Can pro tree person describe. ...... Barber chair.....in tree felling.........with 24 inch diameter max...trees......and how to avoid happening

I would think if you went on You Tube and put in "Tree Barber Chairing" you will get a much better idea than what I can put in words. When it happens, it is usually unexpected and pretty exciting! It isn't anything you will want to do a second time.

O k thanks

This one is just over a minute and is falling a big pickle but it will give you an idea. FF to about the 40 second part to start watching. There are lots more video's, this is just the first one I found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O7H9qWdquk

My uncle, who’s cut trees for probably 50 years or more, got lazy last year and didn’t notch a 16 inch walnut and just back cut it, after the snap he didn’t get hit but needed clean shorts.

In the pacific northwest probably the most notorious tree species that barber chairs is the red alder; especially if they have a lean to them. Proper positioning and sequencing of the face cut and the back cut are crucial.
Here's a good example of an alder barber chair. FWIW, I don't know of any professional fallers who use this ratch strap approach.

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0npcRqHy0bQ[/video]

https://youtube.com/shorts/B-SMNN78eMk?si=DzP6qVAMt-ROI575

I've had them dramatically worse than this. Ash in particular like to barber chair. A tree with a heavy lean is very likely to barber chair and requires a bore cut, people get themselves killed thinking the tree will go where they want because it is already leaning that way. This is why we set a rope in the tree and pull the trees over, usually with a machine (recommend doing it by hand until you have a feel for it). A couple throw balls, a throw ball line and a good rope will cost about $200 and help keep you out of harms way.

It’s a result of improper notch, usually associated with what is called a Dutchman left in the notch. Then heavy lean and felling cut can’t keep up with the tree falling and too wide of hinge left as the tree falls. It’s all the laws of physics.

Dutchman is created when your under cut and top or bottom notch cut do not meet perfectly, regardless if you are using the Humboldt or open face notch method.
Straight grained hardwood trees with strong tensile strength such as white ash, red oak, white oak, hickory and others are prone if you do not know what you are doing . But you can barber chair most any hardwood and even some softwood species if you use improper felling techniques.

We commonly use ratchet straps, we don't rely on them to keep us safe but it's cheap insurance when we're dropping some rotten piece of garbage next to a house

Native people that harvest birch bark in spring will intentionally barber chair big birch to allow easy removal of large pieces of bark with no damage from hitting the ground.
You gotta know what you are doing.

Then there’s the intentional “barber chair”. When the top of a 40’ pine is touching the ground with wet snow load and you walk up reach in and just touch the back with the chain. Trees on the ground quick! Then buddy who just got his chainsaw certification tries to cut a little notch……and that’s where his saw stays…lol

This is called "hinge cutting" and is also used to create wildlife habitat (deer browse). I did some this fall and it was a bit uncomfortable to say the least, I'm not sure I would make a habit of it.

Wow....you guys need your own tree forum with all that information ....since posting saw one video.......thats serious stuff......I'm going to look at all your links......thanks a lot.......I might not sleep thinking about it....

Yeah, a guy did that here 4 or 5 years ago...it's all rotten now, really good way to ruin a timber.

Yes, spring poles, trees bent over under tension, are very dangerous and will barber chair very easily.

If you have some tree falling to do, wear your hard hat and saw chaps. Pay special attention to your left knee if you are a right handed cutter. That is where you are most likely to get nipped with the saw.

I hate cutting big bam that come down across the trail with a several ton root ball attached.

Speaking of spring poles,you gotta watch closely for that when free cutting rails at a trainwreck with the abraisive saw.

X2, after 48 years of felling hardwood timber, on a hot day, too hot to wear chaps, that’s exactly what I did. 6 stitches later I was ok, but very lucky it wasn’t worse.

It is exciting knowing that it WILL stand back up when you cut it, just not exactly when during the cut it will happen. I admit, I foolishly made my first cut on one just like you described at about 10 feet above the stump. It pinched the bar, popped and took my 044 10 feet up in the air and kept it there until it ran out of fuel. That was miserable.

LOL.
Next time tell your buddy to sit on it to hold it down-and film it.