Shaky felling - critique?

[turnkey4099]

I am after this last big locust in the patch I have been working. I don't like falling trees that have any danger of things going wrong. Asked an ex-logger to put it down but no luck there.

From the East - looks almost verticle from there.

Taken from the West - shows slight weighting toward the power line/pole .

From the South - distinct lean but not bad to the East parrallel to the road. Picture takne from the road that runs E/W.

The scruffy looking tree behind it is a cottonwood, poplar or like. I won't be cutting that one.

Locust is 26-28" DBH best I could measure so lots of room for wedging. Best for me is to fall it straight up the hill or only slightly to the right. That puts it on the field edge and a lot less distance to pack the brush.

Plan: Put the pickup the hill to the left of the trees in the open spot - plenty far enough not to get hit. Hope to get it far enough left to offset that lean to the right.

Chain and cable way up (have a professional grade 24' ladder and have been up it many times so no problem getting up there.

Snatch block on end of cable. Another cable from PU to snatch block back to a comealong on the PU tow hook (2x1 MA). Reef on the come-along to make thinks bar tight.

Felling notch aimed straight up hill.

Back cut aimed for a slight triangle with thick end to the left (south picture)

Wedge/come-along/gentle cutting as needed.

Pray.

A couple more pics:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a292/turnkey4099/east2.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a292/turnkey4099/south.jpg

That is probably over-engineering but power poles and lines are not cheap.

Critiques? Suggestions?

Harry K

 

[clearance]

Looks kind of close to the line, but you have been around, I am sure your method will work. Might be best to talk to the power co. though.

 

[Billy_Bob]

Of course it is leaning straight toward that power pole! (Why should anything be easy?)

For working near power lines, the general rule is that for non-electric company tree workers (line-clearance arborists), if the tree is within 10 ft. of any power line, you need to call the electric company.

Because it is leaning toward the power pole, the electric company might see this as a "hazard tree" and might just fell it for you!

 

[turnkey4099]

Of course it is leaning straight toward that power pole! (Why should anything be easy?)

For working near power lines, the general rule is that for non-electric company tree workers (line-clearance arborists), if the tree is within 10 ft. of any power line, you need to call the electric company.

Because it is leaning toward the power pole, the electric company might see this as a "hazard tree" and might just fell it for you!

The pictures lie a bit. The real lean is parrallel to the line. Only a bit of offweight and very slight lean toward the line.

Been playing with that idea. Somewhat of a problem though in that that pole is the end of a 2 pole run to an abandoned farm stead. Used to have power to a couple sheds there but some kids burned the place down last year. I am afraid if I call the power company they will take one look and remove the line - may screw up the landowners plans. Have to walk a careful line around him to keep my cutting rights.

Harry K

 

[Ekka]

Just think of the power line as a chicken shed, you'll be right.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

The pictures lie a bit. The real lean is parrallel to the line. Only a bit of offweight and very slight lean toward the line.

Been playing with that idea. Somewhat of a problem though in that that pole is the end of a 2 pole run to an abandoned farm stead. Used to have power to a couple sheds there but some kids burned the place down last year. I am afraid if I call the power company they will take one look and remove the line - may screw up the landowners plans. Have to walk a careful line around him to keep my cutting rights.

Harry K

Around here someopne has to pay to get service onto their rural property. The poles and labor were probably paid for a long time ago by the landowner at the time of install. They now belong to him.

Cheaper for them to fell a tree than to remove the service from an abandoned site. It isn't costing them anything for them to be there. YMMV

 

[bore_pig]

Sounds like you have a good plan if you decide to do it yourself. They're not going to pull that line down though. As long as that line is there, someone can put a building at the end of it that will need power.

 

[motoroilmccall]

Can you get a truck around towards where you want to fell it? If you can I'd tie it off to the truck with a come-a-long or winch, then pull it over with that, If not, can you climb it and rig down the stuff over the lines? That should move your center of gravity enough to drop it safely with the natural lean, parallel to (or slightly away from) the power lines.

 

[turnkey4099]

Can you get a truck around towards where you want to fell it? If you can I'd tie it off to the truck with a come-a-long or winch, then pull it over with that, If not, can you climb it and rig down the stuff over the lines? That should move your center of gravity enough to drop it safely with the natural lean, parallel to (or slightly away from) the power lines.

That is my plan. Outlined in the OP. Thus far I don't see any negative comments so, unless I chicken out, it goes on the ground Wednesday. I figure it will take two days to cut/brush/haul and have it out of the way for the farmer.

Harry K

 

[Zackman1801]

Wedges!

if your really really worried you can tie it up. if it were me i would just use a few wedges placed in the back to make sure it went where i wanted it to go. ive seen bigger trees with more lean fallen against the lean with some wedges. a friend of mine put a 30" pine with quite a few feet of lean over an active skid trail completely opposite the lean with 3 wedges. they are your best friend, i never go out without atleast 1 in my back pocket.

