Need Help with taking tree from yard, ideas. ASAP!

[rutwad]

I have done many things in my past, and some have worked out by the grace of God, and some have turned out to be disaster. Well right now I am looking to dig up a Pecan tree approx. 3' diameter and 90' tall. North of the tree is my parents shed/carport. East of the tree is my parents house. South and West of the tree in a high voltage power line. So I need this tree to go NE between another Pecan tree and the carport.

Any good ideas that would keep my parents coming home to a terrible suprise.

THANKS!

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Is the tree leaning in any direction? Does it look healthy? I am not familiar with those trees too much. Do they tend to have rot in the trunk or branches? Do you cut standing trees very much? If you aren't comfortable being in trouble with the family for a long time if things go wrong then hire a tree cutter to drop it and you do the clean up. Or if it would be easy to climb and put a rope in. Then put the rope at least half way up. Then notch it to where you want it to fall. Have some live bodies pulling the rope in the same direction. Don't let them bounce the rope though if they are pulling. Some people like to pull and then let up and pull again. That can get the tree to spring back on your back cut. Wedges driven in are also something you should use to drive the tree over in the direction that you want it to go.

 

[putt_putt_green]

If you are asking for advise, then you are probably not experienced enough to cut the tree down. Hire it done if it can hit anything of value (house, garage, power lines).

A tree with a hollow or rotting middle will be a lot harder to make fall in the direction you want. If you cut it yourself, use the wind to your advantage.
If there are some logs in the tree which can be logged (which I doubt since the tree is growing in the open) have them cut into lumber.

 

[WSJ]

Buddy, You don't need ideas, you need a tree guy with insurance! Unless, that is, you want to replace the shed & carport or need a new roof on the house.

Too many thing can go wrong here with a very big tree - pay someone to put it on the ground and then have at it with your saw and tractor.

-WSJ

 

[AndyMA]

If you are asking for advise, then you are probably not experienced enough to cut the tree down. Hire it done if it can hit anything of value (house, garage, power lines).
.

I totally agree with this comment. Cutting large trees requires years of experience. HIRE AN INSURED PRO. They'll probably either climb or bucket the tree and take it down in pieces. By asking a question like this you are giving the impression that you are a rank amateur when felling timber. If this is not the case then I would suspect the tree would be down by now. BTW, It's also reasonably easy to kill yourself if the butt of the tree kicks out when falling. There's a reason why logging year after year ranks as one of the most dangerous professions with the most accidents and deaths.

Andy

 

[Champy]

Hmmmmm...your options:

> Hit the carport...your parents hate you and it cost $$
> Hit the house....your parents kill you and it costs BIG $$$
> Hit the powerlines....you get electrocuted and it costs you everything $$$$
> Hire it out.....you pay less money than the first 3 options
> Land the tree perfectly where you want it.....Yea and you're a lottery winner too - like that would ever happen to me either!

 

[rutwad]

Thanks for all the "don't do" advice. I am not looking to cut it, I want to dig it up. The core is rotten or hollow. This is not a tree you want someone pulling on, unless it's a whole community. Someone pulling on this tree by hand would be like giving a tic tac to a whale!

Well, thanks for the advice, but I gotta start digging. I'll let you know if it turns out OK. If it doesn't, then I may not mention it again.. .

I've seen it done on TV before. Doesn't that make me a professional??? HEY YA'LL, WATCH THIS! J/k

 

[Surewhynot]

Before you dig it up, check with the power company. Here in Iowa if the tree is bad and is a threat to the power lines, they will remove it at no cost. If not you are only out a phone call. I have dropped quite a few trees, none around a power line, I have visited a friend in the hospital that came in contact with power lines (and he works for the power company) and that is something I don't want to experience myself! Try the power company first, it's worth a try.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

You know after putting in my comments about cutting the tree I reread your post and thought that you might be talking about digging it out.. I think that is even more of a nightmare. Roots that hang and spin the tree. Much the same affect as cutting it wrong. With that big of a tree I would have a good sized excavator to dig out the root ball. Or a large backhoe. I am guessing a tree that large is going to weigh in at about 5-8 thousand pounds if it is living. The excavator can then give it a push once the digging is done.. If you have the equipment to do that and haven't done much of it. Then pay somebody with the experience and insurance. The power company won't dig it up they would cut it down. Which is back to what we had all said before. It is true though if there is a tree near power lines call it in and let them worry about it on their dime.

