Any suggestions how to get this tree on the ground safely?

[ruffdog]

I would cut that top side to get rid of that hanging root ball just to get it out of the way. Then I would be cutting on the trunk in at least 2 locations testing which way the pressures are, ALWAYS keeping my body on the side that other trees are blocking for me.

 

[Dftodd]

One thing to watch out with the root balls. Once the trunk is cut, it can plop back into the hole pretty fast with quite a bit of force.

Locally after a Tornado came through the area, someone lost their kid to a root ball during clean up.

Make sure animals and people are well away from one before cutting the tree.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Bucking’ Billy Ray Smith, is sawyer in British Columbia, who has YouTube channel. He explained how to work this kind of mess a year or so back. You could search his videos and find the episode.

 

[marhar]

The members that called this a widow maker are correct; they are called widow makers for a reason. I would try to get a rope around the tree as close to the top as possible (use a bag to throw over; do not climb). I would then try to pull the rope with the hope of getting it on the ground. I would pull with my tractor from safe distance. If I did not use my tractor I would use a heavy-duty come along.

I would not cut the tree until the top is on the ground. Even then be careful as the root ball may quickly fall back into the hole

 

[kthompson]

redman135 hit it. I think by digger he means excavator. Large excavator with thumb should be safe and reasonable easy. You should be able to lift the trunk to take most of the load off the split and root ball, cut that carefully and then pull the tree out the other trees. Depending on the excavator you may can lift the tree clear of the trees it is caught in to pull it clear of them.

I have a five ton excavator with thumb and have been able to do so safely with it on trees maybe 20 inches in diameter.

Another possible option is logger's skidder.

 

[Rockbadchild]

lol yeah $1500 to remove a tree in a forest no big deal ... must be nice having that kind of cash...

 

[kthompson]

lol yeah $1500 to remove a tree in a forest no big deal ... must be nice having that kind of cash...

I can agree that may not be money well spent, then it depends on what is around the tree. If cattle and it feel killing a couple, oh well. But if it were to fall on a person who was not aware of the danger...
It just depends on what is reasonable to happen around it.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Just fasten a chain aroun the trunk just above where you cut it, before you cut it. Cut the stump off. Be clear around stump because it may want to lay back down. Then when cutting limbs, only cut 3/4, don't try to cut them off. Let it ease itself down. Stay out from under main trunk. Always good to have two saws in case one gets pinched, you can cut near it and get it loose with the other one.

 

[drumminj]

Thought I'd come back and update this post. A few months ago we had some good storms that got the tree mostly on the ground (a few of the trees supporting it snapped...one a 12" dbh oak...). Finally had cooler weather today so started the process of limbing it so I can burn the branches. The upper branches still hung up on on another tree on the downhill side...I'm guessing I'll have to wait for the hickory it's hung up on to snap before I can work on that part of it.

Will probably leave the trunk/larger branches in place until I need it for firewood. I already have a few years worth of cherry logs waiting for me to buck and split.

Some photos with my helmet for scale:

 

[Runner]

It's definitely looking safer now. At this point, I think I would continue as you are doing, i.e., work it from the top down. As you get closer to the stump, it should be more apparent how much if any tension is left in the trunk area.

Seems like it's probably safe enough to cut that piece of root ball loose now too. I would be tempted to do that with my pole saw, because I'm a chicken. I might even try cutting what's left of the stump loose with the pole saw and then throw a chain around it to try to drag it off the stump and on to the ground.

 

[Reapoman]

I had a big red oak do the same thing. I wouldnt touch it, I left it a few years and one day it made it to the ground on its own. Drove me crazy tho because there was alot of good firewood in that tree.

 

[drumminj]

I had a big red oak do the same thing. I wouldnt touch it, I left it a few years and one day it made it to the ground on its own. Drove me crazy tho because there was alot of good firewood in that tree.

For the most part I'm leaving it alone. Just trying to get any weight/pressure off other trees if I can. It took down 3-4 good sized trees with it so trying to minimize the damage in that area if possible since it's right at the edge of where our woods start.

Not worth getting crushed over, though, so being very careful with it!

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Tuesday I paid a tree service to cut a 2ft diameter dead pine tree. I planted them 10 ft. apart along the road, this one infested with beetles. It was close to road & I could have cut it, but it could have fallen on road, killed/injured someone, then I'd have to haul it off to burn. The company cleaned everything up, hauling it all off...every twig. $450 well spent.

