Jack back weighted dead oak?

[davidwyby]

This coast live oak died over the winter. Still has some brown leaves on it. Live oak is hard and therefore presumably brittle. To avoid breaking other live trees around it, it needs to go left= North. I was thinking about trying a jack on it, but my concern is the tree tipping far enough to break the hinge before the weight is over center and me having to guess which direction to sprint to get out from under those long limbs.

I think pulling it, or cheating and going up in the lift and taking off back weight would be better.

Thoughts? Thanks

 

[SeanKroll]

Looks to lean left.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

A year dead should still have some moisture in it allowing a decent hinge for the species with a gap or wide open face. If you can take back weight off, all the better. Jacking a dead oak may not get you your desired results. Maybe too easy to pop the hinge with too much force. Just my arm chair opinion.. even jacking, I would use some 1/2" to 5/8ths insurance ( pull rope) and wedges. But ALWAYS if possible, adjust the weight to your favor. Again, just my arm chair opinion. Pictures never tell the full story

 

[davidwyby]

Looks to lean left.

Sorry, the light is bad, and the second pic is misleading. There is more limb weight to the right, and the top as well.

 

[davidwyby]

…the year dead ones I did last year were fermented, kinda smelled like beer.

 

[Mick!]

I think climb or lift or whatever to remove back-weight.
Jacks are best suited to tall single stem woodland trees where you only need a few degrees.
You’ll bust that hinge or reach the end of the lift before that goes over.

Armchair quarterbacks opinion of course.
Try a proper foresters opinion before listening to me.

@stig @Burnham and anyone else!

 

[stig]

I totally agree, Mick.
Set a line and pull it over or reduce back weight.

 

[Burnham]

Same opinion from me. Stephen and Mick have it right...and Stig.

 

[davidwyby]

Well that’s good cuz it means I had it right in the first place 😁

Thanks gents

 

[Tree09]

Other than removing weight, pulling is the most secure and powerful option there is. You are applying torque to tip a tree no matter the method, and torque is distance from pivot x force. A 30,000 pound force 3 feet from the hinge is the same as a 1500 pound force 60 feet up, assuming the force is horizontal (sling angle applies here obviously). Just like using a cheater bar, leverage is your friend.

 

[davidwyby]

I know. But I’m a wannabe faller, not a wannabe climber. 😆

 

[davidwyby]

@SeanKroll and I have discussed pulling methods before…I was thinking, stand it up with the winch vs. truck power (to make sure we Can control it) and once it’s up, give ‘er the gas to get and keep momentum in the right direction as/after the hinge breaks.

I’ll be using my 8,000lb 4wd diesel pickup, haven’t pulled very large trees with it yet. Used to use the 13,000 lb 6x6 and just walk the dog…

 

[davidwyby]

…maybe weaken some of those limbs so they collapse when it falls instead of that monstrosity rolling all over the place.

 

[lxskllr]

You use a throwline at all? That'll get a rope up high.

 

[davidwyby]

You use a throwline at all? That'll get a rope up high.

Not yet. So far I’ve always already had a lift there. Nah wait, one time I used an extension ladder. I dunno if throwing would have worked. It was a real tall lollipop pondo. I would have been afraid of busting a limb off and dropping it on the cabin 😬

 

[Mick!]

Reading this thread brought this to mind.

 

[davidwyby]

Reading this thread brought this to mind.

Dynamite?

 

[stig]

I know. But I’m a wannabe faller, not a wannabe climber. 😆

I hardly ever climb to set a pull line.
Bigshot and a 22 ton dyneema line.
No need to climb.
And, believe me, I don't feel nostalgic about the old times, when I climbed and set heavy steel lines for skidders.
At all!

 

[davidwyby]

@stig I was referring more to how a faller usually doesn't pull, and arbs pull everything...but then as you've said, sometimes loggers did pull the big ones.

I usually hang a tow strap in the tree and hook my cable onto that at ground level. Or I have about 80' of 1.25" tow rope. Maybe one day I'll get some bull rope.

 

[flushcut]

Do whatever it takes to get the tree down safely.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

You don't have access here with the 6x6 ?

 

[davidwyby]

You don't have access here with the 6x6 ?

it’s a couple hour drive away up mountains in the 6x.

The 6x needs work I don’t care to do until them temps are back down to double digits. 😆

Don’t care to drive it in those temps either.

🤔 maybe I should ask the guy if I can tow it up there, work on it, and then do the trees. Cooler there.


Easier to just tow the lift up. Drop a limb or two off. Winch with the dodge if needed.

 

[davidwyby]

I gotta take the lift up for a couple other trees that lean real hard and or don’t have room to fell.