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Cutting down cottonwoods

Started by Owtlaw, August 07, 2021, 11:40:20 PM

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farmfromkansas

When cottonwood trees get that big in Kansas, they blow over.  
Most everything I enjoy doing turns out to be work

Owtlaw

I have one that I am going to have to remove that is just over 7 ft in diameter.  The bottom limb is 40".  I think I will get a 42" bar for my 395 and be patient with it.

snobdds

Next time I walk the dog I'll snap a picture of a tree, actually 4 of them growing together, that has to be 10 feet across.   I have sit and stared at that tree for awhile and I still have no idea how to drop it.   It's leaning towards a  irrigation value to further complicate things.  

At this point it's either a huge saw or dynamite.  

Skeans1

Quote from: Owtlaw on August 10, 2021, 09:09:51 PM
I have one that I am going to have to remove that is just over 7 ft in diameter.  The bottom limb is 40".  I think I will get a 42" bar for my 395 and be patient with it.
A 395 will pull a 42 without issues I've ran them more then I care to admit. Even at 7' you could still use a 36" bar it's just a different technique no scratch faces allowed when using a short bar in big wood.

doc henderson

do not skimp on equipment.  I took out a double stem CW from my yard.  i always take out the root ball.  cry once. the root ball would not fit down in my 5 yard dump truck but sat up on the rails.  going around the final turn off the highway it felt like it unloaded the springs on the inside corner.  may me pucker a bit.  it weighed 12,000 pounds.  had to make a dirt ramp and roll it up into/onto the dump bed.    with over 100% moisture content, this is heavy wood until dry.  I use it for pallets and other utility projects.  it can be pretty..  used commercially for caskets.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Real1shepherd

ALL the OG Cottonwoods I take here(and in CO) started at 4' diameter and went to 7' or more. The reason I'm asked to take them is because they've become 'problem' trees and are at the end of their lifespan. Their giant branches come down in storms, take out fences, out buildings and even dwellings. They pose a real nuisance and safety issues.

However, I'm not saying to race out and buy a new or vintage muscle saw just to take down the trees on your own place. I'm only commenting on the USE of a large cc modern saws in taking OG Cottonwood down.

"Modern" meaning direct/clutch drive and ported design. Older saws would be reed valves, gear drive etc.

Kevin  

Real1shepherd

Quote from: snobdds on August 10, 2021, 09:58:45 PM
Next time I walk the dog I'll snap a picture of a tree, actually 4 of them growing together, that has to be 10 feet across.   I have sit and stared at that tree for awhile and I still have no idea how to drop it.   It's leaning towards a  irrigation value to further complicate things.  

At this point it's either a huge saw or dynamite.  
If it's a bad leaner....after you do your face cut, bore cut the final fellin' cut. YouTube vids on this and even Buckin' Billy shows the 'how to' on this. It's definitely a safety issue as the tree could splinter and slab if felled conventionally.

Kevin

Al_Smith

Most of them in this area simply became hazards . None I know of are dropped for commercial reasons for lumber . Although decades ago some were sawn for corn cribs back when they raised and stored corn still on the cob . I suppose 40-50 years ago they just started out as a little sapling and became hazards over the years .Kind of like "Jack and the bean stalk ".I get them in my raised bed gardens like weeds but let me say they certainly aren't as easy to up root ,tough little things .I get little hickory and oaks ,walnuts  too .Squirrels are natures little tree planters you know .

doc henderson

they grow fast as they are in the poplar family.  only live a hundred years or so then decline.  a branch may be 3 feet in diameter, and be 75 feet long.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Al_Smith

Speaking of long branches I have a white oak that did that .It dropped a big one last year from a clump of three in a crouch .Just 4 days ago it blew out another big one my lady friend just happened to see .It barely missed my neighbors building .The third is nearly straight up but right over where I park my Jeep .So after the leaves fall it looks like I'm going to play Paul Bunyan again .
Those two big heavy branches I'm going to have fire up my dozer to even get to them, tangled up mess .My little Ferguson tractor doesn't stand a chance of moving them .

