Big beech trouble

[RabSawMan]

By way of introduction I have been a long time lurker on this site and I have to say there is lots of invaluable information on here with everyone trying their best to help each other out which is genuinely a rarity in this self obsessed world that we all sadly live in.

 

I was hoping I could get some advice on a couple of beech trees that I think are beyond their healthy lifespan and need to come down asap.

 

 

 

The tree (first on the left beside the gate) looks very healthy canopy wise but upon closer inspection I noticed the rotten area in the trunk about 15 feet off the ground. Is there anything that could be done to help the tree or is it a case of fell it or just let nature take its course?

 

 

This tree has been dropping branches for the last two years. Every time a branch drops it flattens the fence which is just to the right of the picture and I'm fed up having to keep fixing the fence. 

 

The trunk is about 5 foot diameter and I think having stood in front of it two men couldn't even join hands round it it's a big old tree. Thankfully all the branches have fallen off one side of the tree so it has a lot of weight leaning on the side away from the fence so it should be easy felled. Saying that I think its beyond the reach of the trusty 266xp and 24" bar. Would I be able to fell this with the 266 and the "wee" 24 bar? I think I read somewhere you can cut 2x wider than your bar if you plunge cut into your felling notch?

 

I'm wondering would the 266 be fit for a 32 bar? I know it might be asking a bit much of the old girl but I do have a soft spot for her. The saw is actually older than me I think. It has got the black serial number plate.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this post

 

Rab 

[Thesnarlingbadger]

Hi Rab,

 

 Can you get a 32" bar for a 266?

 

 You can cut 2x the length of the bar but with the tree being that rotten I'd be very wary about what it might do.

 

 What I'm getting at is that you could probably cut a healthy tree with twice a bar length but a rotten one I'm not sure I'd risk it. I would want to be doing it with a big saw so that I am right were I want to be if things go tits up.

 

 Might be worth asking a friend if they have a bigger saw to borrow.

 

 Cheers Eric

[NFG]

Hi

RobD is showing a 32" sugi bar with spacer on chainsawbars.co.uk, might be OK if you took it easy with a skip chain, as Eric said double cut is risky if the tree has rotted.

 

 

 

[MattyF]

If it was mine I’d try and retrench the crown heavily and keep it going.

[Rough Hewn]

Get a professional in.
5' trees are dangerous.
[emoji106]

[Khriss]

12 minutes ago, Rough Hewn said:

Get a professional in.
5' trees are dangerous.

Bloody right - I ain't climbing no 5' tree k

Edited January 20, 2020 by Khriss
Pair of steps an a silky, much safer !

[spuddog0507]

Big trees are not to be messed with if your not sure on what your doing, a 5ft diameter tree can be cut down with a saw fitted with a 25" bar if you do the sequence of cuts in the right order, and if it is rotten it becomes a lot more dangerous and needs a different approach and different cuts and if it is all weight one side and different cuts again just be very careful and if your not sure employ some one who knows what they are doing, we did a job last year where we cleared 180 big beech ranging from 3ft 6" to just shy of 6ft diameter not trees to be messed with, photo below is of a tree approx 5ft cut in to 3mtr sections,

[green horn]

100% agree with spuddog experiance comes into play when felling large trees . a couple road side beech i winched over start a last year . luckily hinges held out

[Stephen Blair]

In this instance I’d say saw size is insignificant if you are inexperienced in felling trees in poor condition.

  So many variables that can’t be accurately answered with just a few pictures.

  Get it surveyed, then appoint the contractor that’s the most suitable for the task.

[Khriss]

13 hours ago, Stephen Blair said:

In this instance I’d say saw size is insignificant if you are inexperienced in felling trees in poor condition.

  So many variables that can’t be accurately answered with just a few pictures.

  Get it surveyed, then appoint the contractor that’s the most suitable for the task.

....an put a winch in. No more than one third up for speedier take up, seen a few high pull points crack at unions. K