Remind Me Again

Haoleguy · Sep 18, 2011

Tropical storm Irene passed through our area just before I was heading out of town for a couple of weeks. All my attention was spent dealing with high surge tides during the storm and a power outage after the storm until we headed out of town. Now that I'm back home I've surveyed the damage on my separate farm property which was not too bad but I do have trees with (1) sheared off tops & dangling branches and (2) other fallen trees that are leaning on neighboring trees. Can someone remind me of the safe way to deal with these 2 situations to clear the trees and branches?.....Thank you, Gary

dstig1 · Sep 18, 2011

There is no safe way. Using equipment to pull them down is the safest, but it is generally a hazardous situation to deal with. For leaners, you can start blocking them up in chunks from the ground up, but the risk is the tree will shift or flip back on you at some point before it falls down like you want it to. Hard hat and face shield would be mandatory for all this stuff, and chainsaw chaps would be wise as limbs and stems can bind and cause kick back, especially when they are all mangled together. Plus walking through a tangled mess is ripe for tripping and gashing your leg with the saw.

Branches falling on your head can make you dead fast, with or without a hardhat, though your chances are better with one.

The more you can pull down with a cable/chain and your tractor/truck, the better. Partly just to get things on the ground, but the branches hung up that you don't see will have less chance of landing on your head if you are farther away.

MotorSeven · Sep 19, 2011

^ I agree.

Leaner's and hangups are a real safety problem. So is the ground work. Like dst says tripping on the ground is a real hazard in a blowdown. If you saw is running keep you finger off the trigger while moving. If it's on the trigger and you do fall the Sympathetic Nerve Reaction takes over instantly and you will involuntarily squeeze the trigger. This is the same reason Police and Military are trained to have their finger out of the trigger guard when changing positions..... a chanisaw can be just as deadly as a bullet if you fall on it and it's running wide open.

forgeblast · Sep 19, 2011

If its leaning I will try to throw a rope or graple hook around them and try to pull them off the other tree, come-a-long, or tractor. Or if there is a tree that is fine in its falling direction I will use it to smash it down. That being said I have a huge beech tree that I just cant get to I will wait for it to fall itself. I have the area sprayed orange so I remember not to walk under it.

Haoleguy · Sep 19, 2011

My intention is to use a rope/chain to my tractor at significant distance. If I recall some older posts mentioned rear frame drawbar/hitch under pto? What type of chain or strap should I be using? Any other tips greatly appreciated....Gary

Haoleguy · Sep 19, 2011

forgeblast said:
If its leaning I will try to throw a rope or graple hook around them and try to pull them off the other tree, come-a-long, or tractor. Or if there is a tree that is fine in its falling direction I will use it to smash it down. That being said I have a huge beech tree that I just cant get to I will wait for it to fall itself. I have the area sprayed orange so I remember not to walk under it.

Good idea on marking off the area. The come-a-long idea is also good as I'm not sure how well I can fit my tractor in the area needed to pull the tree down that is hung up. Thanks..Gary

forgeblast · Sep 19, 2011

I have a few 18 wheeler load straps. Wider is nice to get a good grip.

dstig1 · Sep 19, 2011

If you pull with a vehicle - tractor or truck, make sure the tree isn't going to pull your vehicle along for the ride when it falls further. There's a lot of weight and momentum behind a good-sized tree. One of the hard parts is that you often can't get the vehicle where you really want it to be for good, safe pulling angles. Snatch blocks could be helpful here, if you have them.

I have used a come along, and it works, but it sure can wear you out. A winch is a great tool as you can let it pay out once the tree falls, without pulling your vehicle along (assuming you don't reach the end of your rope...)

forgeblast · Sep 20, 2011

I use Dutton-Lainson Winch with Automatic Brake  1200-Lb. Capacity | Hand Winches | Northern Tool + Equipment
i picked one up at an auction for 5 bucks. I then put a tow strap on it on a tree, and then connect to the bigger strap. That way I can run if needed.
I use it a lot for hang ups when you just pinch your saw enough to get it stuck. That drives me crazy.