Real1shepherd

Quote from: doc henderson on August 11, 2021, 02:05:05 PM
they grow fast as they are in the poplar family.  only live a hundred years or so then decline.  a branch may be 3 feet in diameter, and be 75 feet long.
They sure do grow fast....especially near a water and/or sewage source.

As I said earlier, lots of guys with equipment trailers find the wood great for the trailer floors. When wet and muddy, the floors still have some grip. That's about the only time I know for sure when the stuff is milled.

Don't know how Cottonwood burns in a wood stove, but I never see the wood for sale as cord wood. I'm sure somebody here has tried it?

Kevin

Al_Smith

What little I've had were just some of the stuff one of the trimmers dropped off .Small maybe 18-20 inch .I just used it to test my version of a race chain .I burned the cookies which were dry as a popcorn fart .Like any wood they did produce heat .

thriceor

Quote from: snobdds on August 10, 2021, 10:57:30 AM
I know, there are other and more modern options.  I guess at this point I am going to try every big saw I can to see what cuts these the best.  So far I just stay on top of the dead trees and fallen branches with an 880 and 461.  However I like my 461 at the cabin for those trees, so I'm always taking it back and forth.  My dealer has a new 395 and 3120 in stock, might pick those up to try out.  Here is my endless supply of wood...



>
 


 



Beautiful pictures.  Is the irrigation system still functional?
...I'd rather trust a man who works with his hands,
He looks at you once, you know he understands...

Genesis- "The Chamber of 32 Doors"

doc henderson

CW does not make coals, and has about 18 million BTUs per cord.  oak and mulberry are about 25, and hedge is 32 million BTUs per cord.  still more than the soft wood they burn all winter in Alaska cause that is all they have.  they would love some cottonwood.  we use it and ERC scraps for chimenea and camp fire wood.  burns fast and lots of light and flame for an ornament fire.  ERC smells good.  I will try to plane a bit of CW and take a pic.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

donbj

Quote from: doc henderson on August 11, 2021, 08:18:47 AM
do not skimp on equipment.  I took out a double stem CW from my yard.  i always take out the root ball.  cry once. the root ball would not fit down in my 5 yard dump truck but sat up on the rails.  going around the final turn off the highway it felt like it unloaded the springs on the inside corner.  may me pucker a bit.  it weighed 12,000 pounds.  had to make a dirt ramp and roll it up into/onto the dump bed.    with over 100% moisture content, this is heavy wood until dry.  I use it for pallets and other utility projects.  it can be pretty..  used commercially for caskets.
Try dynamite! A work associate in a past life had a case of dynamite he had to get rid of because he was being transferred and for obvious reason couldn't throw it in the back of the truck and take it along. I had about 6 large cottonwood stumps to remove and he had a plan. It got interesting. I had a small dozer and my three point hitch hoe and we dug out under the stumps as best we could. We had 24 sticks on the last stump we blew. Groups of six in 4 spots under the stump. Those cottonwoods are tough nuts! It lifted the stumps but it was splayed out like a flower on the ground. It quartered the stump and splayed it out. I still had to take the dozer and dig the roots out. The tense times were misjudging the distance the debri would fly. My freind said "take my truck to the back of your property and I'll take cover over there". Well, when the charge hit I was looking skyward and all I thought was OH %^&*. Things and roots and rocks were flying over the truck into the neighbors property. I thought for sure I was in for some body damage repair on his truck and whatever on my neighbors. My next thought was my friend hiding behind a tree. Fortunately we both came out fine. Got the stumps cleaned up and disposed of a case of powder.
Another story with the extra blasting caps and fuse is a good one.
I may be skinny but I'm a Husky guy

Woodmizer LT40HDG24. John Deere 5300 4WD with Loader/Forks. Husky 262xp. Jonsered 2065, Husky 65, Husky 44, Husky 181XP, Husky 2100CD, Husky 185CD

Al_Smith

As the story goes these two bone heads near Spencerville Ohio tried to blow an oak stump with little sticks but all it did was blow out the dirt .Then these two wizards stirred up a batch of of ANFO ,about three or four  wash tubs full and set it off with two sticks .The ground shook ,the stump headed for the moon, the windows in the house were long gone .
The stump didn't make it to the moon but did crash through the barn roof, through the mow and come to light on a John Deere 4020 and broke it right into .A partial success  I suppose .If nothing else it made for a good story . ;D

