How would you cut this down?

[MrRanger]

A storm broke the big branch off about 18 months ago and it got hung up in other trees. Then a year later another storm snapped the main trunk off at the same point, but in the opposite direction. It fell to the ground. The break point is about 18' to 20' above the ground.

The concern is that the hung up branch might fall while I am cutting down the trunk.

One idea is to go up on a ladder and chain the two together with log chain so it can't fall. Then attach a steel cable at the top of the trunk and down to the fallen upper trunk with a come-a-long. Cut the trunk at the bottom for normal felling and winch it over, pulling the hung up branch down with it.

Any other ideas. Or should I call the pros with a bucket truck.

 

[sgreanbeans]

That's a accident waiting to happen if you are not experienced, call a pro and let him take the risk. Hit up you tube and search tree accidents, you will find many with the same type of deal and the unfortunate aftermath. The peeps always say after the fact, "I should have hired a pro"

 

[flashhole]

If you are comfortable working from a ladder put it on the back side of the break and cut through the break first. Gravity should work to your advantage and drop it straight down away from you. It may still be hung up in the other trees but once disconnected from the main trunk you can drop it (the main trunk) and then tackle the hang up.

Clear a good spot for the ladder and make sure it is secure.

 

[Jed1124]

Call the pros with a bucket truck. Do not go up on a ladder. That is a hairy tree.

 

[r0ck1r0ck2]

can you get to it with a tractor/truck?

 

[flashhole]

Jed, that tree is not that bad. I'm just a homeowner and have tackled much worse than that. If the guy can save a few bucks and is not afraid of trying it I think he should. There's not too much there that can get him into trouble, especially if he stays between the lean and the main trunk.

Again, if you are comfortable working from a ladder you can cut a steep angle into both sides of the leaner, a little bit at a time so you don't get your saw stuck. That thing is not going to defy gravity and jump up over the main trunk and eat you. You will likely have a bigger problem pulling the leaner out of the tangle of the other trees.

 

[GUTS]

IMO more info is needed. From what I can see I would back notch and under cut as far out as you can reach above the break. Before that tie a tag line to the trunk about 3 feet from your cut. Have ground man pull at a 90 degree angle away from you when you cut. That way the top can't come back at you. Easy pickings

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Jed, that tree is not that bad. I'm just a homeowner and have tackled much worse than that. If the guy can save a few bucks and is not afraid of trying it I think he should. There's not too much there that can get him into trouble, especially if he stays between the lean and the main trunk.

Again, if you are comfortable working from a ladder you can cut a steep angle into both sides of the leaner, a little bit at a time so you don't get your saw stuck. That thing is not going to defy gravity and jump up over the main trunk and eat you. You will likely have a bigger problem pulling the leaner out of the tangle of the other trees.

That is really bad advice. If you will notice on the intro to the arborist 101 forum, it's a chance for beginners to ask the pros, not get bad advice from homeowners. No, the tree will not defy gravity, it will follow the rules of physics. But in many instances a hung tree will roll or slide backwards, especially if some of the limbs are bound under tension. If you go up there and make the cuts flash is suggesting, there is a good chance that but will come backwards far enough to hit the ladder, or just bump and slide down the stump hard enough to dislodge the ladder. Cutting from a ladder is just never a good idea, and making that cut from a ladder is a horrible idea. Yes, lots of homeowners cut lots of trees from ladders every year, and a lot of them end up in the hospital or worse.

As far as the tree goes, I would suggest getting a bullrope or cable on it about 3-4 feet above the break, and using a redirect to protect the vehicle, pull in the direction of the lean. This should finish the break and let the butt end come to rest in the ground. Then, if it is still hung up, you can switch directions of pull and pull it out of the other trees safely, while keeping yourself away from the danger zone. Jeff

 

[flashhole]

And physics dictates that if that leaner is cut free from the trunk it will fall to the ground.

I've been on this very forum numerous times asking advice from folks with more experience than what I have. Over the past 20 years I've tackled dozens of trees like that and have always advocated that you need to keep your wits about you.

If you say physics will win the day please elaborate on the different possibilities that will have that leaner launching upwards and backwards to cause a dangerous situation for someone behind the trunk. If you can't be specific you should not be criticizing others who are offering advice.

Whatcha got?

