A neighbor wants me to cut these down from his wood lot. Ones Poplar and the other is a Sugar Maple. Has anyone cut something like this before? I haven't.... I would think if I notch and hinge them they migh want to go backwards instead of the way I'd like to fall them forward. I'll leave a good exit!
That's what I was thinking but it'd be good to know which way they'll come down. I like a good mystery except when it's tons of wood coming down near me! Lol
But I've never charged to take down a tree besides the firewood collected....
When it involves risks where there is an increased liklihood of death or grave injury it's silly NOT to charge... I like to stay alive, I am not a free tree service. If another person cannot respect my desire to stay alive, or justly compensate me for making big risks counter to my goal of staying alive, then I'll just tell them where they can stick it...
This is why they're called widowmakers......
That's good advise. I don't want to be cocky and think I'm the all experienced logger having dropped maybe 15-20 trees in my lifetime. And not all came down the way I would have liked either. Just last fall I cut a maple trunk that was branch less by a pole shed. Well I notched it to fall away from the shed but when I started the felling cut for the hinge it started to lean towards the pole shed. It was only a foot and a half from the building so I put my back on the shed wall and pushed it the opposite way but it went and snapped at the base making me go down with the big log sliding off of the roof right next to me! I thought it would come off of the roof and possibly land on me but it stopped before it came down and I went home to get some clean drawers! Lol. It barely damaged the pole shed which is a snowmobile club house, luckily.... And I was able to bend the tin back with pliers. I was trying to save the shed at my own expense. Not good.
Faster than a speeding bullet?
I'm not an arborist. If I were then I'd charge of course. I just scrounge for free wood around the rural area I live in to heat my large home on my shoe string budget I have since the Great Recession landed me an old man with much less income than in the recent past. I'll have to look up OTOH... And I can pass on these trees and find other wood easily. Plus... I know that Poplar isn't the greatest wood to burn but I have burned some here and there and it does ok. It's always been dry and it'll heat the house even in the coldest of weather.
I would throw a weighted rope over it in a good spot and try to pull them down. I wouldn't cut them as my reflexes are not as fast as the branch falling on me. those things could let loose fast. It is a better job for pros.