WDH

You can take cottonwood twig cuttings, stick them down in moist soil, and they will root. I have seen a cottonwood plantation done that way in a cleared bottomland site in Georgia back in the very 1980's, done as an experiment. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Real1shepherd

Somehow, in all the yrs of living large, I missed out on dynamite 'fun'. When I was younger, I thought I'd have to prove I was psychologically fit to use/buy it or or some such nonsense. Maybe it's just as well. ::)

Kevin

snobdds

Quote from: thriceor on August 11, 2021, 09:05:40 PM
Quote from: snobdds on August 10, 2021, 10:57:30 AM
I know, there are other and more modern options.  I guess at this point I am going to try every big saw I can to see what cuts these the best.  So far I just stay on top of the dead trees and fallen branches with an 880 and 461.  However I like my 461 at the cabin for those trees, so I'm always taking it back and forth.  My dealer has a new 395 and 3120 in stock, might pick those up to try out.  Here is my endless supply of wood...



>
 


 



Beautiful pictures.  Is the irrigation system still functional?
The irrigation still works and is used to flood the fields to keep the trees going.  I don't run very many cattle on the place anymore, in fact the neighbor is the one that puts about 80 head just to keep the meadows in good shape.  He is the one responsible for the fences and irrigation.  I don't charge him anything and he gives us a couple of steers to butcher a year.  It works.  

Real1shepherd

Interesting......here you are responsible for debris and anything that would obstruct your part of the irrigation ditch. But any changes or modifications are the under the auspices of the 'Water Master'.

Kevin

Al_Smith

I know that I don't know enough about explosives to use them .About the closest I ever came was an m-80 in a trash can .It did blow the dents out of it and launched the lid about 20 feet in the air . Rather amusing at the time .

Tacotodd

Since we're talking about dumb & interesting stuff with explosives, I still remember back when I was about 9, dad made a 55gal drum launch about 30' in the air. Imagine, a hole for the pipe bomb, empty drum inverted on top of it, and amazed looks from me and 3 buddies that I grew up with! All was safe and well done, but dad said that he was never playing with explosives again! Oh well, back to our bicycle jumps for entertainment.
Trying harder everyday.

donbj

I got my Provisional Blasting ticket back in the mid 70's, expired loooong ago, so I had confidence in using the dynamite as did my friend who had his ticket and a licensed powder mag to store it.
I may be skinny but I'm a Husky guy

Woodmizer LT40HDG24. John Deere 5300 4WD with Loader/Forks. Husky 262xp. Jonsered 2065, Husky 65, Husky 44, Husky 181XP, Husky 2100CD, Husky 185CD

snobdds

Quote from: donbj on August 12, 2021, 01:44:14 PM
I got my Provisional Blasting ticket back in the mid 70's, expired loooong ago, so I had confidence in using the dynamite as did my friend who had his ticket and a licensed powder mag to store it.
The guy that runs cattle on my land has his blasting licences.  He uses it to make irrigation ditches.   I should just let him loose...

donbj

The fuse and blasting caps left over were fun to play with. I had a 300 gallon fuel tank I salvaged from work that a tree had fallen on and caved it in to about half its diameter in the center. I wanted it to make a water tank for fire protection purposes. It had a 2" fill hole and 1" vent. My son and I devised a plan.

Take a liter of gasoline, pour it in and roll the tank all around to disperse the gas as much as possible to create fumes in it. We put a 2 minute fuse and a cap hanging just inside the tank with the holes facing up, lit fuse and took cover. I tell you! When that cap fired the noise was incredible as the ignited gas inside escaped out those small holes. I have no idea why the tank didn't burst but it popped that thing right back to dang near normal with just a few ripples where it was crushed. The noise was intense high pitched jet engine like for about 5 seconds with an extreme high pressure plume about 70' into the air.

Experiment was a total success :D
I may be skinny but I'm a Husky guy

Woodmizer LT40HDG24. John Deere 5300 4WD with Loader/Forks. Husky 262xp. Jonsered 2065, Husky 65, Husky 44, Husky 181XP, Husky 2100CD, Husky 185CD

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