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Advice needed downing a hung up tree

P

PeteTheRookie

Member
Equipment available:
'66 Ford 4500 TLB with loaded rear tires
approx 35 ft of heavy chain
approx 200 feet various ropes
triple block/tackle
chainsaws.

I am very wary about cutting this tree at the trunk as there is way to much lateral force/tension due to it being bowed and hung up.

My idea is to tie off to it to base of larger adjacent Oak and use block and tackle to pull it to the right to free it so it falls.

Though about pushing it over with tractor but the bowed trunk is unpredictable in my limited experience.

Arborist wants $300 to just drop it.

Wife says use arborist ("he is eye candy", she tells her friends).

I say $300 buys a few new hydro hoses.

Any advice, suggestions greatly appreciated.

tks

Pete
Hung up partial uprooted Oak
 
The best option may be to leave it alone. It's going to come down on its own sooner or later.

It looks like it still has a lot of roots left; it may be harder than you think to pull it over. If it was at my place, I'd try to pull it over. I have about 300 feet of 5/8" nylon line and a snatch block. To pull over something like this I would tie the line to the tree with a bowline knot as high as I could get with a ladder. I'd then run the line through a snatch block chained to tree trunk in the direction I want it to fall. Then pull the line with my tractor. But unless you have very heavy line, I suspect you won't be able to pull it over. More likely you'll end up with a broken line or a couple of jammed bowlines.
 
You can't see a lot in the pictures except it is leaning quite a bit in one direction. A rope would have to be put quite high to give you leverage to pull it in the direction you wanted it to fall. 90 degrees from the lean you might be able to get it to fall where you wanted. Even with the pictures it is hard to impossible to give suggestions. Are you in Minnesota? If so where?
 
Looking at view 3 I would just go up as high as you could reach and tie the rope around it. Go to the base of a close tree and hook the block a tackle. That tree dosen't seem to be hung up there very well. Pull and it will probably hit the ground without starting the chainsaw.
 
(quoted from post at 11:42:23 11/20/11) The best option may be to leave it alone. It's going to come down on its own sooner or later.

It looks like it still has a lot of roots left; it may be harder than you think to pull it over. If it was at my place, I'd try to pull it over. I have about 300 feet of 5/8" nylon line and a snatch block. To pull over something like this I would tie the line to the tree with a bowline knot as high as I could get with a ladder. I'd then run the line through a snatch block chained to tree trunk in the direction I want it to fall. Then pull the line with my tractor. But unless you have very heavy line, I suspect you won't be able to pull it over. More likely you'll end up with a broken line or a couple of jammed bowlines.
Click to expand...

Good advice. Or get someone with a basket truck or lift to help cut in down in sections. Every few years I have to do that with dead trees by the road so I don't have to worry about closing the road, or having to clean up the mess off the road. I can just drop everything straight down......
 
If you are in doubt pay the 300.00 and be safe. How far will that 300.00 go towards a hospital bill?
Sounds self serving but hiring someone that knows the business will be a lot safer and easier for you. Safer being the word. Having been involved in cutting after a tornado and straight wind storm this summer I can say experience is a good thing on your side.
 
I like them when they are leaning like that. It"s when they are so straight you have to notch the tree to direct where if falls and hope the wind doesn"t change it I don"t like. It"s hard to tell from your pictures but if there are no structures in the fall line, I would just cut it. If it doesn"t go all the way to the ground you can attach a chain to the bottom of it and pull it down with your tractor. I have also continued to cut one until it drops enough it will clear the other tree and fall.
 
I don't see that it's a threat to any buildings, but if so then you have reason to worry. If it were mine, I would start putting lots and lots of water to the root base and get it as soft as possible and let gravity take over. In the pictures it really doesn't look that hung up.
 
I don't really know what I'm doing cuz I'm just a logger. But I would clear a good escape route and then put a small notch in the front of it, then bore cut it to reduce the chance of a barber chair. then get ready to run away and clip the holding wood and get out of the way.
 
