Let me make something very clear. I come from the school of thought that believes training destroys the adventure of learning. I have an anti-training predisposition (unless it's dentists, surgeons and airline pilots!). I just love a challenge and to try something new; training simply squeezes all the fun out.
It sounds ridiculous, but I didn't really consider the tools required for owning a woodland. It came with the house so mentally, it was a secondary asset. I made the assumption that a wood looks after itself so why create additional work for yourself. Once you are actually in the environment, begin to learn about the ecology of a woodland, you soon realise you need to get stuck in. The one tool you most definitely need is a chainsaw. Read any book you like on woodland management and they all use the phrase, 'Let there be light'. My woodland hadn't been coppiced in decades and needed urgent attention. I had to start felling, not just for fuel, but also to begin opening up the closed canopy that was shutting out light. Coppicing is important for biodiversity - ask any Nightingale or Pearl-bordered Fratillary.
If you're going to be felling trees and providing firewood for at least yourself, then you need more than a hobby saw from Sh*tfix . A 50cc engine and 13" bar is the perfect saw for coppicing. Being light to handle and powerful means the saw allows you to cut in very awkward spaces. Chatting to an experienced forester plus a little internet research I ended up buying the Husqvarna 550xp. I'm not going to do a review here but 15 months on.....no regrets.
1. What was the first thing I learnt when I used my chainsaw for the first time?
A forester friend of mine, Mike, who owns a wood over the road said he'd come over and give me a few tips. He'd been banging on about needing to do a course but I said I feel confident to fell without one. All I needed was a basic idea to get started...quick learner me! Mike suggested we start with a small stem of sweet chestnut; it was no more than 6" in diameter. The phrase " I could do this with my eyes closed" came to mind but I played along, none the less. I explained how I thought this small tree should be felled. Mike then explained why that approach would probably result in an injury......oh! OK, that's why Mike's there, to point out a few of the pitfalls. Mike then went into some detail of how trees behave in certain circumstances. He gave a few pointers then suggested I go ahead and fell my first tree. Off I go.....chounk! Chainsaw is stuck! My first cut is too deep and the tree is now sitting on the chain and bar.
Answer: I didn't have a clue!
2. What happened when Mike left?
Having mastered a few fells, Mike left and I began to fell...solo. I have to admit, at this point I was feeling a little humbled so some of my initial confidence had left me. I decided to take on a small hazel stem as it looked really straight forward. However, I dive straight in, rather than assessing every cut. I fail to notice that the it's under tension which results in the stem springing back, faster than you could ever react, and smashing me on the helmet. Now this is only a small stem, but even so, without a helmet I would've been seriously injured, but probably not dead.
Answer: I was still incompetent
3. PPE is for wimps....anyway, I'm only logging
Logging...what could go wrong, after all, you've got the log where you want it. Trouble with chainsaws is that small errors can be catastrophic. Logging feels easy, but complacency is always the enemy. I've nicked my chainsaw trousers, no harm done. Had I not worn trousers who knows how bad that little incident could have been? a few stitches at best, a severed femoral artery at the other end of the scale. It all happens so quickly. The end of the saw has touched my chainsaw boots which without them would mean a few less toes!
Answer: The downside is too great as you will make a mistake!
4. Chainsaw courses are too expensive?
Not long after owning my new chainsaw I signed up to do my chainsaw course. It was a LANTRA course Level 1 & 2. Essentially you do chainsaw maintenance & cross cutting for Level 1 and then felling standing trees unto 300mm in Level 2. I also decided to do the exam. On the face of it, completely unnecessary as I own the land that I'm working. But here's the rub. If you are say, a small woodland owner, you'll be teaming up with others to work on each others land. You simply owe each other time rather than money. I'm fairly new and have received a lot of initial help...I owe quite a few days to some fellow foresters. If I didn't have my chainsaw certificates then I wouldn't be able to 'cut' in their wood - their insurance becomes invalid. The end result is that no one really wants to help you because you can't return the favour. By trading time, rather than money, you will find the cost of the course will more than pay for itself in the first cutting season.
Answer: You'll get your money back in the first season (PS There's nearly 2 days of maintenance - you'll save a fortune on repairs and servicing!)
My final word on the matter
The main difference for me has been my approach to each cutting task. Health and Safety has always been a fairly toxic phrase for me...it prevents kids from assessing danger - most of the time. But this is an area that surprised me. Whether it's a bit of logging on site or in the woodshed, felling chestnut coppice or an oak, I asses the whole area and actively look at all the possible pitfalls.Fellingan area, like chess, requires you need to be 2 or 3 moves ahead to prevent further problems. Once you learn it, then the habit stays with you.
If you are in the Kent/Sussex area then I would recommend starting here. Dave Rossney was born to be a chainsaw instructor!
