How to top a tree safely.

[zzvyb6]

I had a few 40 - 50 ft scotch pines blow down in a wind storm last week. Fortunately didn't hit the house but almost. There are still 2 standing 15' from the house and garage. Don't want a next time issue. Insurance won't pay a cent unless they are sitting on the roof.

I'd like to top them (remove 15' from the top sections). Any thoughts on the best way to do this without getting hurt or killed?

I have ladders, saws, rope, chains, etc, but I'd like to know what procedures to follow (saw cut(s), depth, ladder security, call a tree service, etc).

I won't rule out the tree service, either.

Thank you.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Please,don't try to do any tree work off of a ladder, if you have some experience and can climb the tree with hooks or know how to use ropes to pull yourself into the tree that would be the way to go, if not hire someone reputable to do the job. Working for the power company I can't tell you how many people I have seen hurt through the years trying to do tree work off of ladders, it's just not worth the chance of hurting or dis-abling yourself. Hope this info help's.

 

[AchingBack]

Topping scotch pine? - Arbtalk.co.uk | Discussion Forum for Arborists

 

[Willl]

tree service

I hate heights.

 

[ampsucker]

got any friends with access to a bucket lift truck?

i have a buddy who works for a utility company and they can use the trucks after hours.

some kind of a deal like that would get you a do-it-yourself price (case of brew perhaps?) and a good margin of safety...

also, be sure to read up on the arborist message boards for tips on how to section and lower down branches safely.

amp

 

[CurlyDave]

Think hard about just felling the trees and planting something else.

 

[MarkV]

I would think that removing the top 15' of a 40 -50' tree would kill it anyway. Why not just drop it? Or am I misunderstanding and you want to top it to aid in dropping it?

MarkV

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Topping Evergreens is not a good plan. The new top starts growing new branches that grow upwards. Those new tops or branches don't have the strength of the original top. Then they snap off in the next big wind or ice storm.
If you are still going to do it have the top stump cut at an angle to drain off water. The water sitting up on that cut top starts a rotting process which will work it's way down. It also allows bugs in.
Nature has been topping tree's for thousands of years. Those tree's do last a long time. You are smart to try to minimize any future problems. Another thought would be to have the tree "thinned". A climber will go up and thin out branches to reduce the wind drag. That will decrease the whipping in the wind which can snap tops.
Unless you have a lot of hours sitting in a climbing saddle and climbing hooks I wouldn't think you should try it. Some rental companies won't rent basket lift rigs if you tell them you are going to try and do tree work with them.
After rereading if you only have two left just drop them entirely and plant something sturdier and further away if you plan to let them get tall. Are they southern exposure type of trees to minimize summer heat? If you want them for that then plant Juniper ?arbor vitae type trees that stay fairly short. They can be good wind block and privacy plants. Pine is really pretty soft to top and let new shoots grow up as mentioned before.

 

[Willl]

Those new tops or branches don't have the strength of the original top. Then they snap off in the next big wind or ice storm.

Good point Monkey, and Scotch pines are the worst for that.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Best way to top a tree is to call a professional with all the right equipment and who has all the proper insurance.

I know we all want do do things on our own but, but I think we at times need to step back and hire people at the price of our own safety.

Many people have tried to save a buck and then either kill themselves of end up in the hospital or wheelchair for life.

It's sorta like this gas saver vehicle debate of BIG SUV's. When it came time to buy my wife a vehicle she wanted to get a gas saver, but I bought her the biggest SUV they make.
Shortly after that she was hit head on by a hit and run and she never got a scratch.

See I could have save money on fuel, but at what price?

 

[tomd999]

Hiya,

Top 15' off a 50 footer, 15' from the house? Not much room for error in that equation, sometimes the best tool for the job is a checkbook.

Tom

 

[Coyote machine]

Back when I was younger I was a professional tree surgeon and did climbing with spikes and a rope- before they had ear plugs, blade brakes, etc. etc. My tree work these days that involves climbing is done by licensed professionals that I hire and pay when the job is done. NO muss, no fuss, no danger to my 57 year old broke down, (babe magnet) body
You do NOT IMHO, want to top out those pines the others that nearly hit the house are telling you (whispering pines) something.... take the rest down and plant something you like or need in their place.
Be safe- climbing trees is not for those who do not gain the training at a young age. It is NOT a do it yourself job.

 

[schmism]

youll need spurs, safty belt, 2 ropes, chain saw

You have to climb the tree.

limb a 5' section or so

then double tie the cut. Once under, cut one half, then above then finish the snap cut.

But this is one of those jobs that you really have no business doing if you have to ask how to do it.

