The week I tried NOT drilling pilot holes on a big oak removal

I was always told you gotta pre-drill everything to avoid splits, especially on big hardwoods. But this old climber I worked with last month in Denver just sunk lag screws straight into a 30-inch oak limb with no pilot hole and it held fine. He swears it's faster and the wood grabs better. Am I being too careful or is skipping the pilot hole asking for trouble on certain trees?

2 comments

2 Comments

irishenderson12d ago

Wait, no pilot holes on a 30-inch oak? That's insane!

quinnm9012d ago

Oh man, pre-drilling is a lifesaver on long hardwoods. I always drill a few pilot holes with a countersink bit just to keep the oak from splitting on me.