Anyone set a tree down slowly with a rigging line and porta-wrap?

[TreeandLand]

I need to remove a big white pine, but the homeowner is extra picky about her lawn. This tree is big enough to pound a big trench into it. I will rig the top and some other chunks of wood down, but I am considering felling the last 30 feet with it tied off to a nearby tree. The rigging line would pass through a high block on the second tree and then down to a porta-wrap. I'm thinking: let the tree tip for about five feet, then slow it down, feeding rope into the porta-wrap from a safe distance. The house is far enough away that there is no risk of property damage if it goes wrong. Does anyone use a method like this now and then?

 

[DangerTree]

I need to remove a big white pine, but the homeowner is extra picky about her lawn. This tree is big enough to pound a big trench into it. I will rig the top and some other chunks of wood down, but I am considering felling the last 30 feet with it tied off to a nearby tree. The rigging line would pass through a high block on the second tree and then down to a porta-wrap. I'm thinking: let the tree tip for about five feet, then slow it down, feeding rope into the porta-wrap from a safe distance. The house is far enough away that there is no risk of property damage if it goes wrong. Does anyone use a method like this now and then?

Yes I do this all the time. With a twist. My wife lowered a 100' fir tree with a 7/8" bull rope tied in using a timber hitch. The rope was snaked through a couple trees for friction (no device was used) as the lowering speed is so slow that rope burn is not really an issue on the trees. I also tied in a 1/2" tag line for additional control. Any device large enough to allow a 3/4" or larger bull rope through will work. I use a rescue 8 quite a bit and that works very good. Just remember that all parts of the system must be brutally overkill including the anchor. You may also tie back the spar (anchor tree) to increase it's loading factor. Good luck be safe.

 

[TreeandLand]

Yes I do this all the time. With a twist. My wife lowered a 100' fir tree with a 7/8" bull rope tied in using a timber hitch. The rope was snaked through a couple trees for friction (no device was used) as the lowering speed is so slow that rope burn is not really an issue on the trees. I also tied in a 1/2" tag line for additional control. Any device large enough to allow a 3/4" or larger bull rope through will work. I use a rescue 8 quite a bit and that works very good. Just remember that all parts of the system must be brutally overkill including the anchor. You may also tie back the spar (anchor tree) to increase it's loading factor. Good luck be safe.

Thanks for the advice, DT. If I want to lower a 40 foot tree, does the block in the anchor tree need to be at 40 feet, or could it be lower and still do the job? Another question: does the anchor tree need to be in line with the felling direction, or can it be off set at a 45 degree angle or more? I would think this would put more stress on the hinge.

 

[keh10]

I've done this a few times before with good results. I would definitely avoid having the lowering rope at an angle to the hinge. I feel like that would put a lot of stress on the hinge and could lead to the hinge failing. Good luck and be safe!

 

[DangerTree]

Thanks for the advice, DT. If I want to lower a 40 foot tree, does the block in the anchor tree need to be at 40 feet, or could it be lower and still do the job? Another question: does the anchor tree need to be in line with the felling direction, or can it be off set at a 45 degree angle or more? I would think this would put more stress on the hinge.

I don't know the exact physics behind the forces applied this is why overkill is important. But having done this many many times I can say No you do not need to be that high up with the bull block in fact lower is gooder. I try to be 75% of the height of the tree being felled that way you don't need to pay out so much rope. Also you will be lower down the spar tree and thus in fatter wood.
And no you can tie off the bottom of the tree being cut so that it may pivot which ever way you want. Be sure your tag line is more than strong enough to handle the needed force and note the change in stress applied to the spar tree. With proper rigging you should be able to wrestle damn near anything to the ground. Think of raising and lowering the pole in a big top tent that the circus uses it's not much different.

 

[DangerTree]

I don't know the exact physics behind the forces applied this is why overkill is important. But having done this many many times I can say No you do not need to be that high up with the bull block in fact lower is gooder. I try to be 75% of the height of the tree being felled that way you don't need to pay out so much rope. Also you will be lower down the spar tree and thus in fatter wood.
And no you can tie off the bottom of the tree being cut so that it may pivot which ever way you want. Be sure your tag line is more than strong enough to handle the needed force and note the change in stress applied to the spar tree. With proper rigging you should be able to wrestle damn near anything to the ground. Think of raising and lowering the pole in a big top tent that the circus uses it's not much different.