 

[Gologit]

That is really bad advice. If you will notice on the intro to the arborist 101 forum, it's a chance for beginners to ask the pros, not get bad advice from homeowners. No, the tree will not defy gravity, it will follow the rules of physics. But in many instances a hung tree will roll or slide backwards, especially if some of the limbs are bound under tension. If you go up there and make the cuts flash is suggesting, there is a good chance that but will come backwards far enough to hit the ladder, or just bump and slide down the stump hard enough to dislodge the ladder. Cutting from a ladder is just never a good idea, and making that cut from a ladder is a horrible idea. Yes, lots of homeowners cut lots of trees from ladders every year, and a lot of them end up in the hospital or worse.

As far as the tree goes, I would suggest getting a bullrope or cable on it about 3-4 feet above the break, and using a redirect to protect the vehicle, pull in the direction of the lean. This should finish the break and let the butt end come to rest in the ground. Then, if it is still hung up, you can switch directions of pull and pull it out of the other trees safely, while keeping yourself away from the danger zone. Jeff

This thread started out in Homeowner Helper and I moved it here so the OP could get some advice from professionals.

Flashhole was just responding as a fellow homeowner and he means well but I agree with you on the whole ladder thing...it's not a good idea. Not enough control and nowhere to go if things go wrong.

I don't want to get another ladder/no ladder arguement going but in this particular case I'd leave the ladder at home.

 

[MrRanger]

Thanks for the replies. I would never go up on a ladder with a chainsaw let alone this high. Because the leaner bent 2 or 3 trees West I am afraid they will want to shove the leaner back East toward the trunk of the tree once the leaner is cut free of the trunk. I can get a tractor to the site. And have considered attaching a long cable to the bottom of the leaner, then tugging on it a little at a 90 degree angle to see if it would break loose. I would have to be careful of whiplash from the cable so I would not want to jerk too hard. I could also just wait and see if it eventually rots and falls on its own. The only problem with that is the top of the leaner will come down across my driveway. Probably at the most inconvenient time.

 

[Gologit]

And physics dictates that if that leaner is cut free from the trunk it will fall to the ground.

I've been on this very forum numerous times asking advice from folks with more experience than what I have. Over the past 20 years I've tackled dozens of trees like that and have always advocated that you need to keep your wits about you.

If you say physics will win the day please elaborate on the different possibilities that will have that leaner launching upwards and backwards to cause a dangerous situation for someone behind the trunk. If you can't be specific you should not be criticizing others who are offering advice.

Whatcha got?

He's got many years as a professional and probably does "dozens of trees" in the course of an average work week. Your advice was well meant but in this case it wasn't good.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Flash, yes it will go down, but it can also come back. It's always hard to predict from pics, but I could see at least two trees that are bowed from the weight of that top. That stored energy will be relased at some point. There is a difference between getting away with a practice a few times, and it being a good practice to reccomend. As I mentioned in my other post, another scenario is the butt will slide down the front of that pole ,vibrating it hard enough to knock the ladder off. Ask any guy that's done hurricane clean up, and he'll tell you if it can happen, it will happen, sooner or later. Jeff

 

[flashhole]

I won't respond again.

 

[RandyMac]

lol

 

[CalTreeEquip]

If your not a pro then don't mess with it. VERY DANGEROUS!!!
I won't go into details why, just get someone to put it down for you who knows what he is doing, please.

 

[CalTreeEquip]

Now I got that out here are some details. From this angle the fallen tree look like it has wedged itself into several other trees. There is a compressing load in this system that is pushing the butt towards the stump. If you tried cutting it at the break the tree would likely land in your lap. If you try pulling it down with a truck and it doesn't come down then you have made it even more dangerous for the guy who will be cutting it down.
There is a way to do it but its still a hazard and I don't want to give you any ideas.
This is preciously the kind of thing that kills amateur.
Don't be a shmo, hire a pro.

 

[RandyMac]

:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Zale]

I would just like to reenforce what has been said about ladders. Ladders and tree work are not a good mix. Get on youtube and look at all the videos of homeowners nearly killing themselves. I would suggest hiring someone to deal with this tree.

 

[isaacvent]

I would just like to reenforce what has been said about ladders. Ladders and tree work are not a good mix. Get on youtube and look at all the videos of homeowners nearly killing themselves. I would suggest hiring someone to deal with this tree.

I agree here. Cutting from a ladder is a bad idea almost always. This is a pretty dynamic situation, and the last place you wanna be when you realize "this was a bad idea" is falling from a ladder. Just hire someone to come and get it on the ground safely. It will be cheaper then a broken bone or a saw cut or worse. Good luck