Curious about cost

[pdqdl]

Love the masdaam for what it is, but in this scenario, I'm gonna make a 3 in 1 with a couple biners and pinto pulleys and let the boys earn their keep, lazy bastards...

Try a capstan rope winch (gas powered) on top of a 3:1 pulley set. That pulls 'em over. Problem is, it takes more time than I like to spend. If it's not far from my shop, I'll bring the tractor in and yank it over with 10,000 lbs of security. I even have a 12k winch mounted on the log grapple on the front end. It does wonders when you have tight quarters.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Try a capstan rope winch (gas powered) on top of a 3:1 pulley set. That pulls 'em over. Problem is, it takes more time than I like to spend. If it's not far from my shop, I'll bring the tractor in and yank it over with 10,000 lbs of security. I even have a 12k winch mounted on the log grapple on the front end. It does wonders when you have tight quarters.

I guess I don't understand... why would you need more speed from a masdaam... once the rope goes slack you own it, then it is time to trust your notch and backcut... no different than wedges, once gravity takes over, the bottom guides the tree, in my eyes, anyway.

 

[pdqdl]

I'm just impatient! I don't like cranking on them, especially if I am working pulleys for power multiplication.

See, if I can't make a tree go where I want with the just the chainsaw alone, I don't like playing around with "maybe that massdam will have enough guts to pull it over". That, and the crew with 3 guys on a 3:1 are for when you just need a bit of help. Maybe on a day when the wind is a bit unfavorable.

If I'm not sure it's going my way, I like to pull in some actual horsepower. I've done a lot of jobs where the crew + 3:1 struggled, but the maasdam could out-pull them. Then there was the time my maasdam barely pulled the tree over, and that was after I made the face cut to within a few inches of the back side of the tree.

I even had a cottonwood once that was trying to say no to my tractor. A maasdam would have failed. On those heavy leaners, I like to set two ropes: the first gets the tractor to back up until it is nice and tight, and the second gets rigged to the winch. Draw it up equally tight, then go for the pull-it-over.

 

[fields_mj]

Thanks for all of the responses. Honestly, $500 to drop a tree this size is a really fair price even if it's just 2 guys on site for an hour. The insurance alone is worth it. I'm hardly even a weekend warrior, but I do have the tools to get the job done, a pretty level head on my shoulders, and an extensive amount of experience operating power tools, including chain saws. I cut about 6 cords a year, which all has to be felled, and I've worked a hand full of disaster recovery sights with a crew. I was confident that I could get the tree down safely. If I were an average home owner, the risk of death would have been high enough to warrant paying a lot more than $500. My guess is that adding cleanup for the brush, and avoiding major holes in the ground would add at least a few grand to the price tag, but I have kids and they need to learn the joy of a hard day's work

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Thanks for all of the responses. Honestly, $500 to drop a tree this size is a really fair price even if it's just 2 guys on site for an hour. The insurance alone is worth it. I'm hardly even a weekend warrior, but I do have the tools to get the job done, a pretty level head on my shoulders, and an extensive amount of experience operating power tools, including chain saws. I cut about 6 cords a year, which all has to be felled, and I've worked a hand full of disaster recovery sights with a crew. I was confident that I could get the tree down safely. If I were an average home owner, the risk of death would have been high enough to warrant paying a lot more than $500. My guess is that adding cleanup for the brush, and avoiding major holes in the ground would add at least a few grand to the price tag, but I have kids and they need to learn the joy of a hard day's work

No worries. I think the reason I posted that was just to give weekend warriors a peek into what it costs to run a true tree company, and to emphasize all of the "hidden" costs...

 

[Del_]

I would add some pull even thought the tree look fairly balanced weight wise.

I'd use my red pickup truck and yellow rope with a block placed on the other side of the property as a little insurance.

 

[Captain Bruce]

I'm curious if anyone could tell me about what it would cost to have a professional take this tree down for me. It's a pin oak that measures 5' across at about 36" above the ground. The picture was taken last June and by September it was completely dead. I've already taken it down, and everything went fine. The question is just to satisfy my curiosity.

I, along with hundreds of other members I'm sure, are puzzled. Do you suggest that a tree has been removed, you have paid the bill, and now want to chit-chat about your wallet? Whatever the tree service charged you, was a bargain. Sleep better.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I, along with hundreds of other members I'm sure, are puzzled. Do you suggest that a tree has been removed, you have paid the bill, and now want to chit-chat about your wallet? Whatever the tree service charged you, was a bargain. Sleep better.

He made it clear he had gotten it down himself, and was curious what it might have cost had he called in a professional tree service... read the entire thread...

 

[Piotr Pakuła]

if someone has a gesture and does not care about earnings, he can cut down this tree even for free / question whether it will not cause damage and chop it into slices ;-)

 

[thenne1713]

I'm curious if anyone could tell me about what it would cost to have a professional take this tree down for me. It's a pin oak that measures 5' across at about 36" above the ground. The picture was taken last June and by September it was completely dead. I've already taken it down, and everything went fine. The question is just to satisfy my curiosity.

4-5yrs ago, had similar taken down, hauled and stump ground in the neighborhood of $3k (from memory), but maybe $2k-$2500, been too long? They first hoped for crane, but then used a cherry picker vs crane, and as they cut branches much higher than bucket, they fell on zipline, 75ft across yard, to crew on driveway. Amazing skilled crew, Hispanic, licensed, Insured, properly equipped. True Professionals. and how much was hollow on this 75yo+ tree left me w/ NO regrets.

 

[BisonSkinner]

I don't disagree with anything you've said. I agree it doesn't make sense for you to take anything less than what is profitable for the tree.

But this exact scenario is why weekend warriors like me exist. I'm 1/5 the price because I have almost no overhead, but the home owner is taking a risk taking that $400 gamble that I'm not going to screw something up. The VERY reason I started climbing trees is because I got a quote for $1500(cheapest) for a no clean up job in my backyard with zero access for any machines on a dead ash...and a fairly modest dead ash at that. I said hell no. I can buy all the equipment, do the tree, sell the equipment and spend a couple hundred and a weekend of fun. Took me, an absolute novice climber 4 hours to disassemble the tree. Zero property damage, zero injuries. $1200 in equipment. I paid off that equipment in the first 2 trees I did...

I constantly turn down work that is too risky or full clean up jobs(unless the tree is small). I let you professionals handle the real nasty/risky stuff. I don't have cranes, I don't have $150k worth of equipment, I don't have a 5 man crew. I don't do full service stuff like stump grinding. But there are plenty of people that want a tree taken down that don't have the money to pay for professional services and have a tree that is within my wheel house. I pick and choose carefully and I'm honest with people when they really need a big company to come in and take the tree down.

I agree with this 100%. Knowing my own limitations, but still being able to bid a job well, and take down trees that might be too small for a professional tree company.

 

[fields_mj]

No worries. I think the reason I posted that was just to give weekend warriors a peek into what it costs to run a true tree company, and to emphasize all of the "hidden" costs...

Totally understand and totally agree. I have nothing against a weekend warrior. Heck, I are one from time to time.... What you spelled out is exactly why I was curious what a professional would charge.

 

[Haplo]

I usually throw my saw wedges and axe in the truck when going to do bids like this. Just happened last week, the customer just wanted it down and i dropped it then and there. Saved a trip. If it looks like it needs a rope or other persuasion I will schedule it for later. In those situations it's one price to do it now and higher price if I have to come back later. The now price is usually 200 - 300