Hello folks, I could use some more felling advice. Y'all have really helped me with some challenging removals on my land and I really appreciate the advice. This one is a large, rotten, leaning Mesquite with a shed on the North side. Basically worst case scenario. Tree height is about 40 feet, trunk diameter about 3 feet. Trunk is split up the middle and there is an old saw cut on the east side of trunk. Added some photos with compass directions for clarity. I already tried dragging the shed out of the way with tractor and it wouldn't budge. I know the shed is old, but to me it's kind of historic so I would like to keep it. I only see three options: 1) Rent a lift and piece it out. I think I would need one with a boom arm because tree is leaning over the footprint of the shed. 2) Piece it out little by little with a rope saw 3) Pull it South or West against the lean with either tractor or come-along. I have a 50 foot by 3/8 cable and about 30 feet of 3/8 chain. Looking for your thoughts and ideas, thanks in advice for your input, I really appreciate all the help I have received here with these difficult trees.
Need felling advice, large rotten leaning Mesquite
- Thread starter Laneman
- Start date
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The shed looks like it's about ready to fall on it's own. Short of a crane, you are risking the shed anyway you try.
Today I trimmed some dead wood off the trunk, attached two more photos of cavity. I feel like pulling it South against the lean is my only option. It seems like there's not even enough trunk left to do a face cut it, just a shallow back cut and pull it over. Any thoughts on that idea?
Ya gotta jack the shed up and put some skids under it and then drag away. Make sure to put a cross piece in to prevent the skids from pulling together, or have rigging to keep the skids apart.
a fews hours work and your shed is moved. Probably. If you have forks for the tractor just lift the shed with those..
anyway..good luck with the tree. And the shed.
a fews hours work and your shed is moved. Probably. If you have forks for the tractor just lift the shed with those..
anyway..good luck with the tree. And the shed.
I've pulled a thousand trees in my day, but that's not one I'd pull and expect it to end well.
Get a lift if you can operate it safely, and piece it down. Any kind of rope saw would wear you out.
Unless you truly know what you're doing here, don't mess with it at all. That's not an expensive job to hire out.
Get a lift if you can operate it safely, and piece it down. Any kind of rope saw would wear you out.
Unless you truly know what you're doing here, don't mess with it at all. That's not an expensive job to hire out.
sand sock
ArboristSite Operative
If you want to save the shed, you have to get a rope up in it.
It was a risk using a cable and tractor to pull a back leaning giant tree, but it worked. The only casualty was my $2 home depot bucket. First I gave it a half hearted test pull but the tree pulled my 5000 lb tractor back to where I started. Then I backed up to build slack in the chain, put it in 2nd gear and made a full throttle run. The tractor won that time and pulled the whole tree over including the stump. Thank God for answered prayers and for keeping this country boy safe.
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Good job old Country Boy!
All's well that ends well! Great work!
Tigwelder83
ArboristSite Operative
Well, the end is what matters, but as someone to does this for a living, you got lucky bro.
