how much do you trust your falling skills

[murphy4trees]

Here's a Norway Spruce, maybe 60-70'.. Had to fall it between the maple and the shrubs... The customer got a lot of bids and I had to beat 1200 for that and a slightly smaller tree. I wonder if anyone else bidding on the job was planning on dropping it in one cut. Probably... but hard to say. I pulled right up with the 15" chipper and ran all but the last 24' through. And I had to grind the stumps... I think around 10-12 man hours total...

Notice I adjusted the backcut as the tree began to fall. Also I was somewhat surprised at how wide the hinge was as I was only pulling with one man using 3:1 MA..

So would you have dropped this tree in one cut?

 

[Lumberjacked]

I trust mine

Thought I would share my little felling job last week...the Ash had to land just to the left of that white plastic barrel which was covering the corner of a concrete pump house and obv the boat house and dock were on the other side as seen in the pic. This was suppose to be a climb and remove job but I got half way up the tree and found a huge cavity that couldnt be seen from the ground. With the angle of the branch and the size and location of the cavity at the crotch, I didnt feel safe rigging the rest down. We ended up putting three ropes in the tree prior to felling it. One holding the butt, one at the crotch and one in the tip so I could pull the tree allowing a significant amount of holding wood when I did my back cut. The other two ropes were pulled up hill through masdam rope pullers as the tree fell so as to keep it from falling down the 15 foot cliff. All said in done everything went off without a hitch.

 

[Burvol]

Here's a Norway Spruce, maybe 60-70'.. Had to fall it between the maple and the shrubs... The customer got a lot of bids and I had to beat 1200 for that and a slightly smaller tree. I wonder if anyone else bidding on the job was planning on dropping it in one cut. Probably... but hard to say. I pulled right up with the 15" chipper and ran all but the last 24' through. And I had to grind the stumps... I think around 10-12 man hours total...

Notice I adjusted the backcut as the tree began to fall. Also I was somewhat surprised at how wide the hinge was as I was only pulling with one man using 3:1 MA..

So would you have dropped this tree in one cut?

Most definetly a one cut canidate. Good job Murphy That tree had more lean that it probably appeared, hence your stump pull. That tree was either really commited or your pull guy did one heck of a job. Either way, you hit your drop zone, the bottom line!

 

[motoroilmccall]

Nice job. I would have done the same thing most likely. The only thing I might have done was limbed the tree half way up, otherwise some of those lower branches dig right into the ground, and they can be a real PITA to pull out. I dropped a Sycamore a few weeks back that had to stay between a bridge and a barn, hit it no problem, but one of the branches plugged right in the ground, about 5 ft deep. It took the back hoe to pull it straight out, me and 1 other guy couldn't budge it. Of course, we knew we were clear of the septic leech lines, and there were no utilities run to the barn, so we knew nothing bad was going to happen if something did plug, its painful on your wallet to learn the hard way.

 

[Nailsbeats]

I'd drop it, no question. Nice work.

 

[arbor pro]

The only thing I might have done was limbed the tree half way up, otherwise some of those lower branches dig right into the ground, and they can be a real PITA to pull out.

Same here. I just took down 4 spruce about the same size. Limbed them up as high as I could reach with the stihl extension chainsaw (about 18'), cleaned up all of that debris first, and then notched and dropped all but one which had to be spiked and topped due to a tighter work zone. With the lower branches gone, it makes the tree easier to control as the trunk can lay all the way over before breaking the hinge.

 

[deevo]

Good job Murph & Lumberjacked. I would of done the same on that one Murph. How did you set your line? Climb it/ladder it or big shot? I've got a big white pine 95-100' in height to take down next week (pictures to follow) $1200 I am charging, takedown, cut it into 10'lengths (I get the wood for milling it at a later date) and just drag the brush into the bush behind the cottage. Reason in case your wondering is its a water access only and no need to chip it! The owner will just burn it in the spring. Again Good jobs guys!:greenchainsaw:

 

[Blakesmaster]

Nice job. Just what I'da done.

 

[treemandan]

Well, you asked.

Big lean, rotten stump, the whole nine yards

Its the one on the left... for now

had her hook up to lots of crazy pull POWER

Yeah, Jerry

 

[rbtree]

Nice work, boys.....