 

[turnkey4099]

if your really really worried you can tie it up. if it were me i would just use a few wedges placed in the back to make sure it went where i wanted it to go. ive seen bigger trees with more lean fallen against the lean with some wedges. a friend of mine put a 30" pine with quite a few feet of lean over an active skid trail completely opposite the lean with 3 wedges. they are your best friend, i never go out without atleast 1 in my back pocket.

I agree that could be felled using just wedges. In light of the power line/pole, I figure 30 minutes work setting a pull line is good insurance.

Harry K

 

[wdanforth]

Cut both trees!

Cut the scruffy looking tree behind it first. Get it out of your way. Avoids hang ups. Use your truck and cable along with wedges to remove both trees.

I use the truck and wedge method all the time. Just make the rope/cable taught. Cut a wide face notch, start your back cut, use at least 2 wedges , cut some more, watch the kerf making sure it is widening. Keep using your wedges it should be no problem. :greenchainsaw:

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Sounds like you have a good plan if you decide to do it yourself. They're not going to pull that line down though. As long as that line is there, someone can put a building at the end of it that will need power.

It wouldn't hurt to have them drop by to cut the power to the line. If it is still active anyway. There is the possibility that they cut the power to it a long time ago.

Harry, Best of skill. After 30+ years of your cutting and burning I have faith in you. You are still here and there is a testament to your skill and awareness. Luck and looks run out on you before skill.

 

[NDtreehugger]

Strap that tree with a cable or big rope 10 foot or so up the trunk

Hook it up to a truck, tension up the rope or cable give a good Humboldt cut let her go.

With the Humboldt cut and rope/cable the tree can go only one way.

My biggest concern there would be fire with the catalytic converter / muffler & dry grass :angry2:

I use cables all the time.

 

[turnkey4099]

Good point on the fire bit. I am always worried about that. I park my PU in a safe spot - bare as possible (road in this case). Go about preparation work then check the cat converter for heat - if cool I move it to where needed. If still hot, good time for a cuppa java

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Cut the scruffy looking tree behind it first. Get it out of your way. Avoids hang ups. Use your truck and cable along with wedges to remove both trees.

I use the truck and wedge method all the time. Just make the rope/cable taught. Cut a wide face notch, start your back cut, use at least 2 wedges , cut some more, watch the kerf making sure it is widening. Keep using your wedges it should be no problem. :greenchainsaw:

The tree behind it won't be a problem. The Locust will fall straight up the hill and not touch it untill it is almost all the way dawn, then the two trunks will connect at about 6' above ground. Could give a nasty kick to the falling tree but I will be (hopefully) up at the PU cranking on the come-along.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

It is on the ground but due to screwups it was ugly.

I reviewed the pics yesterday and had to agree that it does lean to the power line/pole but much more parrallel to it. Loaded today and headed out with the idea to re-scout it and leave it it looked too risky. Looked o.k. with a cable to the PU up the hill. Erected ladder - up ladder to cut crap out of way, extend ladder, up again, cut more crap. Finally get up high enough and get the chain/tow strap, cables strung out.

Move PU 3 times (including having to cut clearance through an old brush pile once), Then find that the tree behind has a branch interferring with cabling. Up that on to cut the branch out.

All hooke up and tether 'bar tight'

Make undercut, back cut a bit, start wedge, crank on come along. Wedge loose, Add anothe wedge, more cranking, cut a bit more.

Odd part was that every time I cut a bit, the wedge would loosen some but no matter how I pounded the tree wouldn't move.

Finally wound up with 3 stacked wedges, the come-along two-blocked and the hinge almost all the way through on one side and not much more on the other. Couldn't pull with the PU as it is only 2x and was on a fairly steep slope.

Was on the way up to the PU to get 2 steel wedges and my big sledge when I stopped and 'aped' on the tether out in the middle. Did a few chin-ups and she finally went.

Memo to self: never, ever, do that again! My mistake was trying to fall it straight up the hill. Had I aimed it about 45 degree to the right, would have been no problem. It landed in that postion anyhow.

2 1/2 hours ####ing around with it before it was down what with fighting ladders, moving PU and all.

I was pooped by that time but had to keep pushing trying to get it out of the field...didn't make it. "Hit the wall" at 1 pm and quit. Out again tomorrow to finish it up if someone didn't steal it.

Harry K

 

[logbutcher]

Nice job Harry. Conservative, good pics, safe. Those power lines are tree magnets no matter how you free cut. :censored:

 

[Wet1]

Ya never want to fell uphill unless there is no other choice... but I guess you learned that lesson the hard way.

Glad to see its down and everything/everyone is okay.

 

[Billy_Bob]

Good Job!

I always say there is NO HURRY! Take your time and be sure you are being safe. Perfectly fine to take 2 hours or even 4 hours if necessary.

I had a similar frustrating experience yesterday. Felling a small 10" backwards leaner and it is not big enough to get those wedges in all the way!

This was backcut first, then wedge a little in backcut, then cut facecut, then drive in wedge(s). But not enough room to drive the wedges in all the way! So I was only able to make the tree level.

Anyway I have lots of cables, come-along, etc. So just rigged a few cables up to a stump and used the come-along to get the tree to fall.