How to cut a large tree trunk?

Buty · Oct 2, 2013

I had a very large oak tree fall on my property this summer. I cleaned up most of the big limbs and brush but now I'm down to the trunk which is about 55 inches in diameter. I have only a 20 inch chainsaw and am wondering how I could go about cutting this. The whole tree is hanging about 5 feet off the ground held up by its root ball only. I just would like to lay it on the ground somehow since it is in my woods, it's not necessary to remove the whole trunk I would just like to get it on the ground to rot quicker. Any suggestions on how I could cut this without hiring someone?

nikdfish · Oct 2, 2013

Cut wide wedges on front and rear sides as deep as your bar permits? 12" deep on either side should let you get the power head in another 6" or so. Not a subject area expert but I've done something similar on a somewhat smaller scale. I used the tractor to crack the final bit rather than cut til it dropped (big enough to make me nervous to be too close when it broke free from the root ball).

Nick

Gator6x4 · Oct 2, 2013

Careful that is a death trap you are working around. I presume a large portion of the tree is still attached to to uprooted stump. If you cut close to the stump it will set back into to hole.

LastSTRAW · Oct 2, 2013

If it is oak and you are just going to let it rot you might be able to let someone else cut it and take the wood. It might even put a few bucks in your pocket.

Good Luck

Grandad4 · Oct 2, 2013

Gator6x4 said:
Careful that is a death trap you are working around. I presume a large portion of the tree is still attached to to uprooted stump. If you cut close to the stump it will set back into to hole.

Good advice! When the trunk is cut from the stump, the stump will likely fall back into its hole and the rest of the tree, now hanging 5 feet in the air may roll or shift as it drops to the ground. I don't want to be standing on the tree, on a ladder near the tree or on the ground next to it, cutting with the saw, when that lets loose. And limbing out the top of the tree first might make the stump cut somewhat safer, but each of the upper cuts could be equally dangerous. I've cut lots of trees but my instinct would be to let the pro's handle something like this.

newbury · Oct 2, 2013

Agree - if you don't have a plenty of experience and equipment just fence it off and let nature take it's course. Carve on it, take pictures, show it to the children.

The tree may be dead but until it's rotted down it all wants to respond to gravity in it's own way.

dave1949 · Oct 2, 2013

Rent a large saw?

Get a ripping cut chain for your saw, cut through the end of the trunk length-ways ~20" deep. Make three or four parallel cuts across the 55" diameter. Put your regular chain on and cut across the trunk intersecting the previous parallel length-ways cuts. You should be able to cut off 16" of length with a couple inches of clearance for the side of the saw casing.

Do be careful as others said. No kids or pets around. Flopping roots have killed.

Egon · Oct 2, 2013

Axe would work.

Jeembawb · Oct 2, 2013

Come on - where's the photos? we can't be desktop arborists if we can't see what the job is

You need to be quite safely competant with a chainsaw and be able to look at the fallen (or otherwise) tree or log and have a pretty reasonable guess at the weight distribution and the direction of the forces at all the points (and be smart enough to know that with trees you may still get it wrong - so be on your toes with nothing around to hinder you jumping out of the way real quick). Even when you are good at this, stuff goes wrong (usually with dead or fallen trees, or complancey and tiredness).

Post a pic though - we can draw lines here and there - say cut here and there - but be very very carefull. You may consider chocking the log either side of the cut line (leaving plenty of room for contingencies) with logs or such with a saddle notch to stop the log rolling off and make sure you have another chainsaw handy to cut out the one that gets stuck. I always take two saws everywhere in case (but always try not to get a saw jammed cause thats a bit embarrasing) - nothing worse than a tree that is almost ready to come down and you have to go off for another saw and the tree could blow down on something / someone while you are away.

You have life insurance??