how can I pull a downed tree, on a hill, safely away from my cabin (diagram included)

[luckydraw]

@TNTreeHugger @Oletrapper @John Stryker Thanks for your inputs I really appreciate it.

@TNTreeHugger It came down before I was here, I think in 2019. The utility pole is not live. There is a small branch overhanging the cabin which I'll probably want to chop down as well. Right now nobody is in the cabin.


@Oletrapper @John Stryker Yep I like that idea. I suppose I don't even need a winch at all I can just secure it toward uphill and to the left? As long as it's near taught it should never roll down to the right toward cabin. The hill is fairly even, but it's hard to tell - there might be a slight slope sideways toward the cabin, if so, very slight. Thats really the only thing I'm precautious about


Id rather not setup the 12k winch if not necessary, I don't think I need it. Also I want to do the job this weekend and it's going to be in the 20s. I don't think a lifepo4 battery would run well in those conditions.

Mainly trying to figure out what I need to order today so it arrives before saturday. Is 1" triple strand polydac rope overkill? It comes in everything 3/8" to 2"

 

[Ted Jenkins]

After you have done this a couple of times you will realize how easy peasy this is. If you feel most comfortable tie a strap chain cable or rope to the highest section of the downed tree to keep from rolling into house. The tree as it sits likely could not roll no matter what other wise it would be in the house already. The line holding the tree only needs to keep the tree from moving while you cut on it. Pick a section of tree that you can cleanly get through to roll away from house. I would suggest choosing a section of tree no more than 1000 lbs. Tie that section off being supported by what ever is closest to being directly above. Cut that section into manageable rounds or split whichever is easiest. When that is done go on to the next. Soon all that will be left is the root ball. Thanks

 

[luckydraw]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Going to try to get it done this Saturday, will update the thread if I'm still around
(J/K)

Have a bunch of good rope, some soft shackles and snatch blocks. I have the electric winch too if necessary, but hoping not to have to use it. The plan attack is going to be to tie the root/base area to an anchor tree uphill and to the left with some big 1" rope I have lying around.

Then I'll put a separate line on the overhanging part, somewhere in the middle of it, with some tension toward the left, and take off little pieces at a time.


Something I have always wondered, does the number of wraps a rope goes around a tree reduce the rope strength by a certain factor? For example wrapping 1 complete loop around a tree circumference vs 2 vs 3, etc.

 

[John Stryker]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Going to try to get it done this Saturday, will update the thread if I'm still around
(J/K)

Have a bunch of good rope, some soft shackles and snatch blocks. I have the electric winch too if necessary, but hoping not to have to use it. The plan attack is going to be to tie the root/base area to an anchor tree uphill and to the left with some big 1" rope I have lying around.

Then I'll put a separate line on the overhanging part, somewhere in the middle of it, with some tension toward the left, and take off little pieces at a time.


Something I have always wondered, does the number of wraps a rope goes around a tree reduce the rope strength by a certain factor? For example wrapping 1 complete loop around a tree circumference vs 2 vs 3, etc.

The extra wraps of rope after a running bowline will make it possible to roll a log a distance by hand or using a come-along, but doesn't reduce the rope strength at all.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

cut off about 4-6’ of the closer trunks. Roll them in front of the corner of the cabin as blockers. Cut more sections off…roll to add to the blockers.
start cutting normal rounds and let the go. I assume you have a Peavey and/or Cant hook. Id help for fun but you’re a bit far

 

[luckydraw]

@singinwoodwackr great suggestion, thanks!

 

[Patrick1903]

@luckydraw
How’d it go? Any update/pictures of the job?

 

[Stihl a grasshopper]

Any update/pictures of the job?

We need to know! Lol

 

[luckydraw]

Reporting here from the afterlife..

j/k. It went well!


I had to go out of town so we didn't finish cutting it up, but the dangerous hanging part of the tree is taken care of. We brought a friend over who is a little crazier than us, and he was able to rappel down by tying off to an uphill tree. We then tied tree straps near the two ends of the the piece in a triangle formation and used a pull along tied to an anchor tree to the side. We put tension on it to pull away from the cabin and then our friend cut it.

