Best way to fell this tree???

[Aggie 2012]

Howdy gents,

Just wondering if y'all would drop this from the trunk or knock off the limbs first?

I don't have a bucket truck of any kind.

I'd be Running a ported ms461 with a 32" bar

Any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated

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[ATH]

Is there room to drop it away from the road?

How would you get the limbs down if you were to chunk it down? Looks like some of those limbs would fall on the road without being rigged down...can you do that?

Are you comfortable felling the tree whole?

 

[Aggie 2012]

Thanks ATH

I have only fell a hand full of trees so it is going to be somewhat of a learning experience for me. (At least one this big) I am well aware of how a good notch and back cut should be so that might be the way to go.

I have around 100 feet between the road and the tree trunk so I don't think the limbs would be an issue falling there but not sure the best way to cut them since they are around 10 ft up on the trunk.

Might be best to tie on with a strap and pull away from the road in the direction that I want to fell?

How would you handle this one?

Tree has only been dead for a couple of months so it should have plenty of solid wood in it yet


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[Woos31]

hello there pard hope all's well, so lemme just say I'm on the west coast and am used to west coast felling styles but am open minded to why folks go about things the way they do for their respective areas. Now I haven't tried a go at dumping oaks, maples, walnuts and the like that have big ol monster canopies like that and would need a bit of time lookin er over to figure my play. As of your pictures it looks like to me you've got a lean to about 2 o'clock position of photo 1 and dead to the right of photo 2, which best I can guess from the broke off branch that's parralel to the road or driveway. If able I would send it with the lean as it looks clear of obstacles and a field or something in background. A- because I haven't any climbing or rigging gear to limb and rig it out, B- is I've got more experience falling from the ground and would feel more comfortable. That's just me though and there's a hunert ways to skin a cat so stick with what you know. If you're still hesitant it's ok to walk away from a tree if it don't feel right in yer gut, don't make you less anything and could keep you alive.............we're the only ones responsible for our safety so o don't mean anything against you or anyone here at all, just don't wanna see or hear of folks getting hurt or kilt cuz of pride, we've all done it and had that balls tingling moment and lived to learn from it. So now that I've written a novel lol, safe cuttin sent to ya sir from central oregon

 

[Aggie 2012]

hello there pard hope all's well, so lemme just say I'm on the west coast and am used to west coast felling styles but am open minded to why folks go about things the way they do for their respective areas. Now I haven't tried a go at dumping oaks, maples, walnuts and the like that have big ol monster canopies like that and would need a bit of time lookin er over to figure my play. As of your pictures it looks like to me you've got a lean to about 2 o'clock position of photo 1 and dead to the right of photo 2, which best I can guess from the broke off branch that's parralel to the road or driveway. If able I would send it with the lean as it looks clear of obstacles and a field or something in background. A- because I haven't any climbing or rigging gear to limb and rig it out, B- is I've got more experience falling from the ground and would feel more comfortable. That's just me though and there's a hunert ways to skin a cat so stick with what you know. If you're still hesitant it's ok to walk away from a tree if it don't feel right in yer gut, don't make you less anything and could keep you alive.............we're the only ones responsible for our safety so o don't mean anything against you or anyone here at all, just don't wanna see or hear of folks getting hurt or kilt cuz of pride, we've all done it and had that balls tingling moment and lived to learn from it. So now that I've written a novel lol, safe cuttin sent to ya sir from central oregon

Thanks Woos for the advice. Safety is certainly something I need to consider and as mentioned I have not done many but need to learn

And yes sir it does have one heck of a canopy which makes it difficult but I'm thinking about felling the whole thing from the ground in the direction of the dominant limb. (Might even tie off with a strap and tension up in that direction once I get my back cut far enough along just for the peace of mind)

I'll let y'all know how I come out.

Thanks for your help


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[ATH]

If you can find either a timber company or an arborist that isn't too far away, you can probably have somebody put that on the ground for you for less than $100. The fact that you have only fallen a handful of trees makes that a good investment. Ask them to teach you what they are doing as they do it and it makes it an even better buy.

 

[c5rulz]

Tree should be very easy for a proficient feller as you can lay it down without hitting obstacles.

It is foolish to think putting a line and pulling that tree would work. There is way too much weight and you don't have near enough pull barring a cabled log skidder that would be set a LONG way away to get the proper angle.

 

[Woos31]

Thanks Woos for the advice. Safety is certainly something I need to consider and as mentioned I have not done many but need to learn

And yes sir it does have one heck of a canopy which makes it difficult but I'm thinking about felling the whole thing from the ground in the direction of the dominant limb. (Might even tie off with a strap and tension up in that direction once I get my back cut far enough along just for the peace of mind)

I'll let y'all know how I come out.

Thanks for your help


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ATH brings a good point also with looking into a tree service or local timber cutter with reputable experience to help apprentice for that tree and show you how and why they do stuff would be well worth the $ for their 10 minutes of work. Their knowledge is invaluable and likely started the way you have and who better to learn from than folks that it's their everyday job when we first start learning. I was very very fortunate that all my family were timber cutters on oregon coast so there was always eyes in the back of my head so to speak and they threw **** when I was heading for calamity and didn't know it was coming or what to look for. They taught me enough to not die and that's it cuz they all swore me and all my younger cousins from working in the woods and wouldn't have us do what they did. On the job training is huge if you can swing it pard, safe cuttin and share the process if you can with pics

 

[ArtB]

Has been 55 years since I dropped a tree with that size canopy, back in central IL days. Cousin and I dropped one like that with an ax and crosscut saw.

You did not say if you need to get rid of the stump, clear the ground, just leave a stump, or what?

Dropping in direction of lean should be straightforward if leaving the stump an option, as it looks like it leans away from the road.

If you want he ground cleared (stump pulled) you need some serious machinery.

Since it is dead and likely brittle, if you fell it, wrap a couple wraps of 3/8" chain around the trunk above where you will cut just to be sure it does not split on you.
When it starts to fall, move away quickly as have seen dead brittle limb/branches break and 'shoot' pieces a hundred feet.

 

[Aggie 2012]

Thanks Art

Not worried about the stump right now honestly.

Just want to get this thing on the ground and cut up.

Do you really think it could split on me?
Tree seems to be pretty solid yet and hasn't been dead for long

(Still has some leaves on some of the limbs)



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[ArtB]

Do you really think it could split on me?

Probably not, but someplace you can drive up to with 40# worth of chain to wrap around the trunk why take the chance. Plus, you asked the question due to confessed inexperience? Also: 'plenty of solid wood' is just a guess.

 

[BC WetCoast]

If you wanted to fall it away from the road, climb into the lower crotch and remove the lower branches on the road side. This will bring the canopy weight away from the road. Then just notch and fall away from where you took the branches off

 

[Aggie 2012]

If you wanted to fall it away from the road, climb into the lower crotch and remove the lower branches on the road side. This will bring the canopy weight away from the road. Then just notch and fall away from where you took the branches off

Thanks Gents

Took yalls advice and had no issues whatsoever. Saved the church some money and got to run my Ported 461.

Tree fell right where I wanted it to by knocking off some of the limbs on one side with a pole saw and using 3 good wedges.

(Also gave some of the ol timers in our congregation something to do on Saturday morning)

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[7sleeper]

What a shame about such a nice tree, will take at least 50 years for a new one to grow. Do you know why it died? But great that everything went as planned and no one got hurt!

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