Widow Maker - Best Plan of Attack?

[LarryBud]

Any suggestion on how I can take this guy out without hurting myself, my equipment and as a bonus, save the fence?

I was thinking of cutting it above the fence line and letting the base swing in. I was also thinking of letting it be, knowing it will find the ground by itself sooner or later.

 

[lynnmor]

It shouldn't be too difficult to lay the fence down, then lay a log on each side of it. If there is enough rot at the bottom maybe it could be pulled sideways with a come along.

 

[mikester]

Wait until it drops lower then drag it out with a long sling?

 

[Goz63]

Can’t tell for sure the height of the fence but if you cut it so that the “new” base falls on the trail side of the fence the old base is no longer an issue. Then put a rop, chain, strap etc on the ne base and pull away with your tractor. Should fall right in the trail for you. Just looking at the pics that’s how I would attack.

 

[mcfarmall]

Undercut from the bottom, above the fence and perhaps you can get it to barber chair, lowering the new butt cut to the ground on the lane side of the fence. Might be a good idea to run a strap and come along to the supporting tree to add a degree of control.

 

[ve9aa]

Could you attach a small come-along on the base of the tree, as it is right now, and jack it "up" in the air, away from the fence and towards the next closest tree?

Then, cut as desired.

Voila! One long tree....laying on your trail....and one short tree (4' long or whatever) floating in the air on a come-along.

I take no responsibility if it all goes sideways.

 

[William1]

Chain the trunk (minimal tension for safety), cut past the fence, then pull. May have to use pulleys and multiply the force. That or a bucket truck starting at the top and dropping limbs.
The issue with letting nature do the job is when it does and where you will be standing when it happens. Fence damage is a constant risk unless you undo the wires at a dozen posts first.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

1) remove the fence ! cut and roll back say 20'+-( next post) ,tie it off ! they have a funny habit of springing towards any passerbyers......

2) tie it to the tree on the other side, snug, tie to truck or tractor with long rope.

3) best sawyer gets to cut the tree, while driver applies tension to rope
4) as the sawyer slowly cuts, driver keeps tension on rope. patience is the key but it will nicely come down onto the road and everyone will be safe.

5) adjust rope on vehicle and pull tree out of the other tree, down onto road.

6) that was the EASY part.. now you have to cut up and get rid of the 'firewood'.

 

[skeets]

Let us know how things go, even if it goes sideways, then it will be information for someone else

 

[PaulR]

I am NOT a pro, in fact I really suck at this. But what I would do is one of two things:
1: Gas powered pole saw: reach up 12 feet or so as far as I can and cut it, let it fall. that would be much riskier than:
2: Just get a long rope and drag it till it falls.

oh and with jobs like this, I always tell the wife "Honey, dial the 9 and the 1, but just wait to see what happens before you press the last 1"

 

[RCW]

That has a lot of rot in it. Bark is all gone. Big, deep split along most of the lower length.

I used to "walk down" 80-90 foot spruce that would hang, 4 feet at a time. It was pulp, after all.

That said, there's a lot of possible gremlins with that one....maybe I'm just older and wiser. My spruce was fresh-cut and solid, for the most part.

I would try pulling it.

That thing can/could break/split/barber chair a bunch of ways, including some of the top limbs flying in unexpected directions.

If you're trying to cut it down, you could be right in the midst of some bad juju.....

Not much hope for the fence with my method.

 

[skeets]

I duno I figure about 30 feet of detcord would work

 

[jyoutz]

Undercut from the bottom, above the fence and perhaps you can get it to barber chair, lowering the new butt cut to the ground on the lane side of the fence. Might be a good idea to run a strap and come along to the supporting tree to add a degree of control.

Purposely trying to barber chair is never a good idea.

 

[dirtydeed]

Agree with some of the posts above. That trunk looks really rotten, I'd drop the fence then wrap a long chain or heavy tow strap around the trunk up a bit higher where the post is in your picture. Then snatch that sucker right off its perch with the tractor and not stop until its on the ground.

 

[Deleted member 47704]

Its pretty smooth, probably just pull on it to bring it down.

 

[RCW]

Agree with some of the posts above. That trunk looks really rotten, I'd drop the fence then wrap a long chain or heavy tow strap around the trunk up a bit higher where the post is in your picture. Then snatch that sucker right off its perch with the tractor and not stop until its on the ground.

Agree with parts of dirty's recommendations.

Hook it low, just above the break. That's where the rot/busted up stuff is.

Wrap the chain/strap/choker around one-and-a-half times, so the chain is wrapped down the near side, and back up over the far side to the top again. More if you need. Needs to be tight.

When you pull, it will make the trunk roll toward the pull..and roll the tree off the stump.

You still need to be as far away from it as possible. Shit happens, and you don't want to be on top of it.

 

[Deleted member 47704]

I duno I figure about 30 feet of detcord would work

Maybe some Tannerite and target practice.

 

[NCL4701]

Looks rotten and splitting at bottom. If true that makes it quite unpredictable. If it’s rotten and splitting already, I would hesitate to put a saw in it. Not rotten, totally different.

If rotten and split, I’d pull it down from far enough away to be out of range. If your tractor or truck winch or whatever won’t do it a snatch block will double your line pull. The advice about chain wrapping to roll it is good advice.

If you have to pick up some additional rigging to get it done… well, I don’t know that you can really have too much rigging if you have trees.

Edit: And if you have to fix the fence after, fix the fence after.

 

[LarryBud]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I think I have a plan.

I'll let you know how it goes. If I never post again, you can assume it went badly.

 

[ayak]

Just don’t let anyone hold your beer