At Home In The Woods

[Obed]

Lightning Strike

We had a severe thunderstorm come through today mid-day. This large forked hickory tree split and fell across our driveway in two directions.

With the tree trunks so high off the ground, this tree is not something I'm capable of cutting up. The highest trunk is about 15 feet off the ground.

We are scheduled to have sand and brick delivered Monday so brick work can start. The delivery trucks and workers cannot get to the house. This tree is about 700 feet from the house.

We are desperately trying to find someone who can get this tree off our driveway so work can commence. We might have a delay in starting the brick. I really don't want the brick guy to start bricking another house and cause us to have to wait another 3 weeks. Obviously we have a greater sense of urgency than we did 2 days ago.

 

[Tororider]

Couldn't you push it aside with the front end loader or break it down with the hoe?

Never mind the one side is too high at least at the trunk. Do you think you could break it off by pushing on the end with the loader? Or chaining it and pulling on it? Hope you are able to make something work.

 

[Obed]

Couldn't you push it aside with the front end loader or break it down with the hoe?

Never mind the one side is too high at least at the trunk. Do you think you could break it off by pushing on the end with the loader? Or chaining it and pulling on it? Hope you are able to make something work.

It might be possible to push the trunk that is lowest to the ground to one side of the driveway. I don't think I could push the higher trunk off the drive. It fills the entire driveway and cleared areas on each side of the driveway. I may take a second look at it tomorrow.

Obed

 

[dstig1]

With your tractor and a chainsaw you should be fine. Just slowly work your way up the trunk from the tree top. Even 16" chunks, one at a time work out. You are making firewood blocks that way...

 

[whitedogone]

I just found this thread. Don't know how I missed it all these months. To the OP: have you ever considered a condo?

 

[dcyrilc]

With your tractor and a chainsaw you should be fine. Just slowly work your way up the trunk from the tree top. Even 16" chunks, one at a time work out. You are making firewood blocks that way...

Limb it first. Then cut your sections starting from the top of the tree and working back toward the trunk. When making your cuts, watch for it to pinch the bar. As soon as the trunk starts to sag, remove the saw and finish your cut from the bottom side. Once you have enough of the tree cut away, you should be able to push the rest off the drive with the FEL.

 

[scoutcub]

Limb it first. Then cut your sections starting from the top of the tree and working back toward the trunk. When making your cuts, watch for it to pinch the bar. As soon as the trunk starts to sag, remove the saw and finish your cut from the bottom side. Once you have enough of the tree cut away, you should be able to push the rest off the drive with the FEL.

I agree. Limbing would be the first step, and pinching the bar is a very real concern with the sections hanging like that. You could even make a double-cut with 1" in between cuts before it does start bending/flexing. Then finish the cut from the bottom. Personally, I would cut the stump as it appears to fall away into the woods, and just keep hacking it up into logs/firewood, but I'm pretty comfortable cutting wood....and have 3 saws.
Most of all, be careful, wear steel toed boots and other safety gear, and go slowly....

BTW, hows the cat doing...?

 

[jimmyj]

Wow, what a big tree to break like that. Must have been some power in that strike. I agree with the others, limb first, then buck your way up. If you use a snatch block and long cable you can notch the stump and drop it away from the road into the woods with the trusty tractor. It's definitely doable but if you aren't confident I respect your decision.

Sorry to hear about another obstacle. I hope you get the brick on time.

Good luck.

 

[eepete]

After too many years cleaning up after storms with the FD, Here's my :2cents:

Agreed with dcyrilc and scoutcub on limb it, then cut in small pieces. We never send out less than 3 saws with a crew since it's so easy to get one stuck. Between operator skill, type of tree, and hidden twisting it's easy to get things stuck. If you just have one saw, you have two options:

1) get an extra bar and chain. When you get stuck, you can get another shot at it.

2) Don't try to get it in one cut. Cut a notch out of the top, then cut another notch deeper, then do the final cut up from the bottom. When limbing as soon as you see some movement due to pressure on the limb, back off and start the cut again using the 1st attempt to relive pressure. It might take 3-4 little cuts to get it, but your saw won't get stuck.

I have also used the FEL to lift up fallen logs so that the cut _can_ be done in a single cut. Looking at the pix, this might be hard to do. Finally, I've used the FEL to give me a safe place for cutting. You can position the FEL so that if the tree shifts, it will hit the FEL and not you. Learned that the hard way when a tree popped and sling shotted me about 10' .

And finally, not to be a gloomy gust but, work from the side of the tree that faces the road, so that if calamity ensues help can easily get to you.

Pete

 

[EddieWalker]

Add me to the list of those recomending limbing it and then cutting it in sections from the top of the tree, and going towards the trunk. In my experience, most of the cut on something like that is from the bottom up. It's more work cutting that way, but you never have to worry about getting the bar wedged in betweent the tree like you will if you cut from the top going down. It's actually a really quick and easy job to do, and from all that you've already done, this is nothing for you to knock out.

Impressive picture. Might be one to blow up and put in your office after you move in.

Eddie