How to safely fell this fallen tree?

[JD 4520]

In the pictures below, you will note a tree that I have on my property that recently found itself in a precarious position. The noted tree is the TOP 80 feet of what was a 150 foot tree. It was blown off the top of the tree in a recent storm, came straight down and lodged itself in the ground and is now leaning against another tree. I need to safely remove this "tree top" so that it has a controlled fall. The third picture is the base of the tree top that is sitting on the ground. How should I do this?

If I cut to fell it as you would a normal tree, it could just buckle on me I am thinking. The only way that I can see to do this safely is with a 50 + foot chain tied to the base and pull it away from the tree it is leaning on. Any thoughts? Any suggestions?

 

[andrehoude123]

What I do when pine trees get snagged cut almost all the thru with the chain saw then chain and pull Might be a better ideal to chain up first and because it's a pine tree it easily breaks in the wedge you leave and she comes down!

 

[bcp]

I've had about a dozen fir tops broken off like that to clear this year, but none that big. Mine were mostly around 4 inches, with several up to 8.

An arborist would probably faint at my method, but it worked repeatedly. The larger ones (about 8 inches) I cut repeated 4 foot sections off the bottom using a controlled, intentional buckle. I used a single saw cut (instead of a notch) on the top side about halfway through. That makes it easier to see motion, and stops the motion if it closes. Then cut toward it on the under side until I saw motion starting to close the top cut. Then back off and pull on the joint with a pre-attached cable, redirected 90 degrees through a pulley, to buckle it in the direction of lean. One eventually moved to vertical, then I had to cut it in the other direction.

Bruce

 

[rekees4300]

You could try the chain method but I doubt you will be able to budge it with your tractor. It may be buried 1-2' deep. If you do try the chain method, your chain MUST be longer than 80 feet or you risk it falling on you and/or your tractor. I'd use at least a 100" chain(s) as insurance so no matter which way it falls you would be safe.

Another alternative would be to cut down the tree it is leaning on. When it falls the leaner will fall. Note this method is very dangerous and you must have time to get out of the way when the tree and leaner start falling.

I do NOT recommend cutting on the leaner. Vertical/leaning trees like that are very unpredictable.

Your best bet may be to hire a professional. Expensive but how much is your life worth?!

 

[bcp]

You could try the chain method but I doubt you will be able to budge it with your tractor. It may be buried 1-2' deep.

I had one 2-inch top that went in about 30 inches. It must have come down like an arrow, from about 100 feet up.

Bruce

 

[cqaigy2]

Boy that's not a good situation. I'd only tackle that if you really need to get it down. Can't tell for sure if it's leaning on the bigger of those two trees or split between them. Definitely look it over well. It would be spooky to cut the tree it's leaning on, the leaner might start it's way down before you get the tree cut. You'd want to use a spotter that would communicate well and not get themselves into trouble. An alternative is to try and move it off the tree it's leaning on, hook up high, be sure to have enough cable to keep you out of trouble if it fall toward you. Also be aware your equipment could move if it falls away from you. Then the next alternative it cable high again, straight cut 2/3rds then pull.

 

[aczlan]

100' of cable chain or heavy rope tied on as high as you can get it (I recommend a slingshot or bow and arrow to pull fishing line up and go heavier from there). Pull it over, don't try cutting it down.
If it was over 45 degrees, I would say to cut it into chunks, but not one that close to vertical.

A pro climber would probably go into one of the other trees, rappel down and take it out in chunks but that takes a lot of know-how.

Aaron Z

 

[Carykong]

In the pictures below, you will note a tree that I have on my property that recently found itself in a precarious position. The noted tree is the TOP 80 feet of what was a 150 foot tree. It was blown off the top of the tree in a recent storm, came straight down and lodged itself in the ground and is now leaning against another tree. I need to safely remove this "tree top" so that it has a controlled fall. The third picture is the base of the tree top that is sitting on the ground. How should I do this?

If I cut to fell it as you would a normal tree, it could just buckle on me I am thinking. The only way that I can see to do this safely is with a 50 + foot chain tied to the base and pull it away from the tree it is leaning on. Any thoughts? Any suggestions?

I think you have the right idea. Hope you have enough power and traction to get the base moving.

 

[Mendonsy]

The only way that I can see to do this safely is with a 50 + foot chain tied to the base and pull it away from the tree it is leaning on. Any thoughts? Any suggestions?

That should work as long as the bottom of the tree doesn't dig into the ground too badly. Once the top moves a bit it should break free and fall away from you.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I'd do it the way you said - go as high as I could and pull it sideways off the other and let it go.. A snach block so you are more behind the leaned tree would be best..

 

[JD 4520]

That should work as long as the bottom of the tree doesn't dig into the ground too badly. Once the top moves a bit it should break free and fall away from you.