 

[kevinj]

I have done many things in my past, and some have worked out by the grace of God, and some have turned out to be disaster. Well right now I am looking to dig up a Pecan tree approx. 3' diameter and 90' tall. North of the tree is my parents shed/carport. East of the tree is my parents house. South and West of the tree in a high voltage power line. So I need this tree to go NE between another Pecan tree and the carport.

Any good ideas that would keep my parents coming home to a terrible suprise.

THANKS!

Had similar job done some time ago. Hired the local tree dude with a crane. Topped it in pieces and layed them down in a clear spot. Took the trunk out in three pieces and ground the stump. The whole job took about 4 hours including the clean up.

 

[bota7800]

What everyone is saying is GOOD ADVICE.

I had a dead pine tree on a ridge property once that came down in high winds. Now, that tree was a lot smaller than yours (about 1 foot diameter, maybe 40 feet high) I am not exaggerating when I say some of the limbs that hit the ground were buried 4 feet. There is a lot of unpredictable (for you and me) energy there. I am not as worried about your structures as I am you. Logging is a dangerous activity. Hire a pro.

Takes pictures, that sounds like a huge tree to someone out here in the West.

 

[john_bud]

Rutwad,

(maybe your new nickname will be "Rut-roh"?)


If your dead set on digging it down, even after all the negative advice, I guess you could try and undercut the fall side a lot. Then cut the roots on the backside with a narrow trenching bucket or single tooth ripper if you have one.

It should ought to fall where you want it to. You may want to park the hoe next to the tree and get a few pictures of the neighbor kids sitting on it - just in case for "plausible deniability". He he he - just kidding! (sort of...)

jb

 

[firemanpat2910]

A 3' diam pecan tree must be huge. Limbs break off pecans all the time because of the weight. I agree this is one you want to hire out. ( And I dont say that very often)
I have personaly removed a dead man crushed 30' up a pecan tree. And have rescued on live man from a different tree. (his truck said tree service) but he sure werent no brain surgeon

 

[jmfox]

Pay attention to the don'ts here. It's tempting to underestimate the energy held by a mature standing tree. There are many stories of injuries do to unpredictable reactions when cut. It's not just the right chainsaw, and knocking them down is no different. A tree can get you from the bottom as well as the top.

jmf

 

[frank_f15]

Thanks for all the "don't do" advice. I am not looking to cut it, I want to dig it up. The core is rotten or hollow. This is not a tree you want someone pulling on, unless it's a whole community. Someone pulling on this tree by hand would be like giving a tic tac to a whale!

Well, thanks for the advice, but I gotta start digging. I'll let you know if it turns out OK. If it doesn't, then I may not mention it again.. .

I've seen it done on TV before. Doesn't that make me a professional??? HEY YA'LL, WATCH THIS! J/k

JUST HIRE THE JOB OUT TO THE PROS.

 

[teg]

Take the tree down first, then deal with the stump. It's hard enough to drop a tree correctly with a chainsaw... I've seen whole tree take downs like you plan but with very very large equipment and it still takes skill.

 

[Knotbored]

If you are not exagerating the tree size then you have some valuable timber that I am sure a sawmill would pay good money for. Contact a local sawmill and ask for suggested timber companies that would remove the tree for salvage rights. You will also get some cordwood from the limbs, and some wood chips from the stuff they chip up.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Hey Knotbored it's good to see another person from Washington state in here. I think he said that it had some rot in the middle. Still a good mill would love to have some pecan slabs. As long as it didn't blow apart when it hits the ground. That could be some valuable wood. Around here if someone ask me to drop tree's I will ask them if they have enough for a log truck load first. They can get the job done cheaper if they are getting paid for truck loads versus me dropping them and cutting them up and chipping.

 

[bigtiller]

This is a joke, right? Your in a good mood and typing with happy fingers, right? If not, stay safe and have fun ----and hire a pro -- please.

 

[rutwad]

Had similar job done some time ago. Hired the local tree dude with a crane. Topped it in pieces and layed them down in a clear spot. Took the trunk out in three pieces and ground the stump. The whole job took about 4 hours including the clean up.

4 hours and how much $$$?

Pros aren't always pros. They have to start somewhere. Here are some pics.