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Wasn't easy

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 3:42 pm
by Eugen
There were two fairly big dead ash trees leaning over us. We had some strong winds since yesterday and I've had enough of waiting for them to fall on us.

Tricky though, how to make them fall sideways, not where they're leaning.

The first one I tackled and through some miracle it went exactly where I wanted.
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Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 4:03 pm
by propane1
Good for you Eugen. Not my thing cutting down big trees.

Noel

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 4:17 pm
by Eugen
The second one was more of an adventure. I was too stressed to take any videos. It was also a double trunk one thick and one thin. I decided to cut them separately as they were leaning in opposite directions, but both toward our shed and tents. :109:

The thick brush didn't help any. Got it ready, made the wedge cut, then the straight horizontal cut on the other side, when a gust of wind pushed it on the side opposite the wedge! :headbash: :cuss:
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Well.. tall tree hanging only on a thin hinge and somewhat leaning on its thinner brother. Tried to hammer a wedge to lean it the other side, no chance, it was too far gone. In fact every gust of wind spooked me as it could fall at any time.

Seeing as I was getting nowhere I took the big chains out, hooked them as high on the trunk as I could, stringed them across the bush up to the big backhoe bucket.


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Lifted the bucket as high as possible and backed up decidedly. God smiled on me. The tree went down fast and again, exactly along with the wedge cut. I dodged another sketchy tree fall.

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Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 4:20 pm
by Eugen
Propane57 wrote: Sat Jun 18, 2022 4:03 pm Good for you Eugen. Not my thing cutting down big trees.

Noel
What can I say Noel, necessity kinda forced me. I don't think it's my kind of thing either. Did my best to be careful. But I did have to take a shower after. Was all wet. I was fully dressed and with boots, not fun going in the thick bush in shorts and flip-flops :rofl:

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 6:00 pm
by propane1
Ya gotta have an escape route. A clear one. And I normally practice the escape route a few times to be sure.

Glad you got it done Eugen.

Noel

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 6:09 pm
by propane1
Some people cut a hole in the back side of the wedge cut and put a small hydraulic jack in there and jack the tree and it falls where you want.

Or another one is, you cut a notch in the back of the tree with the wedge cut. And put this jack on the ground and into the notch you cut. Works like a long bumper jack. Pushes the tree over.

Any way, quick ramble about getting trees to fall where you want.


Noel

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 7:45 pm
by Harry
I few years ago I cut some large Maple trees on my property. I would climb a ladder at least 20' up the tree and attach a 1/2" cable to the trees. Then attach it to the back of my 644lbh on the bottom where there are some heavy duty brackets. I would cut the notch with the chain saw then put some tension on the cable. Then while cutting the back cut when I would see the tree starting to fall I would hop on the tractor and pull the tree over. The cable is about 50' long and one time when pulling it over just before the tree hit the ground I could feel the wind from the tree falling hit my back. When I stopped I turned around and the tree was 10' from the tractor. I guess my guarding Angel was watching out for me that day! :hug:

Keep the Peace :cop: :peace:
Harry

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 8:23 pm
by Eugen
@Harry good story and even better you were not harmed.

As for me, I raised the big loader bucket all the way up so as to protect me in case it would come my way and pulled diagonal to the hinge. Indeed the tree fell at least 20 feet to my left. I don't really want to be a youtube fails star. :giggle:

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 8:43 am
by Jancoe
Just like Harry I also have a 1/2" steel cable. Mine is 100' with a 8' chain whip on one end to wrap around the tree. I do it the same way. Extension ladder about 20' up on tree then hook up to hitch on truck and put light tension on it. Cut my wedge and when I cut through the backside about half way I give the signal to whoever is in the seat to pull a little more. The saw goes right through and the tree falls exactly where you want. I've used other trees with snatch block pulleys to pull in the direction I needed on angles too. Works like a charm. Ended up taking down 80 large trees to clear the area. All said and done I saved 8k doing it myself. The contractors wanted that to cut them down, pull the stumps and take the wood. And that didnt include any excavation and brining in the fill. Which was roughly 700 yards. The land slopes to the back of the property and was brought up 4' to levelcit off. Lots of sweat equity in this. Dont know what I would have done without the cable when I was clearing my land for my pole barn. Still haven't built it yet due to the massive price hike in lumber so the site sits as a massive sandbox for my kids at this time. Guess I should have paid other to do it and I would have been a summer ahead. Buy the time the fill was done it was Oct. 20' and building prices has since doubled.ImageImageImage

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Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 9:00 am
by Timj
@Jancoe if we only had a crystal ball. :headbash:
I was going to build a shop at home, but not with the price for materials. :pullhair:

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 9:53 am
by Toolslinger
With the prices where they are, you could have cut your 80 trees, and had them milled in to lumber, and it would be ready to build with by now... It's infuriating.
I ripped a rotted deck off the back of the house right before the materials went through the roof. It's still waiting to go back on... Now I have to rent a boom lift to do some chimney work because there's no deck to put the ladders on, and I can't do a ladder from the ground in this situation. I feel like the stupidity never ends...

