Suggestions for tree removal

[2manyrocks]

Perhaps worth mentioning that my wife had a relative who tried chainsawing something that was about neck height. The chainsaw kicked back and he ended up with 100+ stitches in his throat. This is why I have such a hard time suggesting that anyone try cutting a tree that is so far up in the air.

 

[dieselscout80]

Whatever you do I would use a pole saw to cut it so you are as far as possible from the trunk.

 

[MMC]

We had a pretty bad storm come through Sunday night/Monday morning. Lots of downed branches and trees. A guy not far from here was killed by one falling on his mobile home.

We avoided any really bad problems, but lost some mid-sized trees. This one is threatening to crush part of my new fence...suggestions?

View attachment 3578493

I would go with the folks who say put a snatch block/pulley across that fence on one of those trees in the background. If attached to the butt end at the hinge and your tractor, I would expect the tree might pivot on the "tops" and swing away from the fence when connected to your tractor if you align your force vectors right. It looks like it's almost broken through at the hinge anyway. I'm assuming your tractor and loader is heavy enough to handle it, however.

That situation is dangerous...and I cut a lot of downed trees on the farm. The storms in KY have been tough the last few years. One way or the other, get it on the ground without you getting under it or too close when pulling it off the stump. Then you can cut what you want safely.

Each of those limbs is storing spring energy and you can't entirely predict which way it will go when that potential energy is released by a chainsaw or even pulling it backwards into the brush. If you try to cut pieces of it on the ground in that mess across the fence, you won't be able to move quickly to an escape route (and if you deal with trees, you always plan a direction out of the action beforehand...).

That tree doesn't look that large, so you may actually pull it with a snatch block and cable further away from your fence before it drops (kind of backwards, away from your fence). You might take a pole saw and first cut the snag "finger" overhanging your fence at the hinge point to give it a better chance of missing your fence.

And if it catches your fence, just fix it. No reason to get hurt on something like this.

Best of Luck.

 

[Rockbadchild]

The far side of the fence is leased to a big chicken operation. To the right, the property on the other side is owned by a huge corporation. Both properties are unused at present, but I cannot easily contact the property owners.

I was thinking I could support the top of the broken end with the grapple (the branches are already providing some support). Then I can separate the break completely. Drop the rest of the trunk and then push the remainder over the fence. Not sure if it's clear in the picture, but the ground drops into the corner. (Between the tree and the dog).

I understand you don't want to trespass and ask permission but its not like you will conduct work or make trails and what not its a momentarily trespass to make a situation safe for you, anyone would understand plus if one property is lease and the other one is a big corporation I wouldn't even bother to ask personally dealing with a corporation that tree has time to rot before you get hold of them, but that's me you do you... the risk with you plan will be to guarantee the top of tree doesn't bounce or spring back because of the branch's. It might simply not want to flip that way, it may damage your fence by doing it the way you are proposing but it also could work but luck you need to be on your side, if it happen it also might not be the end of the world ether but I figure you should consider that risk.

 

[Torvy]

Whatever you do I would use a pole saw to cut it so you are as far as possible from the trunk.

Good idea. I was on the other end of the property today dealing with some smaller deadfall. Using my new Dewalt polesaw. It has been too wet to even get near that tree for now. We got a short break, but more rain tonight and possible the next few days. I've got some time.

 

[ning]

Given the other side is absentee and very unlikely to notice or care, I'd go over there and work my way back from the "top" of the tree. I don't see it standing up at all; more likely if you cut the supports out from under it it would smash the fence more unless you took the "top" off first.

I agree with pole saw if it's available, but working from the "top" back I don't think there's a lot of danger in this situation, and dropping a fence (and putting it back up after) is a lot of work that I don't think there's great payoff for.

