cutting blown down trees ?

A pic of the tree would be very helpful to get the best advice from experienced Fellers on here. I've never cut anything with a root ball attached. From what I've READ it's more common to start at the end & cut lengths toward the stump until it stands up slowly, then fell the stump.

I would cut it from the end and see if the root ball falls back into place. I would also be certain that before I start this process, and even during this process, to check to make certain no one is getting into the voided space created by the uprooted tree. It would really be a bummer should someone get caught underneath the rootball when it comes down.

You typically would start at the top of the tree away from the root ball to relieve the stress of the weight of the whole tree on the trunk. It's all physics so you want to think ahead and have a professorial do it if you're not sure.

Last weekend I cut up several trees blown down the week before. One was a single trunk and its root ball. I started by topping it, then bucked it, since the whole trunk was off the ground a bit. when I got to about 6 feet of trunk, it moved up to a 45 degree angle and stopped.

Next to it were 5 trunks in one mass. They never moved, and I even tried to see if I could set them upright.

One small warning. The horizontal trees only had contact by their tops and roots. When I cut the tops, they tended to crack up the trunk with a violent snap. Be extra careful on stressed horizontal trees.

When I take trees down with a hoe, I dig on 3 sides and then use the 4th side as a hinge when I push it over. A lot of tension can remain on the hinge. I like to either roll the tree when its on the ground to break the hinge or cut the root ball off. While I have never seen one stand back up, I have seen them roll. After the root ball is taken care of, I head to the top of the tree and work down.

If it has already been topped, I would cut the root ball free first. Shouldn't be any stress without limbs. Cut a 15% bottom-up cut first then cut from above. May want to bring a log with you to prop up the trunk so it doesn't drop when free.

Remmy122 said:

I noticed a neighbor has a tree that was blown down recently. It appears that all has been cut away except the truck which is a good 16 in diameter white oak (pretty sure white oak).

so all thats left is the truck and a big ol root ball. Whats the safest way to remove the trunk from the root ball? I was thinking cut as close to the root ball as you could so that 15' of trunk doesnt go flying into the air, and then having to cut that down.

Am I wrong should I start at the end and work my way closet to the root?

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There is no harm done if 15' of trunk goes into the air and then you have to cut that. It would be easy cutting for sure. Just be sure nobody or nothing else is around that hole in case it does stand up.

On cutting from the top down. If there is pressure and the tree wants to lift up a bit when cutting, to counter this, undercut the log first. It is sort of like limbing. To stop splitting you undercut before you make the top cut and then there is no splitting.

I have cut both ways sometimes the rootball stays put others its falls back .Always be aware of possibly movement I get lots of cedar blow downs here.

www.ctba.fr/stodafor/documents/Safetyworkwebsite4_000.pdf - Similar




Compression before tension, and keep your teeth by watching for "springpoles"
Work safe

Wasn't there a story not too long ago of a man cutting a blow down that suddenly stood back up, crushing his little boy who had been playing in the root ball hole?

Kenster said:

Wasn't there a story not too long ago of a man cutting a blow down that suddenly stood back up, crushing his little boy who had been playing in the root ball hole?

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Yes I do belief I read that one also

I don't know about a recent accident but I mentioned that happening at a local church many years ago. It was a community affair to clean the tree up. After the stump had sat back in it's hole nobody could find the child. It wasn't long before the sad situation was realized.

Ed

mywaynow said:

If it has already been topped, I would cut the root ball free first. Shouldn't be any stress without limbs.

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I don't see how one could assume that. If the root ball wants to fall back & the trunk is heavy enough to hold it vertical there could still be lots of tension there, limbs or not.

shouldntbesocomplicated said:

Kenster said:

Wasn't there a story not too long ago of a man cutting a blow down that suddenly stood back up, crushing his little boy who had been playing in the root ball hole?

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Yes I do belief I read that one also

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I believe it happened up here in NH