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4 inch thick wedges too much?

Started by 421Altered, November 03, 2019, 08:44:51 PM

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421Altered

Hello everybody!  My first post here, but, not my first fling with a chainsaw!  I've been using a 024 and a 032 for about 35 years on my farm in South Georgia.  But, I've got a problem tree, so, I need some expert advice.  The tree is a mature pine tree, 2 feet DBH, about 65 ft. tall, killed this past summer by pine beetles.  It has about a 4 to 5 foot back lean.  The real problem is it's not straight, it has a big lean for about 30 ft, then, goes back the other way some to the small crown, and the lower limbs are not all the way around either.  And the other problem is it's about 12 ft. from one of my barns, and of course, it's leaning towards the barn. It looks like I've got about 3 options to bring it down before it falls on my barn.  First, I've figured as best as I can, using the info that I found on this site, that about 4 to 5 inches of wedges will be required to cut it down with my saw, but, I've never felled a tree that big with wedges.  Is 5 inches of wedges too much to use, will they slip out?  Seems like a hazardous thing to have all that weight balanced on just the hinge and the 5 inches thickness of the wedges  Second, I've read on here about some that use a rope and a truck/tractor, well i have a f350 and a John Deere diesel tractor, but, what type and size and length of rope will be required, and how high must it be to be effective/safe?  Third, Seems like the safest bet for me to do it is to rent a bucket truck and cut off lower limbs first, then, cut it down in sections from the top?  Please everyone feel free to share their advice and expertise.  Thanks.

lxskllr

Welcome! To pull with a rope, higher is better. I'm just an amateur, but I'd like to see the rope 2/3 up. You can get by with less, but it'll require more pull, with more chances for things to go wrong. .5" Samson ProMaster(5700# abs) is an affordable 3strand rope that would work well, as is Samson Arborplex(6000# abs). Taking it down from the top is an excellent idea. That's what /I/ would do via climbing. Keep the pieces small for ease of management, and less destructive force.

realzed

Sounds like a - 'call someone who does this for a living and has insurance to cover any and all issues that might prevail'.. kind of thing - at least in my estimation..
I would sooner watch someone else either climb up and/or try and knock it down from the seat of my equipment and on the other end of that rope rather than try and watch it fall and ruin my barn - but maybe that's just chicken old me thinking here..
It probably all comes down to cost, but if at all reasonable having someone who does this on a far more than once in a while basis and for a living, would be my preferred and first choice.. 

Ianab

Be very careful about wedging dead trees. The wood will be weaker and less flexible, and that means your hinge wood is likely to break before you get the lift you need. 

Heavy machinery and a long steel cable to pull it over, or a bucket truck (and a long rope) would be my choices. Even with a bucket truck I'd rig a rope to the trunk sections as you cut them to make sure they go in the right direction. 
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

hedgerow

421Altered
Welcome to the forum. I have fallen hundreds of tress over the last 35 years but sometimes its better to hire it done and let them and there insurance take care of it. I feel like this is one of those times. You can always do the clean up to save some money. 

Al_Smith

Due to the fact it hasn't been dead that long it most likely will fall okay .A good sturdy rope or steel cable and perhaps a snatch block to double the pulling force applied .Get far enough away it doesn't fall on you 
It will follow the path of the hinge if it's done correctly .Just be careful .
FWIW I stood up a windfall pine about that large a few years ago hung in another tree and dropped it the other way using a rope with a snatch block .Rope up over the house using an F-250 Ford for power and 600 feet of 1" three strand nylon rope .

luap

If it comes down to hiring some one, you may as well get an excavator to take it down and then you won't have to deal with removing a stump.

421Altered

Thanks to all that have replied!!  After carefully reading all replies, I'm leaning ( ha ha ) towards getting a bucket truck and cutting it down in sections with a rope to make sure the log goes where I want it to.  It will be a while before I cut it, I want the weather to cool off some.  Thanks again to everyone that replied.

Hooterspfld

Just took care of an elm and silver maple that were leaning towards a rental property. I was able to rent a 55' towable boom lift for about $300 for the weekend. Fully extended I was cutting at about 60' but as you said, with a rope and pulley I was able to take the 75' maple down without any problems. I would have never tried to drop either trees from the ground within such tight spaces. Piece of mind while cutting down the trees was totally worth the $300, plus I still saved a ton over hiring someone to take them down for me. Good Luck!

Oddman

Wedging a dead tree to just "nudge" it over is one thing. Wedging a dead pine to lift it several inches is just insane...

Al_Smith

Well you can lift them right off the hinge with enough wedges ,I've done it.Feet don't fail me now . :o
Seriously I've seen pictures in one of Gerry B's books of the west coasters using a D 8 Cat to pull over big coast redwoods .No shame in being careful .
The largest I've ever pulled was fat old soft maple with a D4 Cat and a 120 foot of 5/8" crane  cable .

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