Felling poll - Have your say

[outofmytree]

In a recent thread there has been a "discussion" (AS style) oke: over 2 approaches to a felling job. Here is the layout for the job.

The trees are roughly 10 metres tall and are 6 metres from the power lines which in turn are 4 1/2 metres tall. The white line to the North east is a busy footpath.

Would you fell these trees one at a time with a bull rope on each one

OR

Would you use wedges and fell some or all of them (joined together by their fronds alone) without bull ropes.

Lets hear what you tree fellers think!

 

[Tree Pig]

Get Ekka to do it, he is great... Just ask him.

 

[Ekka]

The author of this thread and poll has arbitrarily used conjured scenarios that suit his distorted perspective, not all options have been explored nor methods divulged.

The author has taken material out of context and applied them in a fashion that befits his agenda.

At not stage did I mention using only wedges, that's his poor comprehension.

Also be advised readers, the author is a Jim's Trees Franchise Owner, not a qualified arborist and is coming from a half full perspective, he simply is not versed in advanced felling techniques or qualified to discuss felling options. He also is not up to speed on current Queensland OHS.

The skills of tree workers vary greatly, beyond knowledge is practice and experience, what may seem a difficult task for some is a breeze for others. Regardless of the authors rantings he has yet not been able to establish one breach of OHS issues within my posts and reasoning of that thread, although he has conjured some up to suit his ill will.

To determine all options from the schematics provided is impossible, one factor that is always difficult to determine in pictures is weather, wind being the main culprit.

Most good tree felling guides, books and tutors stress the importance of evaluating all variables, having backups, minimizing physical effort and taking a productive but safe path. Those can only be evaluated on site, the lower the skill of the persons making the evaluations the higher the risk appears to be for those who choose differently due to advanced experience and knowledge.

2 approaches? I don't think so. Don't ever let yourself get cornered into such demands on a job site. :deadhorse:

 

[fredmc]

I say BORE CUT

 

[fishercat]

who cares if he is an arborist.

what does that matter for felling?

I no longer give advice on pictures.They never tell the whole story.

 

[murphy4trees]

Where do I get to vote on how stupidthis thread is?

 

[outofmytree]

Where do I get to vote on how stupidthis thread is?

Its all fun Daniel.

 

[ropensaddle]

Lol neither I don't know squat about palms but I would get my bucket in there a nd bring them down to toothpicks before felling the spars most likely. I am a chicken in high traveled public areas though:monkey:

 

[tree MDS]

I would have pulled them over with the tractor winch, just put a choker as high as you can reach, apply tention, lock, box, backcut, and let em rip.

 

[EdenT]

In a suburban setting....

Safe and steady over rough and ready any day of the week!

 

[Toddppm]

I think it was FTA that recommended tying a group like that together in another thread and falling as a bunch. Sounds reasonable given the info we have here.

 

[RVALUE]

Rope has a good point, and it should be noted the dimensions: Short and tight.

However the key word is probably 'palm'. I personally have only taken down one palm (20 years ago) and don't remember EXACTLY how it behaved, but I do remember that it is very different from any other tree.

 

[capetrees]

Spike up the trees, cut the tops and drop them in the zone, come down and drop the now half as tall trunks into the zone.

Next!!

 

[pdqdl]

Since I know nothing about cutting down palms, you can take this for what it is worth.

I would have brought enough orange cones and barricades to make sure I could drop them, then I would do what ever worked fastest to get off site. I presume that all the traffic can be diverted, held off, or postponed for long enough to crash them, either one at a time, or in a bunch.

Otherwise it's obvious: piece them down, working around the hideous risk of being caught under a falling skirt of palm fronds.

BTW: what kind of palms are they? I was wasting some time researching this comment, and I discovered there is an awful lot to know. There is only one palm tree outside in Kansas City, and it is made out of aluminum.

 

[treemandan]

I have never personally came across a senerio like when Ekka dropped the 3 trees. If I ever did I just might do it like he did but pretty much everything gets a rope for me.

 

[Wishie22]

Where is?: Rope area off area & take it down in sections due to the hazards listed.

The aerial view does not show the interlocking sections of the trees/palms. Thus making it impossible to cast a vote on the options listed.

 

[Ekka]

I think it was FTA that recommended tying a group like that together in another thread and falling as a bunch. Sounds reasonable given the info we have here.

Not sure who you mention but this is an older video I shot of doing a fishtail clump.

Clump Felling YouTube

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Hard to tell but they look a little to spread to tie in one bunch. Piece it out. You regret the shortcuts you made ALOT longer than the ones you didnt.

 

[keith811]

the options listed are not all that great. If you can't climb you shouldn't be doing urban work. Hire an arborist to come save your butt and you wont need a pole to figure out how to do your job.

 

[JayD]

This poll proves nothing.!

All this poll can prove is how many people would fell these palms the same way you did, your readers are in another country.

It does not prove how to fell them correctly, complying to our respective OH&S laws. This type of palm appears simple enough to fell, and most of the time you will fell them without incident.

Then there's the other time when you did not quite do your scarf, back-cut properly, you neglected to cut your side fibers and the whole direction of felling turns to the right or left and all the pull ropes in the world will not help...if you are unlucky...there goes your excess..no profit in that job

Or your sitting there with your hands cradling your head waiting for workcover to turn up to a reportable incident...your customer dead

Two weeks of training is a joke, but when you consider who posted this poll it does not surprise me at all.

You have been critiqued by two of your peers and found wanting and all you can do is post a poll to see who would fell the palms the same way you did..blind leading the blind...opcorn: two weeks of trainingopcorn: