treesr
ArboristSite Lurker
Hey guys can some-one help me out ?
Im interested in using bottlejacks for felling .
What do you guys know on the subject ?
Im interested in using bottlejacks for felling .
What do you guys know on the subject ?
Bottlejacks
- Thread starter treesr
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mrtree
ArboristSite Lurker
I have used bottle jacks for felling big spars/stumps, not for big timbers. They have allowed me to fell big pieces without having to stack innumerable wedges or pull with a line.
A few things I do is to back the jack up by using wedges (Steel splitting often). I place these at the back of the back cut and advance them by hand as the gap opens. Two large wedges can thus replace many felling wedges. Be very careful about the wood type. I sunk a head 6in into a silver maple and had to cut it out. Watch the jack for movement. They will start to angle on large runs and could slip out.
The great thing about the jacks are that they are cheap. Remmeber that they are not meant for felling so as always be careful and read up on the use of timber jacks first.
Michael
A few things I do is to back the jack up by using wedges (Steel splitting often). I place these at the back of the back cut and advance them by hand as the gap opens. Two large wedges can thus replace many felling wedges. Be very careful about the wood type. I sunk a head 6in into a silver maple and had to cut it out. Watch the jack for movement. They will start to angle on large runs and could slip out.
The great thing about the jacks are that they are cheap. Remmeber that they are not meant for felling so as always be careful and read up on the use of timber jacks first.
Michael
bottle jacks
A porta-power 100 ton or more. Not a bottle jack. Never trust a hydraulic tool, always back it up with wedges in case the line or seals blow due to overload. A porta-power is more expensive but worth the money, it fits in a tighter space and lifts far more than bottle jack and allows you to stand futher away while working the jack. This may not translate well, the porta-power is a jack with a hydraulic hose attached to a bottle jack only smaller, jack with extreme lifting capacity. Usually come in 25 ton, 50 ton, 100 ton and can be ordered to well over 300 tons of lift. One heck of a lot safer than bottle jack made in China.
A porta-power 100 ton or more. Not a bottle jack. Never trust a hydraulic tool, always back it up with wedges in case the line or seals blow due to overload. A porta-power is more expensive but worth the money, it fits in a tighter space and lifts far more than bottle jack and allows you to stand futher away while working the jack. This may not translate well, the porta-power is a jack with a hydraulic hose attached to a bottle jack only smaller, jack with extreme lifting capacity. Usually come in 25 ton, 50 ton, 100 ton and can be ordered to well over 300 tons of lift. One heck of a lot safer than bottle jack made in China.
treeman82
Addicted to ArboristSite
I really don't mean to sound dumb, but how do you use a bottle jack to fell trees? I can picture one in my mind, but I have NO clue as to how you are going to get one into your back cut. The bottle jacks that I have seen are about 10" - 1' in height when all the way down. Unless you guys are talking about something like the cops use to bust open doors?
Drummer
ArboristSite Member
DDM
Addicted to ArboristSite
Matt, Cut a large enough chunk out of the back of the tree to install the jack ive used one a few times on large trunks Before the bobcat 
