Redbud tree has to come down

[Doc]

So, I have a super tall redbud next to the house that got planted in the absolutely worst spot. It struggled for light and grew way taller than they are supposed to and leaned out toward the house. So the other day I noticed that a huge hollow spot is now visible about half way up and the tree is not long for this world and when it comes down, it will likely take gutters and a bunch of vinyl siding and perhaps even a window. so now I have to figure out a way of getting this thing down by dropping it 180 degrees from where it is leaning. 

Here comes the plan. I have to get a rope up into the top of the tree so I can winch it backwards with a come-along and or my ATV. So I have been busy this morning mounting a fishing rig on one of my old recurves. I am going to shoot the arrow through a crotch at the top of the tree. Then tie a good heavy rope onto the fishing line and pull the heavy rope up and through the crotch in the tree. Then, I will tie a cross-bar on the rope and pull it through until it lodges into the fork in the tree. Then I can apply pressure and drop the tree where I want to.

What do you suppose the odds are that all that is going to work perfectly ....... lol. This all sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

Edited May 2, 2017 by Doc

[turkeyfeathers]

It does sound good on paper for sure. Would you record it for us ? Just in case


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[grampy]

Sounds like a solid plan Doc.  But maybe a local professional with insurance could give you a fair price.  Only suggesting this because a couple of my own well planned things, would have been more cost effective to just have a pro come do it!  Anyways, might be fun to film the big event!!!  Just in case..........

[Five Seasons]

Funny you mention this. Just bought a house last August with a huge redbud too close to the house. The prior owner never trimmed anything so I couldn't mow around it easily and the branches hit the house during wind. Not to mention it grew funny because neighboring trees were never trimmed.

Very pretty tree but after I was done with it, it's now tall and skinny as opposed to fat and short. I will give mine a few years hoping my trimming job will help it grow "better".

good luck with the job. You missed your window for cutting down trees without leaves and with a hard ground.

[Doc]

14 hours ago, grampy said:

Sounds like a solid plan Doc.  But maybe a local professional with insurance could give you a fair price.  Only suggesting this because a couple of my own well planned things, would have been more cost effective to just have a pro come do it!  Anyways, might be fun to film the big event!!!  Just in case..........

Ha ha ha....... did you ever watch Tim the Toolman when he gets all ramped up to take on a project. I just hope the results don't come out similar.....lol. I will be putting it off for awhile until my Brother-in-law comes down from Canada. He's pretty good on these things, and the two of us together can really get into some trouble. He'll probably have some idea that involves dynamite.

[grampy]

3 hours ago, Doc said:

Ha ha ha....... did you ever watch Tim the Toolman when he gets all ramped up to take on a project. I just hope the results don't come out similar.....lol. I will be putting it off for awhile until my Brother-in-law comes down from Canada. He's pretty good on these things, and the two of us together can really get into some trouble. He'll probably have some idea that involves dynamite.

I think Tim the tool man was patterned after some of my exploits! I've had a couple doozy's! Like the time I told my BIL, "there's no way the tree will fall on your shed"!!!      .............oops.

[Merlot]

Call on a professional to do the job, sit back with a beer and enjoy the show.

[BigVal]

Or enjoy a few beers before and during the job and have a real show 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

A word of caution Doc. I saw this happen one time. Don't under estimate how much force and weight a tree like that can have if it starts in the wrong direction. I watched a buddy take quite the ride on his wheeler in the wrong direction when he was attached to a falling tree. Also. do you have enough rope to tie a bowline knot around the pull line after you send the rope through the crotch of the tree. I'd rather see a positive attachment rather than a steel rod. less likely to slip. How big around is this tree?

[NYBowhunter]

Definitely do not use an ATV. My friend and cousin both have very similar scenarios both which had large sized trees leaning towards their house. I assisted with felling both trees and in both instances my plan worked and thankfully no one was hurt and the trees fell exactly where I planned. What you need is to have a healthy tree in the same direction you want the bad tree to fall . Tie a huge tow rope or chains mid point up on the bad tree and tie it to a healthy tree about 100 feet away about shoulders or lower height ,with the winch tied closest to the tree your NOT cutting down. Its a two man job, take it slow and communicate. Make a forward notch in the direction you want tree to fall (direction of the winch) and start your back cut. Every so often stop sawing and have the other guy start winching. Keep rotating the cutting and winching and you will see the tree begin to lean in the direction of the winch. Keep repeating this process till it falls, through this whole process there should be no slack in the chains or  cable. Get ready to run.

