Experienced but y’all even more so.

[1STEIN]

Good ay Men.
Appreciate y’all letting me in the group. I do get a lot of information here y’all are incredibly knowledgeable. So I’ve got probably 30 pine trees in a stand that runs down one side of my property. I had 45 or so but I’ve taken 16 or so down over the past couple years. These are relatively healthy trees but they have lived their lives and I’ve got to remove them. The ones close to any structures I always rent a lift and get up around 55 feet and take the top 60-70 feet out first and it has worked well. Im fixin to do a bunch more soon. My question is this…. I’ve got 1 in the back yard that has suddenly started a hard lean to the N.E and right towards the back corner of my neighbors house. My wife was gettin out of her car the other day and heard a crack like when a tree finally breaks over when you are cutting it down. When I got home and she told me that’s what I found was this tree leaning so much that I was instantly rattled. So I got my extension ladder and put a chain and come a long approximately 20’ up in large tree that is to the S.W. about 25’ and also in the leaner at the same height and I’ve got tension on it. Not a lot, like I did not want to lift it and make it more unstable and cause it to fall. I really need this tree to fall to the S.E. To not cause any damage. I will have the lift by Friday and that will let me get 55’ up. If I attach a pulling rope at that height and run to a pulley chained into another tree about 45’ south and then pull on said rope with a winch or my truck towards the N.W. this tree should pull down fairly easy I’m thinking. Even if I have to cut a couple roots on the opposite side. But if for some reason it won’t pull, how far down below my rope at 55’ should I drop to make my cuts, or should I just plan to cut it on the ground if it won’t pull over. Thanks in advance to anyone that can help with knowledge.

 

[TRTermite]

Good ay Men.
Appreciate y’all letting me in the group. I do get a lot of information here y’all are incredibly knowledgeable. So I’ve got probably 30 pine trees in a stand that runs down one side of my property. I had 45 or so but I’ve taken 16 or so down over the past couple years. These are relatively healthy trees but they have lived their lives and I’ve got to remove them. The ones close to any structures I always rent a lift and get up around 55 feet and take the top 60-70 feet out first and it has worked well. Im fixin to do a bunch more soon. My question is this…. I’ve got 1 in the back yard that has suddenly started a hard lean to the N.E and right towards the back corner of my neighbors house. My wife was gettin out of her car the other day and heard a crack like when a tree finally breaks over when you are cutting it down. When I got home and she told me that’s what I found was this tree leaning so much that I was instantly rattled. So I got my extension ladder and put a chain and come a long approximately 20’ up in large tree that is to the S.W. about 25’ and also in the leaner at the same height and I’ve got tension on it. Not a lot, like I did not want to lift it and make it more unstable and cause it to fall. I really need this tree to fall to the S.E. To not cause any damage. I will have the lift by Friday and that will let me get 55’ up. If I attach a pulling rope at that height and run to a pulley chained into another tree about 45’ south and then pull on said rope with a winch or my truck towards the N.W. this tree should pull down fairly easy I’m thinking. Even if I have to cut a couple roots on the opposite side. But if for some reason it won’t pull, how far down below my rope at 55’ should I drop to make my cuts, or should I just plan to cut it on the ground if it won’t pull over. Thanks in advance to anyone that can help with knowledge.

I don't cut much pine but I question the lean ... Are the roots rotting or the ground springy(wet)? WHY FER the sudden change after such a long life standing straight? This thought makes the hair tingle on my bald head.

 

[1STEIN]

I don't cut much pine but I question the lean ... Are the roots rotting or the ground springy(wet)? WHY FER the sudden change after such a long life standing straight? This thought makes the hair tingle on my bald head.

Well I’m guessing the roots are probably dying. They have lived their life.

 

[TacitSentinel]

We recently lost a 100' pine that is 66" in circumference during a 60mph wind during a thunderstorm. White rot was visible inside of it. It fell, took out our chain link fence (about 20 feet of it) and fell diagonally across the neighbor's yard, throwing the top branches on their roof. It also hit a number of other smaller trees on the way down into their yard, took out their little greenhouse, deposited large branches on top of their HVAC system and destroyed one of their gutters above a laundry room. They're in a rental house, so of course they have a do-nothing landlord who hasn't taken care of other pine trees that fell in their own yard before. Our insurance said for the owner of the neighbor's house to file a claim with his insurance and they would pay them back afterwards. He refuses, so the neighbors renting the house got screwed. I wish we would have taken the tree down sooner, as it was developing visible cracks on the outside, but otherwise healthy and green. Inside where we couldn't see, it was covered in rot at the base of the tree. It blew over, broke off halfway at the base of the trunk and ripped out the roots within about a 5' area all the way around it. Half of the trunk is still upright under the tree. Visible white rot inside of the trunk down to the middle. I forgot what the arborist called it (some technical name of the disease), but the tree was bad and he said sometimes even they can't tell because there may not be many signs of it.

I sure hope that rigging holds it up until it can be dropped. It's a nightmare dealing with neighbors if they are renting, so here's hoping that they aren't.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Questions like this always scare the he'll out of me. I'm an old farm boy and hate having to hire someone to do something too, but honestly for the price of renting a lift you should be able to hire someone to assess it and get it on the ground safely, giving you the chance to learn in person. To be honest, go back and read your original post and ask yourself if any responsible pro would offer advice given the risk of life and property.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Questions like this always scare the he'll out of me. I'm an old farm boy and hate having to hire someone to do something too, but honestly for the price of renting a lift you should be able to hire someone to assess it and get it on the ground safely, giving you the chance to learn in person. To be honest, go back and read your original post and ask yourself if any responsible pro would offer advice given the risk of life and property.

Most don't see the value in shot line and throw bags. We know better.