Ok, is no one else surprised that Para does not own a chainsaw?

Geometry is against you. If you use a 50' rope you'll be 25' or so from the point of the cut. That cut-point you describe as being 20' up. You'd only be 15' or so from the base of the tree, within the reach of the top.


If the 15' top, cut off 20' from the ground, simply falls away from you - even just topples over sideways - everything will probably be fine, but Murphy says this is not going to happen. If it swings down through an arc before breaking free, cartwheels, bounces off an end, or does any of a dozen other unexpected things, you would be too close.

The most worrisome would be that you're cutting at about a 45 degree slope, sloped towards you. That would tend to launch the base of the topped section towards you, like a 15-foot-long spear.

Please get more rope, so you're farther away from the tree trunk and have a boring outcome.

I can still run.

All kidding aside, there's no reason I can't use a second rope if I get set up and don't feel comfortable with it.

Sounds like an excuse for me to buy a 100 foot length of Atwood Rope's 3/8"

We'll make a sponsored event out of it, get a writeup in the newspaper. I can see the headline now: Local Man Dies In Freak Gardening Accident...

quote:

We'll make a sponsored event out of it, get a writeup in the newspaper. I can see the headline now: Local Man Dies In Freak Gardening Accident...

^^^^^^^^^^
I think SF members can write a better Header than that.

Yeah, but it wouldn't be as funny as mine.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Thanks, but everything I've done so far has been manual and I'll apply Explosives only as a last resort.

Fixed it for ya.

I have used my lawn tractor to persuade a tree to fall in the right direction. Tie the rope to its front bumper. It’s weight is substantial enough to keep a lot of pull on the tree.

You may have already perused Utube but if not there are several videos on the mechanics of tree felling.

I found this out recently when I had to cut down a fairly small tree with my small 20V chain saw.

really good info except that now I want a proper chain saw

quote:

Originally posted by Citadel:

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Thanks, but everything I've done so far has been manual and I'll apply Explosives only as a last resort.

Fixed it for ya.

Shit, if I had me about a stick, I'd be sendin' splinters two neighborhoods over.

quote:

Originally posted by dewhorse:
You may have already perused Utube but if not there are several videos on the mechanics of tree felling.

No, but I've seen Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Those guys were lumberjacks, and that's OK.

I've taken a lot of trees down at my farm with Tannerite, but they're on my range and not near any buildings.

If the tree has been dead for some time, could be hollowed to some extent. That could lead to unpleasant surprises when the tree comes down. Good luck.

Sidenote: Fiskars loppers, all sizes, great tools. And yeah, tools and line caught up in trees

quote:

loppers

Always liked this word.

quote:

Originally posted by SW_Sig:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X7xNvUhR_3Y

That's the idea but did I hear him say he's been working on that limb for thirty minutes?

I realized something by looking at videos of these saws in action- unlike a flat blade, these saws wrap aound circular objects, so you're cutting about half the circumference (give or take) of the object.

It's gonna be easy to get it stuck.

quote:

Originally posted by Ripley:
If the tree has been dead for some time, could be hollowed to some extent. That could lead to unpleasant surprises when the tree comes down.

Yes, thanks for that.

I appreciate the cautions to keep me from ending up being skewered by a really big toothpick.

Is the use of beavers a Luddite approved method of tree felling?

I've got a pocket chainsaw that I've used a lot in the deer woods, they work great. Around the house I use the Stihl. Just be careful and video is always nice.

All damn foolishness from otherwise pretty smart folks! One poster above started on the path to doing it right. But he wanted to use a tiny ass lawn tractor.

First, get a chain saw. Not some hand powered gimmick. I've got a big ass jeep with a winch that could pull it up the tree if need be. Then use the big ass chain saw as God had intended. I'd spent a long time upgrading chain saws until I got my Stihl 660 Magnum. Then get in my Jeep with the 12000 rated winch and some straps and head out. A winch pulls its best with the line down on the bottom twist. Enlist your wife or someone you trust to handle the winch control.

Start the saw and probably only cut at about a 45 degree angle. If the kerf starts to close, it'll just jam the saw. A simple touch of the "in" button will relieve the pressure on the chain. Long ago I realized to buy the biggest, most powerful saw you can get. As long as the winch line is longer than the tree is tall, you're good to go.

What you've failed to consider is that you have hundreds of imaginary internet friends who would probably enjoy a party. Say the word and ship us some email maps on how to get there. Many of us have all the tools and stuff we'd need. Except the neighbors might not like the shooting... Well, and drinking beer, etc. Then we'd have the fight over the firewood. As long as its been dead, it wouldn't even need seasoning. Maybe we'd even get to meet the crazy neighbor.

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
Then use the big ass chain saw as God had intended.

Where's your hyphen, Dick? I don't know if you want me to use a regular chainsaw or an ass chainsaw and frankly, I've never heard of that.

I'm not dropping a California redwood, man. A substantial part of this tree is already in the landfill.

I have cut a lot of trees that were leaning the wrong way. I use a piece of 3/8" rebar tied to a heavy string and throw it as high in the tree as I can over a limb. I use the string to pull the rope up and down. The rope has a loop in it on one end so I can sick the other end in and pull the rope back up and tight around the tree. The rope is tied off to winch that is secured to the base of another tree by chain.

In some cases, I use two hand winches that take up 8 to 10 feet each that pulls the tree and stretches the rope. I place a towel over the rope in case it snaps.