Talk about crazy

[JoeyD]

Went on a craigslist scrounge today and scored some nice white oak, but I had to try and get a good picture of one of the trees the homeowner dropped without making it look like I wanted to post a picture somewhere on the web about how insane his tree cutting skills are. Look at the grill in the background against the house for perspective. I can't imagine what went through his mind when this thing went. If you look at the cuts he made its obvious he doesn't know what he is doing.

Now for the really good part. The tree left standing in the picture is next, and I wish I had the whole tree in the picture because it leans over his house. When I asked him how he was going to do it he seemed to think he could get it to fall away from the house. He did mention climbing it and removing some of the limbs. I tried to mention politely several times he should get someone who knows what he is doing and has a bucket truck but he seemed to think he would be OK. I just hope no one gets hurt when this thing comes down.

 

[NH_Wood]

Yep, amateur cutting on that tree - but, I suppose you take the wood and run! Good job trying to get him to hire a professional (or learn better!). Cheers!

 

[Danno77]

Wait, you are telling me there is a cut somewhere in that mess? WTH.

 

[NH_Wood]

Wait, you are telling me there is a cut somewhere in that mess? WTH.

Look at the bottom of the tree - yikes! Cheers!

 

[JoeyD]

I did my best to try and figure how that thing went down and the only thing that kept popping in my head was how lucky the guy was. I tried to emphasize this and that he should get some help for the next tree but sometimes people just won't listen to what you are trying to say. He kept going on telling me how populated his property was with trees and he never had any problems dropping them. I may go back tomorrow for another load and will voice my concerns again but how much can I do?

Anyone have a suggestion?

 

[babzog]

Anyone have a suggestion?

If it's oak he wants gone, kindly offer to take the offending trees down for him and keep the wood. Serves both of your purposes.

 

[thewoodlands]

I did my best to try and figure how that thing went down and the only thing that kept popping in my head was how lucky the guy was. I tried to emphasize this and that he should get some help for the next tree but sometimes people just won't listen to what you are trying to say. He kept going on telling me how populated his property was with trees and he never had any problems dropping them. I may go back tomorrow for another load and will voice my concerns again but how much can I do?

Anyone have a suggestion?

Suggestion, if he's cutting just keep driving.


zap

 

[sheepdog000]

You voiced your concerns. You can't change his mind, so take the wood while you can.

 

[shawneyboy]

Holy barber chair Batman !

 

[weatherguy]

I was going to suggest you help him too if you have experience with these type of things, or maybe you just want to be as far away as possible when he makes his attempt

 

[tamarack]

I'd like to get a video of him cutting that next tree.
Good fodder for America's Dumbest Home Videos.
Maybe win $10,000.

 

[bogydave]

You gotta tell me that this was a wind blown down tree & he was just cutting the 8' stump off.
Looks like it feel on a fence or rail.
Something is wrong with the picture
I see another tree down or a log on the right side behind the fence & behind the down tree.
Take the wood fast & run.

 

[JoeyD]

You gotta tell me that this was a wind blown down tree & he was just cutting the 8' stump off.
Looks like it feel on a fence or rail.
Something is wrong with the picture
I see another tree down or a log on the right side behind the fence & behind the down tree.
Take the wood fast & run.

He dropped both trees. The red oak in the back was cut wrong also but it did manage to fall clean. He never cut a wedge and the only angle cut was on the wrong side towards the house.

The only explanation I can come up with for what is left standing is the tree was a leaner and it broke away somehow with the cuts he made. I wish I could have taken more pictures. They were at least 50' tall. There is a homemade wooden bench behind both trees. The concrete slab is cracked.

No way would I or anyone in their right mind attempt the last one without a bucket truck. It can't fall anywhere but on the house the way it is leaning. If I make it back today I'll try to get a picture of it.

 

[Ken S]

The more you try to teach him against his wishes the less likely you are to get the wood after he drops it.Just give him your number and ask him to call you when it is on the ground.I would not to be anywhere near the place when he cuts it,assuming it falls on his house I would feel obligated to help him keep the damage to a minimum and I would be there the rest of the day helping to fix a problem not of my creation

 

[oldspark]

I dont unddrstand why some people dont just get a pickup or some thing to pull it down after you make a couple of cuts, I do this with almost all the trees I cut down any more and some of those are out in the open, cuts down on the stress level.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Those are some amazing cuts on the bottom of that tree! Wow! And he is one very lucky man for sure. I would hope he doesn't cut all those trees the same way, but probably has done a lot of it. That is one of the problems of doing something wrong, but it works anyway. Well, it worked once, so let's do it again! Trouble is, what happens when something goes bad 3 out of 4 times?!

 

[JoeyD]

The rest of my score:

And the next tree he plans on taking down. The son says he will call me when it is down so I can come collect the wood. I really hope no one gets hurt.

 

[Danno77]

Well, at least it's an awesome score! Hope there's not police tape around the next scrounge at this house.

 

[JoeyD]

I dont unddrstand why some people dont just get a pickup or some thing to pull it down after you make a couple of cuts, I do this with almost all the trees I cut down any more and some of those are out in the open, cuts down on the stress level.

I did suggest that to him but in all honesty I regreted it after thinking about it. The way he makes his cuts the bottom could kick back and nail the house. I don't see a good way to do it without a bucket truck.

 

[Pagey]

Man, those are some NICE white oak rounds! Makes me pop a hernia just lookin' at 'em.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I dont unddrstand why some people dont just get a pickup or some thing to pull it down after you make a couple of cuts, I do this with almost all the trees I cut down any more and some of those are out in the open, cuts down on the stress level.

I did suggest that to him but in all honesty I regreted it after thinking about it. The way he makes his cuts the bottom could kick back and nail the house. I don't see a good way to do it without a bucket truck.

That remaining oak looks like a piece of cake to bring down in the same direction as the others. With a proper wedge cut and good hinge wood it will fall in that direction easily. No roping, bucket truck or pulling necessary, maybe just a wedge driven in the back to make sure the it doesn't try to go backward.

JMO...

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Looks like my felling skills :bug: prolly why I drag tops!

I hope he at least had his family get out of the house when he took that down!

 

[JoeyD]

I dont unddrstand why some people dont just get a pickup or some thing to pull it down after you make a couple of cuts, I do this with almost all the trees I cut down any more and some of those are out in the open, cuts down on the stress level.

I did suggest that to him but in all honesty I regreted it after thinking about it. The way he makes his cuts the bottom could kick back and nail the house. I don't see a good way to do it without a bucket truck.

That remaining oak looks like a piece of cake to bring down in the same direction as the others. With a proper wedge cut and good hinge wood it will fall in that direction easily. No roping, bucket truck or pulling necessary, maybe just a wedge driven in the back to make sure the it doesn't try to go backward.

JMO...

It's hard to tell from the photo but the tree leans towad the front of the house.

 

[JoeyD]

Man, those are some NICE white oak rounds! Makes me pop a hernia just lookin' at 'em.

Yeah, I lucked out here. The tree to the right in the last pictures is a red oak that two guys were cutting up. When they got to the crack the tree was rotten, it almost looked like top soil inside, maybe the outside 8" was good.

 

[smokinj]

The rest of my score:

And the next tree he plans on taking down. The son says he will call me when it is down so I can come collect the wood. I really hope no one gets hurt.

Now it looks like an Awesome tree!