I hope to take down these 3 trees... or at least not kill myself....

[brooklynhome]

Here's the sitch... I'm a HO (read homeowner)... (there's the intro joke:rockn: )

I'm probably going to tackle this myself... 3 trees, in very close prox. to fences, phone lines. etc. about 3 stories high. the yard is only 23x17' Power is underground so that's the only bonus. the actual limbs are pretty small, like 10 in, trunk 18 at the widest. I can drop most of it into my neighbors back yard, where I think theres clearance and nothing to be damaged.

The trees are some trashy deciduious tree, that grows really fast around here.

I'm going to post pics in a little bit...

So far for gear I'm gonna want, helmet, face shield, spurs, saw, kelvar chaps... If anyone has an idea where to get this cheaply, LMK.

I'm going through the about.com lessons and http://www.mytreelessons.com/Flash/ChainsawSafety/ChainsawUse.htm

as well.

I realize that there's a element of danger, but would like to minimize it. Thanks for your patience.

 

[PUclimber]

I wouldn't try spiking up them unless you know what ur doing. You need a belt and ropes and lanyard and proper training. If you can drop them away from the fence I would say set a rope in them and have someone pull on the rope to ensure it as a safety net away from fence and power lines.

 

[brooklynhome]

Ok good point...

I was thinking of limbing down, till I knew I would have clearance... I need a inclinometer or something now... hate to put a hole in my buddies' house.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Here's the sitch... I'm a HO (read homeowner)... (there's the intro joke:rockn: )

At leat you didn't say HOMO...Haaha!

I'm probably going to tackle this myself... 3 trees, in very close prox. to fences, phone lines. etc. about 3 stories high. the yard is only 23x17' Power is underground so that's the only bonus. the actual limbs are pretty small, like 10 in, trunk 18 at the widest. I can drop most of it into my neighbors back yard, where I think theres clearance and nothing to be damaged.

The trees are some trashy deciduious tree, that grows really fast around here.

I'm going to post pics in a little bit...

So far for gear I'm gonna want, helmet, face shield, spurs, saw, kelvar chaps... If anyone has an idea where to get this cheaply, LMK.

I'm going through the about.com lessons and http://www.mytreelessons.com/Flash/ChainsawSafety/ChainsawUse.htm

as well.

I realize that there's a element of danger, but would like to minimize it. Thanks for your patience.

If you're going to climb, you want a saddle and some ropes. Stay tied to the tree at all times, and twice when you're cutting.
Really, the proper equipment to do a climbing removal, will far exceed the cost to just have it done.
You might go to REI and find a cheap saddle ($70) and a hank of rope ($70) that would work. You don't need spikes, they're real expensive ($250). A hardhat ($30), safety glasses ($15) and ear protection ($3) are mandatory.
I climb as high as I feel safe, tie in, and then come down again to the lowest branch on my rope. Then work my way up, cutting off branches.
You have a long rope and a short one. The long one stays tied at all times and you hang your weight on it. The short one is clipped and unclipped as you reposition.
There are lot of hazards, you can fall, get cut, get hit by the limb, the tree can fail, the branch can fall and hit somebody else, all kinds of things.
When branches fall, they NEVER just fall straight down and lay flat, unless that's not what you wanted. They can hang and swing, bounce, land tip first, and the butt always bounces toward the most expensive thing it can hit.
After a day of tree work you will be convinced that Murphy was an optimist.

 

[cord arrow]

After a day of tree work you will be convinced that Murphy was an optimist.

if that's not a sig line, it ought to be....

 

[TackleTree]

Most as I have come to this site to learn from simple to complex. Climbing rope or spurs, is complex. The cost for removal will probably be cheaper than buying all the gear. Unless you have other plans but please be careful and dont do it this way if you are just trying to save some money. What we do is dangerous enough with a lot of experienced people getting injured let alone a rookie. So please be careful in whatever you choose to do, but decide wisely!

 

[brooklynhome]

http://newclear.us/removetreesproject/

the first pic is the entire width of our small yard pointed up so you don't see all the trash and the trunks below the fence.

