Felling a leaning tree to the side of the lean

[fruitcakesa]

Mosst people rigging to pull a tree forget that once it starts to fall the pull is gone as the pull vehicle isn't fast enough to keep the slack out of the cable.

True, that's why it's essential to have aimed the tree accurately with proper sized hinge wood and "safety valves" in place, be it wedges, jacks or what have you.
The guy line is just a tensioner for that initial breaking of the hinge at which time, due to your careful pre-falling procedures, the tree falls where aimed.
Of course, with rotten wood, all bets are off.

 

[airbiscuit]

It's cheating if you use a rope. I couldn't find the video where they get a tree to fall 180 degrees from the lean, but this gives you an idea.

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[Skeans1]

It's cheating if you use a rope. I couldn't find the video where they get a tree to fall 180 degrees from the lean, but this gives you an idea.

The dutchman can be a really useful tool when used correctly same as a sizwheel. Myself I’ve used these techniques as well as jacks a lot more then a line but I’m also a timber faller not an arborist.

 

[airbiscuit]

I wish I could have the found the video I saw a few years ago. It was a large leaning tree on a steep slope, The feller did those Dutchman cuts and you could watch it to fall in the direction of the lean, and then in slow motion "spin" around in its direction and fall 180 degrees away from the lean. It was a thing of beauty.

I am amazed at what the fellers and arborists do.

 

[CobyRupert]

I hate White Pine, they snap / break off instead of falling like a normal tree...

Exactly! Hinges only work if they hold, and bend, or break in a continuous order, to direct the fall.
On white pine I’ve dealt with, the hinge snaps off early and then the tree is just going to fall where gravity takes it.
Even with my skidding winch hook high on the tree, I could start tree in intended direction, but once hinge snaps you can’t winch fast enough to fight gravity with no hinge holding wood directing it.
The bigger the angle you’re trying to redirect, the worse outcome you may get.

Luckily I only dropped it on an old useless barbed wire fence and wasn’t playing for keeps, like when there’s a building or power lines around.

 

[Skeans1]

I wish I could have the found the video I saw a few years ago. It was a large leaning tree on a steep slope, The feller did those Dutchman cuts and you could watch it to fall in the direction of the lean, and then in slow motion "spin" around in its direction and fall 180 degrees away from the lean. It was a thing of beauty.

I am amazed at what the fellers and arborists do.

Would it be this one? Heck with wedging - YouTube

 

[newbury]

I'm a firm believer in ropes, especially as I'm usually working alone and near buildings (and ropes are cheap). CMCpro.com sells leftover 1/2" climbing rope for about $75 for a 50lb box (500' plus) plus $26 shipping. Normally goes for over $1/foot. It's at Sale - Rope Miscellaneous Sections | CMC PRO. I've bought 2 boxes of darn good 1/2 and thicker climbing rope/rescue rope.
I can't throw a throw line worth a hoot, so I usually use a weighted line with a slingshot.
I've got lot's of ropes, so I'll often use two and some come-alongs to make sure the tree gets started in the right direction.

 

[Skeans1]

I'm a firm believer in ropes, especially as I'm usually working alone and near buildings (and ropes are cheap). CMCpro.com sells leftover 1/2" climbing rope for about $75 for a 50lb box (500' plus) plus $26 shipping. Normally goes for over $1/foot. It's at Sale - Rope Miscellaneous Sections | CMC PRO. I've bought 2 boxes of darn good 1/2 and thicker climbing rope/rescue rope.
I can't throw a throw line worth a hoot, so I usually use a weighted line with a slingshot.
I've got lot's of ropes, so I'll often use two and some come-alongs to make sure the tree gets started in the right direction.

Ropes can work in hardwoods but in the big softwoods good luck getting a line around a tree. When I have used a line it’s been a drum line off a D7 sized cat anything smaller I wouldn’t even consider I can cut a jack seat faster and have a gauge I can watch what’s going on.

 

[old and tired]

...On white pine I’ve dealt with, the hinge snaps off early and then the tree is just going to fall where gravity takes it...

With a 3/4" rope and plenty of pulling power; the 2 white pines I was pulling just fell 90* to the pull (which worked out fine) But I will never trust a white pine again...

 

[s219]

LOL, once was asked to fell a birch that was threatening a client's roof.
I tied a good rope as high as possible and attached the other end to my 3/4 ton 4 x 4 in order to direct the fall.
I cut a proper notch , handed the saw to a helper and told him how and where to cut when I blew my horn.

Blew the horn, he completed the cut, tree fell and pulled my truck back and tree stopped when it hit the roof overhang.

LOL, I forgot to engage the 4 x 4! (and a PU is very light on rear end)
Fortunately the builder had used 2 x 6's under the facia so there was no roof damage.

(I'd used that method often and when properly done I have seen trees actually leap up and away.)

When I was putting an addition on my barn, one of the trees I felled twisted weirdly on the stump and bounced off the edge of the roof, mangling the gutter, busting the fascia, and damaging a few shingles. Since I was knitting the new addition's roof into that edge of the roofline, it really didn't matter but I got lucky the damage wasn't worse. I credit it to good original construction.

My wife gave me a hard time about that for a while, and I would always reply "I told you, the gutter and fascia had to come off anyway, so I just saved a step!".

 

[s219]

With old technology ropes, you are correct to be untrusting, but there are ropes made with modern fibers that have unreal strength, wear resistance and low weight.

As an example, AMSTEEL-BLUE - Samson Rope. Dyneema is the name of the fiber. There are others brands and various grades with in brands as well. Some could be strong, some weaker, depends on what one needs.

Example:

1/4 inch galvanized wire rope has a breaking strength around 7,000 pounds and will weigh in around 11 pounds per 100 feet.

Amsteel Blue 1/4 inch rope has an average breaking strength of 8,600 pounds, with a minimum of 7,700 pounds, and have a weight of 1.6 pounds per 100 feet.

Later,
Dan

The 5/8" bull rope I have is Samson Stable Braid, and has a breaking strength of 16,300# (the 3/4 rope is 20,400 #). It's an impressive rope. Sadly I nicked it with a chainsaw about 5 years ago and the original 200' length lost about 25' (which I keep as a separate rope and sometimes use as an extension, minus the length loss from knots). That rope has taken a real beating for 9 years now. I inspect it periodically, and see minor abrasion but nothing that concerns me yet. A new 200' length would be about $260.