 

[sixdogs]

Tuesday I paid a tree service to cut a 2ft diameter dead pine tree. I planted them 10 ft. apart along the road, this one infested with beetles. It was close to road & I could have cut it, but it could have fallen on road, killed/injured someone, then I'd have to haul it off to burn. The company cleaned everything up, hauling it all off...every twig. $450 well spent. View attachment 929939

That's the right thing to do for uncertain trees that need to come down.
We took down two 35 ft spruce trees this year that wife said were too close to the house. I'm getting older so decided to hire it out but I couldn't get anyone to even come out and look.

I rented a 35 ft bucket trailer and my young farmer neighbor and hired hand went up and carefully cut it a little at a time and dropped the pieces to the ground. They stopped at 10 ft and I did that part later.

Since I have a brush chipper and stump grinder, it was a job I could handle but dropping a tree close to a bad spot is something we should all hire out unless we do it every day. Things can go wrong and cause much bigger problems than a few dollars spent on risk-avoidance.

 

[RSKY]

I had a professional crew come out and cut a dead gum tree that was less than ten feet from my shop. The tree was about 30" in diameter three feet off the ground. Eleven men showed up in two trucks and a van. Three Americans, one old guy driving the truck with a large trailer. One driving a truck with a trailer and a track loader which he drove. And the boss telling everybody what to do. A Mexican guy drove the van and did the main cut down. In the van were the clean up crew of seven Guatemalan's. I wanted it down before it fell on my shop or out in neighbor's corn field. So they came before the neighbor's field was planted. I had asked permission from the neighbor to drop the tree in his field.

Mexican guy threw a weight over a branch high up on the tree and pulled a huge rope over and around and out into the field and attached it to the track loader. Notched the tree out on the field side and started cutting on the other side. Guy driving the loader started pulling on the rope. When the tree fell it hadn't bounced twice before the Guatemalans rushed in and started cutting it up. Old guy backed the trailer into the field and they started loading the cut up tree. Took them about 45 minutes from pulling into my back yard to having the tree down, cut up, and loaded onto the trailer. They stopped in the front yard to cut down a smaller pin oak and load it up. Including time for writing the check and a few minutes shaking hands and talking they were here less than two hours. All the mess was cleaned up and hauled off. Money well spent. I don't remember the exact amount but I believe it was around $1500.

RSKY

 

[oosik]

Yesterday - as I was washing dishes - I looked at my fallen pine tree. It had assumed a more acute angle. The top is only about seven feet above the ground. Mother Nature at work.

 

[Dftodd]

I got an old dead oak that's about 80ft tall.

I went to cut it down yesterday. As soon as I started cutting into it, I got swarmed by wasps. Not sure if they came out of the tree or from a hole at the base.

I'm leaning towards them being in the tree. Since I got swarmed a second time when I snuck in 20 minutes later to grab my still running chain saw

So now I got two options if they are in the tree.

Option A is to turn that baby into an 80ft tall roman candle. Might freak out some neighbors and pi## off the fire department.

B is to take it down from a distance with the shotgun

 

[Torvy]

Ouch. I got tagged by a wasp a few weeks ago. She got me right under my eye on the orbital bone. Looked like I lost a fight.

I was just cutting the vines climbing the tree. Didn't see or hear any others. Didn't stick around to find out.

I'll wait until winter to get back to that one.

Like the fire idea, but this is too close to the house.

Hope you are OK.

 

[Dftodd]

Ouch. I got tagged by a wasp a few weeks ago. She got me right under my eye on the orbital bone. Looked like I lost a fight.

I was just cutting the vines climbing the tree. Didn't see or hear any others. Didn't stick around to find out.

I'll wait until winter to get back to that one.

Like the fire idea, but this is too close to the house.

Hope you are OK.

I'm allergic and got popped twice on the neck, and a few other stings on my back and arms.

I went inside and popped benadryl before going back for the saw. I was shocked to hear it still puttering away still in the tree. I got popped again when I retrieved the saw.

Spent the rest of the afternoon drunk from the benadryl with my wife keeping an eye on me

I had asked my doctor previously about what I could take for an emergency dose if I was stung. So I keep it handy at work home and my vehicles.

 

[Torvy]

Sorry man. I feel your pain.

My whole eye was swollen shut like Rocky. Almost asked Paulie to cut me.

I tried Benedryl and motrin. Took over a week to get the swelling down enough that it didn't obstruct my vision.

At least bees have the courtesy to die after they get you.