Two problem trees...how should I cut them down?

[Dave VH]

I can show you how to put a shaped charge on the bottom tree. That's the most fun way to drop them.  I've blown stumps out with properly placed charges before.  Other than the slight danger of setting the charge, there is very little danger, the work is being done with you a ways away.

[Holmes]

  Cutterboy  I really like the idea of the shaped charges. That would go over really well  here in central Ma.  I have a couple hundred feet of 1/2" cable you can borrow. I'm about a half hour away. PM me if you want..  Holmes

[gunman63]

If u want to get it on the  ground before u cut it off, i would  think if u hooked a chain with a slip hook around the tree on top,  as far up as the tree as u can for leverage, and  just pull it side ways, twisting the stump side ways, should  break the roots, and lay it  down , should  be no problem with your tractor.

[shtickhead]

If you had a bunch of brush  you could try and burn the root ball loose before pulling with the tractor.

[cutterboy]

I am truly amazed! When I started this thread I thought I would probably get some different ideas but I never thought I'd get so many and such a wide variety of suggestions. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH! I love the idea of blowing the stump up but if I did that I'd have the local, state, and environmental police up here, plus the fire dept., board of health, and consevation commission. . Thats how it it in Massachusetts.

I think I would rather cut the top tree first because I'm afraid of the stress the bottom tree is under. I like Lumberjack's method of cutting and might use that. I may try to pull the top tree down first with chain and tractor. But anyway, it's raining hard right now so the project is on hold. The temp is about 40 and I hope the ground doesn't thaw because I need frozen ground there to get my tractor close.

Again, thank you all so much. I'll let you know what I decide and if I cut them down I'll post pictures.

Ralph

[John Mc]

I'd go for the top tree first. If there is a chance you'll get it cut and it will still be up in the air on top of the lower tree, I'd tie my chain or cable to it first, and run the other end far eough away from the trees to reach easily later.. If after your cutting, the top tree hasn't come all the way down, you can hook into it with your tractor and give it a tug. (Just make sure your chain or cable is somewhere that it won't get flung at you if the tree starts moving when you are cutting.)

[lumberjack48]

cutterboy, if you can get your tractor in on the left side,with in 10,20 or 30 feet, hook a chain about 3' above the cut i said to make. Leave about 1' of slack in it, this will take the danger out of it , it will keep it from fling up or back at you.
If you can't get the tractor there hook the chain to another tree.

Please be safe

[cutterboy]

Thanks John. If I cut the top tree and it doesn't fall down off the bottom one, Ill hook a chain to it and pull it down.

Lumberjack, I can't get my tractor in on the left side, (or the right side for that matter) but I could hook a chain to a tree. But shouldn't the chain come in from the right side of the tree? I mean, if the top tree falls down off the bottom tree after it is cut the top of the tree will move to the right, so the butt will move to the left, so the chain wouldn't help if it came in from the left. However, if the chain came in from the right it would keep the butt from moving to the left. Right? Am I overlooking something?

[John Mc]

Thanks John. If I cut the top tree and it doesn't fall down off the bottom one, Ill hook a chain to it and pull it down.

My point, not too clearly made, was to hook up the chain before you start cutting. Then, if it doesn't come down, you only have to get to the far end of the chain, rather than mess around under a tree hanging in mid air, trying to get a chain on it.

[cutterboy]

Hi all. I went into the woods this morning and cut down the top tree. It went very well, I used the method lumberjack48 suggested (thanks lumberjack). I was a little tense while sawing the trunk and I had my run away path well cleared and I was on the balls of my feet ready to use it, but I didn't need to. I decided not to cut the bottom tree today because the ground was too soft. The tractor broke through the surface into the mud and even though I didn't get stuck, I didn't want to take the tractor back into the mud. The bottom tree will have to wait till the ground freezes up again.

Here is the operation in pictures.

First, the tree.

 

I started by cutting a notch underneath the trunk. Then I made a cut down the side about 2-3 inches deep but not going all the way up to the top of the trunk. I did this on both sides.

 

 

Then I cut down from the top. (this was the tense part) As I cut the tree settled down heavily on the bottom tree but did not twist. I managed to get the saw completly through the tree but it did not fall. There was back pressure pushing the trunk against the stump.

 

I took a heavy dead branch and banged it against the tree and it fell. But the tree did not slide off the bottom tree.

 

 

I attached a chain to one of the branches and, using the tractor, was able to pull the tree off the bottom one.

 

 

I then cut the top off the tree and attached the chain to it.

 

 

The tractor was able (with difficulty) to pull the tree out of the brush to an open area. The tractor did dig up some mud during this move.

 

 

 

 

Then I cut the trunk into 4 footers and some 16 inches.

 

 

Then I loaded the wood onto the tractor.

 

 

I then drove the tractor to the barn yard and unloaded the wood onto the wood pile.

 

 

Then it was into the house for a couple cups of coffee.

I hope you enjoyed my picture story. I am very happy that tree is down and I'll do the other one when the ground freezes. (if it ever does this winter)

Thank you all so much for your help. May your trees always fall where you want them to.   Ralph

[WDH]

Good job!  That is a real whack of wood you have stacked there.

[lumberjack48]

Job will done, i kind of figured it would just drop down, but, theres always that but it might do this, so always prepare for the worst.
I liked to leave blow down set for 1 year before cutting, a lot of springiness is gone.

I have cut 40" Norway blow down like that. I would reach as high as i could so i could get a log out of the butt cut. At least 8' and up so there would be no waste. I made that style of cut, when i touched the top, Bang, sometimes it sounded like a rifle shot. The dust would fly, the butt would stand back up. Then clean the dirt away from the stump and saw it down, anywhere from 8' to 16' foot log.
 My dad came out one day to watch me cut-em, he shook his head, he said, your crazy.

[lumberjack48]

I found these pic's on the net, this is the some of the kind of blow down i cleaned up, many, many 100'ds of cords.

  

 

[cutterboy]

Good heavens Lumberjack. I certainly would not want to get into that mess. My two red maples are enough for me.

[lumberjack48]

Its like working on a jigsaw puzzle, you have to take the last ones that blew down first.
If it was a good straight wind its like working behind a feller buncher.

I've cut some so bad i could only get 1 or 2 trees at a time, it plays with your mind.