Bottle jack method of tree felling (plus rope?)

[IHDiesel73L]

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?

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I would put a good rope in each tree to put some tension on them, cut a bed in the direction you want tree to go and have your partner put constant tension (light strain) while you cut and leave the bottle jack in the truck.

 

[Deere Dude]

I would get a 125' 5/16" steel cable and anchor it way out in the direction you want it to fall. Some strong winch cables are lighter and equal in strength.

Chain it as high to the tree as comfortable. Hook to a strong 4x4 and put a lot of tension to the tree after the notch is cut. It will not take much cutting and will definetely fall toward the truck. Cable and come-a-longs work great to for that. I wouldn't screw around with a jack.

 

[4570Man]

The jack is a lot of jacking around for nothing. Hook a cable in the tree as high as possible and cut them. If you aren’t comfortable with that method hire a pro.

 

[jaxs]

That video is nothing but showing out and advertising Skil saws. That operator is highly skilled and it's dangerous for someone less skilled to make plunge cuts. Forget the jack and use rope/cable as planed.

 

[bcp]

Remember that a cable or rope doesn't determine where the tree will fall, only where it won't fall.

I don't like trees tied to vehicles. Many trees far outweigh the vehicle and a wrong direction fall can throw the vehicle around.

"T" being the tree and the red line being the cable, the tree may fall anywhere in the blue sector.

Bruce

 

[hslogger]

When you use a line on a tree...... wire rope or manila or poly.... take a ladder and place it around the tree as high as you dare. The higher up you go the better leverage you will have. TENSION is the theory. Not pulling it over with your pickup or tractor. First you face it up. Then you create tension with your line. Being able to read the tension is an art in itself. Too much, the tree will barberchair and split like crazy even if you bore it.

Make the face, tighten up the rope a bunch. You test it like splaying a banjo or guitar. You want it TIGHT but not too tight. Again, Tension is the key.

 

[cqaigy2]

Remember that a cable or rope doesn't determine where the tree will fall, only where it won't fall.

I don't like trees tied to vehicles. Many trees far outweigh the vehicle and a wrong direction fall can throw the vehicle around.

"T" being the tree and the red line being the cable, the tree may fall anywhere in the blue sector.

View attachment 749324

Bruce

If you want to have a better chance at determining where it will hit in that blue area, put something of value there.

 

[newbury]

I'm a big fan of tying high and pulling. 18" to 24" (breast height?) is not that big. I've only seen the bottle jacks used on bigger trees. Just cut carefully and make sure you cut so it can't barberchair.

 

[hosspuller]

If you put anything with teeth connected to the top of the jack, it will pull the jack up & over when the tree drops. jacking is useful like wedging to control the felling. More important is sizing up the mass of the tree and it's balance point. Leaves make a big difference.

 

[4570Man]

Remember that a cable or rope doesn't determine where the tree will fall, only where it won't fall.

I don't like trees tied to vehicles. Many trees far outweigh the vehicle and a wrong direction fall can throw the vehicle around.

"T" being the tree and the red line being the cable, the tree may fall anywhere in the blue sector.

View attachment 749324

Bruce

A cable that’s hooked high enough combined with a decent job cutting the hinge plus reasonable expectations of what it what it was going to accomplish to begin with will give you pretty accurate drops. Much more so than that graph.

 

[Root Cause]

I been cutting trees for the last 10 months. The last 8-10 are back leaning trees, all pines 60-80' tall.
I have had good success with wedging. I can't find the link but I found it in an old pdf. link from the US forestry service.
I honestly was not comfortable doing it but it worked. I notched it a little shallow, 25% maybe and then made the back cut. Once I had the saw deep enough to get the wedges started at 70° apart, I kept cutting a little and hammering a lot. I finally got them to drop where I wanted. It isn't fun. 13 more to go and I am finished.

 

[2manyrocks]

I have also been cutting trees over the past few months using oak wedges. In some instance I have also used a rope puller.

For the bigger trees, I hired a tree service with insurance coverage.

 

[Egon]

There are hydraulic wedges used in felling so the jack works the same as a wedge. Should work well.

 

[LouNY]

The jack method will work it is a bit of work. Rope, cable or chains to pull with will also work the higher the better.
A youngster with an extension ladder or heaven forbid a ladder in a loader will get you quite high on a tree.
All methods including just wedges will work depending upon the operator.
Pulling or jacking I would wrap a chain around the trunk to prevent barber poling.

 

[3Ts]

As for putting a rope on the tree up high, why not use a weight on the end of a line and toss it over a branch? Similar to what is done on ships when they tie up at a dock. A weight with a light line is tossed over, the light line is tied to the heavy line that is then pulled over which is then attached to the pier. Saves having to climb the tree or a ladder.

 

[ptsg]

As for putting a rope on the tree up high, why not use a weight on the end of a line and toss it over a branch? Similar to what is done on ships when they tie up at a dock. A weight with a light line is tossed over, the light line is tied to the heavy line that is then pulled over which is then attached to the pier. Saves having to climb the tree or a ladder.

BTDT several times. Used a weight on a rope to throw it over a branch, then use the rope to pull my winch line and then finally pull it with the tractor. It makes for a interesting time when you see the weight bouncing of the branch and coming down right at you though.

The only other way I do it is with a ladder, mostly on eucalyptus since those won't offer many branches low enough to throw a weight.

Most of the trees I cut, have to be pulled with the tractor since they are always leaning in the direction they shouldn't.

 

[newbury]

As far as getting a line over a branch, and than around the tree I've one effective low cost method. I've tried full up "throw lines" sold at arborist outlets (linky), and all the various methods on you tube to get a line in the tree.
But for me a slingshot with fishing line line and a few sinkers (NO HOOKS or BAIT!!) works best. Daisy makes a good simple slingshot for about $8.
It's also good for plinking pebbles at frogs and blackbirds

 

[marksmand]

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?

One thing that seems to be missing here is what do the limbs look like on these big trees? Are they hanging way out in the direction of the barn etc? The tree is going to want to fall in the direction of the most weight. Be careful here! You might need a pro who can climb the trees

 

[oldpilot]

That bottle jack is the wildest thing I've ever seen, though I admit we don't have trees that bit around in my part of the country. Never mind the plunging cut!

I'd call Orion tree service in the next town over.