On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:58:48 -0500, "Pete C."
wrote:


Lonesome Dove wrote:

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:44:48 -0700 (PDT), gwandsh
wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.


Putting it under tension and then cutting is a recipe for disaster. Even
without tension there is danger of kickouts and whatnot, tension
increases the risk of problems exponentially.

The safer DIY approach is to rent an aerial lift for the day, and take
the trees down a piece at a time, putting the parts in the basket with
you if need be so you can move off to the side to drop them in a safe
area.

There are nice self propelled lifts with 50' working heights and ~2'x4'
baskets good for 800# that you can tow on a trailer with a good pickup.
They use outriggers instead of massive weight, so you can't move the
base while up, but you also don't need a semi to deliver them. I rented
one recently for about $250/day.
Felling under tension IS tricky - but if you notch it properly it
WILL fall safely, where you want it. Notch it low towards where you
want it to fall, then cut downwards toward the notch from the back
side. That way it cannot kick back at you, and it won't jam the saw.