 

[MMC]

I understand you don't want to trespass and ask permission but its not like you will conduct work or make trails and what not its a momentarily trespass to make a situation safe for you, anyone would understand plus if one property is lease and the other one is a big corporation I wouldn't even bother to ask personally dealing with a corporation that tree has time to rot before you get hold of them, but that's me you do you... the risk with you plan will be to guarantee the top of tree doesn't bounce or spring back because of the branch's. It might simply not want to flip that way, it may damage your fence by doing it the way you are proposing but it also could work but luck you need to be on your side, if it happen it also might not be the end of the world ether but I figure you should consider that risk.

Good points. You are doing these folks a favor by maintaining a nice fence and any logical person would not begrudge a small intrusion to repair a fence after a storm.

Bottom line - do what you need to do and worry about permission later...

 

[Rockbadchild]

Good points. You are doing these folks a favor by maintaining a nice fence and any logical person would not begrudge a small intrusion to repair a fence after a storm.

Bottom line - do what you need to do and worry about permission later...

I think what you meant to say was '' worry about forgiveness later''

 

[Renze]

The Emerald Ash Borer and Woolly Adelgid are wiping out the Ash and Hemlock here in the northeast.

A quick Google search confirmed that the Emerald ash borer is what we call the lettersetter. Invasive exote from Asia, wreaks havoc on our forests. My neighbour chipped his forest because it was useless for his sawmill.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Ash tree logging used to be a big industry here in Northeast Pennsylvania, but not anymore. There was a local sawmill nearby that used to make bat blanks for Adirondack, but it went out of business due to the lack of quality ash wood. I used to take the truck down there occasionally and get cut offs for the wood stove.

As the song goes "The times they are a changin".

 

[dougtrr2]

Pole saw is not a bad idea, BUT, with the varied and unknown stress in those branches, watch it like a hawk so you don't get it pinched. Then you would have go in close to free it, negating the safety advantage of using a pole saw.

Doug in SW IA

 

[CoyPatton]

Limb the top to get the weight off.
Cut that first branch going down to the ground, let the next two carry the weight. Get the tractor bucket under the horizontal stem. Cut the standing trunk at a point higher than the fence. Drive the tractor so the stem clears and set it down.

I'm sure there will be all sorts of "but but and buts, but from a single image, and not being there. let this be a conversation starter.

If you have forks, use them instead of the bucket. You may want to chain the log to the forks (put in a binder or 2 so you can have a means of loosening the chain when (not if) the log shifts as you cut and move it.
If possible get someone else to at least watch as you work this.
You could take your fence down deal with the tree, then put fence back up.

 

[Gord Baker]

We had a pretty bad storm come through Sunday night/Monday morning. Lots of downed branches and trees. A guy not far from here was killed by one falling on his mobile home.

We avoided any really bad problems, but lost some mid-sized trees. This one is threatening to crush part of my new fence...suggestions?

View attachment 3578493

Looks like a job for the Pros unless you are very familiar with felling trees. Looks like you are near a corner post so remove fencing first. Be very aware of where it may fall as you cut from the top of the tree towards the stump. Chain it high to the big tree so it can only fall one way. Could still be stress at the 'barber chair' break of the dead tree.

 

[P113565]

I've found that it is sometimes easier to lay down the fence wire, cut the tree without complications, then reinstall the fence wire.

Bruce

Absolutely. Loosen and pull the fence back, pull up the T-Posts (I believe), drop the tree and put the fence back up.

 

[Fields_mj]

First, I mean no disrespect in any way, shape, or form. Second, you are smart enough to reach out and ask about this which is more than most people would do. Third, if you haven't dealt with enough storm damage to understand how to get that tree down safely, then I'd let someone else do it for you. The tree isn't huge, but its big enough to easily crush you. Obviously you know how to run fence, so plan on doing more of that instead. Oh, and short of having a piece of equipment that can pick the bottom end up and push it sideways into the brush, that fence IS going to get crushed so plan on fixing/replacing it regardless.

