While I had a sharp felling axe on the scene, I thought I'd time how long it takes me to chop through the 10" sugar maple trunk - just like I was a real lumberjack.
The first chopped side took me about five minutes. I found that when chopping a tree down, it's best and easiest if you maintain a constant chopping rhythm. It's the same with shovelling gravel. There's a natural pace, then it's just a matter of time until the tree falls.
I found it helped to switch hand positions, side to side of the tree, as I wasn't used to using those particular tree chopping muscles. I should do a DIY instructional video for all those metrosexuals buying fancy designer axes to show how a real amateur does it. All part of my patented Lumberjack Workout Program.
The back side took me about two minutes. Near the end, I always begin to wonder, will this be the final chop? The chops then are directed straight in to the narrowest part of the remaining trunk. Just want to drop the damn thing. Then, on the last chop the whole thing popped off like chopping some one's head off.
And then, just for comparison, I timed how long it took to cut through the tree trunk with the semi-sharp MS 260. Seven seconds.
You do the math - 7 minutes versus 7 seconds.
I'm one guy in a forest that needs to be thinned throughout for improved growth and health. Think of how many trees I could cut down in a day by axe versus chainsaw.
During chainsaw season from September to April (?), it's definitely chainsaw. But in spring/summer, I could see myself swinging the axe and bucking logs with a swede saw. Or...a one-man crosscut saw.
No comments:
Post a Comment