Piperflyer
Gold Member
Can you get a load of dirt in behind it to keep the root ball from coming back. Tough to tell by the picture angle. If not; you got to know somebody who is crazy enough to just cut them.
Ideas for felling this tree
- Thread starter Tollster
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powerpace
Platinum Member
Any or all of the below if you don't want a tractor or come along involved.
1. I don't believe your wrong cutting the bottom trunk first. You can feel it out.
2. If the root ball is springy. Cut a short length of another downed tree and place it behind the root ball to prevent it springing back.
3. Cut some of the feeder roots off the root ball to weaken the hold. You will be able to tell when it becomes more solid.
This situation is not too uncommon around here. The difference is the size of the tree. The feller would cut the bottom first.
1. I don't believe your wrong cutting the bottom trunk first. You can feel it out.
2. If the root ball is springy. Cut a short length of another downed tree and place it behind the root ball to prevent it springing back.
3. Cut some of the feeder roots off the root ball to weaken the hold. You will be able to tell when it becomes more solid.
This situation is not too uncommon around here. The difference is the size of the tree. The feller would cut the bottom first.
20 20
Elite Member
Tollster, from the questions your asking I think internet forum help is the WRONG WAY TO GO! I am not trying to be negative towards you so please take this post as a caution. Reading your posts I really think it would be in your best interest/personal safety to find someone local that has actually done this type of work and can help for a bit. You could probably learn something and maybe the next time be ready to tackle the job. IMO from reading your post there is a chance you may be looking for trouble and possible serious injury. Also having your wife with you is a good idea but unless she knows something about saw operation and how to handle those logs then she won't be of much help. Making a phone call when one of those trees let loose(causing a problem) might help but if it were me I'd rather have someone that could work fast and think on their feet. Lets say you use your pole saw what are you going to do when it pinches? I have seen trees spin or let lose that look like bullets going through the air, there is NO WAY anyone would ever get out of the way. PLEASE GET SOME HELP, no tree is worth you being seriously messed up.
I agree. At first glance, it looks relatively simple to cut, but pictures seldom tell the whole story. I've seen trees do all sorts of strange things, and in cases like this, they can be HIGHLY DANGEROUS.
moored4
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jimmyj
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Exactly what I'd do. I respect 20 20's comments though. Don't do it if you aren't comfortable.
sixdogs
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This is a bad tree to cut and lots of things could go wrong. If it were mine I would also want to "do something" but prior experience would probably cause me to leave it be and let nature work at it for a year or two. Plan "B" would be the a bigger tractor and trying to tug it down. This tree has different forces tugging and twisting. When I cut things like this, over the decades, I always had my wife in the 4WD waiting close by and pointed towards the road just in case.
MossRoad
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You could just treat it like a branch on a tree and do a "three cut" like this:
We have a Poulan Pro that we bought as a combo pack. It had the pole saw and weed eater attachments bundled together. It works fine. It is heavy. As others have mentioned, with any pole saw, it is easy to pinch a blade. I use the three cut method for trimming all branches with my pole saw and chain saw, too, for that matter.
Here's a picture that explains it. Not only does it eliminate most pinches, it keeps the branches from pulling down bark and skinning up the tree. Check it out. Try it a few times. It works great.
In a nut shell, you cut through 1/3 of the branch from the underside of the branch about a foot out from the trunk. Then you cut outwards of the first cut about 2" all the way through. It snaps the branch at the first cut and there is no bark or strip of wood that pulls down the underside of the branch. That's usually what hangs a branch. Finally, you make a final cut near the trunk, but not into the collar. That 1 foot piece drops right off. Leaving the collar in tack lets the tree heal much faster and cleaner.
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We have a Poulan Pro that we bought as a combo pack. It had the pole saw and weed eater attachments bundled together. It works fine. It is heavy. As others have mentioned, with any pole saw, it is easy to pinch a blade. I use the three cut method for trimming all branches with my pole saw and chain saw, too, for that matter.
Here's a picture that explains it. Not only does it eliminate most pinches, it keeps the branches from pulling down bark and skinning up the tree. Check it out. Try it a few times. It works great.
In a nut shell, you cut through 1/3 of the branch from the underside of the branch about a foot out from the trunk. Then you cut outwards of the first cut about 2" all the way through. It snaps the branch at the first cut and there is no bark or strip of wood that pulls down the underside of the branch. That's usually what hangs a branch. Finally, you make a final cut near the trunk, but not into the collar. That 1 foot piece drops right off. Leaving the collar in tack lets the tree heal much faster and cleaner.
tractchores
Veteran Member
I've had to deal with similar things a few times and there are a few ways to go about it. First you want a good understanding of the forces at work and guess what they'll do if its released from the root ball. For instance if its hung at the tip of the tree then the butt should settle down and may roll, if its more towards the middle it could lift which would be very dangerous. The root ball will settle back down, but likely only after the second tree. I would recommend using a come along and a heft chain after cutting the bases to pull it down. When you cut the bases you can cut a notch just like felling a tree to try and encourage it to fall down in a certain direction or try to get it to roll out of the hemlock. You can use the still attached tree for roll protection if its positioned right. Just remember the notch goes on the top of the log since it will fall down and hinge at the top (that's important or you'll get your saw stuck and have a seriously dangerous situation). A pole saw might be a safe way to make that final cut. Once its detached pulling it will be pretty easy. Good luck!
radioman
Super Member
Just likee every body is saying- come along and wire rope or chains.
I'd slide the wire ropee or chains as high as you can make it and pull it sideways far away enough to make it roll off hung up tree and fall .
I'd slide the wire ropee or chains as high as you can make it and pull it sideways far away enough to make it roll off hung up tree and fall .