Removing large trunk

[Kaptain_K]

I am planning an upcoming removal of a big Cottonwood tree and it all looks manageable except the trunk. I'm not sure how to deal with the trunk, it's about 5' plus diameter and a good 15' tall. I'm guessing a nice long bar to make the cuts and a crane or a big loader would be the way to go but I'm not used to dealing with trunks of this size. The only way I can think of to get the job done with tools on hand (20" bar and truck/chain for tugging) would be to apple core out the base of the trunk and tug it over with the truck. Any advice would be great.
Thanks
Kapt K

 

[treemandan]

What do you mean by " apple core" ?

 

[Kaptain_K]

I meant that I'd use my 20" bar and take wedges out of the base until I can reach through to make a felling cut. It resembles an apple core..I guess I made it up. I thought it was official jargon.

 

[Tree Pig]

20" bar your biggest bar. I guess if thats all you have you can make it work but common though is a bar at least half the diameter of the wood and a saw strong enough to run it. Good luck

 

[randyg]

I meant that I'd use my 20" bar and take wedges out of the base until I can reach through to make a felling cut. It resembles an apple core..I guess I made it up. I thought it was official jargon.

Works ok for beavers

 

[Brodie]

Honestly you are just making things hard for yourself. I dont know what sort of position you are in but when i was in a similar situation I went and got a bigger saw and its paying for its self very well now i dont even have to think about saws being an issue. As for actually removing the trunk from the property well cheapest option is to block it up into manageable pieces and hand load onto the back of the truck otherwise you would have to look at some sort of loader.

One of the best options would be to get a bigger saw if you are working with trees professionally. It may seem like alot of money up-front but it pays for its self. Think of it this way if it takes you 20 minutes to "Apple Core" the trunk it would take me no more that 5-10 minutes so you can you are already saving money in man hours.

Just my two cents worth.
Brodie

 

[2FatGuys]

I'm a little confused... 5' diameter and only 15' tall? The cottonwoods around here that are close to 5' diameter would still be at least 4' diameter at 15' high!

How are you taking down the rest of the tree? What are you using to get it down to 15' tall?

I'm thinking if you have to ask how to deal with this size wood, you probably don't need to take the risk of handling it.

 

[Kaptain_K]

Yes, it's 5' diameter up to about 15', then the limbs separate into multiple trunks and are manageable with my 20"

Apple coring, Yep, works for beavers, exactly what I was thinking. I will use my bucket truck for the tree itself, it's a good 50-60' foot tall. No problems there.

I agree, I need a bigger saw. Last time I 'apple-cored' a trunk, it took me over an hour....plunging, wedging, sharpening up the chain, knocking out the wedges, pain in the arse.

Moved on to Plan #2: I did a tradeout with another tree guy today...his chipper is down so I'm swapping him my chipper for the weekend, and he's bringing his 36" saw on Monday and we'll tackle the tree together.

2FatGuys: Yes, it's true, I am not an seasoned tree man, but I do have lot of ground experience with trees, and saws, and now I've got some bigger tree equipment, so I'm putting it to good use by renting it out, using it, learning whenever I can, and stretching to bigger jobs whenever I can. I learn by watching, doing, and asking questions. I tackle new opportunities every day by reading, researching, asking questions, doing it wrong several times, and then ultimately mastering whatever task I'm up against. So yeah, that's why I'm here asking for typical ways or good ideas for removing that last massive hunk of a trunk that I'll be staring at towards the end of the job. Once I do it a few times, I won't ask anymore, okay?

Thanks for the replies guys. I do have a boner for a new jumbo sized saw....a couple more jobs and I'll have it. I told my girlfriend I "needed a longer bar", and she agreed, so it shoudn't be a problem to go buy one!
Kap't K

 

[squad143]

If the trading thing works, great.
If not, then check out the rental shops.
No sense buying a saw that you'll only use once or twice a year. (unless you get a great deal on kijiji).

 

[gilraine]

you bought a bucket truck, before a large saw?????????? am I the only one who sees this as backwards???? can you climb without the bucket???I don't want this to seem harsh, but I think you have the priorities a little skewed...

 

[tree MDS]

you bought a bucket truck, before a large saw?????????? am I the only one who sees this as backwards???? can you climb without the bucket???I don't want this to seem harsh, but I think you have the priorities a little skewed...

No, I agree it seems a little fishy..

even his girlfriend agrees he needs a bigger tool for the job.

 

[Blakesmaster]

you bought a bucket truck, before a large saw?????????? am I the only one who sees this as backwards???? can you climb without the bucket???I don't want this to seem harsh, but I think you have the priorities a little skewed...

Can't have a tree service w/out a bucket truck ya know.

 

[rarefish383]

If this is a home owner I'd say rent a bigger saw too. If this is a business, I'd say get a new business, because you are doing things in a dangerous way and are prone to wind up in one of our other forums. Sorry for being blunt, but it does not sound like you are a licensed and insured pro, Joe.

