So besides having more dead standing Oak then I will ever burn. We also have plenty of good healthy Oaks but with many dead branches. I find if I leave then to fall off on their own they tend to get punky. The few low ones I have removed are very low in moisture (15-20%) and can be burned right away. Here's my question what would be the best way to harvest this ready to burn crop, power polesaw, hand polesaw, or not at all? I would only cut what I could reach from the ground as even that would give many cords. Does anyone here do this and if so how do you go about it?
My thought is if you have that much to cut, go for the power option investment. I could use one at my SilIL's place with all the dead Oak branches over there. Lots o' firewood.
I don't know, but from here it doesn't look like you are going to be able to reach any of those dead branches in your picture from the ground ???
Yes that was just to show what the branches look like even though with my tractor and my work box on the bucket I can reach those also. But I am looking to cut just the ones that are 8-12' off the ground.
Those will always be offering up dead branches. If near anything of value, then I would consider the whole tree as firewood. That is just what I did here and don't miss them one bit. Still lots of trees around. Just none that can fall on my cars or home. Also, if any little ones playing near them, then they should be trimmed or removed.
Let em fall given they are woods trees. Not worth the investment, $ or time, given you have plenty of wood imo. Plus, the outer inch or so may be punk, but the rest is good wood if it's oak.
I agree, seems like a lot of work for the wood gathered, and if you don't have a pole saw, a lot of money for that project. If you are determined to do it, it would seem a pole saw would be the choice.
I'll add this....If you've never made cuts above your head, it adds a whole new level of control for the saw and the cut/falling branch! Imo, this alone makes it something to stay away from without experience.
Looking at the picture perspective both trees have main limbs with dead branches leaning towards the structure. Pruning live limbs is one thing, the dead wood will be entirely unpredictable. That little bit of BTU isn't worth risking your health over. Personally I'd call an arborist for a pruning opinion if you want to keep them, or drop them
So very true. There are a couple in my yard that I'll be looking for a professional to come and trim them up. I have grandchildren running around here now and don't want to run the risk of a limb falling on them. Those oaks can be very dangerous. I'm looking to get someone in here with a cherry picker.
I agree. They should come down so as to prevent injury and that looks like a pro job. Dead limbs are unpredictable.
For some years it's been obvious to me how useful a 2-stroke polesaw would be for cutting up tops of deciduous blowdowns. Both for the safety-factor and increased productivity. Then 2 yrs back Baileys had a half-price special on 25 cc Tanaka polesaw- I'll take one, please. It's fulfilled all my expectations and then some. You'd better give some thought as to how to not be the landing-site for what you're cutting. A good helmet, goes without saying. You'll be amazed as to the uses you'll find for such a saw. In one experiment, it did very well with an 18" bar standing in for the OEM 10-incher. With the 18" bar, I was able to buck some big oak leaders well up in the air, safely. There was no other option- northern red oak can be explosive, unless you can take it in reasonable-size chunks.
Here is a picture of one that I was looking at to take down. It's only 8' off the ground but you are all making me rethink this.
I was commenting on your first picture which involved structure nearby and limbs much higher up You could knock that one off from a climbing stand if its in the way with a handsaw, or just let mother nature open up the bark scar for other woodland critters the tree itself won't amount to anything other than firewood or just live out its years as a hard mast producer for wildlife.
Shoot I hope I haven't put you off. Your first pic needs pro attention. That pic there could be handled easily by yourself I'm sure.
I like doing this type of job. Just throw some gear in the pickup, jump up in the tree, clean out the major deadwood, come down and leave. If I don't have to fire up the F700 and drag a 6000lb chipper around, it makes it cheaper for me to do and cheaper for the homeowner. Keep an eye out for a tree company working in your area; especially a line crew. Most of those climbers are more than happy to do a small job like this on the side.
Agree with the others, a lot of work for few BTU's although the one needs attention from a safety perspective. I suspect the tree with the larger dead limb will end up totally dead in the near future, why not just whack the entire thing while it is easy to cut?
I had planned on this for the two over the barn. They have marked 12-15 trees along my frontage to cut for the power company this winter. Hope to get them to take down a REALY big dead Oak I won't touch and trim the other two.
