Extreme leaner. How would you drop it?

[CoreyB]

I have a lot of leaning trees. This one is one of the more extreme leans but is smaller and in the clear. Now I have dropped a few leaners but not this much.
I usually do a plunge cut. I know it will want to split and barber chair so I was going to leave a healthy hinge.
Or would it be better to not do a hinge leave a top strap so it will split but slow the drop. And trigger from the bottom?
What are your thoughts?

 

[audible fart]

I would just steer left as i drove under it and wait for a storm to bring it down.

 

[cantoo]

I would cut a small mouth and cut it assuming it will barber at any second. Cut slowly and pretend you are a boy scout. Be Prepared.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

If all I had was a saw, I'd just cut from the bottom until I felt the bar starting to get pinched, then go from the top.

Several I've cut like that the whole root wad was up in the air and once the tree was cut the roots came slamming back down in the hole, so be careful about that.

 

[Whitespider]

If all I had was a saw, I'd just cut from the bottom until I felt the bar starting to get pinched, then go from the top.

Yep... a leaner like that would be dropped with a cut more resembling a bucking cut than a felling cut.
*

 

[CoreyB]

I would just steer left as i drove under it and wait for a storm to bring it down.View attachment 455316

I would just leave it but we have to many youngsters running around on the trails. And I have noticed it leaning a bit more from last winter so it is only a matter of time I would just hate for anyone to be around when it does.
@vallyfirewood good advice I will keep an eye out for a spring loaded root ball

 

[CoreyB]

Yep... a leaner like that would be dropped with a cut more resembling a bucking cut than a felling cut.
*

Maybe a dove tail cut

 

[Philbert]

Depending on the height and diameter of the tree, you might take some of the weight off the top first with a pole saw. This will reduce some of the forces leading to a barber chair.

Philbert

 

[farmer steve]

possibly pull it over.hard to say how i would try and cut that , i hhave pushed a few to the ground with the bucket on the tractor. be safe whatever you decide.

 

[bitzer]

Randy beat me to it. Buck off the far side. Under buck a touch on near side. Then top down. Won't be pretty but yer not making logs I bet. Stand on the uphill side to finish. Long bar and big saw. Just did one like that this morn. Saved the logs out too.

Top or not it will split out on ya if not done right.

A healthy hinge is more prone to chair btw. You need to remove the compression wood.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

I'd top it out then just drop the log.
Undercut first then top cut.
Drop the entire top out and then process at will.

 

[unclemoustache]

Even if it does barber chair, it's so far over it's not as likely to hit you. Still, I'd wrap a chain around it anyway before you cut.

 

[turnkey4099]

Even if it does barber chair, it's so far over it's not as likely to hit you. Still, I'd wrap a chain around it anyway before you cut.

Yep, except I now use one of those ratcheting tie down straps. Better than chain (I used to use that) as they can be tightened. Last one I used I had to cut the strap to get it off. Only lost a few feet of the strap.

Harry K

 

[Fred Wright]

Wrap a stout strap around the trunk above your planned cut to prevent a chair. Cut a quarter to a third deep notch underneath first, minding that you don't get a pinch. Finish with top (back) cut and it should drop clean.

A good, clear escape route is essential with heavy leaners. The tree will hit the ground sooner and may spring back or roll.

 

[Trx250r180]

I would just cut it down like normal with the lean ,if worried about chairing ,nip the sides with a coos bay .

 

[olympyk_999]

am I the only one thinking he should wedge it over the other way? ...I think somewhere around 14 large wedges would do the trick?

 

[CoreyB]

I would just cut it down like normal with the lean ,if worried about chairing ,nip the sides with a coos bay .

I am not familiar with a coos bay cut. Do you have a link to a video or a tutorial / example of it?
Thanks

 

[hardpan]

Randy beat me to it. Buck off the far side. Under buck a touch on near side. Then top down. Won't be pretty but yer not making logs I bet. Stand on the uphill side to finish. Long bar and big saw. Just did one like that this morn. Saved the logs out too.

Top or not it will split out on ya if not done right.

A healthy hinge is more prone to chair btw. You need to remove the compression wood.

Undercut then backcut like a limb? If it had half that much lean would you notch, bore in behind hinge, and cut out to the back, maybe leave a trigger? No?

 

[Trx250r180]

I am not familiar with a coos bay cut. Do you have a link to a video or a tutorial / example of it?
Thanks

here is a demo log of a leaning alder to show how the hinge still works without splitting the back out ,start with a face cut ,put in the side triangle cuts ,then go through the tip of the triangle with traditional back cut ,cutting the sides relieves pressure in the tree ,minimizing a chair ,this little alder was leaning about like your tree ,i recommend a longer bar to keep your body and head away from the tree ,it could possibly chair still .in the back cut when it starts to make noise popping ,time to get out of the way .it normally falls pretty slow with this method .you can see how the holding wood went over slow by the way it ripped the guts out in the fall .

 

[CoreyB]

here is a demo log of a leaning alder to show how the hinge still works without splitting the back out ,start with a face cut ,put in the side triangle cuts ,then go through the tip of the triangle with traditional back cut ,cutting the sides relieves pressure in the tree ,minimizing a chair ,this little alder was leaning about like your tree ,i recommend a longer bar to keep your body and head away from the tree ,it could possibly chair still .in the back cut when it starts to make noise popping ,time to get out of the way .it normally falls pretty slow with this method .you can see how the holding wood went over slow by the way it ripped the guts out in the fall .View attachment 455500 View attachment 455501 View attachment 455502

That is a great explanation! Thank you for sharing this.