Bringing down a few trees, but the wires

[firefighter ontheside]

 

 

 A friend from high school wants a few trees down and offered the logs to me if I can cut them down.  I'd love to, but I'm worried about the wires.  Especially with what I believe to be a cherry tree.  It has wires on two sides and leans toward them.  The walnut is not so bad.  He told me they were both walnut.  What do you all see?

[btulloh]

Trouble, sapwood, crook, and liability.

[firefighter ontheside]

Trouble, sapwood, crook, and liability.

That all sounds bad.  Lol.

[btulloh]

If a tree service took them down they'd probably be glad to give you the logs. The cherry might have something useful (if that's a cherry tree), but that wolf walnut is going to have some stress and very little heart.

[BargeMonkey]

 Are you a member of the "Big Blue Flash Club" yet ??? I see 3Ph, cable and telephone ? Yeah the logs aren't worth close to the problem you could be in trying to just drop them or push, they are climb trees and come down in pieces. 

[firefighter ontheside]

I told him the cherry was not likely for me.  I told him the walnut was a maybe, but I'd have to go look.  Thanks for the warnings.  I had a feeling you guys would see that.

[btulloh]

I think I see some poison ivy starting up the base of the cherry tree.  Icing on the cake.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Are you a member of the "Big Blue Flash Club" yet ??? I see 3Ph, cable and telephone ? Yeah the logs aren't worth close to the problem you could be in trying to just drop them or push, they are climb trees and come down in pieces.

Barge sees 3 phase, I see high lines, meaning 18Kv, meaning if they hit the ground they will not easily pop a breaker up the line. I have seen these lines burn a 2 inch wide trench down 4 inches through blacktop. I am just saying care and caution are well advised here. And no barge, I am not a member of the club yet, but I know some folks who are and have cleaned us the mess a time or two. The look on the club members face, and the story they have to tell is always enjoyable.  :D ;D :D

[rubberfish]

C'mon. Some rubber soled boots and you're set right?
Don't let fear and common sense get in the way of the adventure of a life time.  j/k

Like btulloh said. You can probably watch from across the road and still end up with wood.   ;D

[Autocar]

Three phase =12,470 volts phase to phase 7200 volts phase to ground . Walk away !

[Andries]

Are you a member of the "Big Blue Flash Club" yet ??? I see 3Ph, cable and telephone ? Yeah the logs aren't worth close to the problem you could be in trying to just drop them or push, they are climb trees and come down in pieces.

With the street and lane so close, I'd quote that as a bucket truck job.
It's simple to disassemble from the top down, cut, snap and drop in 4 foot sections. . . and would take much less time than climbing the tree.
Up here in Manitoba, you'd need a license and properly insulated truck to work that close to the high voltage lines.
I've been part of the 'Big Blue Flash Club' for a while now. It's happened twice to us, and it's a memory maker! 
As my son said: " That's the fastest $4,000.00 we've ever spent!" 

[dsroten]

My utility will take lines down temporarily to allow for tree removal.  Done it a few times.  Would be worth a phone call

[tacks Y]

Looks more like open secondary to me + phone and or cable. Better be sure first.

[Hilltop366]

Working on a roof in town a few years back that had 3 phase running by too close for comfort and no way to reroute power so the power company covered the lines and had to stay on site to watch. They also changed the multi trip breaker to single shot one and explained " oh if you trip it you will still be dead but it will easier to get you off the roof"!!

[Southside]

I am a not so proud club member myself, I see a day job for a tree service and a bunch of firewood with metal in it.

[BargeMonkey]

 I am a proud member 😂 I only got 2 wires of 1ph and the messenger, no phone or cable. I wish I had a Go-Pro in the cab for that one. NY-SEG showed up and was awesome about it, they refuse to actually clear these lines around here, cheaper to fix than maintain, guy said it was better it happened then than in a winter storm. Neighbor up the road already didnt like me, that finished it off 😂 
 
 Like everyone else has said, you can probably get the wood for almost nothing when it lays on the ground. I see ALOT of these adds for "Free wood" with people trying to get house trees taken down, I mean if your already dont have a business, insurance or own anything go for it. We went to the "811' Meeting/ dinner about a week ago, yeah the utility companys going to fix it but the bill that you may get will be huge. 

 I did one today I shouldn't have, you can see the stump on the left, about 30" on the stump and forked at about 25', hard lean for the house, took about all that 160D had to shove it back the other way and I had it hinged entirely diff than the average weekend warrior would attempt, wasnt a monster but still would have split the house in 1/2, that stuff gets real quick. 


 

[firefighter ontheside]

This is a residential neighborhood in St Louis, not likely to have 3phase.  I'm no stranger to power lines and what they can do.  I've been a firefighter for 27 years.  I'm also trained by the forest service in falling, but I don't have near the experience as some of you guys.  I will be telling my friend I cannot do it.  He will not be paying anyone to do it anytime soon, so I will not get the logs either way.  Thanks for the input.

[Banjo picker]

Even if you could get them safely down, then you got a ton of clean up in that mowed yard.  Banjo

[clww]

Not worth it for a few logs and a favor. Too much risk versus the reward as others have posted previously.

[caveman]

Tom Sawyer's fence- I've painted it a time or two.

[btulloh]

Good one, Huck!

[Satamax]

Why do i keep thinking about this way?

Griphoist in Action: Trail Work on Hazard Trees on Vimeo

I have done it for the first time with mine, about two years ago, to remove two larch, next to the cable of the chairlift i work on.  Lotsa stumps around to attach to. Tree landed right on the griphoist cable.

Mind you, the guys here in the video, don't attach the cable high enough to my taste! When doing this, i bring a ladder with me. 

[Ljohnsaw]

Out here you could tell the power company that the trees are a hazard to the power lines.  They would dispatch a tree crew (contractor) to clear the ROW.  When they show up, just ask them to take it all the way down.  A neighbor was able to get a 70' pine taken out that way.

[tacks Y]

Like I said before looks like open secondary, the 3 open wires. With a house or street light drop. I have had 6 or more trees taken down by the electric company here. But only near primary lines, secondary they take their chances then repair. Not saying these can not kill you, just not as likely. Call the company first and have them look, do not take the FF word with your life.