How would you fell this dead pine?

[kelLOGg]

It is ~16" DBH and ~80 - 100' tall and leaning at ~6° into an elm tree crotch about 5' away. However it comes down, I don't want it to get caught in the elm and drop its parts for years. It died this year and has a thin sap oozing from it. I am not confident enough to fell it against the lean so I will probably get a tree company to do it for me. Whichever way it falls it can do virtually no damage. It may make acceptable lumber so I want 8 to 16 foot logs. I'm just seeking other opinions on felling. See pics.
Bob

  

 

[Ianab]

Long rope and a winch. Get a cable set as high up as you can, and just take the tension out of it. Make your felling cuts with a wedge to hold the back cut open. Then walk around to the winch (150ft+ away) and haul it over.

I wouldn't trust wedges to drive a dead tree over as the hinge wood might fail on you, plus the chance of debris dropping on your head from the top while you hammer wedges.

[BargeMonkey]

 Small skidder with a good operator would back that right over.  :D 

[SliverPicker]

If the tree just died this year the hinge wood is probably sound unless of course the tree had been in serious decline for a period of time before it died.  Personally, if it's only leaning 6º or so, I would wedge it over.

Hiring a tree company may be your best option.  Listen to that voice in your head that says "Careful!" every time.

[LittleJohn]

Long rope and a winch. Get a cable set as high up as you can, and just take the tension out of it. Make your felling cuts with a wedge to hold the back cut open. Then walk around to the winch (150ft+ away) and haul it over.

I wouldn't trust wedges to drive a dead tree over as the hinge wood might fail on you, plus the chance of debris dropping on your head from the top while you hammer wedges.

This is the way to go  ;D

...remember the higher up the tree the more leverage you get

[mrector]

Rope and winch. Humboldt face with plunge created hinge.  If I were closer I'd drop it for ya for free, durham is 3 hours drive. I have ropes and winches and all that jazz.
Mikey

[kelLOGg]

Long rope and a winch.

That's the way I hope whoever fells it does it. A winch could be anchored on one of my neighbor's trees. I really don't have a way to safely climb it.
Bob

If the tree just died this year the hinge wood is probably sound unless of course the tree had been in serious decline for a period of time before it died.  Personally, if it's only leaning 6º or so, I would wedge it over.

Hiring a tree company may be your best option.  Listen to that voice in your head that says "Careful!" every time.

Amen!
Bob

Rope and winch. Humboldt face with plunge created hinge.  If I were closer I'd drop it for ya for free, durham is 3 hours drive. I have ropes and winches and all that jazz.
Mikey

Wow! - a very thoughtful offer and I appreciate the gesture but know that a 3 hour drive is a bit much. This is what makes FFers such a great bunch of people.
Bob

[CCC4]

I am guessing that it has lean dominance towards the split top in front of it? Are there any targets where you are standing when the pic was taken? If it were me, due to the fact the timber looks a little crowded, I would fall the split top and roll the pine right in on top of it...no ropes just straight cutting. Your wood should be sound due to the fact that bark doesn't seem to be slipping. Shouldn't be any big deal unless there is something I am missing from the pic.

Can ya get any more pics from other angles and show the lean dominance? If so, be sure to show body mass lean and a pic of top lean. That pine may be able to roll out from that Elm if it just has to stay.

Then again...if you don't feel confident by doing the removal yourself...have a tree company come and do it I guess. I just wouldn't want to pay that bill if it was me. Good luck

[treeslayer2003]

If the tree just died this year the hinge wood is probably sound unless of course the tree had been in serious decline for a period of time before it died.  Personally, if it's only leaning 6º or so, I would wedge it over.

Hiring a tree company may be your best option.  Listen to that voice in your head that says "Careful!" every time.

+1 i would just wedge it.........then again we do it every day. if your not comfortable then don't.

[kelLOGg]

I am guessing that it has lean dominance towards the split top in front of it? Are there any targets where you are standing when the pic was taken? If it were me, due to the fact the timber looks a little crowded, I would fall the split top and roll the pine right in on top of it...no ropes just straight cutting. Your wood should be sound due to the fact that bark doesn't seem to be slipping. Shouldn't be any big deal unless there is something I am missing from the pic.

