I have a huge willow that I am in the process of taking down. Once the main limbs are removed there will basically be a 10 foot high, 4 foot diameter stump left. How do I go about taking this down? Obviously my saw will not cut across the whole 4 feet so do I just keep notching it on one side and taking pieces out? I know I should probably leave it for the professionals but I enjoy the challenge and would like to tackle this myself. Thanks.
How to cut down large diameter tree
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You do not say how long your saw is.
I would not cut it at the base but up a few feet where the diameter is smaller then after the tree is down you can work on getting the base piece cut off.
I would not cut it at the base but up a few feet where the diameter is smaller then after the tree is down you can work on getting the base piece cut off.
If you have access to a tractor or a backhoe, put a chain around the top of the ten foot section and pull it over. With a little leverage, it is pretty easy to get the stump out and avoid the need for a grinder.
There were about 5 main branches that I have cut down. I am left with a 10 foot high 4 foot diameter base. Even 10 feet in the air the tree is about 3-4 feet in diamter. It is my father-in-laws saw and I don't know the length. It is not very long as we typically only use it to cut smaller trees.
You might consider renting a saw to do the job. You should be able to get one with a 36" bar that will make short work of it and then use that same saw for cutting the log into firewood lengths. If you don't want to do this, then you would have to notch it in several places or trap a couple of beavers and let them fell it for you.
If you've got time on your hands you could do this by notching the tree a bunch of times. Just start creating notches (wedges) in one spot and work your way around the entire tree. You should be able to remove enough from the outside of the tree to open up a center section you can actually cut through. Of course, don't let it fall on your noggin while doing this. After notching the crap out of the mid section it'll be hard to tell where she's gonna want to fall....
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