How would you tackle a tree like this?

[coppicer]

How would you deal with this situation? The upper trunk of a tree breaks off for some reason, falls to one side and is caught in the fork of the tree next to it. The tip of the falling trunk reaches the ground and seems to be supporting some weight. (See photo below.) Just to complicate matters, there is a fence underneath the two trees that should not be damaged.

 

I should emphasise that I have NO plans to tackle this myself as it looks to my layman's eyes to be something that could leave you squished against the floor pretty quickly. But I'm interested as to how a professional would approach it. I was thinking maybe a rope around the upper part of the trunk caught in the fork and then gently pull forward with a tractor or 4x4, leading the trunk to fall forwards on to the floor?

 

[Paul Cleaver]

I would first attach a support rope on the failed limb, to the tree on the right, then cut the butt end down to what looks like a supporting branch on the on the right tree (rope your self to this tree to do that). I would then take off any branches on the failed limb that are not supporting the failed limb, then the critical cut would be cutting the failed limb as high as possible so when it swings back its high enough to miss the fence.

 

but why not take the staples out of the posts until the fence lays flat, and mabe take the post out that's closest, and the last cut would not be critical.

hope that makes sense

Edited August 9, 2014 by Paul Cleaver

[coppicer]

I would first attach a support rope on the failed limb, to the tree on the right

So you'd secure the falling limb to the tree in which it is caught, to prevent any unwanted slippage?

 

I would then take off any branches on the failed limb that are not supporting the failed limb

Presumably while still perched up in the supporting tree?

 

but why not take the staples out of the posts until the fence lays flat, and mabe take the post out that's closest, and the last cut would not be critical.

Lateral thinking! Maybe that would be easier. Would be interesting to watch a pro get stuck in.

 

Thanks for comments.

[Paul Cleaver]

So you'd secure the falling limb to the tree in which it is caught, to prevent any unwanted slippage?

 

 

Presumably while still perched up in the supporting tree?

 

 

Lateral thinking! Maybe that would be easier. Would be interesting to watch a pro get stuck in.

 

Thanks for comments.

 

first question-yes to prevent movement. second question - yes for part of the job.

Its definatly a job for a seasoned pro but to be honest not that difficult

[Will Heal]

Just tug it with a landy!

 

 

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[Mull]

Just tug it with a landy!

 

 

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Aye, then cut it into rounds, no need to chop coz it's tiny, wtf.

[peatff]

It's only little, cut bits off the bottom till it reaches the fence then cut it over the fence and pull it down the other side.

[Stephen Blair]

I'd undercut everything behind the wire, that would drop the limb down, then I would get my polesaw and cut it free so it fell to the ground. then I would cut the top broken limb and it would fall on the ground, then I would cut it back to where the damage was.

None of these cuts would be in 2 stages, just a single cut on the tension side so it held on a little longer.

If the rest was to be felled, I would then fell the tree in the direction of the leaning top.

About 8 minutes work all in.

[10 Bears]

Im pretty much with Stephens description above. Its a no sweat job to get it on the ground but then a bit of a tidy up.

 

I recon the OP is trying to suss how much he should pay for someone doing the work based on the difficulty of the job...

[Mesterh]

I would climb the tree its hung up in.

 

Meanwhile the groundie would be nibbling bits away to see how it moved.

 

I would then probably just section it down from the hung up tree depending on what the broken limb did when the groundie cut bits off.

 

You only have one picture of the tree, plus everything looks 10 tens easier and smaller from the ground.