This is what I am thinking as there is a bit of a lean and some amount of nudging should cause it to roll off to the direction it is leaning. I am thinking I'll put a cut in the base to provide some breakaway also.

I can't tell how deep in the ground it is, I could be surprised. I did have one similar some years back and discovered it was below the surface nearly 24". I won't be tackling this for a couple of weeks so any other thoughts are surely welcomed.

 

[dave1949]

You could try pulling from the base, maybe dig a small trench for the butt of the tree to move through if that can be done safely.

My Plan B would be pulling from higher up, through a snatch block if needed to keep you out of the fall direction.

I don't think I would try cutting it from what the picture shows. It looks fairly vertical and it is already lodged. I've used bcp's method of taking a leaner down by cutting off sections from the base, but never with a tree even half that size. There's going to be a lot of down force until you get a lot of it cut off which is going to make it unpredictable. Even a small tree, if it can slide down freely, will hit the ground with enough force to go in 3-4 inches after it buckles.

 

[tractchores]

I would pull the base out. If its dug in do a partial cut then pull to break off whats in the ground. A long chain is a must, a puller would be even better. I've done it that way before, if you can get the base to move your golden, until that its very scary.

 

[crazyal]

I wouldn't connect a tractor to the tree with a chain or rope. If it decides to do something unexpected it'll have the potential to drag your tractor the direction it wants to go.

The first thing I would do is look for widow makers. Anything that's dead or broken that could fall down from any of the trees most likely will. If I don't see anything I cut about 4 feet up from the bottom (but I also use the wood for burning so 4' makes 3 16" pieces). Usually two or three cuts and the tree is free to fall on it's own. After each cut I always double check for widow makers and make sure I have an easy route to get away from the tree. If I see anything that makes me pause I just put up some caution tape and leave it for mother nature.

 

[CobyRupert]

Widowmaker! Stay away from it! (unless hooking on a 100' cable/rope)
If it's a 80' top, then your rope needs to be >80'. You may think you're going to pull the bottom out, but if it's in the ground, the butt can act like a anchored lever, and over comes the top (on yer head!)
Using a rope or cable, pull the bottom out. If it's "anchored" too much at the ground, pull the top over by hooking the rope up as high as you can.
Don't start cutting on this, it's too unpredicatable. At best you might be able to get a hinge to open, at considerable danger to yourself, you'll likely bind the saw seeing how all the forces are downward, and even if the top slides off the cut (with some "help"), it just falls straight down and your left with the same situation, with very little gained.

 

[JerryK]

Like others, this is not a tractor job. Need to put a ladder up and put a chain around it 15-20 feet up. Then pull it away from the tree it is laying against with a long cable/chain setup to get you out of the fall zone if possible. I use a chain come-along for this all the time to pull trees down in the direction I want them to go. That's how I take my trees down about 99% of the time. The other one percent, is when I don't, then have to hook up a comealong after I get into trouble... Like I should have in the first place.

Here is a couple of pictures of a leaning 85 footer I took down north of my house a few weeks ago. I have chains and cables to go about 200' if I have to.

 

[rd_macgregor]

Can you get a feeling for how long the broken end is by looking at the broken top of the standing tree (maybe with binoculars?).
My first inclination would be to try to pull the bottom out, maybe first doing a saw cut half-way (or so)through just above ground level in hopes of snapping off the buried part.
If pulling didn't work, my plan "B" would be to try to get a cable or chain up high and pull the top down the way it is already leaning (ie, through the supporting trees).
If it was a bit smaller, I'd try an accordion felling approach, but this is a pretty big bole to do that with.
Bob

 

[Jake Harsha]

Hook as high as you can, park behind and off to a side where you know the tree can't/won't fall, and winch it down to a snatchblock so the tree falls away from you.


My$.02USD,
Jake

 

[JD 4520]

I am confident that I can safely attach and pull the base of the leaner. My unknowns are, can I really pull it due to sheer weight and depth. I think I will clear as much of a path behind the leaner in the direction I plan to pull. I am confident about the safety factor as I will be protected by other trees and the lean direction is opposite the pull direction.

Upon further inspection, the leaning tree may become lodged in a fork on the tree that it is leaning against. If it comes down in that fork and becomes lodged there then I have a different problem to solve.

 

[aczlan]

I am confident that I can safely attach and pull the base of the leaner. My unknowns are, can I really pull it due to sheer weight and depth. I think I will clear as much of a path behind the leaner in the direction I plan to pull. I am confident about the safety factor as I will be protected by other trees and the lean direction is opposite the pull direction.

Upon further inspection, the leaning tree may become lodged in a fork on the tree that it is leaning against. If it comes down in that fork and becomes lodged there then I have a different problem to solve.

In that case, I would first try pulling it from the top...


Aaron Z