If you are comfortable with it you can do it. If in doubt, or limited in mobility, don't.
If it were mine I would put a chain around it at least 30 ft above ground. Use two wraps of chain (3/8 link section minimum) and a grab hook to assure it stays tight. I would run two lines from this chain at 45 degrees from each other and at least 80 feet away to keep forces low, such that the pull is directly away from where it is headed now.
I would then pull on the tree equally with force enough to bend it to the direction intended and dig with a back hoe on the side intended to fall.
This lets the trunk stay whole and pivots the system on the roots, not letting it snap off under stress. Once it is leaning toward the new direction, I would dig roots from the other side of the base allowing it to be lowered with the lines till it was going to fall where it needs t0 go. Do not lower it more than 50 degrees from horizontal as the forces on the lines will get to the breaking point if lower. Remove all equipment and release the line that is holding it back. Just my opinion, I am not there, all input is speculation. Jim
 
I have done lots and lots of tree work on my own land.
Just yesterday I cut 2 trees that were hung up on other trees, these were dead elms that were 8" in diameter. (not big but the same concept applies)

1. are you in good shape to do this kind of work? And are you experienced?
if no then pay the $300 for the arborist.

2. If yes then cut the tree 2 feet up from the ground and let it fall into the other tree.

3. You might have to kick the tree off the stump with work boots. (like I do)

4. Keep cutting 2-3 feet up from the ground multiple times, cause the tree will keep falling vertically down because the top is hung up in the other tree. Always take time between cuts to allow any branches to fall down.

5. Save the $300 and take your wife out to eat.
 
Big as my wife is I would throw a rope around the tree and another one around her. Put a twinkee in front of her and get out of the way.
 
The direction you want it to fall, secure with chain and come-a-long to another tree in that direction, notch it, and cut some on backside slowly and then tighten with come along slowly until you see some progress.
Done like gun guru many a time also.
 
I have droped a lot of trees and that one would not scare me in the least. If you are capable and the tree will not hit the power line the way it is leaning, cut it and let it fall into the other trees. Then make sure it is cut completely free of the stump and hitch the tractor on LOW AND SHORT. pull gentely away from the way it is hung up and it will fall to the ground as it is pulled free of the other trees
 
if your wary then don;t do it other wise make sure life and health ins. are paid up. all the chain and rope in the world will NOT change gravity you might change it a little but the tree and gravity will win
 
It looks like you could get behind it and just reach your backhoe out and give it push. You could take a chainsaw and partially cut the trunk to make it snap easier. When it's leaning like that already, push it the way it's leaning unless it's going to fall on electrical wires or something else important. I've pushed several trees over like that using the boom on the backhoe. You can reach up pretty high and you're pushing the tree downward at the same time you're pushing it over. You could put a chain near the bottom of the trunk to another tree so it can't come back towards you when it goes over.
 
drill several 1/2 -3/4 inch holes bout 12 inches deep at downward angle . fill with black powder , insert fuse, hammer in 2 in long dowel, according to hole size . twist fuse together, light , run for cover !!! Very cool
 
It doesn't look real bad, I'd take my chip out, like normal, to point the tree away from as many hang up potentials, as possible, then make the hinge cut, then make the release cut. As others have said, if it's headed toward the electric line, though, I would call the utility co, and see if they would take down the tree, they might surprise you, though, and say yes. I would not attempt it if it was pointing toward the line, though. Hire james the tree cutter, he's everywhere, and can do it for half price. Just make sure your homeowner's insurance will cover you, if james makes a mistake.
some of james work...
 
Wow - Photobucket puts up so many popup tabs I can't hardly see your picture, aside from it taking too long to load all that that I only looked at 2 pictures. Sheez.

I've taken down stuff like that. Hard to do without experience, and hard to get experience if you don't do it. The catch-22.

If anything goes wrong, that $300 is gonna look real real cheap.

Ropes aren't as strong as they look, and 35 feet of chain doesn't get you out of harm's way on a tree over 35 feet tall. Think you need more equipment in that regard, before tackling it?

I put a cable/ chain longer than the tree off in the direction it want's to fall, hook on the tractor, cut the notch & cut on the trunk, and before it goes on it's own & creates a bind or pinch, pull with the tractor. But you gonna need a lot more chain, rope doesn't do it. Chain needs to be high, heigher is better, but that brings up ladder saftey issue - never ends on the safety stuff eh? :)

My great (possibly great great) uncle lost his leg, when they were cutting a branch off a tree, pulled with a chain, the whole tree was hollow & fell over, instead of 10 foot of branch he got 70 foot of tree falling on him, threw him off the tractor & spinning tractor wheel chewed his leg off.

Don't work with a short or weak chain.

--->Paul
 
The main thing to safety is do not do it if you are not comfortable with it. The $300 is a small price.

I would NEVER put a loader or backhoe on that tall of tree. There is a good chance it will come back over the top of it. I would hook a long 100' cable to the tree and pull it in the direction you want to fall. I have a 1/2" cable just for that purpose. The tree will come right over once you cut it.
 
