I have a very ambitious friend who wants his walnut tree gone. Here’s the pic he sent me. I’ve seen it in person so I knew what he was getting into. Here’s pics of the progress.
Lunch break. No plans to take the wood. I’m going to mill the base. Probably won’t happen till tomorrow.
Myself, I would have hired it out to a professional tree removal company that was insured. Too close to the house and power lines to fool with. Last walnut I had removed (back when I lived in Ohio), I sold the trunk and the stump to an outfit that made rifle stocks and got a good buck for both. I have a slight fear of heights as well and I have a large maple behind the shop I will remove as soon as I cut the hayfield but I'll bring it down in one shot. Put one of the tractors ( bucket up against it) and 'persuade' it to go the way I want it to go. I'll have to cut it up but it already has a home. One of my buddies splits and sells firewood to the local campgrounds and he'll take everything over 3" in diameter and the rest will go to the burn pile. Trunk base is about 30" in diameter.
Looks like fun. Id love to do another job like that. Between pic 1 and pic 2 it sprouted leaves real fast. Good sized tree. You keeping the milled boards Jason? Hopefully no metal to be found. Can that type be parked on uneven ground?
We figured to pay someone for this job would likely be north of 3k. He doesn’t have that kinda coin to spend on it so he rented the lift for 700 something per 8hrs. I might keep a couple planks. Most will stay with friend. This tree appears completely healthy. Should yield some beautiful stuff. I’ll share those pics in the sawyer room. Lol, yes!!
If you take your time, you'll be fine. Cut pieces that you can handle and it's good to leave a nest of branches for your drop zone if you aren't roping them down. That way the yard won't get beat up when you get into the bigger wood. Be safe, have fun and post more pics if you take them.
Mike is taking his time. This tree has a lot hanging over his neighbors house so he’s being uber careful.
I dont blame him for doing so as i would too, especially without insurance. Id being putting rounds in the bucket and bringing them down, unless you're a good catcher! How thick will you mill the slabs?
He has hit the fence a time or two but no significant damage. Maybe just the bottom 8' or so. Hope to get 2 8' sections down to mill. Everything above that will get chunked down by me. I let him use my ported Jonsered but no way I'll hand him something more powerful. He does have a Stihl 025 to use. We've roped some down but mostly he dropping smaller pieces. I'd say 20"-4'. Hopefully he can make good progress tomorrow in the AM before I get there. Thinking 2-2 1/4" thick.
The farmer down the road has (owns) a sky reach rigid arm unit that reaches vertically to almost 100 feet up. He's tried to get me in the man bucket before, I pass every time. No way I'm going up in one. I prefer to keep my feet on terra-firma. He uses it to work on his large grain storage tanks, he has a whole bank of them that he stores seed corn in, he's a certified seed corn producer. That isn't for me, too close in to a potential damage claim.
Slow progress today. Nerves are kicking in. I’m chunking up wood a little to pass the time. Not sure milling will happen today or not.
His or yours? Is he using a top handle saw? Does the rental come with an oxygen tank for high altitude use?
… yeah that’s real.. everything becomes more precise at those heights. Especially dropping stuff…. Good luck and take breaks before you wear out…
All him. I’m standing on the ground with a tiny bit of anxiety just thinking about being up there. He’s using my Jonsered 2150. It’s a plastic case so the lightest one I own. The top handle isn’t a great runner. At this point he’s out of reach and needs 8-10 more feet.
