fell or climb?

[Tom D]

This was an interesting one, a tall beech with several longitudinal splits starting at the buttresses and heading up about 15' up the stem, they were opening and closing in a light breeze. The tree was heavily weighted to one side and the splits were twisting as they tracked up the stem. the splits had elongated since yesterday.

 

The options were fell at the at the base, this could result in the whole thing exploding into a massive barber chair the moment the saw touched the stem, dangerous for the faller but safer than climbing?

 

Or climb and dismantle, less chance of barber chair but risky that the whole thing fails while the climber is up the tree. would you take the weight off in small bits or just cut it in half?

 

Interested in opinions.....

[MattyF]

Ratchet strap x 4 or more and fell.

[Brushcutter]

Without standing next to it and looking at in and whats around its hard to say. I'd probally fell it with some sort of Coos Bay cut but it depends on how those cracks fall in term of felling direction.

 

Not sure i'd want to climb it although being on the saw at the butt doesn't look too fun either. Big MEWP?

[Old Mill Tree Care]

I don't think I'd climb that unless I strapped it up with 500 ratchet straps first. Fell or MEWP.

[Pete Mctree]

chain binders, wratchet straps galore & see how it responds before you make a decision

[gibbon]

Can you give it a tug with a winch?

[roseyweb]

Fred dibnah style, Burn the bottom out then when it goes no ones near it,

[Stephen Blair]

No chance on the climb, I have never seen 1 that bad before mate still standing!

I think you just stuck the winch on it at head height, set up a redirect and vroom vroom .

If I were felling and had no straps, I would be tempted to drive wedges into the split to stop the opening and shutting, then just fell it:001_smile:

[Frankie Lawrence]

Anychance of geting a powerful winch to it? Geting the cable as high as possible and just winching it over in one? I did it once as an experienebt on a nasty horrible ash with splits all up it and a massive whole near roots with alot of root movement. Unfortunately the guy I was working for didnt have a big enough winch and it just wouldn't go I put a gob in very quick and small back cut after and as I knew it barber chaired but at least I was safe distance away.

 

Could be an option even just at ladder hieght.

 

Edit: took to long to type others got there before me

 

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Interesting footage Dave, looks like a separation shear between two butresses, probably a bit of decay and going in a devils ear style failure, pure assumption, just like thinking about these things.

 

I know what I would do, but thats me. I wouldnt pass a recommendation on this footage alone.