Cut the releif on the underside. Then cut almost through from the top... but be sure to leave half and inch or so. The stump may settle down at this point. Then put a chain on the butt and position the hoe in such a way that you can lift, pull and swing the hoe sufficiently to bring the tree down. You may need to set up a couple times to get it on the ground. I would not put the hoe directly in the path of where the tree will come down as it probably will slide out and bounce a bit when it does finally drop...

Rod
 
You should hire a Pro. My neighbor decided to cut an overhanging limb off his neighbor's tree.
He was using a ladder and an electric chain saw.

His wife was holding the ladder directly under him. When he was about through the limb the limb swung around and knocked him off the ladder.
The saw just missed his wife. He fell about 15 feet and hit his neighbor's top rail on the chain link fence with his shoulder that was severely injured. I think that rail saved his life. They flew him to the shock trauma center
where he had surgery. Then he had physical therapy at another hospital. He hasn't cut any overhanging limbs since then. It happened in 2005. Hal
 
If you are worried about it splitting when you cut it down, I would cut me a path to get out of the way safely and then I would take a chain and wrap it around the tree about a foot obove where I was going to cut it and make a cut on the back side and then go around to the side and cut it and when it starts to fall get out of the way. The chain will keep it from splitting and it will fall just like a regular tree.

Bob
 
Having owned a sawmill and having done considerable (non-professional) logging for many decades, I'd listen to the PROFESSIONAL logger (chevytaHOE5674); anyone else know.....without looking it up....... what a 'bore cut' is????
 
I ws dropping a 18" dead oak, it leaned south-west, the wind blew towards the south-west, it was top-heavy on the south-west side, I notched it correctly on the SW, cut it with a level notch on the north-east side, and BOOOM she fell backwards to the north-east so quick I almost got caught. Almost got me permanently.
Hire the man to drop it for $300, then you go ahead and cut it up. But let someone else drop it. That thing looks like you could plan all day on it, and it could get caught up top someplace, pivot around, and come down anywhere.
 
I agree. I have cut a lot of trees in my life, and have learned that if you don't feel right about a tree there is a good reason.

Trees don't always behave as you expect them to. I had a nice "easy" dead cedar tree that had fallen across a woven wire fence slap me on the back of my head last week. With a lot of the weight still on the fence it "twisted" instead of doing what it should have.

Anything flat on the ground is easy, like dropping any tree that is standing properly, with or without lots of branches. The stuff with root balls is dangerous. That is what he is dealing with, plus the snag with the other trees.

I have seen nature (weather) correct stuff like he has if you give it a little time. A good snow storm will do wonders for clearing snags. DOUG
 
A bore cut, is made, after you cut the notch, parallel to the inner edge of the notch, which should be made 1/3 the way through the tree. The bore cut is made, with the tip if the bar, stuck into the tree, parallel to the ground, and bored all the way through the other side. The inner edge of the bore cut should be about 2" from the inner face of the wedge cut. The release cut, is then made, from the outside of the tree, toward the bore cut. There is a name for this system of cutting, I think it was named after the guy who "invented" it, or discovered it. How'd I do on the description?
 
Right on............of course. I wouldn't get within 100 yards of some of these guys while they were using a chainsaw.
 
I think I would pay the $300, you can't guarantee that when that tree moves slightly and transfers weight it won't pull the root ball upwards.
 
Well I took the advice and got my experienced friend Fred"s hhelp. Went up about 25 ft and wrapped piece of change around it. Hooked up 2 sections of 20 ft cable to that. Ran chain around very large stump 90 degrees to right about 50 0lus feet away and put tension on it with come along. With that line tight it was above my head. I was far enough away so I hung on that. Fred notched it and then back cut it leaving a good hinge. I pulled down on the line and it came down right where Fred said it would. It even rolled off the tree it was hanging on just like Fred said it would.
Fred grew up on a farm here in Maine.
After it went down he had a big smile and said "that felt good!".
With out Fred I would have notched it and used my 2 come alongs to pull it sideways to get it fall. I had concluded hitting it directly with the loader or having the tractor near it was not a good idea.
Tks for all the advice.
 
Don't look so bad to me from the pics. No wires or buildings in the way? I'd notch the underside about 1/3 and then cut the top. I bet it'll fall all the way when cut. Make sure you have a clear escape route!

Where you at? Maybe come over and look and cut down for you.
 
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