When pulling trees, I want as much distance as possible, and I never do that kind of cutting alone. I bought a number of 50' 1/2" cables, so they get strung out as long as needed to make damn sure the tree can't get to the tractor. I prefer to run to a snatch block when I can to get off axis as well, but that doesn't always work. I have a few monster ash that I want to cut, but I simply can't. There's a 5 way that splits about 5' off the ground, and I can't hold the big saw up high enough to get to where I could actually cut each trunk. That group is going to have to just come down on it's own at some point, which is really a shame since there's so much good wood in there either to mill, or burn. By the time it falls, it won't be worth anything, and will just make a huge mess to have to clean up.

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 1:24 pm
by JSinMO
Good work Eugen. I try to stay away from stuff that big if I can. Makes me too nervous!

I’ve got a couple of projects that are on hold till prices come back down, if they come back down. For now we’ll make due with what we have.

I can’t imagine trying to build a house of shop right now.

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 1:42 pm
by DavidBarkey
JSinMO wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 1:24 pm Good work Eugen. I try to stay away from stuff that big if I can. Makes me too nervous!

I’ve got a couple of projects that are on hold till prices come back down, if they come back down. For now we’ll make due with what we have.

I can’t imagine trying to build a house of shop right now.
If enough people waits until price come back down the supply and demand train will slow down and the prices will drop.

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 2:07 pm
by Eugen
DavidBarkey wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 1:42 pm If enough people waits until price come back down the supply and demand train will slow down and the prices will drop.
If only, Dave. :( builders and contractors are as busy as ever. Same with lumber people. Seems the high prices only affect some people. Price of houses keeps going up, still bidding wars everywhere. Unfortunately I don't think anything less than some catastrophe or war will ever bring lower prices back. Greed will go its way unphased as long as it gets away with it.

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 2:22 pm
by JSinMO
Eugen wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 2:07 pm
DavidBarkey wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 1:42 pm If enough people waits until price come back down the supply and demand train will slow down and the prices will drop.
If only, Dave. :( builders and contractors are as busy as ever. Same with lumber people. Seems the high prices only affect some people. Price of houses keeps going up, still bidding wars everywhere. Unfortunately I don't think anything less than some catastrophe or war will ever bring lower prices back. Greed will go its way unphased as long as it gets away with it.
It is crazy right now. I’ve flirted with the idea of selling our place. I know I could make money on it, but then what? Every penny I made and then some would go into where ever we moved to. If someone was looking to downsize they might do pretty well right now. Of course I’m always doing just the opposite of the rest of the world, I’d love to expand!
Bigger shop, more tractors….etc! It’s nice to dream!

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 2:34 pm
by Eugen
About 2 months ago I rented a closed uhaul trailer. The place I rented it from was also a large self storage site. I was just making small talk while getting the papers ready and asked how the storage business is going. The lady said it's full and people on the waiting list. I said how come. She said people are selling their houses because prices are so high. Then they get outbid and end up renting small places and need storage. Go figure! 😡

Re: Wasn't easy

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2022 1:39 pm
by Chad
Glad it all turned out okay Eugen. Nice to have those trees down. The double trunked trees for sure are scary as they are often rotten with water getting in between. I have a big dead ash that needs to come down by the house but will have a climbing arborist do it. I'd drop it but the only place would be on septic and tile bed - nope!

The use of blocks and chains and/or heavy equipment is always a good idea when you want to control the fall. I don't have any of that unfortunately, but once I've started my back but I like to put a wedge in asap in case something like that happens (wind gust). Unless of course it's leaning not where I want - for those you always start with the back cut, wedge in then do face cut.

And I hear ya on lumber prices. Redoing my deck and the price is hefty, not even doing the structure (thankfully it's still very good). And of course I have to do cedar because the house and all other decks are too. Then I get to stain the entire thing - fun times. Not sure if prices will drop, and always a demand like others have said.

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