Can ya get any more pics from other angles and show the lean dominance? If so, be sure to show body mass lean and a pic of top lean. That pine may be able to roll out from that Elm if it just has to stay.

Then again...if you don't feel confident by doing the removal yourself...have a tree company come and do it I guess. I just wouldn't want to pay that bill if it was me. Good luck

The elm limb to the left in the pic could be cut and the tree could be felled in the direction the pic was taken. However, I have stickered lumber drying near by I wouldn't want to risk. Still think I will go with a tree company.
Bob

[pineywoods]

Long rope/cable and a winch or a big tractor. The sap around the stump is a very good indication that this is a lightening kill. That usually makes the stump wood brittle, in other words, don't trust the hinge wood. Do not use a wedge, that puts extra stress on the hinge. If that hinge wood fails while the tree is still nearly vertical, all bets are off. Likely lots of good lumber in that trunk, well worth salvaging..One trick I use is to put a loose chain around the tree as high up as you can reach, then use a couple of long poles to push the chain loop up the trunk a few inches at time.

[kelLOGg]

Long rope/cable and a winch or a big tractor. The sap around the stump is a very good indication that this is a lightening kill. That usually makes the stump wood brittle, in other words, don't trust the hinge wood. Do not use a wedge, that puts extra stress on the hinge. If that hinge wood fails while the tree is still nearly vertical, all bets are off. Likely lots of good lumber in that trunk, well worth salvaging..One trick I use is to put a loose chain around the tree as high up as you can reach, then use a couple of long poles to push the chain loop up the trunk a few inches at time.

There are no strips of bark stripped from the trunk - only dried sap and very thin watery "sap" oozing out about 6' from the ground. Is that consistent with lightening kill? The preferred direction of fall is into the woods leaving a winch for pulling as the best option - no room to maneuver a tractor.
Bob

[CCC4]

I figured the sap oozing was an indicator of a beetle exit or entrance hole or something.

[BargeMonkey]

 A few wedges, sharp saw and a slightly windy day would be my answer if you cant get anything near it. We yank stuff over on a special occasion but its not small stuff and its not homeowner sized gear. 75' of spectra rated at 65 tons hooked to 100' of 5/8 cable works wonders.

[thenorthman]

Just wedge it over.  Get yerself 4 or more wedges, face it a little deep, start the back cut, start a wedge or two, leave some hold wood, and swing away, once the first two are sunk to about 1", stack the other 2 and keep swinging when the first two are loose enough stack them too, and keep swinging, its rare to need more then 2 wedges deep, and that one doesn't look to need it.

Just be careful and keep an eye peeled on the top for any loose dead branches coming after ya.

An alternative to wedging is to use a 20 ton bottle jack with a plate over the ram, back it up with a couple of wedges, makes for a smoother lift without having the vibrations from just wedging. Jack a little tap the wedge in, rinse and repeat as necessary...

If the tree was a little deader or more rotten I wouldn't suggest it at all, but for peace of mind peal some of the bark off and see how sound the wood is.  Fell a snag recently that was leaning over a house, with only about 1/3 of the would being solid, jack just sorta sunk into the punk...

At the same time if your not comfortable with it hire a pro.

[SliverPicker]

I've been cutting stuff that's been standing dead for 15 years for the past 5 months.  I haven't had a single hinge fail from wedging yet. I'm on alert for it all the time, but it hasn't happened on this job even once.

Hire a pro.  Think of the relief you will feel!

[timberlinetree]

When we can't use a winch we have a heavy duty com a long. We also make a rope com a long but its a little hard to explain. Good luck!

[Peter Drouin]

Or if you can get in there, rent a man lift and take it down in pieces.
And trim the other trees too If you want.

[Southside]

That little round hole in the bottom photo with the sap running out of it looks like a beetle hole to me. 

[kelLOGg]

I had it felled today. They threw a weighted line over a limb about 50 up, pulled up a rope and with 4 guys pulling another guy made the felling cut. I've thrown those weighted lines many times but it usually takes me 8 - 10 tries to place it where I want it. He did it in 1 try and got it much higher than I ever have. Tree was down in a minute.