Bottle jack method of tree felling (plus rope?)

[twowoode]

I recently watched as my local utility came in and cut 20 tall pines, 100 feet, with 2 guys. They put a rope around the tree as high as the guy could reach, went out to a pulley anchored to another tree, and then back behind where they were working to a winch. They put light pressure on the winch as the trees were cut. Everyone back behind the work no danger.

 

[pacosperson]

I've got five or six large (60-70') locusts that are all right next to my barn (within 10 feet) and they range from 18 to about 24" in diameter. Obviously there is no room for error removing these trees. The barn is old and not particularly large, but it does keep the rain off of my tractor. The good news is that on the other side of the tree line opposite my barn is an empty five acre field that is easily accessed from the road. Obviously there is no room for error with dropping these trees. I'm fairly experienced with dropping trees out of hedgerows and in the woods, but I'd like a little extra insurance here, so this is what I'm thinking. Even though none of the trees have a lean to them at all really, I like the idea of jacking the tree over because if done correctly it provides a very slow and controlled fall. Since I also have plenty of room out in the field I was thinking of putting a strap around the tree maybe 20' up and keeping a bit of tension on a winch cable from my buddy's truck positioned about 80-100' away. We would communicate with two way radios so that I could have him apply tension with the winch when and if necessary. This is the best video I've seen of the bottle jack method: Perfect 1/3 face cut followed by a back cut a few inches higher than the deck of the face cut (by tracing around the back of the tree with the saw rather than eyeing it), then sizing the bore hole exactly to the fully collapsed height of the jack, again by tracing with the saw. I've seen many videos showing the bore cut made much too large which wastes a lot of travel of the jack and also could be a little sketchy because it presumably gives the jack more of a chance to buckle and shoot out of the bore in a worst case scenario. The helper then taps in wedges directly behind the saw to as to avoid any back leaning of the tree whatsoever. A steel plate is used at the top of the jack to keep it from digging into the wood. I am thinking of making up a plate with some teeth to bite into the wood and maybe welding it to the top of the jack for even more assurance against it buckling and popping out. As you can see at the end of the video it doesn't take much jacking to push the tree over. Thoughts? Anything I might be missing here?

Whenever I was near anything critical I'd shoot an arrow into some high branches. Then pull up masons twine, then 1/4" nylon rope, then 1/4 aircraft cable. Using these I'd place a winch 90 degrees from the intended direction of fall using snatch blocks to make the turn. A couple more snatch blocks can double the pulling power of your winch. This takes a little time. But you can preload the tree, cut until you hear that tell-tale wood popping and then walk away from the tree. You can bring the tree down knowing exactly where it will go while standing at a distance and far from the direction of fall. I have dropped some huge trees this way. Always safe and at a distance.

 

[CobyRupert]

Like others say:
The higher the cable, the more leverage to pull in desired direction.
A wedge inserted on the back cut can “lift” a tree just as well as a jack, but without all the effort it takes to notch out a lot of space for a bottle jack.
Tension in the cable is not constant. As you do the back cut, the top of the tree will slowly move/release towards the direction it’s being pulled, and the tension goes away. You can watch the “sag” of cable to judge the tension….sometimes… with limits.
However, put a strap or chain around trunk above cut so if tree is pulled with too much tension before the cut is complete, it doesn’t barber chair.

And most importantly: Don’t cut through the hinge when making your backcut. Leave those fibers. This is the only thing controlling the direction of fall, as the tree falls. You won’t be able to winch faster than it falls to control direction once it starts. Without uncut hinge fibers still connected, gravity takes over and tree falls in the direction it wants to.
If tree fibers are brittle and hinge snaps too early…you lose directional control. Some species are more brittle than others.
Also make your open face cut really “open” so tree can “hinge” over a greater angle before the face closes up and hinge fibers snap as tree comes off stump.

 

[Fxfymn413]

My buddy and I cut a fair number of trees for firewood, some of which need to fall pretty precisely. We use a cheap remote controlled winch from HF anchored to another tree if possible and place the chain we hook the cable line to as far up the tree as we can with a ladder. If a tree is not close enough we will use a vehicle, but we attach the winch to a piece of reasonably long chain to ensure the vehicle is clear. When combined with wedges and a proper mouth cut the tree will fall where you want it to.

It doesn't take much force from the winch to pull the tree and by using the remote we control the tension on the saw cut to prevent pinching. It also allows both of us to be behind the tree where it is safer and where the winch operator can serve as safety observer to look out for the saw operator.

 

[jeffland]

Terry Hale presents an engineer's perspective on tree felling, as well as lots of experience, including what types of ropes to use and not use, and is definitely worth viewing:

 

[Rod in Forfar]

i keep an old Massey Ferguson 35 to do nothing but power the second hand skidding winch I bought years ago for $2800. It gets used maybe a dozen times a year, but that 8000 pound winch is the surest method I know to control the fall of a difficult tree. Just put a choker chain (included with the winch) around the trunk as high as you can reach from the ground or by ladder, attach the winch to it with the tractor 150 feet away. First I give the tree a sharp tug with the winch to see if any branches come loose. Then I release most of the tension and cut the wedge. A helper then tightens the cable with the ratchet on the drum until the cable is snug. It can't come back at me under normal circumstances, so I cut the tree to just before the tipping point, when I signal to the assistant to pull hard with the ratchet on, and not to stop until it's down.

Once I had an elm load up a heavy lower branch with its fall, then rocket the trunk back at me. The cable abruptly snubbed it up about a foot from my face. At that point I decided that it is a lot safer to fell trees with the aid of a skidding winch than relying on wind, wedges, and luck.

A day's rental of a skidding winch to attach to your tractor would get all of the trees onto the ground in short order, and also help greatly in moving the logs and brush around.

 

[Tony H]

Plunge cut and wedges.
With no real lean to speak of I don't think the bottle Jack is necessary. But I'd cut my wedge, then plunge cut thru tree get you hinge cut then back out of the tree. Do not come all the way out, leave about 1/2" of wood. Put wedges in, just inside of that 1/2". Tap then in opposite side until snug. Take an axe and cut that 1/2"out. Slowly drive the wedges to push your tree over.

Do a YouTube look at Bore cut method.

 

[kpsp50]

Watch so the bottom of the tree doesn't kicking back in to the barn it can happen ( I have seen it happen) just something to think about before cutting God bless and be safe

 

[Midniteoyl]

Leave a hinge in the tree to and use a rope/cable through a block to help make sure it goes in the right direction.

Or just hire a pro.

 

[2manyrocks]

I recently paid a tree service to cut some trees in my yard because I thought they were too close to my house. In my mind, I had certain ideas how I would cut them if I were doing it. The tree service cut all of them differently than what I was thinking and all the trees got cut without damaging anything or anyone in the process.

That seems to suggest they knew better than I did.