Lumberjacks! I need advicePlease!

[s219]

I don't see how you would get a predictable notch and back cut in the rotten section. Is the tree sound up above that? Occasionally I have to place cuts higher off the ground to get into sound wood (sometimes because a tree is bent for example). It's dicier when doing that to avoid rotten wood below. The trick is to make sure the base will hold steady while cutting above and not collapse before the hinge does its thing. I'd need to closely examine the tree to really say for sure.

I am sure it's tempting to back cut the good wood and think about pushing or pulling the tree in the direction of the rotten wood. But you really have no way to control the fall at that point, even with a cable on the tree. The tree could twist or turn on the stump and go in a totally different direction. When it does that, it could also yank your cable (and whatever's on the end of it) in a dangerous way.

We recently took down a tree with a rotten bottom. Sent a climber up a nearby tree, then he hopped over to the rotten tree and took it apart piece by piece from the top down. Only when the remaining tree was about 20' tall did we cut the bottom and let it fall over with a rope to guide it. Here are a couple photos from that job:



That was a $400 job, by the way.

 

[garacuda]

Yeesh! That dead rotten wood looks unpredictable.
Though it's a trade-off and makes it harder to get away from the tree if things go bad, it would lessen the chances of things going bad if you could make the cut up higher where the tree is good and not rely on rotted wood for the holding wood/hinge. You don't want to cut through the hinge when directing a tree (or anytime) and want it to be reliable to steer the tree down.
Again, put a safety strap or chain in a belt fashion around the trunk above where you're making the hold the trunk together from splitting/barber chairing.
Falling a tree gone wrong (Barber chair) - YouTube

Good ideas, I may have to drag the picnic table over to stand on to reach good wood, but it's a good thought! Belting every tree sounds like a good idea now that I know about the "barberchair" potential.

 

[square1]

It may be the angle of the pic, but the tree appears to have a back lean away from the rotten side. That's going to make it tricky no matter where you cut it. You have a tough one there. I'd really consider renting a boom lift and taking it down in small pieces or hiring it done and I'm no rookie.

 

[forgeblast]

Just wondering but can you push it out of the way with a tractor? get up high enough with a backhoe and it looks like it may go where you want it to. I would watch for widow makers, large dead branches up near the top that love to come down when the tree is falling.

 

[ShaneG]

What I have done and would do again is rent a lift and take it apart like the pros. I've done it three times now with great success on BIG trees that just could not be dropped because of surrounding structures. The lift rental was a couple hundred.

 

[CalG]

Make a small box cut, a shallow back cut and push the thing over with the loader bucket up high.

Doesn't seem to be much " tree" there.

Don't do the work in a stiff wind ;-)

 

[Coyote machine]

Fill it fuller with large caliber lead till she drops!:laughing:
That's a tree that wants revenge for all the lead.
Get a bucket, drop the top, lay it down. Done.

 

[aczlan]

What I have done and would do again is rent a lift and take it apart like the pros. I've done it three times now with great success on BIG trees that just could not be dropped because of surrounding structures. The lift rental was a couple hundred.

Excellent idea. Start from the top, cut off the limbs, then take the trunk down in 2-4' chunks from the manlift.

Aaron Z

 

[square1]

consider renting a boom lift and taking it down in small pieces

rent a lift and take it apart like the pros.

Get a bucket

2-4' chunks from the manlift.

Starting to see a consensus...

 

[garacuda]

Starting to see a consensus...

Me Too. I think Ill give it a mediocre shove first with my bucket first to see if it's weak enough to push over. If it still wants to stand, I'll take the top down first and save the rotted trunk for last when the dangerous part is on the ground.

Thanks guys! One way or another it's coming down this weekend, and the double tree behind it too! Again, good solid advice from all......

 

[CobyRupert]

Watch out that when you push on a dead 35' tree with your bucket, it's a good way to end up with 25 ft section breaking off and landing on your head, or even worse your tractor! (Don't get me wrong, I'm no safety **** and probably take too much risk myself, but 25 feet of tree falling out of the sky is heavy!)

 

[jlgurr]

Me Too. I think Ill give it a mediocre shove first with my bucket first to see if it's weak enough to push over. If it still wants to stand, I'll take the top down first and save the rotted trunk for last when the dangerous part is on the ground.

Thanks guys! One way or another it's coming down this weekend, and the double tree behind it too! Again, good solid advice from all......

Let us know how you end up doing it and how well the results turn out. I know I'm not the only curious one...

 

[Coyote machine]

Advising to NOT try to push over that tree. That's a good way to die when it breaks off where you shot it full of holes and then drops on you and your tractor.

 

[square1]

Well?

 

[jlgurr]

Well?

It's a hole in the ground and can be a deep subject...

No, seriously, I would like to hear how it turned out as well.