 

[D&B Mack]

I understand what you are saying, many tree guys around here only run up to a 50cc saw with a 20" bar. Most of what they cut is less that 40" in diameter, so it works for them. I posted the following in another forum, but it could help you here. Many of those same guys put a 36" bar on their smaller saws but run a full skip chain. It will be slow cutting, but for the one or two trees a year you may be doing, it does work.

 

[2FatGuys]

I understand what you are saying, many tree guys around here only run up to a 50cc saw with a 20" bar. Most of what they cut is less that 40" in diameter, so it works for them. I posted the following in another forum, but it could help you here. Many of those same guys put a 36" bar on their smaller saws but run a full skip chain. It will be slow cutting, but for the one or two trees a year you may be doing, it does work.

A 50cc saw... with a 36" bar? You are kidding... right? You do know that underpowering the bar is one of the most dangerous aspects of felling... don't you? If you don't have power in reserve when you need to direct the fall, you could be the next YouTube disaster film.

I wouldn't put anything over a 20" bar on a 50cc saw (and then only if using .325 chain). I wouldn't go to a 36" until I had at least 70cc of grunt behind it even if using skip. Skip is NOT a license to go to an obnoxiously longer bar!

Around here, a tree guy with only a 50cc saw is called a landscaper.

 

[Gumnuts]

OH boy - we got a live one here.

Are you having us on ?
Honestly.....is this a paid job ? If so get a bigger saw or pay someone to
drop.
Where is the tree in relation to obstacles/ other trees / houses / roads.
Do not attempt to prove you can do it.........repeat .
Your asking for grief.........apple core grief/danger.sigh
Know of a guy who has come to grief several times using the wrong tools.
he had one tree 7' Cypress fall across a road.Grief.Only had small saws and a loader.
Laughing stock of tree world my area.Need i mention the damage and waste of time he caused himself and others.
Look for another type job with your loader to pay for a bigger saw.

 

[Brodie]

As I mention in a previous post I agree with the general consensus that this job is going to be dangerous with the wrong tools.

Having said that have we all always had the right tools at hand to do the job. My point is that in most cases in our working life we have all pushed the boundaries of our tools and working team with that oversized job that when quoting looked like an in and out job but when we were actually doing it became a lot bigger. Ill be the first one to say that I will push the boundaries but ill also tell you that after I have pushed the boundaries (and gotten away with it just by pure luck) that I have fixed the situation in my case I started my career with a climbing saw and a 029 farm boss little undersized for the trees in Australia so at my first opportunity I got myself a 660. Point being there in no point questioning qualification or the way people run a business it is to get the message across to GET THE RIGHT GEAR FOR THE JOB AT HAND
Kaptain_K I hope you make the right decision it would be a shame to hear that there was an accident just because you didn't have the proper gear.

 

[discounthunter]

something else to factor in,what are you going to do with the 5ft wide 15 ft trunk when its on the ground? apple core it up into rounds? chip it?pick it up with yur bucket and put it in the back of the pickup?

 

[D&B Mack]

A 50cc saw... with a 36" bar? You are kidding... right? You do know that underpowering the bar is one of the most dangerous aspects of felling... don't you? If you don't have power in reserve when you need to direct the fall, you could be the next YouTube disaster film.

I wouldn't put anything over a 20" bar on a 50cc saw (and then only if using .325 chain). I wouldn't go to a 36" until I had at least 70cc of grunt behind it even if using skip. Skip is NOT a license to go to an obnoxiously longer bar!

Around here, a tree guy with only a 50cc saw is called a landscaper.

First, I'm not talking about myself. Other guys around here do it.

Second, I'm not saying it is the "best" scenario, all I am saying is that guys around here do it and make it work.

Third, saying you need a bigger saw than 50cc around here to be a "tree" guy I think would be an incorrect statement. I did a lot of tree work for years with only having a 50cc saw. I only purchased bigger saws when I started doing large clearing projects on old growth sites. To have trees around here larger that 36" is pretty uncommon for the typical tree job.

 

[tree md]

I agree that buying a bucket before you even have a large enough saw to do the work is pretty whacked out. No offense but I have to look at hat racked trees all up and down the road from guys who never learned the job or how to climb and prune but jumped in there and bought a bucket and now they call themselves "treemen".

As far as the saw. I have always used larger jobs to finance my operation. I started out small and when I would need a larger saw or other item to complete a job I would always bid that job to finance what I needed. If I needed a 441 I would buy it and cover the expense in my bid for the tree that I needed it for.

As far as dealing with the wood. If you have a big enough saw you can cut your rounds as thin as you need to to move and roll them. We call them wagon wheels. You can pie the stump up small enough to carry it out. Hard work and time consuming but that is the old school way of doing it. Be sure to bid enough to cover your labor. I often find it just a cheap if not cheaper to take it down and load it out with a crane.