Advice needed - tree felling

[amashinga]

I have a tree that is dying near my power lines that needs to come down or eventually it will probably come down across the lines. It is a young douglas fir, probably around 1.5 feet at the base, but like most of these firs, even this young they are very very tall. I need to control the drop pretty closely.

I was considering putting a cable half way up the tree, running a long stretch to a pully placed at the drop point, and then enough distance to put me out of harms way. I might have enough to just pull the tree down. I live on a mountain in the Pacific NW so the ground is pockets of dirt, moss and mulch, and this time of year is pretty spongy. Alternately I could put enough pressure on to ensure the tree fell where I needed it.

Am I completely nuts, or does this sound reasonable ? I dont want to do anything unsafe, but I dont have spare cash to throw at a faller right now if I can avoid it.

 

[psj12]

The power company will fell it for free if you convince them it is in their best interest. I called them out and they took down two of mine and carted off all the debris.

 

[Airic]

Don't risk it, call the power company. They will do it for free. They took 6 trees down on my property and were pretty easy to work with.

 

[RWolf]

Call the power company. It's in their best interest to cut it down.

 

[sixdogs]

I am familiar with accident injuries and have seen a fair number of things that went wrong with dropping trees in a situation in which nothing could go wrong. As well, I have cut a lot of wood over the years so I am sort-of clued in.
My though would be to go with the above post regarding the power company. That will likely work. Second option would be to let nature take it's course and wait till it falls over. That could take way longer than you figure.
Most people fall on the way from the cut--and get cut, some drop trees on vehicles and a few catch the live wire. I can think of better ways to go than bleeding to death on a power line right-of-way. Just my personal opinion.

 

[LBrown59]

The power company will fell it for free if you convince them it is in their best interest. I called them out and they took down two of mine and carted off all the debris.

Rite on /let them worry about it.

 

[MikeInEburg]

Just to echo the others... it is not worth the heartache/headache/stress. If the power company won't do it and you've just gotta drop it, hire a pro to drop it. Or do what I do and ignore it.
Mike

 

[skidoo]

I agree with the others to let the power company do it if they will. That said, I just did a similar fell this week. I thought it was too far from the power line for them to consider it. But, my Doug Fir was about 12" from the house, and there were three similar sized Ponderosa pine trees on the other side blocking any fall that way. So, I had a very narrow window of felling direction.

Mine was about 32" diameter and I did just what you were suggesting. After watching a youtube video of an idiot pulling a tree down onto his pickup, I Got a rope around the tree about 25' up, then hooked it up to the jeep winch and a snatch block to another pine tree in the direction of fall. I did not like having the jeep connected to that tree if it went wrong, I could just see it fling the jeep around. But, I figured the rope would break first. The jeep was parked on the other side of the three big pine trees so there was no way it could fall on it. After putting a little force with the winch/rope line, my son and I cut the notch for direction, then cut the hinge and used a couple wedges. Using caution and being slightly fearful, the tree fell within inches of my target.

 

[newbury]

Based on the OP's statement, with no mention of chain saw, power company is the final solution. However if the OP has trees like that it may be good for them to obtain a chainsaw and practice "pounding posts" - you put a post out where you want the tree to fall. Once you get good at pounding posts in the ground with tall trees then you should be able to fall them when needed.

 

[MarkV]

I have dropped trees using a cable and snatch block and find it pretty safe. The tree doesn't sound that big so I would go for it. Actually that size tree I would let my loader control the direction of fall. That also lets me cut the hinge cut while standing under the bucket to block any falling dead limbs.

Here the power company will not talk to you until the tree has come down and taken out the line.

MarkV