[left field]

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[philoshop]

I'm not familiar with these 'redbud' trees, so I don't know their characteristics or whether they're prone to 'barberchairing'. That's when the trunk suddenly splits from the cut point up kicking pieces in oftentimes unexpected directions. That tree reaction can do a lot of damage and can even kill ya'. It's also very common when trying to change the direction of fall from the direction of lean, which is what you're suggesting. And as NYBowhunter said above, definitely do not tie your ATV to the top of that tree!

I have a fair amount of experience with chainsaws, both tree service and logging, and I have the right ropes, pulleys and other equipment, but your scenario doesn't sound like something I'd tackle without a bucket truck. It's too risky IMHO.

Stay safe.

[left field]

As philo said, trees know all kinds of ways to kill you. I don't think the redbud is a large tree, but, caution is the key if you don't have the experience.

There's always these guys.

 

[philoshop]

39 minutes ago, left field said:

As philo said, trees know all kinds of ways to kill you. I don't think the redbud is a large tree, but, caution is the key if you don't have the experience.

There's always these guys.

 

I'm pretty good at felling, but that was a work of art! And I can guarantee it wasn't his first time.

[Five Seasons]

1 hour ago, left field said:

What could possibly go wrong?

 

wtf was the plan there? was there even a rope I couldn't see?

[The_Real_TCIII]

I just did four big ones using the ATV method. It definitely would have resulted in a Nantucket sleigh ride had the tree fallen the opposite way...


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[NYBowhunter]

13 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I just did four big ones using the ATV method. It definitely would have resulted in a Nantucket sleigh ride had the tree fallen the opposite way...


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Not good bud, like you said had the tree decided to lean the opposite way, you and that Atv would be taking flight..

[Doc]

17 hours ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

A word of caution Doc. I saw this happen one time. Don't under estimate how much force and weight a tree like that can have if it starts in the wrong direction. I watched a buddy take quite the ride on his wheeler in the wrong direction when he was attached to a falling tree. Also. do you have enough rope to tie a bowline knot around the pull line after you send the rope through the crotch of the tree. I'd rather see a positive attachment rather than a steel rod. less likely to slip. How big around is this tree?

The tree is about a foot in diameter at the base and probably 30' or 40' tall. It's not huge, but big enough to hold a few surprises.

[Otto]

I've cut down lots of trees.  Each one is different.  I had some close to the house that I was nervous about.  Tree guy took it out for $200, cleared all the debris too.  Sometimes it pays to hire a pro. 

[Five Seasons]

1 hour ago, Otto said:

I've cut down lots of trees.  Each one is different.  I had some close to the house that I was nervous about.  Tree guy took it out for $200, cleared all the debris too.  Sometimes it pays to hire a pro. 

that was the logic I used to fix some fascia siding that peeled free during the wind storm. Don't have a ladder to reach the 30' peak of the house and climbing a very steep pitch made me question if it was worth it. An ad on craigslist and $80 ladder somebody else who doesn't have 3 little kids did it. No pride wounded for being smart sometimes.

[left field]

19 hours ago, Belo said:

wtf was the plan there? was there even a rope I couldn't see?

As near as I can tell it doesn't look like that badly a lean. Hard to really say without seeing the top. Wedges and some knowledge would have helped.

5 hours ago, Doc said:

The tree is about a foot in diameter at the base and probably 30' or 40' tall. It's not huge, but big enough to hold a few surprises.

 

That's not that big of a tree. Stand under the tree and look up. Where is the centre of the mass of branches and leaves? That tells you where the majority of the weight is and may be a deciding factor as to how to approach. If close enough to the house, you may be able to cut off some branches to lighten the load. Pruning saw here, not chainsaw.

2 hours ago, Otto said:

I've cut down lots of trees.  Each one is different.  I had some close to the house that I was nervous about.  Tree guy took it out for $200, cleared all the debris too.  Sometimes it pays to hire a pro. 

 

True. 

For those interested, Work Safe BC has an excellent series of videos on nearly every type of falling situation, including some sobering reenactments of professionals being killed by trees. 

 

[Moho81]

Doc, whatever you decide on make sure there is a video of it! 

[Doc]

You guys have got me thinking that a pro might be the better way to go. I'll get an estimate and see what it looks like. There's  lot of things about this set-up that makes nervous.

[left field]

It may not be that bad. Post a few pics if you have time.

[growalot]

Tree in that video had too much lean for him to even consider a cut with out a rope system and that wedge cut was way too small for the size of the tree ..IMO