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cutting down a leaning tree

28K views 20 replies 18 participants last post by  Chris R 
#1 ·
Any expert advice on how to cut down a leaning tree, and make it fall in the opposite direction from the natural lean?

Its a dead blackjack (about 45 footer), and I don't want it falling in the same direction it presently leans.
 
#3 ·
Call a pro. Someone will have to climb it or use a boom truck, and take it down in sections, if it's going to hit something or fall across a road when it comes down. You don't want to try it yourself, it'll most likely cost you more than the professional in the end, after everything is settled up. ;)
 
#4 ·
it depends on how far it's leaning as to wheather you can make it go the opposite way. I would first get up in the tree and cut all the weight off the top. tie off every branch you cut and lower to the ground. Do not cut branches all the way off that you use to stand on until your past that point. take the trunk down piece by piece using the same method by tieing off the trunk peices to a strong branch and when cut lower to ground. Be sure you tie your self off with a safty line also.
 
#5 ·
If the leaning tree is in danger of hitting something in its natural direction. And cannot be dropped safely. Get a climber and go to the top and do ( depending on Dia.) short pieces from the top down untill you are clear of your danger zone. This would be the safe way and nothing would be in danger.
Yes I know you have many options. A large tree that is falling out of control !!!! You can guess the results. I will guess 2-300.00 to have it removed by a INSURED tree expert.
OR you can roll the dice !
Bob
I am having 3 removed this week 2 Maples and an Oak. $600.00
 
#6 ·
I use the 10,000lb winch I have on my trailer and go as high up in the tree as I can and pull it as I cut it. I have yet to have one not go where I wanted in to but I also won't drop a tree if it is a precarious situation. If you don't have seat time cuting trees, call a pro. A tree has a mind of it's own and once it starts falling, ain't no stopping it.
 
#7 ·
Hire a pro, here it will cost $60 to fall it. I used to do all mine around the house until I had one almost take out the neighbors fence and main street power line. Blew out the transfer case in my truck pullng it out of the way when it started going towards the street when it rotated on the stump, luckily it was enough of a tug to get it back. $1200 to fix the case vs $60, I would have been ahead. And I'm not a rookie, I have fell and cut firewood for 25 years, this one had a mind of its own.
 
#9 ·
Neighbor has a tree growing, must be for 25-30 years now, towards the light. Goes right over the fence, and sits above where I park one of my cars. It isn't a big tree, but not an easy take down.
End of last summer, I got a note from the tree guy to move my car so he could bring it down.
I moved it, which given the size of my driveway and other issues, was not just as simple as parking it somewhere else..
And the tree is still there.

Anything happens to it, I am out a fence and a garage door, if a car is there, count the car out too.
I understand she is under financial duress, but if it wrecks a bunch of my stuff, what am I supposed to say to her?

Never mind she has never said a word to me, just runs from her car to the door like I don't exist..

I guess as long as it doesn't fall on my truck. B/C it is worth alot more than ins will shell out for it.

This thing leans like a thin-stemmed houseplant near only one window..

If she doesn't have it removed, something ugly will happen, and then, what am I supposed to do.. be super nice about it? She knew it was going to fall.

I've seen some guys climb and cut trees like it is a joke, personally I can't balance on a railing or ladder, so.. to each his own..

matt
 
#10 ·
I had 30 trees (some VERY large) cut down about a year ago. They were equipped to do the job, they climbed like monkeys, cut off huge upper sections that were steered or lowered by tug boat like ropes, and unless it was impossible for the tree to hit anything else, they used those ropes to steer the tree as it fell. And when a 60 ft tree hits the ground, well it scared the cr*p out of me!

Read some of the posts that had prices. Damn you're lucky. They won't even look a a tree for $600 in Atlanta.

Take the advice of getting a pro to do it...an insured pro...period.

The last thing you need is trying to figure out how to keep from falling, cutting off a leg with a chain saw, or being crushed by a 30-40 ft tree.