 

[tallyho8]

If you do it, I hope you do a better job than my neighbor did. I heard a loud noise today then my electricity went off and I went outside and saw my neighbor had cut a large sycamore branch that fell on the 14,000 volt line that feeds our neighborhood and broke it. Then the branch hung up on the line wires going to the homes. Entergy told him they will send him the bill estimated to be about $500. It only took them about 2 hours to get our power back on.

Now, if he can only finish the job without hitting the lines again.

 

[JoelD]

I would just cut the trees down, that's what I did.

Much easier in my book,

Joel

 

[hemiguy]

Tree work of any kind is extremely dangerous. My inlaws used to have a neighbor that did it for extra income. He ended up loosing his leg below the knee on one jobsite. His other two "regular" jobs were as a prison guard and as some type of drill instructor in the Amy National Guard. He was one tough dude and kept doing all three jobs after the accident. Unfortunately, sometimes the accidents are fatal. This one was yesterday near me outside Rochester. Still seems better to me to let the profressional take the risks.

www.WHEC.com - Falling tree limb kills man in Wayne County

 

[hemiguy]

Here's another one with a picture. This just stresses that even when professional folks have all the right equipment things can still go very wrong.

Worker Dies After Being Struck by Tree Limb - 13WHAM.com

 

[valley]

If the tree is alive you can go high enough that the top will be light and can be pushed of without danger to yourself. You will need tree hooks and a belt, My belt is old and made of leather the newer ones are synthetic and will keep their strength. I have Fir and pine here. I've brought down many that way. Some trees I've had to top because of where they were. There is a tree I have my eye on that needs to be topped and brought down bit by bit but I know wifey won't let me. Let us know what you decide to do. Richard

 

[valley]

The top 15' should be a fairly light stick. On the last few I've used an electric chainsaw on the upper parts. I would worry about using a ladder, one slipped and dropped me years ago. When we were in Australia the electricians had a ladder with a chain strung about a foot from the top and hung on polls and trees nicely. You're talking about a tree thats taller then I would like to go up on a ladder.

 

[newbury]

Have you heard of "rope walking"?

Reviving this thread because I'm needing to do similar AGAIN.

I read this thread shortly after I joined TBN in 2009. That year I had a "young" maple that was about 19" DBH, maybe 40' high, on my suburban property line that my friendly neighbor was concerned was going to fall on her house. We had a quote of about $750 to take it down. I climbed about 20 feet up in it above the reach of my 24' ladder, tied myself off with some 1/2" nylon rope and used my Stihl 021 and a bowsaw to get the upper branches down safely. The rest of the tree was a piece of cake

Now I've got about a dozen trees on three properties that need about the same treatment. They have limbs that need cutting off to prevent property damage before cutting and pulling them down. Unfortunately most of them are about an hour from any working arborist, thus I could expect significant "truck time costs". I've plenty of experience and equipment to get trees to lay down and did not look forward to spending $100/hr for jobs I could do. So I started to do it again. And quickly figured "There's got to be a better way to get up in a tree safely". So I started looking into climbing harnesses so I could at least tie myself safely to the trees.

Well now they have "rope walking".

and

especially this one
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

It's a little investment above just the basic rope and harness that I was thinking of, but it looks well worth the cost of a new single bottom plow.

Please,don't try to do any tree work off of a ladder, if you have some experience and can climb the tree with hooks or know how to use ropes to pull yourself into the tree that would be the way to go, if not hire someone reputable to do the job. Working for the power company I can't tell you how many people I have seen hurt through the years trying to do tree work off of ladders, it's just not worth the chance of hurting or dis-abling yourself. Hope this info help's.

Tree work off ladders less than 6' high can be done fairly safely, if no engines or motors are involved
However once you get high enough so the fall will really hurt you need ropes or a bucket truck to tie you in.

The top 15' should be a fairly light stick. On the last few I've used an electric chainsaw on the upper parts. I would worry about using a ladder, one slipped and dropped me years ago. When we were in Australia the electricians had a ladder with a chain strung about a foot from the top and hung on polls and trees nicely. You're talking about a tree thats taller then I would like to go up on a ladder.

And that's another key piece to the safety puzzle. My 021 would usually start on the first pull after being warmed up. But it still required a pull. I may have posted before about my B&D 40V, 12" chainsaw but to me it's ideal for cutting when I'm 20 or 30 feet up. And it was only $120 w/ battery.

So my question is: Are there any rope walkers on TBN with pointers to the better equipment and techniques? There's a wide variety of small metal devices for ascenders and descenders and they all look overpriced, probably to fund insurance overhead for people who push it to the limits.