How would you drop this Tree

[Garbanzo62]

So I saw this tree yesterday. The center is gone and split up the middle. It is leaning significantly to the non-split side. I'm not the most experienced with dropping trees. How would you go about dropping this one, or should I just wait for it to come down on its own?

 

[NickW]

Might not be a bad one to let Mother Nature drop. Also depends on what the top looks like. Any widow makers up there?

"IF" I were going to tackle that one...

I'd go very small notch on the non-split side being very careful not to go too deep or get the blade pinched, then come from the split side towards the notch.

 

[Woody Stover]

depends on what the top looks like. Any widow makers up there?
IF I weree going to tackle that one...I'd go very small notch on the non-split side being very careful not to go too deep or get the blade pinched, then come from the split side towards the notch.

That's what I thought--small notch as you described. But that would depend on how thick the other side is, where you'd be putting the notch.
As NickW said, widowmakers could be an issue, and they're hard to assess.
Need a couple pics of the top to guess what might be going on up there. Was the tree forked at the top of the split, and the weaker branch of the two fell off already?
If it's thin, not enough meat to cut a notch into, I might try a plunge cut with the bar flat, through both sides right behind where the notch/hinge is going to be, leaving maybe 6" for a hinge. Then cut from the hollow back side, at the same level as the plunge cut, so that you meet it and free both sides at the same time.
This may be beyond the scope of someone without much experience yet. And it's potentially dangerous! If there wasn't a reason that I absolutely needed the tree down right away and had to attempt something like that, I'd probably take NickW's approach-- "Might not be a bad one to let Mother Nature drop." If you seriously hurt yourself, your wood-hoarding days are over and no one wants that, we all enjoy it too much! 🤗

 

[RockyMtnGriz]

Experience is what you got when you didn't get what you wanted.

For me, this is the kind of tree you feel your way through falling. I'd be making the decision on the fly as to how to notch, and how thick to leave the hinge, or maybe to say "nope!" and walk away a second or two after beginning to cut. There's a judgement to be made about whether there's an adequate amount of good, solid wood, and where it's located, to do this safely.

Really, if you are asking, that might be a clue to look to someone with more experience, rather than getting some of your own the hard way.

Applying some force to it to see if it "wants" to fall from a safe distance might be an option as well, though there's a whole lot of ways to go about that unsafely as well!

Above all, be careful! Being a foot from a disintegrating tree is no fun, even if you get away with it.

 

[Woody Stover]

There's a judgement to be made about whether there's an adequate amount of good, solid wood, and where it's located, to do this safely.

Really, if you are asking, that might be a clue to look to someone with more experience, rather than getting some of your own the hard way.

Above all, be careful! Being a foot from a disintegrating tree is no fun, even if you get away with it.

Agreed, and it's really hard to say what we'd do, without being there looking at it.
Attempting it, you have to assume that the hinge might fail and the tree could go anywhere. So always have the area cleared for multiple escape routes in case things don't go as planned..

 

[Garbanzo62]

Here are a few more pics from further away. The top of the tree definitely has some dead branches. You can also see the extent of the lean.
If his comes down all it might do is take out some saplings. I'm going to let nature handle it. No reason to take unnecessary chances.

 

[EbS-P]

It looks hung up. If I couldn’t pull it over with a rope from a safe distance I wouldn’t touch it. I’d probably get some tape and string around the area to remind myself not to walk/work under it.

 

[Garbanzo62]

It is not hung up. All the limbs are clear of other trees. I'm actually surprised it has not come down with some of the wind we had last month. I don't think it is long for this world. I think that between the split and the amount of lean, there will be too much pressure to stay standing. My guess is it will crack somewhere along that split section.

 

[Woody Stover]

I'm going to let nature handle it. No reason to take unnecessary chances.

I don't think it is long for this world. I think that between the split and the amount of lean, there will be too much pressure to stay standing. My guess is it will crack somewhere along that split section.

Prudent move, leaving it alone. Agreed, it shouldn't be too long before it comes down..

 

[shortys7777]

try a come a long and rope way back. If it isn't doing anything I would put a small notch in and try again. I'm no pro but I would try that. If it got sketchy I would stop. Even if it breaks off half way it'll be easier to work with.

 

[CatfishHunter]

How would you go about dropping this one, or should I just wait for it to come down on its own?

I'd huff, and puff, and blow the thing down. :D

Everyone else is spot on with the small notch and then the back cut. It should fall easily.

 

[Doublebogey]

Yep. That thing looks easy peesy. It’s lean is making it easy. Make a smallish notch run a back cut in and it will go right down where it’s leaning to.

 

[joop]

couple of jabs to keep it honest,then a right cross

 

[joop]

or put your wife in the truck and tell her to reverse past the tree ,next thing you know it's on the ground

 

[gthomas785]

It shouldn't be too bad. The lean makes it easy to tell which way it will fall, however the back of the tree (where the split is) has a lot of tension in it due to the lean. As soon as you start your back cut there's a risk it could crack or pop out on you which can be dangerous. Just be sure to stand on the side and not directly behind or in front of the tree. And get out of there as soon as it starts to go.

 

[clancey]

Do you "lumberjacks" ever tie a rope or something on trees to make its fall "knowable"--just an idea here--no experience--just wondering...clancey

 

[BIGChrisNH]

I'm always a little nervous dropping a tree, and I think that's a good thing. If it doesn't make you nervous you probably aren't respecting the potential danger enough. I'd leave that one alone too.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

Trees can do a lot of things. I cut a big white pine that was close to 3 ft at the bottom. It didn't look compromised, but it had to come down. I put a notch in it and made the back cut. It started to go and I backed off. It made it about 15⁰ into the fall before breaking into at least 5 pieces and falling straight down in a huge pile of logs, branches, and fragments. Anything near the base of that tree was destroyed. Always be careful.

 

[mightytitan9]

I cut a similar looking dead oak (although not as bad) tree a few weeks ago and tried a hinge cut from the backside. It worked, although it landed about 10-15 from my target area because one side took longer to let go and it spun on me.

If you've got space for it to fall, a similar approach will likely work, just be careful

 

[River]

Do you "lumberjacks" ever tie a rope or something on trees to make its fall "knowable"--just an idea here--no experience--just wondering...clancey

I do. Quite often. For instance, take a look at the thread, "New Toy - Big Shot Throw Line Thrower": https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/new-toy-big-shot-throw-line-thrower.192551/

Mine is homemade, but it does the same thing. It has kept me out of trouble numerous times.