I think many of ya'll know what we'da done with that puny l'il tree......

to wit:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/L2wMdGPEPfc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/L2wMdGPEPfc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

dang, embedding ain't werkin'


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2wMdGPEPfc



the fun stuff starts at 1:15 into the video....and I was wrong, we threaded that young pup of a fir thru a 12.5 foot space, not 14.....

 

[treemandan]

Nice work, boys.....

I think many of ya'll know what we'da done with that puny l'il tree......

to wit:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/L2wMdGPEPfc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/L2wMdGPEPfc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

dang, embedding ain't werkin'


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2wMdGPEPfc



the fun stuff starts at 1:15 into the video....and I was wrong, we threaded that young pup of a fir thru a 12.5 foot space, not 14.....

Yeah Yeah very nice AND BIG, Very nice indeed. Using a top rope much? The one btween the houses was nice, no ropes, no wind? It looked like a fast slam. Nice it was staight and the limbs kept it in line. What about pipes?

 

[bighugetrees]

I think there was a rope in the squeeze play tree and a lot of those trees are really not that big. RB is only 4 feet tall so it makes the trees look bigger.

Joke. That work is serious stuff. NW is the best.

 

[limbwalker54]

Yup, I would have dropped it also. Nuff said

 

[oldirty]

yup. i bet i could get her to the lay.


great stuff rb

 

[southsoundtree]

When it gotta be just right, a boring backcut might be an added option, so your hinge is just as you like.

Good work!

 

[Mikecutstrees]

looks good....

The spruce looks good, the one thing I would add is to nip the corners of the hinge on spruces. Just a little bit, it will stop the bark and outer part from pulling the tree sideways. Usually it is more of a problem when making the hinge close to the ground because of the root flare. But it happened in this case too. I have seen it happen and pull a tree 10 degrees to the side. Which in a tight situation could be a big problem. Just a little helpful advise..... Mike

 

[rbtree]

I think there was a rope in the squeeze play tree and a lot of those trees are really not that big. RB is only 4 feet tall so it makes the trees look bigger.

Joke. That work is serious stuff. NW is the best.

Hah!!!

watch it, fat boy

 

[rbtree]

That work is serious stuff.

Ya don't say.....:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[smokechase II]

limbs digging in

Murph:

I'm going to suggest that with a somewhat "less large" norway spruce, an open face and a larger amount of hinge wood that tree came down slow and the limbs poking the lawn were a very minor or non-event.

________________

"When it gotta be just right, a boring backcut might be an added option, so your hinge is just as you like."

A boring backcut helps with getting the hinge just the shape you want it. But it doesn't allow for the feel of each tree. A standard back-cut on that spruce could allow for the maximum hinge. {Note the comment about adjusting the hinge.}

Give yourself the slowest descent, least damage.

Caveat; too much rope pull indicung barber chair.

 

[smokechase II]

Make root flare work for you

"The spruce looks good, the one thing I would add is to nip the corners of the hinge on spruces. Just a little bit, it will stop the bark and outer part from pulling the tree sideways. Usually it is more of a problem when making the hinge close to the ground because of the root flare. But it happened in this case too. I have seen it happen and pull a tree 10 degrees to the side. Which in a tight situation could be a big problem. Just a little helpful advise."

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If the wood pull is down there is no concern about loss of lumber. In this case it was both ways but I don't think lumber was an issue anyway.

This is a trick that isn't well known but a cutter can use a root to help pull the tree further.

Picture Murph's spruce with one more cut -a mostly vertical cut made prior to the back-cut, that is designed to encourage root pull.
Cut starts at where you predict the back-cut location will end and goes down angling a bit to the rear to capture a full root. Possibly a second vertical cut on the front side of the root also. Although this doesn't seem to be necessary.
I think this can get you at least 20 degrees more than just the tapered hinge, depending on the size and optimum location of the root.

---------------

This has to be thought out before hand. Plan plan plan.

A good portion of the time the strongest root is the one holding the tree from going with the lean. That root can be a positive influence for doing something other than with the lean.

Caveat; don't get hit by that root when it pops free.