Sage advice from an old friend:

"You enjoy working on cars?"
Yes, why?
"Well then you'd better get someone else to do that stuff, cause you can't fix any cars in a hospital bed." :D
 
#11 ·
I had 12 lark's who where about 98ft and hired a pro to cut them down, he used a hydraulic jack to get them down safely. He first cut the directional cut, then on the oposite side he made a cut so deep that he ha approx. 1inc of wood left to his first cut. Then he cut out a peace like you cut a cake alsow on the oposite side of the first cut, allowing him to place the jack in the tree and slowly tilt it over. If the tree didn't move like he wanted to, he let it slowly back again and trimed the directional cut like he wanted it. It was a thing of beauty to watch the trees fall and see the sun hit the house:D
 
#12 ·
just watch a few episodes of Ax Men on history channel, then go get a case of beer and a chainsaw.
when you are all lubed up and ready to start cutting, get someone to start filming with their cell phone camera and go at it..
this has the makings for a great YouTube video called "hey, hold my beer for a minute".
 
#19 ·
It is indeed dead, but only since this past winter.

You guys have scared the crap out of me, along with about a dozen video's I've watched on-line.

I don't mind the labor of cutting the dang things up after they are on the ground, but I hate actually falling it.
 
#14 ·
We took down 2 leaners yesterday, both in the 40' range. Measuring where I cut them off, about 3' high, one was 16" diameter, the other 24". They were in a tree line with other trees east and west. Power line and hot tub gazebo to the south so they had to go north. Of course they leaned to the south.

We started last weekend by removing all the big branches on the south side, leaving all the weight on the north side. It was breezy last weekend so we couldn't take them down. Don't even dream about taking down a tall tree if there is any wind, even if it's blowing in the direction you want the tree to fall. The wind can die down, the tree will straighten up and momentum can carry right over in the wrong direction.

Yesterday was calm so we put a 20,000 lb tow strap around the smaller tree between 15 and 20 feet up. This tree had the most lean to it. A couple logging chains from the tow strap to my truck got the truck about 60' away up on the paved side ride. In 4 low I started pulling on the tree to see what it would do. Top moved at least 4 feet so I figured we were good to go. Eased off the tension and notched it, applied tension while doing the back cut and down it came. Both trees dropped exactly where I wanted them. If you're going to use a truck to pull it you need a lot of length and need to get the strap as high as possible. The farther away you are the more sideways pressure you put on the tree instead of pulling down, plus the side benefit of it not falling on your truck.:yes:

I'm not saying I would try it on your trees because I haven't seen them but thats what I did with mine.
 
#16 ·
Since moving to my acreage 4 years ago, we've cut down 20+ trees (all that should have been brought down many years ago by the prior owner!). All were within stiking distance of my house and the biggest was leaning over my electric service feed. That tree died and I was paranoid the next storm was going to take it out along with my electric service.

We did it much like Hank (Finally) above did by using about 100' of steel cable connected to the tree about 25-30' up and the other end to a pick-up truck. I ran the truck and my friend (who is very experienced at dropping trees) set to work on cutting through the nearly 4 foot diameter trunk. It sounded like a bomb going off when that tree hit the ground and it literally "exploded" due to it being dead! If it hadn't been for my friend, I wouldn't have even thought about trying to take that tree down myself!
 
#17 ·
I forgot the best part of yesterday's tree cutting. My son and I got up early because the winds were calm and dropped both trees. A couple of his friends showed later to help us finish cutting and cleaning up. We were just talking about all the wood and what we would do with it. I said I was going to rent a splitter. One his friends said, "What do you need a splitter for, don't you have a splitting maul or double bit axe?" I told him I had a couple of splitting mauls but you couldn't split all that wood by hand.

Apparently he took that as a challenge and went to work. He split wood non-stop for about 2.5 hrs, I now have at least 3 face cords or split wood. Not sure exactly how much since it's not all stacked yet. This young man is around 30, about 5'8" tall and looks to be of average build. I couldn't believe he swung that splitting maul for over 2 hrs without stopping. He split everything from 6" logs to 2' logs. Oh to be that young again.
 
#18 ·
Hank. Youth is nice but Experience is everything.
He proved that he was young and fit enough to split all that wood.:yes: You proved you were experienced (smart) enough to get him to split it for you!!:thumbsup:
 
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