Oh as a side note please remember the weakest link thing. Not all devices are rated to support large loads know the limit stay well within it such as Porta wraps and figure eights. This is why more often than not I deflect to using simple wraps around trees. If you have more than one tree near by you can S the rope thereby making the wraps not so tight and not crossing over itself. Then if you find there is to much friction you simply walk a wrap out of a tree.

 

[Slvrmple72]

In close quarters to targets it is a good idea to tie the butt to the stump or an adjacent tree to keep it from shifting into anything like the side of a house. Gives yu more wiggle room too with your choice of lowering tree.

 

[ClimbMIT]

Oh as a side note please remember the weakest link thing. Not all devices are rated to support large loads know the limit stay well within it such as Porta wraps and figure eights. This is why more often than not I deflect to using simple wraps around trees. If you have more than one tree near by you can S the rope thereby making the wraps not so tight and not crossing over itself. Then if you find there is to much friction you simply walk a wrap out of a tree.

I will have to try that next time i am in a tight spot.

 

[treefaller25]

I need to remove a big white pine, but the homeowner is extra picky about her lawn. This tree is big enough to pound a big trench into it. I will rig the top and some other chunks of wood down, but I am considering felling the last 30 feet with it tied off to a nearby tree. The rigging line would pass through a high block on the second tree and then down to a porta-wrap. I'm thinking: let the tree tip for about five feet, then slow it down, feeding rope into the porta-wrap from a safe distance. The house is far enough away that there is no risk of property damage if it goes wrong. Does anyone use a method like this now and then?

Try some percsion felling and putting tractor tires in the LZ.

 

[TimberJack_7]

I hang a tree from time to time. It is a very effective technique when you need to land something in a postage stamp sized area. I hung two 50ft. elms out of a monster oak while working at a golf course/condo community this summer. They were fully leafed out, pretty bushy elms, probably 12 inches or so in diameter at the base. Used a natural crotch in the oak, a port-a-wrap at the base of the oak, and a 1/2inch bull line for each tree. It worked out well.


What are the dimensions of the tree you are wanting to lower?

 

[troythetreeman]

you could also bring in a crane or limb it and use the limbs as bedding and block it down, get them to land flat and youll be fine
"super picky" customers arent always worth working for tho, they can have unreasonable expectations and be impossible to make happy
just bid it high and take your time, if she goes with the cheapest guy call it a blessing and move on

 

[48"BAR PINCHER]

I need to remove a big white pine, but the homeowner is extra picky about her lawn. This tree is big enough to pound a big trench into it. I will rig the top and some other chunks of wood down, but I am considering felling the last 30 feet with it tied off to a nearby tree. The rigging line would pass through a high block on the second tree and then down to a porta-wrap. I'm thinking: let the tree tip for about five feet, then slow it down, feeding rope into the porta-wrap from a safe distance. The house is far enough away that there is no risk of property damage if it goes wrong. Does anyone use a method like this now and then?

I've done it a few times and it worked good. I've seen vids of Mark Chisolm do something similar with a GRCS but with a twist. He tensioned it, cut it off at the butt and it hung there, backed a tractor 3PTH under the butt and tied it fast, then drove the tracotor away to the chipper while the Grcs lowered the top. When the whole thing was on the ground, the rope on the GRCS was untied and moved into the next tree in line to go. The application was widening a powerline ROW with limited room to fell. Super slick, safe and efficient.

 

[TreeandLand]

I hang a tree from time to time. It is a very effective technique when you need to land something in a postage stamp sized area. I hung two 50ft. elms out of a monster oak while working at a golf course/condo community this summer. They were fully leafed out, pretty bushy elms, probably 12 inches or so in diameter at the base. Used a natural crotch in the oak, a port-a-wrap at the base of the oak, and a 1/2inch bull line for each tree. It worked out well.


