How to cut up this fallen tree

[4570Man]

This is a huge root ball leaning pretty good down hill, and he doesn't have a very big tractor. Changing the root ball to the tractor = bad idea. I would chain the root ball to another large tree up the hill.

 

[JerryK]

Me, besides probably letting it lay 'cuz I have lots of Beech and Sugar maple to burn and let it rot in place, would tackle the root ball thing at the get go. From the uphill side, cut upwards about 1/3rd of the way thru the trunk somewhere handy. Then cut from the top down towards the 1st cut. You should see real soon if the root ball wants to settle back down or not, and if the trunk is going to want to roll downhill some. Finish that cut, either downward or upward [using wedges if you have to], and get the thing separated. Then start limbing the rest, again from the uphill side and making sure it doesn't want to roll either way. Buck up the trunk and split in place... But, heh, that's just me.....

 

[Egon]

Assuming the tractor is small.

Put some blocks under the trunk near the base and then use a bottle jack to lift it a touch. Cut on the stump side of the jack. If the bar wants to hang up just jack up a little more. After the stump is free do the limbing as the branches let you. Finally cut into lengths and place on blocks to get the log off the ground.

 

[Bill 55]

I would secure the root ball, drive a shim under the log back near the root to hold the log, then cut it off right at the shim. That should prevent it from pinching the saw.
Bill

 

[Jim Timber]

Cut it just like you would a low branch. Up from below about 1/3 then down from the top. If the root ball wants to pinch, you'll see it when the holding wood gets thin. You can wedge from above then as needed. If it's going to fall back into the hole, it'll start pulling away and closing the bottom kerf.

Eric's plunging isn't a bad idea to start the bottom cut, but I'd rather take the tension out of it than cutting a trigger as the last move before seeing what it wants to do.

If you want the root ball gone, put some blocking in the crater before you start working on the trunk. Makes getting a grapple on it easier (or sticking your bucket under it, if that's what you've got).

 

[Egon]

Late thought: leave the trunk and ground support branches intact. Then mill in place with the Alaska Mill starting from the top. Mill a fixed length down till there is no tree left and then repeat on the next section. You could end up with some very nice baulks of lumber.

 

[stuckmotor]

I seem to remember a root ball falling back into the hole and killing somebody. I also think I saw a tree around 20 feet tall stand back up when the top was cut off the tree. It might have flopped back over in the opposite direction and destroyed the guy's truck. I just can't remember.

 

[newbury]

Late thought: leave the trunk and ground support branches intact. Then mill in place with the Alaska Mill starting from the top. Mill a fixed length down till there is no tree left and then repeat on the next section. You could end up with some very nice baulks of lumber.

IF you've got the bar, the time and the desire for wood this reads like a good approach but I would not mill from "the top".

IF that rootball is 10 feet high it looks like the tree is < 2 foot DBH.

Then looking at this pic

it seems like you could roll the tree downhill to the LEFT.

I would fasten a strong rope towards the top of the rootball and to something to the uphill RIGHT of the stump to prevent it from rolling.

I'd limb it "leave the trunk and ground support branches intact." then measure off some good sections and use the downhill slant to CSM three 3 inch thick 10' or longer slabs starting several feet from the base and working downward (don't make them to thick or long, they will be to heavy to handle). Gravity will help pull your saw. If you enough length of good wood for another set of slabs I would then repeat for another 10' or 12' section. Basically cutting the tree in half. I only write 3" thick slabs because that's the size I like.

Next carefully cut some or most of the ground support branches on the LEFT side, using the rope to ensure it does not roll.

Then "top" the tree at the downhill end of your CSM work.

Take the rope and USING A SNATCH BLOCK (for safety) pull the rootball and tree over to the left, continue your CSM work.

If it won't roll to the left, try to the right.

But if it was me, it wasn't in the way, and I didn't need the wood I'd let it rot in place.

 

[hslogger]

There are lots of good suggestions here. Your aborist buddy no doubt will have input. Seeing that you have access on decent ground and machinery and tools, my advice is to secure the rootball with what ever you have, block and tackle with rope and chain with the tractor or big come along. Go on the low side and cut from top to the bottom almost. Only with your nose, say in six or seven inches. Then go back to the higher side and bore underneath,cut that up from the bottom a few inches.

Turn off you saw and double check all your fastening of the root wad. Now take your saw and slide the nose down the side, bored in just a few inches like you did on the low side.
Finish you cut from the high side coming up from the bottom a bit more, then finish it off by coming down from the top. Always be vigilant of your surroundings and fastening gear.
Do have a couple slender long wedges and an axe at your side. The short fat wedges are useless and dangerous. Slender wedges have more power with slow movement which is always the way to go.
Don't forget chaps and hard hat and gloves. Annnd, might just as well have a friend watch over you.

 

[Fossil Farm]

As others have said, secure the root ball and the trunk very well. Do your initial cuts with the chainsaw. Since you are not sure on how to do the cut, I would do the final cut with a crosscut lumber saw (if you have access to one). It is much easier to hear the cracking or watch for movement of the trunk or stump this way instead of the chainsaw blocking out what movement and sounds the tree is doing. A flying or pinched chainsaw is no fun, especially with that large of a trunk and root ball. Good luck. You should be fine.