Need your input

[Phil T]

I need to know my options for the best way to deal with a dead/broken/leaning tree. (pictures attached). There is no house to consider as we have not started building yet. That said I thought about cutting this myself but I realize that may be a bad idea. The base is probably 30 inches diameter. It's broken about 8-10 feet up and the tree itself is probably 50-60 feet tall. Just looking for your input or how you would go about dealing with this tree. Thanks.

 

[NYCHA FORESTER]

If I were you I would not even consider cutting that down. That is a job for a pro.

 

[TackleTree]

Hiring a pro is indeed the wise chioce.

I have some Ideas but will let the true pros handle this one.

 

[daemon2525]

That one looks like a Widow-Maker to me.

 

[zzrjohn]

This is a definate barber chair scenario don't go anywhere near that with a chainsaw unless the tree is on the gound first.

I've never had to lay one like this down, but l would tackle it like this:

The tree appears to be hollow and hung up in the other tree, are there any branches further up (out of the picture) that up you could possibly use a throw line to install a pull line around the main trunk.

If so, and you have enough space and access you may just be able to pull/winch the top sideways enough to let it fall. Just make sure your well away from the tree when you start to pull it.

I stand to be corrected by those who know more than me.

 

[Phil T]

This is a definate barber chair scenario don't go anywhere near that with a chainsaw unless the tree is on the gound first.

I've never had to lay one like this down, but l would tackle it like this:

The tree appears to be hollow and hung up in the other tree, are there any branches further up (out of the picture) that up you could possibly use a throw line to install a pull line around the main trunk.

I have added one more pic of the top where the two trees make contact. It's not a good angle though. The top of the broken tree splits into two branches but they are up in the other tree so throwing a rope and getting around just the broken one would be hard at best.

What about pulling it from just above the break with a winch. There is plenty of room uphill from the tree (where the first pic was taken from) to set up and pull.

I almost feel like a good breeze blowing on the second tree would dislodge it.

BTW, anyone know what kind of tree it is?

 

[zzrjohn]

The problem with winching the tree from just above the break you will have to be totally sure that you can break the remaining connected wood first time.

If not achieved at the first attempt you will have to re-enter an even more dangerous area.

How about getting a throw line over any branch above the point where the two trees meet, then put the pull line around the base of the broken tree tie a bowline knot around the pull line so you have a larger loop, tie the throw line to the large loop and pull the loop up the trunk (you will have to guide the rope pass the broken part of the trunk possibly with a long pole), when the loop is as high as possible tighten the pull line loop, then pull/winch from a very safe distance.

 

[Phil T]

Just added one last pic that shows the whole tree from a wider angle. You can see the top now and that it really doesn't have much in the way of branches to hook a rope over.

 

[Husky137]

If you can get a strong winch on that I see no reason to not pull it out. From what I see in the pics there doesn't seem to much substance holding the leaning stem to the trunk. A picture is worth a thousand words but doesn't always tell the whole story.

 

[SmokinDodge]

Welcome to AS Phil!

What kind of equipment do you have to deal with this? Do you have a chainsaw at lest big enough to buck the trunk once it's down? What kind of saw experiance do you have?

Do you have a tractor or other large piece of equipment?

What is the winch your thinking of using? How long is the cable?

I know how I would handle it but we don't know what you have availible to do the work with.

And if at any time you feel you might be in over your head about any of this, please stop and ask yourself "Should I get a Pro for this?" Any one can give advice on the internet!

 

[Phil T]

Welcome to AS Phil!

What kind of equipment do you have to deal with this? Do you have a chainsaw at lest big enough to buck the trunk once it's down? What kind of saw experiance do you have?

Do you have a tractor or other large piece of equipment?

What is the winch your thinking of using? How long is the cable?

I know how I would handle it but we don't know what you have availible to do the work with.

And if at any time you feel you might be in over your head about any of this, please stop and ask yourself "Should I get a Pro for this?" Any one can give advice on the internet!

We own a MS290 and a Husky350 that have bucked all the trees we pushed down in clearing for our house. Maybe I should post a few pics of the aftermath of all that work The last 5-6 months using the saws, reading up whatever I can and advice from a good friend who also helps us out there is the experience I have. (he runs a Stihl as well) I know I'm still a newbie to you guys but I feel pretty comfortable with what I have been doing. The big thing I guess I should reiteirate is that we haven't felled anything with the saws. Only limbing and bucking. Felling is something I know I will need to do later on but have not gotten into yet. We will thin the woods once the house is done and we are living there. (7 acres)

All that "pushing" was done with a rented excavator and a contractor driving it. We don't have the excavator onsite anymore. Please understand that I don't really intend to fell this tree as it sits now. I may have said I'd like to, but that's just talk. One day we showed up for weekend duty and this tree was sitting like it is now. So, naturally I am frustrated with myself for not having it pushed down with the rest of 'em. Our thoughts behind leaving it standing were that it would be a great perch. We have hawks and owls in the area. Oh well, lesson learned I guess. Had no way of knowing how bad that tree was inside and the clearing was done in winter so none of the trees had leaves. So this one didn't stand out as such a sick one.

