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.

 

[Jonsdeere]

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.

Remember that the tension goes away as soon as the tree moves just a small amount in the direction the tension is applied from. Felling trees can be part smarts, part luck!

 

[Mudfarmer]

I fell some cottonwood trees about the size you describe by putting on a chain at about twenty feet up (as far as I could climb up an extension ladder). I hooked that to a cable leading to an anchored come-along. Notably the come-along did not have to be out from under the reach of the top of the tree -it would take a pretty unlucky direct hit to damage one. Cranking the come-along brought the top of the tree over about twenty feet. I made a simple shallow undercut (I did this while the tension was on so was careful not to go too deep all at once and get the saw pinched) and then a back cut. On a different species I might have chained to prevent a barber chair. I didn't need a wedge or a jack. Cottonwoods are heavy - they come down with a real thump you feel deep in your gullet.

 

[Surshot]

You might try a plum-bob and surveyors string with enough loose string on the ground to go up and down to the ground on the other side of a tree. A plumb-bob is one of the first things a surveyor learns to throw with accuracy and distance.

 

[Going4it]

I've tried the bottle jack method on a wrong way leaner last fall. Apparently my jack was too light/small. The 20 inch tree had only about an inch left for the hinge, as it wouldn't move from jacking, so I kept picking at the hinge until it fell over opposite the direction I intend.
Needless to say that bottle jack is no more. The jack was crushed, fluid and the metal plate all flew out. Luckily I was not injured and the tree fell into the neighbors woods. Lesson learned for me!
I once had a coffee cup with the saying
"Learn from the mistakes of others because you won't live long enough to make them all yourself "

 

[BradB]

Given the quantity and location of the trees this sounds like a job for insured professionals. All the discussion of cables/ropes tied to vehicles and jacks should raise a red flag. Good luck and be safe.

 

[hslogger]

I have a few more thoughts to share, aside from falling and bucking timber, I also did extensive urban removals with a local arborist. PROFESSIONAL Arborists use a throw ball to get a line high up into a tree. Basically it is a big bean bag with shot gun shot in it. The bag is nylon or kelvar and has ring on it. The ring gets attached to very light but strong line that is a hundred or so feet long. Often it is thrown up there by hand, other times with a giant, pole mounted sling shot. It's called a Big Shot. Anyway lots of ways to get the line up in the tree, . As the bag goes over a major limb, the thrower works the line so the bag drops. The other end of the line is attached to a stronger rope, ie a Bull Line, or Climbing Line.

You pull the weighted end until the working line goes over the limb and comes down. Then you can proceed to use that line in the way you want. If it is a climbing line, you attach your apparatus, Prusik, or belt. If it is a bull line, you put a loop in it, run the other end through it, tighten up and you have your pulling line.

Jacks are sketchy in small diameter tree felling. I wouldn't use a jack under anything under two feet. yah you can do it, but larger diameter trees gie more working space for the jack AND wedges to use to back up your jack. Cutting a small wedge shaped shelf for your jack is the safe way to do it and you have room to put in your wedges to stay up with the jack in case it fails.

Some people cut the whole back side out and stick the jack in there. They presume the jack won't ever fail and put all their eggs in one basket. It aint the smart thang to do. Even with big double pumper old growth jacks, we cut two wedges out instead of involving the whole back.

A shortee bottle jack is better to use than a tall one in my experience. As the jacking process goes, you need a thick steel plate to go over the jack head. As you jack, you will notice that the angle of the plate riding on the jack head changes and "might slip" the higher you go.
It's best if you are using some doofer jack to have a circle welded on the plate that slips over the jack head. That way as the jack goes up, the head stays secure in the confines of the circle.
Having an under performing jack is risky at best. We never used anything less than twenty ton shortee Duff Norton railroad jacks until Silvey began building a line of aluminum jacks. "just my two cents" for what it's worth https://www.bartlettman.com/collect...MIoeGWhsCo-AIVIRh9Ch07KAoPEAAYASAAEgIH_fD_BwE

 

[Fxfymn413]

A more red-neck version is an air powered tennis ball launcher made with a lawn sprinkler valve. Plans here: http://www.antennalaunchers.com/TBLa1.pdf

 

[mapper]

Tried jacking a 20-24" maple years ago with my FIL. Had a 16 ton bottle jack, blew the seals in the jack. Tree didn't move. I don't remember how we got the tree down, it was 40 years ago.

 

[s219]

If you just want the tree to come down slow and controlled, there are face cuts that will slow down the action. Basically you want a block notch or wide angle notch that will give the hinge fibers more time to bend before the face closes and causes the fibers to fracture. Some species of wood are more amenable to this.

The use of a jack doesn't factor in to speed and control for the actual fall. It just gives you some time/control at the beginning, but you could use wedges for that. If I am understanding what you're asking about, it means you want to slow down and control the fall after the tree is going over. For that, the face cut and hinge are the bag of tricks.

 

[ray66v]

Reading the tree and understanding where the center of gravity is, based on where the mass is, is critical in getting the tree to fall where you want it.

The bottle jack method is a great way to move the top of the tree, shifting the weight to the direction you want it to fall, when your talking about a substantial lean.

I have seen some amazing work done that way, on YouTube.