Can this safely be cut down?

[sumpnz]

Got a birch tree that is dying.  Normally I'd just drop it, but look at the pictures and tell me if there's a way to do so safely, without a bucket truck anyway.  It looks to me like a barber chair tree no matter how it's cut, unless from the top down.

 

 

[beenthere]

Drop like any hard leaner.. small notch, plunge cut to establish a good hinge, and then cut back out to release the tree.

And keep your chin out of the way if it releases suddenly.  ;)

[Southside]

That would be my go to answer but looking at the base it's clearly fractured and likely decomposed. Meaning holding wood is a crap shoot. 

I would say trust your gut and know your limits. Get a machine to fell it or a bucket to work from the top. 

[treemuncher]

Drop like any hard leaner.. small notch, plunge cut to establish a good hinge, and then cut back out to release the tree.

And keep your chin out of the way if it releases suddenly.  ;)

With that much lean, he could get stump pull - not a pretty thing. I learned my lesson on a bad leaner many years ago that had that set up. Didn't get me but I learned a valuable lesson for the cost of adrenaline.
I'm no pro feller but I would notch above the horizontal crack, bore cut the hinge and then start from the back towards the bore cut to minimize any chance of stump pull. When she cracks, run. If its too dodgy to bore cut, just start from the back after setting the face notch. At least it's leaning away from the fence.

[sumpnz]

That would be my go to answer but looking at the base it's clearly fractured and likely decomposed. Meaning holding wood is a crap shoot.

I would say trust your gut and know your limits. Get a machine to fell it or a bucket to work from the top.

It doesn't show up great in the pictures but there is considerable spalting on the compression side.

[Skeans1]

Drop like any hard leaner.. small notch, plunge cut to establish a good hinge, and then cut back out to release the tree.

And keep your chin out of the way if it releases suddenly.  ;)

With that much lean, he could get stump pull - not a pretty thing. I learned my lesson on a bad leaner many years ago that had that set up. Didn't get me but I learned a valuable lesson for the cost of adrenaline.
I'm no pro feller but I would notch above the horizontal crack, bore cut the hinge and then start from the back towards the bore cut to minimize any chance of stump pull. When she cracks, run. If its too dodgy to bore cut, just start from the back after setting the face notch. At least it's leaning away from the fence.

Doing this it's liable to pop the hinge right out of the stump, same thing happens when boring in to put spring boards in always make sure your hinge is in front of your board or behind it.

[mike_belben]

If it has room to go exactly where its leaning id cut a few gills in the front to be sure i dont get pinched.. Watch watch watch for motion.  Clean out whatever kind of notch you fancy but make it quick..  Clip the sapwood from afar by scoring with the tip around the sides then just race in with a backcut as fast as itll go and chase it off.  Dont slow down and dont count on a hinge of any integrity unless you core drill and determine its legit inside

[Runningalucas]

Do you have access to a tractor?  I've got a small backhoe that I use to push stuff over like that a lot; plus it'll help get rid of the stump more easily.  

[mike_belben]

The compression side is already fractured from the load.  Itll probably want to pinch as you notch.  I might just bore cut the center and fly right out the back and run like hell.  It is definitely a dangerous job.

[Iwawoodwork]

Before you even start get 2 good tow chains at lest 5/16 and wrap around the stump about 1-2 feet above the ground then about 2 feet above that wrap the second chain, then as stated before make a small face, about 1/4 or less of tree diameter,  in the side  of tree the direction it leans. I would never mess around with doing anything but a straight back cut on that nasty tree, the less messing around and the sooner the back cut is made the less time around that tree.

[sumpnz]

Do you have access to a tractor?  I've got a small backhoe that I use to push stuff over like that a lot; plus it'll help get rid of the stump more easily.  

We've rented a mini-ex a few times.  If we can do that again I'll use that to push it over.

I'm strongly tempted to see if a fall storm knocks it over.

[mike_belben]

Youd be better to dig the roots out than push too hard on that i reckon.

[Tacotodd]

If it's of any value to you then you'll need to be extremely careful no matter how you approach it. But if it's not of value, just do it.