The large root ball part of the tree is still attached into the ground on uphill side.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Reporting here from the afterlife..

j/k. It went well!


I had to go out of town so we didn't finish cutting it up, but the dangerous hanging part of the tree is taken care of. We brought a friend over who is a little crazier than us, and he was able to rappel down by tying off to an uphill tree. We then tied tree straps near the two ends of the the piece in a triangle formation and used a pull along tied to an anchor tree to the side. We put tension on it to pull away from the cabin and then our friend cut it.

The large root ball part of the tree is still attached into the ground on uphill side.



View attachment 959845


View attachment 959846

Gravy cutting from there

 

[Patrick1903]

Sometimes having crazy friends is good…sometime bad!

 

[~Yellow Streak~]

Glad to see that root ball didn't try to stand back up on y'all !
Didn't figure it would since it looked like it'd been down a while with those mushrooms growin out of it.
Remember that on any freshly uprooted tree.

 

[SweetMK]

I had a tree IDENTICAL to that come down on top of our power line,, a VERY large poplar. (not next to a house, though)
I was ready to watch in amazement as our power company cut the tree off of the fallen power line, so that they could restore power.
This was a HUGE tree, on a steep slope. (The tree was easily 150 feet tall, similar to our other poplars)

Well, 2 guys stared at it for an hour, then two more trucks showed up,, more staring,,
Another hour,, 3 more trucks,, more staring,, chainsaws out of virtually EVERY truck,, ready to go.

Then, a pickup drives up,,, the supervisor,,, Hmmmmmmmmm,,,
15 minutes later, one of the guys climbs the pole at our transformer, and disconnects the wire.
They then pull the wire out from under the tree,,
The wire was laid across the tree, raised, then reconnected to the pole.
Power was restored.

No chainsaw was EVER started, the 24" (DBH) poplar was left to rot back into nature.
I guess that was the safest approach, no one ever worked on the hillside, other than walking a rope back up to pull the wire.

About 7 years later, a powerline maintenance "tractor" (6 giant tires, with a 20" circular saw on a hydraulic extendable pole)
came up the driveway to the transformer pole.
It proceeded to cut all the nearby branches, as it drove down that hillside. This had to be a ~15,000 pound machine,, huge.
The machine was bigger than a large skidder,, and much longer.

The machine drove right over the downed poplar, as it went down that hill.
It went over the tree as easy as a 3/4 ton truck goes over a mall speed bump.
Amazing,,, especially on such a steep slope.

 

[Brufab]

 

[TNTreeHugger]

OMG that looks horrifically unsafe on so many levels.

 

[Brufab]

Yea there's alot of videos on them. Better hope the saw doesn't get bound up.

 

[Oletrapper]

Yea there's alot of videos on them. Better hope the saw doesn't get bound up.

They use them all the time here in KY clearing tree branches from the Power Company right of ways. The saw/saws are designed to disconnect instantly from the chopper and drop to the ground if a jam occurs. OT

 

[Bearcreek]

About 7 years later, a powerline maintenance "tractor" (6 giant tires, with a 20" circular saw on a hydraulic extendable pole)
came up the driveway to the transformer pole.
It proceeded to cut all the nearby branches, as it drove down that hillside. This had to be a ~15,000 pound machine,, huge.
The machine was bigger than a large skidder,, and much longer.

The machine drove right over the downed poplar, as it went down that hill.
It went over the tree as easy as a 3/4 ton truck goes over a mall speed bump.
Amazing,,, especially on such a steep slope.

That machine would have been at least three times that weight, FYI. Several companies make machines like that and they're all 45,000-60,000 lbs. And you're right, it's really amazing how steep of ground they'll navigate.

 

[SweetMK]

That machine would have been at least three times that weight, FYI. Several companies make machines like that and they're all 45,000-60,000 lbs. And you're right, it's really amazing how steep of ground they'll navigate.

You are probably right,, I was "guestimating" from the weight of the 200HP farm tractor I used to run.
I would have thought they were light-built,, to get over mud,, but, IDK,,,

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Glad all went well, soemtimes if just cut a bunch of leveraged weight off end, and roots tensioned is like 'leaf spring' and stands up very violently.