I'm 165lb 6'1 and comfortable climbing around... I have done some rigging, and can use a harness. I'm not sold on any idea yet, not spurs, not DIY, nothing. I've got 2 kids and really don't want to be maimed.. That said I believe when I priced this job out 3 years ago they were saying $3k. Here in NYC prices can get outrageous. I have 2 tree services coming tomorrow for estimates... The tree on the right I might still have professionally done as there is no way to drop that into the friendly backyard.

 

[Adkpk]

What are you planning to do with the debris?

 

[John464]

looks like access is the biggest obstacle. Hauling the wood and branches I can see why prices are so high, It appears it would either require a crane or to bring everything in small pieces through the house. Try and have them qoute you on leaving the debris in your backyard. You could maybe burn little by little in one of those outdoor chimeney things. Then again, if access isnt an issue, NYC gets mucho bucks for fairly small take downs!

I once did a job we were bringing saws, poles, etc. through a front door, past the living room, through the kitchen and out the back door of a row home complex. I'll never forget that job.

 

[brooklynhome]

What are you planning to do with the debris?

It's not in the pic but my friends house where the trees will be dropped has a driveway all the way to the backyard.

The quote I got was with the same access, it would be more trying to carry in through the house.

 

[brooklynhome]

looks like access is the biggest obstacle. Hauling the wood and branches I can see why prices are so high, It appears it would either require a crane or to bring everything in small pieces through the house. Try and have them qoute you on leaving the debris in your backyard. You could maybe burn little by little in one of those outdoor chimeney things. Then again, if access isnt an issue, NYC gets mucho bucks for fairly small take downs!

I once did a job we were bringing saws, poles, etc. through a front door, past the living room, through the kitchen and out the back door of a row home complex. I'll never forget that job.

The thing is I should yank the trees while I have access... and I just bought a new roof and we're underemployed bigtime. His yard isn't always going to look like sh*t and I'll be royally screwed trying to get rid of the debris. Make no mistake the trees look kinda puny but they have a lot of canopy... The side on my buddys yard has been limbed away by hacks, glad I hate the trees anyways.

 

[talon1189]

What kinda chainsaw are you using to slay these beast?

 

[treeseer]

The thing is I should yank the trees while I have access... and I just bought a new roof and we're underemployed bigtime. I hate the trees anyways.

Maybe with your spare time you can do something productive instead of destructive. do you hate the shade? Might you hate the sun next summer even more?

http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/tree_benefits.aspx

http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/tree_values.aspx

 

[brooklynhome]

Maybe with your spare time you can do something productive instead of destructive. do you hate the shade? Might you hate the sun next summer even more.

You have a lot of posts, do you actually read them too? The yard size is postage stamp, 16 ft across. The trees are 3.5 stories tall. They are ugly, ugly, messy, hugely overscale trees, 80% of the canopy is not on my property, which is just rude and a potentially large liability. They are growing smack into the utility (phone and cable) lines and fence.

I love trees, in my half-postage stamp front yard, I have 2 cultivars of japanese maple and a varieagated dogwood (TREE not the shrub).

 

[TackleTree]

have u contacted the utlity company? Maybe they would do it especially if it is interfering with power? Not sure how it works your up your way but if u have not tried already might not hurt

 

[treeseer]

"hugely overscale trees, 80% of the canopy is not on my property, which is just rude and a potentially large liability."

I read your post; I just did not understand it.

I don't understand the whole "scale" issue with trees & buildings. I have a small house and 80'+ trees around and it looks natural. The ugliness is subjective--when you put the house on the market, potential buyers may see them not just as cooling power but aesthetically pleasing as well.

Messy? I had a neighbor once who was a weightlifter but hated the chore of raking leaves. He had 2 oaks cut down so he wouldn't have that nasty mess to deal with. The next week his a/c conked out. He had not figured that into the equation. He wished he could put the trees back, but he could not.