If you feel that you absolutely MUST get this down, start with the top. Clear all the brush around it so you have room to work. Get ALL the top off first. With the top on the ground, it will be more difficult to anticipate what wood is in tension and what's in compression, so take small bites. What I mean by that is start at the very top and take off the little stuff that's easy to get to. Keep things cleared as you go so that you're not tripping over things. Once you have all the obvious stuff take off, start working your way back towards the trunk.

I would recommend AGAINST cutting any of the first 3 supporting branches. Its not that cutting them is wrong. Its that you don't seem to have enough experience to know when its safe to cut them and how, which is fine. Cutting from the top back means that if the tree does roll to one side or the other, you're out past it where it can't hurt you. If/when you get to a point where the tree could hurt you if it rolled, stop. Figure out which way it's most likely going to want to roll. Figure out a way to prevent it from rolling the other direction, and then cut from the safer side. Pole saws can be handy for stuff like this.

 

[OzarkChris]

We had a pretty bad storm come through Sunday night/Monday morning. Lots of downed branches and trees. A guy not far from here was killed by one falling on his mobile home.

We avoided any really bad problems, but lost some mid-sized trees. This one is threatening to crush part of my new fence...suggestions?

I agree with CalG with this one addition. If you can't get your tractor close enough on the back side if the fence, and you don't have the lift height on your bucket to hold the tree with a strap. You might consider using what looks like a tree covered in vines at ~1 o'clock (poss poison oak/ivy?) as a pull point, both up and toward that tree. Hook up a wench, hand or powered if you have one, or if you are confident with your abilities throw a snatch on the viney tree and pull a rope/cable tight with SxS or even your tractor to put some up and back pressure.

Just a thought!

 

[Torvy]

Thanks. My tractor has 9' of lift ht. And ~2700 lbs at pins...the current 'top' is right around that height. I've got a 3500lb winch on the SxS. The trick is my moral aversion to getting on someone else's land. The chicken farm that leases the land left of the corner at least has staff on premises. They may even help? This is a very rural area. They do have Great Pyrenees at least as big as my Anatolians...that one in the pic is 1 y/o and 91 lbs. Her sister is 99. Point being, I don't relish being set upon by their big boy or his gf.

If I can get over there, cutting from the tree top in sections would be easy enough, especially if I drop the fence. The lazy in me is going to sit back and figure out the best way with the least work. (Without hurting myself) Fortunately, time is something I have in abundance (unless I don't and then it doesn't matter anymore).

 

[POGuy]

Thanks. My tractor has 9' of lift ht. And ~2700 lbs at pins...the current 'top' is right around that height. I've got a 3500lb winch on the SxS. The trick is my moral aversion to getting on someone else's land. The chicken farm that leases the land left of the corner at least has staff on premises. They may even help? This is a very rural area. They do have Great Pyrenees at least as big as my Anatolians...that one in the pic is 1 y/o and 91 lbs. Her sister is 99. Point being, I don't relish being set upon by their big boy or his gf.

If I can get over there, cutting from the tree top in sections would be easy enough, especially if I drop the fence. The lazy in me is going to sit back and figure out the best way with the least work. (Without hurting myself) Fortunately, time is something I have in abundance (unless I don't and then it doesn't matter anymore).

You probably have 2-3 years of dying and drying of that tree as is, getting lighter as time passes. I would watch and wait a while before tackling it.

 

[2manyrocks]

It's not an emergency like where a tree knocked the fence down and cattle are escaping so I would be more inclined to try to discuss getting access with the landowner. I also wouldn't want to be attacked by a great pyr. I'd still have reservations about working in those vines during active snake season and wonder if there's any poison ivy in there?

If it falls on the fence on its own, then the risk of getting it down is solved for you. It then becomes a matter of getting the downed trunk off the fence (an easy job with your T574h) and making the fence repair.

 

[Alan46]

I've found that it is sometimes easier to lay down the fence wire, cut the tree without complications, then reinstall the fence wire.

Bruce

That’s exactly what me and my neighbor did just lay the wire down and drop the tree!