How to cut a large tree trunk?

[pat32rf]

If I had a 55" oak I would definitely be phoning some local lumber mill. Think of the table tops, chair seats etc. Around here we have red and white oak. After laying on the ground for 10 years a 12" oak log is still well worth putting thru a sawmill, with maybe a little bit of rot around the edge. I bet that 55" log will still be there after 100 years unless you help it along....

 

[dragoneggs]

If I had a 55" oak I would definitely be phoning some local lumber mill. Think of the table tops, chair seats etc. Around here we have red and white oak. After laying on the ground for 10 years a 12" oak log is still well worth putting thru a sawmill, with maybe a little bit of rot around the edge. I bet that 55" log will still be there after 100 years unless you help it along....

ditto

 

[IndyIan]

I assume it's a fenceline tree? 55" dbh and 40' to the first branch might get a sawmiller interested. 8' to the first branch, and might have metal in it, not so much.
If you don't burn wood then you could see if anyone on the arboristsite or forestry forum is interested in it. There are portable mills designed to set up on a large trunk like that, maybe someone local has one.
I cut up a pair of 4' diameter fence line ash trees with my 372 and a 3' bar with full skip chain for firewood. It was 10-12' to the first branch and most of that wood was pretty clear, but I did find a bit of wire that was put onto the tree when it was a 6"er 80-90 years ago. One did most of my heating last year and the other is most of my firewood this year, so its kind of worth dealing with a big tree as one round is like 300-400lbs, just don't get hurt doing it.

 

[Kyle241]

I agree about an arborist may be interested. Post it on craigslist as free wood and you'll get some interested parties, you pick the one who seems to have the best knowledge and even better if they have insurance in case they hurt themselves!

 

[clemsonfor]

rent a bigger saw or buy a bigger bar and get some skip chain! Or buy a bigger saw like us saw junkies!

 

[schmism]

if you know how to fell trees then rent a larger saw. MS440 with 28" bar sound about right.

 

[deerseeker001]

i have a very large maple that towers over the house and shades the whole thing.i have a guy coming to take her down,dead limbs hanging over house.i will hate to see her go but would take out whole house if she came down.he is using a bucket truck to take it down from the top down.he is insured so we are covered.i cut trees down for 25 years and burned wood.i would cut 10 full cords a year so i know what i am doing but this one is to close to the house,needed to take from top down.

 

[crazyal]

I'm not sure if a sawyer will touch that log unless you are deep in the woods. The chances of something like a nail being in it and ruining a blade will offset any money they could make. Plus they would need to get it out of the woods. If you are going to cut it make a series of cuts a few inches apart and then take an axe and clean out between the cuts until you have a wide enough slot to cut further with your chainsaw. Like others have said, be careful.

 

[clemsonfor]

No one is going to come to your house to pick up 1 tree?

Cut it to firewood, find the spot you can cut through, then as soon as you cant cut through go to the end and cut a block out of it by noodeling to the spot you failed to cut through then get that block off then you can get your powerhead closer to the log to finish the cut. But this is a lot of work for someone that your not possibly going to use.

But i agree you can rent a ms440 or 441 or a husky 372xp size saw with a 28 or 32" bar. I bet your local rental yards will rent those size saws.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Root ball tip ups are really dangerous when you have other people in the area. I seem to recall a story a year or two ago where a grandfather lost his 6 or 7 year old grandson who was playing in the hole when the trunk popped up and crushed him.

I think I'd work my way one fireplace-length log at a time from the top end toward the base. That way you'll avoid most problems with a twist unraveling explosively on you or a quick tip up when it over balances the root ball. I've been able to handle trunks with a diameter just shy of two saw blade lengths (coming at them from both sides), but you have to be hyper-aware of kickbacks. As long as the blade's going in at an angle, and not totally perpendicular to the bottom of the cut, you should be able to handle it. Anything bigger and you're going to need a bigger saw with a longer blade.