If the overhang/liability is a perceived problem (many posts here on that), have you considered pruning? There are some excellent long polesaws sold by sponsors here. Consider lightening the sprawl before you pursue the nucular option. O and if you want, post a picture of the bark and leaves here so you at least know what you have.

http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/pruning_mature.aspx

http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/mature_care.aspx

 

[Dadatwins]

Rope,saddle,buckstrap,lowering line, snaps, pole saw, hand saw, poulan wild thing chain saw, 28' extension ladder, hardhat, gloves, safety glasses, misc.
hand tools to remove trees = $1500.00

Homeowner tearing out a few blocks of phone and cable lines from telphone pole located under tree = priceless

Utlitity repair cost that will be passed on to homeowner to replace downed wires and cable lines = hire a pro.

 

[brooklynhome]

Give her your blessing Guy, then smile sweetly when perusing the obituaries...

Huh?

"hugely overscale trees, 80% of the canopy is not on my property, which is just rude and a potentially large liability."

I read your post; I just did not understand it.

I don't understand the whole "scale" issue with trees & buildings.

If the overhang/liability is a perceived problem (many posts here on that), have you considered pruning?

I'm not the one who killed these trees... my buddy had someone cut away all the tree that was on his property. We're talking 8" limbing, with 4' stubs. We can't go back in time, and I don't think that these trees will be saved. Since thay are not quite healthy any problem is my negligence. I'm not quite sure if you know you can see 3 property boundaries in this picture. The fence and both of the edges of the pic are neighboring lots.

Personally, I smell :spam:

Ok, your choice.

Nice looking mulberry trees.

Likely all they need is a crown cleaning and maybe a little trimming away from the buildings and they will lead a long and fruitful life! (hehehe, get it! Fruitful.)

If I thought that the could be saved and pruned down, I might put up with the mess. However because of the limbing, and the trunks getting cut on the fencing, and the soil having raised about 16" around the roots (none of which i did) it's got to go.

 

[Adkpk]

I am not the expert on tree removal (I don't climb, seems to me that you looking for climbing advise, no?) but in lieu of what this thread has turned into I will try to salvage it in respect that you might just be the person with the say of whether you want this tree to rein over you and give you shade or to remove so that other tree of your choice can possibly do a better job at it.
OK, first I think you need a pruning type saw, maybe a bow saw would do. Take out all the branches that that saw can handle that way you won't be up a tree with a chainsaw. The tree will look different at this point less threatening maybe. Clean that stuff up so it's not in the way. Then, I, would rent a small pruning saw, one that is used with one hand to take out the larger branches. By then you will have gotten to know the tree a little. There are plenty of videos on this site that show how to do the cuts, check them out. These branches are the ones that will cause the most damage to you. Then you drop the trunks and be done with it.

I did work on a property one year. I got to become friends with the guy in time. In the end he was out there helping me just because he would rather be outside I didn't mind. They laid on so much work in the end I needed his help to finish. Anyway, they decided to take down this perfectly healthy 30' tall norway maple because in planning for the future of the garden this monster to be would interfere whit their palns. I didn't like the idea of climbing in it to remove large branches. (power lines were to close to try to fell it) So he climbed up there much to my amazement and cut that sucker to the ground. That was 10 years ago and today the trees I planted for them are looking real good.

Hopefully somebody who can help you with how to stay safe in the tree will help you out with your request. If you need help with anything on the ground pm me for contact info I'll see if I can help you. I'm a landscaper and do work in Manhattan. Never worked in Brooklyn but your not to far.

Don't mean to step on anybodies toes here but how does that saying go,
"The customer is always right".

 

[treeseer]

because of the limbing,

So cut back the ugly stubs if they are not resprouting

and the trunks getting cut on the fencing,

So move the fence, or install boards to prevent the conflict.

and the soil having raised about 16" around the roots (none of which i did) it's got to go.

Not sure what you mean--fill soil was added? If so, remove what does not have roots in it. If you mean that the roots are lifting up as the tree grows, then mulch between them.

None of these problems sounds severe. There are many ways to deal with trees besides spending $1000's and risking your life. Why not get an arborist to estimate pruning?

Dan if it was a mulberry wouldn't this owner know it by the fruit? It's kind of strange to hear such hatred for a tree that is not even identified.