Large Oak - Hung Up

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GAEngineer

ArboristSite Lurker
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Over the last weekend a large oak tree fell just off of my driveway and got hung up on its way down. It looks like some type of ants caused enough damage at the base that the tree couldn't support itself anymore. I plan to have an arborist out to look at some trees closer to the house that I am now questioning the integrity of. My question is, should I have them get this tree all the way to the ground, or given it's current condition is this something that could be done by a non-professional?
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I'm not a pro and if it was mine I'd get it to the ground. Kinda like eating an elephant one bite at a time. No clue what your experience and/or equipment is so without knowing that I'd suggest you find a professional to do it.
 
I'm not a pro and if it was mine I'd get it to the ground. Kinda like eating an elephant one bite at a time. No clue what your experience and/or equipment is so without knowing that I'd suggest you find a professional to do it.

I have some experience cutting downed trees similar in size to this one - but never one that was hung up. I have a Husqvarna 55 currently I can get started with. My wife and I just bought this property a month ago and I was planning to buy a MS461 to make firewood of some slightly smaller trees that Irma knocked down last year - I will probably get a bigger bar now than what I had intended.

You know any farm boys. Any farm boy worth his salt could get that thing down.

If that's the case I will have to get it down :)
 
That tree looks like it’s already on the ground. There’s a bit of oak canopy reaching Up but the tree is already down. Am I not seeing thus right?
 
This isn't exactly the commercial tree care forum, now is it?

Do even pro's get hurt once in a blue moon?

Jomoco
 
Any ole farm boy can take care of that. Most have been running saws since they were in their early teens, but if you are new in the area and don't know any , you may want to hire someone , I guess.
 
That tree looks like it’s already on the ground. There’s a bit of oak canopy reaching Up but the tree is already down. Am I not seeing thus right?

It is not on the ground. It's not the canopy that is holding it up, it's the trees in the crotch, and those being bent over by the limbs keeping it suspended. Photos 2, 5, and 7 show the same tree in the crotch from different angles. It's wedged between the two big limbs, and completely arched over in a wiley coyote/roadrunner trap kind of way.
 
Yee-haw! Git ya' a farm boy to do that brain surgery, fer ya', too! Most of 'em has been sharpenin' knives and cuttin' up hogs fer years!
Cutting windfall isn’t exactly brain surgery. I can think of about 5 guys off the top of my head that could work that tree out quickly and none are arboritsts. What’s with the elitist attitude? Maybe I just run around with more roughnecks than you, most of the people in my circle wouldn’t have to think hard at all to do that. Is it dangerous? Yeh. But like I said, any farm hand could do It. Doesn’t require a pro every time a tree falls down.
 
It has nothing whatsoever to do with "elitist attitudes"... for every farm boy that can handle that job, can you think of any that you wouldn't trust to do it? I live right smack in the middle of some of the most productive farmland in the world. For every farm boy that can safely handle a few tons of hung up oak tree, I can think of two dozen that shouldn't be allowed to cut firewood without supervision. The real problem is suggesting that someone go out and grab a couple of farm boys to handle that problem that's right next to his driveway as though your average farm boy carries a million dollars worth of liability insurance if things don't go right. Wrongful death lawsuits aren't nearly as cheap as getting some help from someone who has experience with storm damaged trees and who has insurance and credentials.
 
I did some poking around this evening and decided to do some cutting. With my wife spotting I was able to drop the trees supporting the limb furthest up hill and used my tractor to pull them out of the tress they were hung up on. The large oak dropped a few feet but the trees holding the other two limbs still had it about 8 feet off the ground on the downhill side. I cut the uphill most limb off and the tree sort of rolled into the Wiley Coyote tree and the downhill limb is now only about 7 feet off the ground. I’m hoping it settles a bit and that arched tree comes free, then I’ll feel better about continuing. It was too dark to take photos by the time I cleaned up and it’ll be dark when I leave for work in the morning. I’ll snap some pics tomorrow evening of the problem areas to see what y’all think. I appreciate the feedback and concern.
I should clarify that the tree dropped along side the driveway but is not in danger of coming into the driveway, and it’s about 100 yards from the house.

Thanks again.
 
Sounds like you are going about it in a slow/safe manner. Take your time and understand the dynamic forces and directions they are being applied at before cutting and stay out of the "danger" zones and you should be fine. There is danger in everything we do nearly...heck odds say you are more likely to get taken out in a car crash than by that deadfall. Keep going one bite at a time...I've found getting in a hurry is where the accidents happen.
 
As suggested we took our time and methodically worked through the mess. Turning the trees into firewood and wood chips now.

Thanks again for your comments.
 

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Be careful releasing the tensions/stresses. Don't put yourself where things might roll/spring. There is **** overhead to worry about also. You have some large springpoles too, be careful of those.

IMHO, I'd do it. But carefully.

Good luck. Or hire out.
 
As suggested we took our time and methodically worked through the mess. Turning the trees into firewood and wood chips now. Thanks again for your comments.

I took one down just last week only had trouble keeping the horses away. They love to chew our shirts and the twigs laying around. I suppose they are really bored to constantly push us around to get their neck scratched. Thanks
 

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GAEngineer:
I would be most interested in a few photos of the building that is on the far right of the last photo you posted.
Looks interesting.

Thanks
David
 
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