedding for deer, until they fall.

This summer I may get a little braver with a chain, and the tractor, but I doubt I will try cutting them down. I will try to take some pictures of a few, for a visual when I get out with the saw again.