Cutting trees after Isabel

[MossRoad]

Just take a piece of twine or fishing line and attach it to a tennis ball. You can drill through a tennis ball and stick the line through it, or use the duct tape method. If you need more weight, you can add some water to the tennis ball. Throw the ball up over the highest part of the tree that you can. If you can't throw that high, use a tennis racket and whack it or get some kid with a good arm(but keep him away from under the tree). After the line comes down the other side, use it to pull up a heavier string and then a rope.

Attach a chain to the end of the cable. On the other end of the chain attach a clevis. Make sure the clevis is large enough for the end of the cable and chain to slip through. Pull the clevis up and over with the rope. Pull it all the way back down to the ground. Slip the other end of the cable through the clevis and then pull it until the chain tightens around the trunk. This is where a really long cable comes in handy. The longer the cable, the higher up the tree you can get and the more leverage you can get with your pull vehicle. Anyway, I've had good success with this and didn't have to climb the tree. Remember, if it looks too dangerous, it probably is. Your brain is tuned to catch these details(at least most people's are). If you detect this danger, call a professional. It is money well spent.

 

[Henro]

One thing to keep in mind is that rope can [and will] break.

Last year I was pulling on a tree that got hung up after I cut it, and was using a piece of poly rope. It streched and then broke [I was pulling very slowly, not jerking at all] and woosh! the part on the tractor end came flying back towards me.

I can't remember if it flew by [I think it did] but it did impress me enough that I now have about 100' worth of chains... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I am extreemly careful now if I use rope for anything.

Chains can break too, I know...but certainly not as easily as rope!

 

[WCarlson]

elmerinva,
The Humboldt face and a lot of other helpful information is available in Professional Timber Falling by D. Douglas Dent it is available through <font color="blue"> Bailey's</font> . The fishing line idea works however a more precise and reliable device is the "Big Shot" available from WT Sherill, <font color="blue"> Big Shot</font>. I have used both and find the Big Shot far superior to the fishing line or a throw bag if you are going to do some serious timber work.
Bill

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> One thing to keep in mind is that rope can [and will] break. </font>

Yep. That's why I use cable. Even cable will break if pulled hard enough. Heck, anything will break eventually. Rope tends to stretch like a rubber band before breaking and has a slingshot effect. Cables can do the same thing. As with anything under tension, be careful.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Rope tends to stretch like a rubber band )</font>

That's sure a fact! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif A few years ago my brother had a rather large dead willow tree at the edge of a ravine on his place and wanted to take it down. The trouble was that it was leaning drastically over tward the neighbor's property. Now my brother also had a heavy duty nylon rope about 150 to 200' long (that rope was very handy for lots of jobs). I tied a stick on a smaller line, threw it over a high limb, etc. as others have talked about doing in this thread, got the long heavy rope tied off, then had to run it uphill through trees and tied the other end to the trailer hitch on his Kawasaki Mule. That left us far enough apart that we couldn't see each other, nor be able to hear the other's voice over the sound of a chain saw and the Mule engines running. So he told me he would notch the tree and start his cut, then kill the engine on the chain saw, and that when I heard the chain saw engine restart, to take off on the Mule to pull the tree because he'd be immediately finishing the cut. Everything worked just right, but when I reached the limits of the Mule's forward motion and let off the gas, it snapped me backwards about 15' so fast I nearly bit the steering wheel. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[elmerinva]

Moss Road, Very clever to get that line up the tree. And all others, great ideas. The tennis ball and racket is really slick. I wish I kept my tennis racket. I will try to attach a line and then run it thru a block attached to another upright tree and pull it with my truck.
I've heard horror stories about rope and cable going through the back window when they snapped so I will put some wood to protect me and the window. I guess I could also use the draw bar on my tractor.

What a great site--so much knowledge and experience!

 

[GaryM]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( a more precise and reliable device is the "Big Shot" available from WT Sherill, <font color="blue"> Big Shot</font>. I have used both and find the Big Shot far superior to the fishing line or a throw bag if you are going to do some serious timber work.
Bill )</font>

For the price of that thing, and it really looks neat, I'd have to be using it to make money!

 

[WCarlson]

GaryM,
I do a lot of trees ( as I said earlier in this post, 60 in the storm of 99, 6 in the aftermath of Isabel, 9 in August for my new garage plus some damage each winter and in each storm). My ten acres are all high canopy forest, almost all maple and hickory at 75 to 100 feet. With the Big Shot I can accurately place a throw line over a widow maker or desired branch on a leaner in one or two trys 75 feet up. Even at 40 feet accurate placement is tough with a throw bag, fishing line or anything else I have tried. Like in tractor work the right tools and implements make the job a lot easier and safer.
Bill

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> I wish I kept my tennis racket. </font>

Goodwill or Salvatin Army stores are a great place to look for them. My in-laws use the tennis racket to hit the ball for their dog. It sends it much farther than they can throw it.

I use to have a very strong arm and it was no problem to chuck a baseball 300 feet across the yard. I could toss a ball up to the top of any tree around here. That was 10 years ago. I have since torn my rotator cuff and can only throw about 50-60 feet high now. That's where I got the tennis racket idea.

That sling shot thingy looks pretty cool, too.

I think any fisherman worth his/her salt could put a sinker over a tree branch with ease. Heck, I manage to do it every time I go fishing, so why couldn't I do it on purpose! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Cacinok]

Moss Road briefly mentioned using the safety methods you would use while winching, when pulling down trees. I may be stating the obvious, but the key to taming any broken line is to hang a heavy blanket on it (e.g., wool blanket - wetting it down makes it even heavier). This effectively dampens the whipping effect of a broken pull line. Simple, but very effective.

Clint