Big Beech Fell

[Brushcutter]

 

Fair play Brushcutter, some size butt in her. Enjoyed the falling sequence of shots.

Was wondering what high lifts are?

I have never seen anyone using a bottle jack before for felling purposes, do you have any pictures of how and where exactly on the back that was inserted (presumably closer to that big limb that was sticking out the back end above you there)?

 

Rowan.

 

Hi Rowan

 

Hi lifts are ally wedges with a big wooden bit on the back that is shaped to lift the tree even more. One in the pic a few post below. I'll pop down tomorrow and get a shot of how i seated the jack. I pritty much just cut a v shaped wedge out of the back and put the jack in there. Then the top of the jack reaches up to the felling cut. Yes it was seated just under or there abouts that limb. Just to lift the it over. I did consider a very long pull line through the treee and onto that limb to use to leaver it over. Thought the jack and a standard placed line would do.

 

When felling trees that size and especially when that high jacks are great as it so much less effort to lift the leaver up and down that in is to hit a wedge with 20 odd tonne sitting on it.

 

 

Grey Git

 

Nice fell i like your stubby bottle jack where you get that? i used a regular one with a extra bit of steel to stop it digging in. Looks much easier to seat that mine as its about 12" tall.

[Gray git]

Just the local tool place,think it was about £40ish and it's a 20ton lift so makes for easy lifting of big stuff. I also hav a bit of steel plate on top after the 1st time i used it the top dug in and when the tree went it picked the lot up and hurled it a good 20m. the shorter hight just saves cutting out as much timber to set it into the trunk.

[Brushcutter]

Just the local tool place,think it was about £40ish and it's a 20ton lift so makes for easy lifting of big stuff. I also hav a bit of steel plate on top after the 1st time i used it the top dug in and when the tree went it picked the lot up and hurled it a good 20m. the shorter hight just saves cutting out as much timber to set it into the trunk.

 

Can only see them for 90+ on google. I always wanted a proper set of hydraulic felling jacks like they had for redwood felling. You could get them for 300 quid or so from shreill tree. Never could justify having them but they would have been handy for that. Hopefully have another big but smaller than that beech to do next week.

[Gray git]

Im a newcastle lad raised in yorkshire so i wont have spent that much on a jack!!

Also always wanted some redwood jacks but unless big stuff in bad places is all you cut i just dont see how anyone could justify spending that much money when you can improvise with a bottle jack or 2??

[Brushcutter]

Im a newcastle lad raised in yorkshire so i wont have spent that much on a jack!!

Also always wanted some redwood jacks but unless big stuff in bad places is all you cut i just dont see how anyone could justify spending that much money when you can improvise with a bottle jack or 2??

 

Exactly be some tree to need two bottle jacks.

[rowan lee]

Hi lifts are ally wedges ......

Cheers man, for explaining all to me. Ive seen those types of wedges before alright, but never knew their correct name, or for what they were used exactly.

 

Just as a matter of interest, (and this is a layman's question) could standard wedges be used on their own to allow just enough of a gap for the chainsaw bar not to be pinched in the back cut, or is a hi-lift essential in this situation even if the felling direction is favourable and has all the weight on the right side?

 

1st pick shows a hi lift wedge used as a back up to the jack and the outher 2 hopefaly show how the jack is seated in the cut.

 

Thanks for your help as well mate, big lump an all

Nice pictures.

[Brushcutter]

Cheers man, for explaining all to me. Ive seen those types of wedges before alright, but never knew their correct name, or for what they were used exactly.

 

Just as a matter of interest, (and this is a layman's question) could standard wedges be used on their own to allow just enough of a gap for the chainsaw bar not to be pinched in the back cut, or is a hi-lift essential in this situation even if the felling direction is favourable and has all the weight on the right side?

 

 

 

Thanks for your help as well mate, big lump an all

Nice pictures.

 

A regualar wedge is fine for just keeping the cut open. High lifts are really for felling as they can lift tree higher tipping it closer to falling over. If the weight is right on a big tree then it won't need wedging over. I've always got Hi-lifts in the bag you don't alway need them. Always better to have them and not need em.

[joel]

Brushcutter, lovely photos mate and what a place to work!

[Brushcutter]

Brushcutter, lovely photos mate and what a place to work!

 

Thanks. It is indeed. Always got my Nikon D90 with a few lenses in the truck and a really good tripod too.