Is this Tree Safe to Fall -- Away from the Power Lines?

[rfwoody]

There is a tree on my current job which is close to some (primary?) power lines.

70' x 12"

It appears the furthest/smallest branches/twigs are within 3' or 5' of the wires

Lay will be 90* from the power lines.

I will have plenty of pull on it --- I am considering 3 separate ropes --- 1 to the lay and 2 at 60* or so on each side.

Assuming the felling cuts are right and the ropes are properly tensioned.

Is there anything foolishly dangerous or prohibitive about cutting this tree?

thanks for looking at this.



It is hard to get exact perspective from picture.... you can see the power lines highlighted in red and the tips of the twigs highlighted in yellow/orange so they would show up.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Just set your rope right under that nest and pull it over.

Am I missing something???

 

[rfwoody]

yes sir, that is exactly what I was planning.

my concern was that I have heard about the danger of working near high power lines and just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

The closest branches should begin to arc (no pun intended) away from the line as soon as the tree starts to go, right... so no problem, right?

 

[squisher]

No problem if everything goes the right direction.

 

[Jonny]

What Butch said.
Piece of cake. 1 rope is all you need.

 

[rfwoody]

Thanks guys.

yeah, it could probably be just pulled over by 1 or 2 guys even, but, after that pecan tree fiasco I'm going to take somebody's (Bermy's?) advice with multiple ropes until my senses get dialed in.

thanks a lot for the feedback... just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I see no limbs that will touch the line.

 

[Stumpshot]

And of course, you've already judged the back lean toward the lines and know you need a pull line, so I'd say your senses are getting dialed in!

 

[Marc-Antoine]

I wouldn't rely on the man pulling power. It could be enough some times, but it's very limited (force and time) and moreover, untrusty. Slipping (feet or hands), tripping, changing the footing at the bad moment, getting a cramp, wind blowing suddenly ... and you loose it.

At least, use a device to capture the progress of the pull.
But for me, the appropriate gear rules in pulling.
One rope strong enough is enough most of the time and easier to manage. Don't over complicate it by many ropes and different systems if the job doesn't really ask for it. Keeping the right amount of tension on 3 ropes at 3 different angles at the same time is either tricky ... or unnecessary.

 

[MasterBlaster]

It's a small tree, Marc.

 

[pantheraba]

Marc makes good points. One good rope properly placed and pulled with equipment should do the trick. Too many pulling systems to balance and keep track of is overly complicated.

 

[sotc]

70 feet tall on a 12" stump, pretty doable for a guy that knows his stuff. That small stump could be an issue for a guy that has been struggling with his cut and it is quite heavy towards the wires. I think I would suggest you pass on this tree till you have dialed the easier stuff in first. You put someone else's life in danger putting them on a rope when you are not adept yet, that tree sets back into the lines, you could kill them, yourself or someone else pretty quickly.

 

[stig]

I don't see that much lean, willie.
As thin and flexible as that tree is, I'd say that a pulling line placed high and pulled tight by hand with a 3 to 1 and tied off, would bend it forwards enough that it would fall when cut.
How I would do it, anyway.

But you are right about not working around power lines untill you have experience.

 

[Mick!]

I think as far as not working around power lines.....

That horse has already bolted for the op.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

It's a small tree, Marc.

As was the pecan...
But I said that as a generic rule for me. Time to time, a crew says to me "put a rope in the tree, we will pull it". Just no !
I took down once a Lombardy poplar, cutting it in half to fit both in the yard and in the time allowed. Windy day. "we will pull it ! " Seriously? Maasdam did it.
Same with a London plane touching a bridge with the highway on it.

 

[Altissimus]

... you have walk before you can crawl

 

[stig]

I don't pull trees by hand either.
Setting up a 3 to 1 system takes no time at all, if you are used to it.

A few years ago, 2 students in the Danish forestry school decided to put their newly gained knowledge to use and earn some beer money.
They had a tree to fall that they were sure could be easily pulled by hand.
The pull rope had to go over an old apple tree.

So, as they got all set to go, the puller wrapped the rope around his hand a couple of times to improve grip.

The inexperienced cutter cut the hinge clear through, causing the tree to go backwards.
So the unfortunate puller had his shoulder dislocated and ended up hanging by one arm from the apple tree.

Supposedly there was not a single person in the city of Hørsholm that didn't hear his screams.

 

[Steve Mack]

I think as far as not working around power lines.....

That horse has already bolted for the op.

Good point.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I'd laugh harder at that, but that horse ran for me too. Now granted, I was absent from the tree that did the deed.

 

[rfwoody]

Thanks a lot All for all the different perspectives, advice, warnings, experience, etc.

fwiw ... I think my felling/falling cuts are getting better.

yeah, my comment about pulling by hand was merely theoretical for this tree...

But the warning about anyone holding (or touching) the rope if the tree set back onto the power lines is the sort of information I was hoping to hear.

 

[MasterBlaster]

The tree better NOT set back into the pwr lines!!! NO EXCUSE.

 

[rfwoody]

 

[sotc]

I don't see that much lean, willie.
As thin and flexible as that tree is, I'd say that a pulling line placed high and pulled tight by hand with a 3 to 1 and tied off, would bend it forwards enough that it would fall when cut.
How I would do it, anyway.

But you are right about not working around power lines untill you have experience.

Without that large lower limb, I'd call it a slight back lean. That limb makes it a bit more than slight in my opinion. Not my insurance😐

 

[Jonny]

Robert are you planning on doing this alone?

 

[SeanKroll]

Don't put the throw line into the power lines!

Find that rattle-can, yet? It would spruce up you pics for your Gallery.