The Widow Maker!

[bwise.157]

Strong winds took down a hickory tree on my property two days ago, and unfortunately it blew over into a standing maple. It was lodged, and wasn't coming down. I couldn't get to it to pull it out of the maple, but I don't think I could have budged it due to its size anyways. No safe way to take it down. It was over my neighbors driveway, so I didn't want something happening and someone getting hurt.

So, I swallowed my pride and called in a tree guy. He climbed it and pieced it down in about an hour. We cleaned it up from there.

Sometimes, were just have to leave things to the professionals!

Thanks to Bill and Pam's Tree Service for quick service!

 

[Flame On]

Pretty nasty. But, can we assume you get to fill your racks with hickory?

 

[woodsHAM]

That will be a very fine pair in the stove ! Little maple to get things going and hickory to set in overdrive

 

[Sprinter]

Sometimes, were just have to leave things to the professionals!

I agree with that. Just a couple of days ago, I tackled a similar leaner of an alder tree in our woods. I knew how to do it and I was very careful. I got a couple of cuts done before having a problem with the chain saw and left it leaning as it had been for two years. The next day we had some wind and when I went back out, the rest of the leaner had blown on down. Not that I would have ever gone under it, but it sure could have been a widow maker. Those leaners can really be hazardous and I think I'll just leave them next time, as tempting as they can be.

 

[bwise.157]

Pretty nasty. But, can we assume you get to fill your racks with hickory?

We split the wood. I cut all my own. My neighbor buys all his wood. I figured the least I could do was give him half for all the trouble and the mess it caused in his yard.

 

[bwise.157]

That will be a very fine pair in the stove ! Little maple to get things going and hickory to set in overdrive

No maple. We actually saved the maple, other than a few tiny branches we cut. The tree guy was good. He worked his way up the hickory and trimmed his way out of the maple.

 

[Babaganoosh]

What was the cost of the climber btw?

 

[bwise.157]

What was the cost of the climber btw?

$200. Took him about an hour and a half to get it down. I know rates for this kind of stuff vary, buy I thought it was reasonable.

 

[Jags]

Sounds darned reasonable to me...

 

[TedyOH]

Yeah good choice bringing in a Pro for that one. It's amazing to watch them do their thing, I hired one to take down a big 40" x 80' maple next to my granmothers house, he had that thing looking like a giant toothpick in about an hour....

 

[heavy hammer]

Not a bad price at all. Plus you guys got the wood nothing better than dealing with wood already on the ground. Makes things a lot easier especially in this situation.

 

[AmbDrvr253]

I'd have gladly paid $200 for that rather than try it myself........LOL...... And free wood is the bonus.

 

[bwise.157]

Is hickory like oak, it takes a couple summers to season? I have never burned hickory before.

 

[TedyOH]

Is hickory like oak, it takes a couple summers to season? I have never burned hickory before.

2 summers is better than 1 with hickory - most like 3 summers with oak.

 

[bwise.157]

2 summers is better than 1 with hickory - most like 3 summers with oak.

I figured at least two, and then see where it is for moisture.

My neighbor has aleady burned some of this fresh hickory that we just split Thursday. That is just asking for trouble, not to mention wasting good wood!

 

[TedyOH]

I figured at least two, and then see where it is for moisture.

Top cover it early fall after the second summer and it'll be fine / below 18% as long as your splits are under 7" or so.