I personally don't own a winch but could get someone who does have one to come help. That said, no idea how long it would be or what it would come attached to.

In my mind I'd like to just tie it up to the hitch of my truck and yank it loose. But we all know that depending on how it falls it might just yank back and take the frame of the truck with it.

So, here we are. That tree is just sitting there waiting to fall or be dealt with. It isn't threatening any structure or the area where the house will be built. It's just a hazard sitting there the way it is. Kids, dog, etc in the area. The kids know better since we have told them to stay away but the dog doesn't know any better. I'd just like to get it down and cut it up like the rest of it, split it (or what's worth splitting after all that rot inside) and sell it with the rest of the ones we already processed.

There will be heavy equipment back onsite eventually once we start building. That might be a few months though. If it's easy and safe to do it the right way I'd like to get 'er done now.

Thanks to all who have replied (or who will)

 

[SmokinDodge]

I wasn't trying to be nosey in your business but we can't help much if we don't know what resources/skills you have.

If you decide to with the winch route I would do as Treeco says and have at least 150' between you and the trees. It wouldn't all have to be winch cable, some good chains and I do mean good not the el cheapo stuff could help give some distance. You might want to have two hook points before you start the pull. One higher up than the first just in case the bottom pukes out on you. That way you'll still have a hook point and you won't have to get too close to the tree.

 

[Phil T]

I wasn't trying to be nosey in your business but we can't help much if we don't know what resources/skills you have.

I didn't think it was nosey. Perfectly relevant.

 

[emr]

phil, you are one of the most well informed homeowners that i have ever heard talking. you seem to have a pretty realistic view of what you can and cant do. most homeowners think they can do things that would make me scared. anyway, you can call an arborist to get it on the ground for you, and then finish up your self. it should take less than one hour for a qualified arborist to get that on the ground for you.

by the way, no one ever seems to warn homeowners about the dangers of chainsaws. i would highly reccomend getting a pair of chaps, a hard hat, ear plugs and safety glasses for when you are running a saw. they are all required in our industry. why are the required, you ask? because professionals have died while not using proper safety equipment.

good luck and be safe

 

[nitwit dolt]

help on dead tree.

It's all pretty simple physics. Keep thinking about what could possibly go wrong. worst case scenerio type stuff. Using the weight of the tree gives you th easeist results. Do not try and cut it down! do try throwing a rope around it and knocking it off and down. Make sure that you use a good rope and quadruple think everything through. This tree will smash anything it hits and will pull a truck over an embankment if things go wrong. From what you've posted, it doesn't sound to me as though you have the experience to tackle this. That being said, there is only one way to get experience.

Try pulling from just over the break. All you want to do is hop it off the stump. That should get it fall thru the other tree. If you can't get it to break free of the stump, leave it alone. If it does break free, but doesn't free up from the other tree, try pulling from higher up on the trunk. If at any point you feel uncomfortable with what's happening, stop and walk away. You have already said that heavy equipment will be back. If you can't wait, hire a pro. It shouldn't cost more than $200-$300 to get to lay flat.

 

[Phil T]

Well it seems that this tree has been taken care of now. My wife went after it with an axe....:hmm3grin2orange:


Seriously though, we had a very gusty afternoon yesterday. I had been waiting for just that thinking it might do the trick. We went by the land yesterday evening and sure enough, the tree was on the ground in pieces. Odd thing though was that the upper part of it was closest to the stump. My guess is that when the tree supporting it was swaying in the wind, the broken tree came free of the stump (there's a large broken piece from this) and the rest of it (now free at the lower end) swung towards the tree it was laying on. Once the broken tree swung far enough and lost it's "grip" on the other tree the lower part had momentum and swung out, then the upper part actually fell back towards the stump. Make sense? The bonus is that none of the smaller trees in the area where we thought it would have landed were even touched. Probably couldn't have dropped this thing in a better spot if we had tried to. Anyways, I bet it would have been cool to watch, and pretty noisy. So, now the problem is solved and no one got hurt.

Thanks to all who posted replies.