some pics of the HUGE sugar maple we did a couple weeks back, situated around 10-15' away from a three story 1840's farmhouse on a very historical property out in the country. Tree was around 95' tall, around 4 1/2' diameter at the base, and had a fairly hard lean towards the porch of the farmhouse it was beside. Was one heavy sonofabeech, too.....I'm guessing 20,000lbs or more. Took 5 trailer loads of wood home from that beast!! Had the 372XP dressed with the 30" bar for the occasion...... Found metal in the tree, probably in there for close to 80-100 years (estimated the tree to be around 150-175 years old). Perfect fall, away from the house, using a steep face notch, plunge cut and wedges..... But still, something that big coming down and slamming the ground, makes your butt pucker a little bit.... View attachment 4896 Went through several metal items in the tree, having to sharpen the saw several times for the occasion. but the thing that really fried my azz is when I took the ported 051 with the 4' bar down to stump the beast. I hit this chunk of rock in the middle of the damm tree!! Pert-near ruined the chain....... Ended up having to cut the stump out in "quarters" with my buddy's MS290......had to methodically work around that big goonie to get the last quarter off!
Some of the trailer loads of wood we brought home. The one section of trunk (probably around 20-25' up) has something metal in it. I'm kinda thinking it's either a light of some sort, or possibly cable or wire?? Whatever it is, you can see in the picture below that my buddy and I rolled a HUGE portion of the trunk on the trailer as we couldn't get through it.....kept trashing chains. I'll be dissecting it apart carefully with my smaller saws to try and find out what in the heck is causing the grief!!
very good possibility of that, PB. But, that chunk of wood where we are hitting all the metal is almost 4 1/2' long, we're hitting it in all three kerfs........not sure what in the heck it is! Stay tuned to find out!!
lol.....no but real close! Those fenders are slated to be replaced this winter. And let me tell you, we literally TORTURE that trailer on a weekly basis. Already replaced the springs, axle, both wheels and SEVERAL tires over the past 6 years. It's been a good work trailer, though.....hauled a CHITLOAD of wood home in that thing!
Holy cow Scott ! You got more man cards than I do for sure. I would have said no way to that one ! Nice job bro.
Lemme tell you, Rotti.....the ground SHOOK when she hit! I literally looked at the windows of the house, expecting to see glass flying.... The tree left almost a 1 1/2' depression in the ground......that's the TRUNK! We had several branches go 4' into the ground up near the crown.... Wasn't the biggest tree I've felled, but it was definitely the heaviest to date......sugar maple eems to be one of the heaviest woods when green......
Wonder if the tree was cabled up in the 25 ft area... Nice job... Good tree to throw ball to set a line if need be.. If you had set a few lines, could you have pulled it straight out from the house? Septic maybe in the way?
I'm telling you, that one had me nervous. I knew we were good for a whole drop, I had intentions of climbing it but if you've ever tried to climb a sugar maple with gaffs, well they don't go through sugar maple bark as sugar maple bark is like ROCK. I kept slipping. \ I wanted to come home and get my other buddy's bucket truck, but after flip-flopping what to do (after talking it over with the homeowner and discussing their options), whe knew we could get it whole but still....something that big and heavy, it had my butt puckering a little bit. Everything went perfectly, but using the proper cutting technique at the stump was the determining factor there. I'd NEVER try a tree like that without doing a plunge cut and making the hinge first.......
Charlie, very good point on the cable. There was a cable from around 20-30 years ago in the crown of the tree where they tried to save a storm-damaged leader....so there could possibly be a cable lower for a similar situation.... I want to invest in a slingshot for my weighted line to shoot in trees like this one. But in the end, the only real option we had for a whole drop was right where we put the tree......in the side yard. No sewer or septic there, also no obstacles.......
I was hoping to save a chunk for a couple gunstock blanks....but that tree was almost beyond it's prime.....and the tops all had fractures and splits in them from slamming the ground, maybe next time......
Yep...You're gonna' have to make due with 5 cords of firewood. 20,000 pounds / 4,000 per cord = 5 cords...maybe less when counting dry wood
Yep, that one was what we call a "make ya or break ya" tree...... couple of years back I'd have NEVER cut that tree down, experience teaches you a lot of things. Had I not had the right angle and such, I would have pushed the bucket truck option. But we had the right situation to drop 'er whole......and as scary as they are sometimes, it's a rush.....
Oh, it's something to behold, lemme tell ya!! Total adrenaline! I'd love to go back in time and see those loggers in the Pacific Northwest dropping those huge firs back in the day......that'd be a site to see (and be part of) right there!
