Widow makers

[SpringHollow]

Normally, I am not in a spot where i can pull with the tractor. I usually use my gas powered portable winch with a long rope and a pulley to change the direction of the pull so that I am well out of the way and not in the line of fire in case something goes bad. If they are small, 8" or less, I section them but i probably should pull them down more often.

Ken

 

[logan97]

Friend of mine told me about cutting down big oak on his property. The tree was leaning wrong direction so they climbed up and attached pretty long rope quite high to the trunk and tensioned it with a F250 truck in direction they wanted the tree to fall. It fell the opposite way and pulled the pickup like it was a toy.

this is why the tensioned point needs to be chained (not roped) to another large enough tree.I just finished taking down a dozen trees these past few day's with this method everyone fell exactly where they were planned. My friend who has been a logger for many years taught me this method and it works.Knock on wood.

P.S. the slack is removed and tensioned with a come a long.

 

[LBrown59]

But what if the tree is large and the tractor is small??

Get a smaller tree.

 

[Egon]

Get a smaller tree.

But the smaller tree isn't being cut???

 

[beenthere]

In the woods this morning cutting some ash trees, and one hung up (not enough weight in top to push down through the canopy). Took some pics of getting it off the stump (with forks), and pulled out of the crotch of the tree that was holding it with log chain.

 

[beenthere]

After pulling the ash tree out, it was bucked to 90" lengths to carry out on forks to log pile awaiting bucking to 18" and splitting (then stacked on pallets for drying).

 

[merrickvilleguy]

I had some fun this morning with some small pines, 4-6" dia and under 20' tall, was just cutting them flush with the ground and going. They were tight together so when the last one was cut the whole lot just came down around me ... no biggy since they were small trees ... but I can tell you would not be my fave situation to be in if they were larger trees ...

 

[ccsial]

But what if the tree is large and the tractor is small??

You bring your wife out and show her why you need to buy a larger tractor.

 

[rdoiron]

Having become educated about widow makers, I took a walk around my property and noticed dozens just waiting to fall. All remnants of the 1998 ice storm. There was one particularly scary one that hangs directly above a path that I drive on regularly.

Scary stuff!

 

[jimmysisson]

this is why the tensioned point needs to be chained (not roped) to another large enough tree.I just finished taking down a dozen trees these past few day's with this method everyone fell exactly where they were planned. My friend who has been a logger for many years taught me this method and it works.Knock on wood.

P.S. the slack is removed and tensioned with a come a long.

Logan, I can't quite picture how you do this in the woods? From a ladder? Or with climbing spurs? You'd chain the tree to another in the direction of fall, with enough slack to allow a safe fall? If I picture it right, you're felling a tree toward a bigger one?
Thanks, Jim