Tools for ivy removal in trees?

B

Ben p.

Location
Denmark
lately ive run into alot of trees invaded with irish ivy.
This week a Good customer has asked me to remove it from 4 fir trees, one that is invaded heavily from top to bottom, Rest being invaded in different degree.
thickest ivy trunk i saw was about 3”.

What is your favorite tools for removing ivy from trees?

Best regards

Ben
 
When I was in North Carolina we'd strip Ivy in some trees. Using a flat Wonder Bar worked great

Dropping was a huge issue so I'd use one of two lanyard setups.

First I took the wrist leashes off my one of my ice climbing tools. The webbing snugged around my wrist but didn't tourniquet my hand. When I didn't need the WB I let it dangle. When I needed it I would put my arm out to the side and give the leash a swing and yank. With practice and adjusting the tie off point it was like Thor getting his hammer back

Careful or you might be spitting teeth

The other lanyard was longer and clipped to my saddle or chest harness. Putting some elastic inside webbing would be the next iteration

An idea that I had but didn't fabricate was to find a hatchet and weld on the prybar head from the WB. There are several orientations for the two heads
 
I've used a claw hammer with some success. That machete looks pretty good, definately want something made for prying and striking. An old dull blade for the handsaw could be a good idea depending on how advanced the ivy is. My silky was nice and sharp before I put it through a bunch of dirty vine crust.
 
A military grade blow torch.......... in reality the little pry bar shared by jontree is pretty nice. We normally try to convince the client to cut a couple feet out of the bottom and let it die for a year or two. It comes off so much easier. But I’m not familiar with Irish ivy and if it can survive off the tree and it’s own reserves for a long time.
 
We've gone to the discussion about letting the ivy die as opposed to taking it out green. When it is dry and brittle it can be a pain and breaks off before you can pull a run but stronger when it is green. The other issue is stripping all of the cover off and giving the tree a sunburn when protected from the Sun. For sure it is better without the IV but I think we want to avoid a shocking shocking change in the environment.
 
Thanks for all the answers, that really does help me.
They are Warned about High cost, BT They dont want to let it hang and wither.
they always pay me What i ask for without questions, so Im happy to work for them almost no matter What they wish for.

Looks like consensus is that a pry bar is a must have for ivy removals.

A machete, i always wanted one just never had a Good Reason for actually getting one, so Thx :)

Have Anybody tried something like the fiskars billhook? To me the Shape looks like it could Do a Good job.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-Billhook-Steel-Clearing-Hook-13-in-385061-1001/206398511


Best regards

Ben
 
Here is a consideration and one of the reasons I like the small circular cutting chain on a grinder. The vines go every direction and often are very close to each other. It makes it difficult to isolate a specific cut and swinging with an axe can cut into the cambium layer easily.
 
I am not advocating swinging the ax, but using it like a wedge with a sharp edge. It will slice it clean off if you have good technique. You can also hook the vine with the edge of the ax blade to pull it back from the tree.
 
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