What are the dimensions of the tree you are wanting to lower?

The dimensions of the pine in question are 30" at the butt, by 70 feet tall. It stands in a group with two smaller pines that also need to go, so if I decide not to "hang" the big tree, I might use it as an anchor for doing that with the other two trees. Your method on those two elms sounds like it was a good way to go. I think that if you lower the trees slowly you are not putting much stress on the rigging line because there is no shock load. I think the weakest link would be the sling holding the block, because it's getting the force of two legs of rope...the working end and the standing end going to the porta-wrap.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Oh as a side note please remember the weakest link thing. Not all devices are rated to support large loads know the limit stay well within it such as Porta wraps and figure eights. This is why more often than not I deflect to using simple wraps around trees. If you have more than one tree near by you can S the rope thereby making the wraps not so tight and not crossing over itself. Then if you find there is to much friction you simply walk a wrap out of a tree.

A very long rope, block on the tree to be felled and use a double whipped tackle to reduce the loading on the rigging line.

Cur the hinge fat, so it goes over slowly...

 

[millbilly]

I just posted a question like this a month ago and it went in the wrong direction. I did a weight estimate and the pine log will weight is over 9000 pounds. I used 20 inches for the small end.
Log Weight Calculator at WOODWEB

If you use a 3/4 bull rope with a tensil stength of 20,000 and a working load rate of 4000 I would assume your taking a chance, and doing that would destroy the integrity of a $300.00 rope

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I just posted a question like this a month ago and it went in the wrong direction. I did a weight estimate and the pine log will weight is over 9000 pounds. I used 20 inches for the small end.
Log Weight Calculator at WOODWEB

If you use a 3/4 bull rope with a tensil stength of 20,000 and a working load rate of 4000 I would assume your taking a chance, and doing that would destroy the integrity of a $300.00 rope

If you keep the hinge on, and can let it down slow, then you should still be ok

 

[Garden Of Eden]

If you keep the hinge on, and can let it down slow, then you should still be ok

I just did the physics on this, I was bored waiting for the wife to get ready. lol Story of my life.

Assuming all the numbers on the tree are correct, the maximum weight on the stump at any given time through out the fall will be 6363.63 pounds. Leaving 2636 lbs on the line. Your rope should be more than enough, however, I caution against shock loading it. The numbers get nasty real fast, hence the craters you wish to avoid.

Good luck, stay safe.

Jeff

 

[AT sawyer]

....and of course you're going to make a nice wide open-face cut that will allow the tree to hinge completely over, yes?

 

[beastmaster]

I have often thought about trying this but worried the tree could swing or pivot out of control if it came off the stump to soon or if the rope wasn't aligned with the direction the tree was being lowered. I think I would want to lower it using two ropes, one on each side(like a V)so it would be stabilized in the center. That being said, Iv'e seen whole trees laid down with a crane before.
I would want a high attachment maybe to a pulley then down to a lowering device.
Like I said I have often thought about doing this, and maybe I'm over thinking it, but in the end it never seems worth the time and risk.I'm not so old I'm not willing to learn new tricks, keep us informed on how it works out. Good lluck. Beastmaster

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I think I would want to lower it using two ropes, one on each side(like a V)so it would be stabilized in the center.

A call this a control, or swing line, you use one to keep the tree from going in an undesired direction, with a swing line you tension it, maybe crank in on it, and cut out part of the hinge. Like a Dutchman with an insurance policy.

Say you need the initial fall to clear canopy, then swing to the right to avoid bushes. I've done this with three ropes, one to pull, one to pay out and one for swing. You need a crew that is skilled and works together, lack of coordination can pooch it up in a hurry. Last time i tried it a rookie was on a critical rope. I told him to hold the line till it cleared canopy, then let it out and back out of the area

He panicked as it was coming down, held onto the rope, this caused a shock load to the rigging point, broke out deadwood, part of the top came down on him (still holding the line he was to pay out) and part went into the in-ground pool it was supposed to miss. The crew chief had wanted to be on the GRCS thinking that part would be too difficult for the youngster to work out....