Just BE CAREFUL! We want you to come back, with zero medical problems from this dilemma .

[Southside]

It doesn't show up great in the pictures but there is considerable spalting on the compression side.

That's bad - really bad.  You touch that with a saw and she just might blow up.  The question is which way does the frag fly?

[sumpnz]

It doesn't show up great in the pictures but there is considerable spalting on the compression side.

That's bad - really bad.  You touch that with a saw and she just might blow up.  The question is which way does the frag fly?

Yeah, I think the answer here is either hire a dude with a bucket lift or let nature bring it down next time we get some decent wind.  Supposed to get almost 4" of rain between Friday and Tuesday, over 2" just Friday.  Maybe we'll get enough wind with that storm?

[Ianab]

On a positive note, you have passed level 1 of the "How to spot a hazard tree" test.  ;D

It's hard to give advice on that sort of thing over the internet. Could it be bored and felled like a regular leaner? Will it explode when a saw touches it? Can't really say  :-\ ???

Bucket truck or heavy machinery would be the safest option for sure. 

[BargeMonkey]

 

Drop like any hard leaner.. small notch, plunge cut to establish a good hinge, and then cut back out to release the tree.

And keep your chin out of the way if it releases suddenly.  ;)

 ☝....  that tree is big enough to smoke the cab on a small machine, adding danger to it. Poke it at a comfortable height, get as much as you can and if it seems funny walk away, if it's 3/4 cut the wind will do the rest. 

[kantuckid]

A couple lengths of chain and my tractor would pull that down easily. Cut afterwards!

[DMcCoy]

That is ugly. 
In your trunk picture - where I would place the hinge -is already cracked with the backside opening up. Man that is really ugly.
If it was me...
I would wrap it with 2 chains above that horizontal crack.
Put a long line on it a high as I could reach, long enough where I could pull it without getting hit.
Give it a light backcut with my arms extended and a clear escape route.
Pull it down with the cable.
-or-
blast the backside with a shotgun until it fell
-or-
leave it alone, which is safest, and I have 2 trees like that...

[kantuckid]

Leave it be is the best answer...

[Southside]

Just putting it out there that with the whole chain thing.  First, chains fail when facing a shock load, when they do you have flying steel at head level.  Also, chains transfer energy, so they may hold at the point of wrapping the tree, but the energy stored in the tree is transferred above that point.  If that point is compromised you now have an uncontrolled failure at head level or above, being higher off the ground it has more opportunity to reach out and touch you.  

I hear guys recommend it a lot but the whole chain thing has a very deadly downside to it. 

[snobdds]

Before you even start get 2 good tow chains at lest 5/16 and wrap around the stump about 1-2 feet above the ground then about 2 feet above that wrap the second chain, then as stated before make a small face, about 1/4 or less of tree diameter,  in the side  of tree the direction it leans. I would never mess around with doing anything but a straight back cut on that nasty tree, the less messing around and the sooner the back cut is made the less time around that tree.

That is what I do as well. All the beatle kill SPF around me crack bad.  I put a sturdy ratch strap below and above where I cut.  It keeps the tree from barberchairing.  I then make a small notch.  I then get my pole saw and start the back cut from a safe distance.  I have a helper that only job is to look up and hit me on the shoulder if it moves.  Then I run. 

[trimguy]

I don't know how well it would work, but I like the shotgun idea. ;D

[HemlockKing]

If it were me and using what tools
I have , I’d give a shallow notch the way it’s leaning and then back cut with my pole saw while 15 -20 ft away from the tree

[Skeans1]

Just putting it out there that with the whole chain thing.  First, chains fail when facing a shock load, when they do you have flying steel at head level.  Also, chains transfer energy, so they may hold at the point of wrapping the tree, but the energy stored in the tree is transferred above that point.  If that point is compromised you now have an uncontrolled failure at head level or above, being higher off the ground it has more opportunity to reach out and touch you.  

I hear guys recommend it a lot but the whole chain thing has a very deadly downside to it.

Let's also not forget they slide up round objects very well.