: The neighbors find it interesting that while I do have a chainsaw I prefer to fell trees with a saw and a hatchet/axe.
In my part of the national forest, chainsaws are banned. All forest workers use long hand crosscut saws. For cleaning trails. And all other uses. A pre WWII 6 foot crosscut saw, can be worth as much as $1,500. The old saws use higher grade of steel. Yes they are still making new one, but everyone says they're not as good.
@corlin: I use a little 12" handsaw, the kind with the good wooden handle that you can replace blades with with working two bolts. Sometimes you just need the precision when you're got to make sure the trees land where and how you need them to. For the broader work where more force is required to clear shit out, it's the hand axe or the proper axe.
I love the physics of it all. My favorite are tangled trees. They're a puzzle you have to carefully take apart... with gravity. I love it.
@corlin: Affirmative. As with most things I do or plan to do, I am very big on conditioning my plans with ye olde reliable "...weather permitting". Despite all the "manifesting" and similar mumbo jumbo in high fashion lately, physics, maths, and nature give no shits about how you feel or think and won't hesitate to kill or injure you, the same as how they will reward you. You just have to Follow The Rules and Don't Be Dumb and/or Careless.
@thedisasterautist
This is very true, with wind filled forest trees in rough terrain.They are basically springs.with enough stored energy to do very serious harm. Cut the wrong branch, or the trunk in the wrong place. And people die.
I have seen forest workers, wait days, for an expert to come and mark cuts. And even then only allow the sawers within 50 feet.