I revisited the horror movie tree from December 2020.

W

Winchman

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
Southwest Georgia
Remember the previous thread from December 2020? I left the tree looking like this:
1657868968444.png
Yesterday morning it looked like this:
1657869068942.png
I'm disappointed the homeowner didn't have it taken down as she told me she would. Judging from the pictures, not much has fallen but small stuff. I'm tempted to ask about pulling more limbs down, but all the heavy stuff that would be easy to pull is on the right side. That would leave it wanting to fall toward the house, which is within range to the left. Eighteen months of deterioration makes it even more unpredictable when pulling on it, too. There's no telling where it might break.

I think I should just leave it alone and hope for the best.
 
Looks like a bit of a challenge. Doesn't look like there's too significant side loading, though. How dry is the trunk wood? Looks deader than disco, would think it's about as light as possible for the size.

If I were having to try and fall that ugly thing, I think it might just be the job that would convince me to buy a Stalpen Tree Jack.
 
The elderly couple that live there have had a tough time. The man is blind as a result of falling off a roof, and she has to work at a donut shop. I removed a bunch of dead/hanging limbs (storm damage) from the other trees in their yard in addition to what I did on that tree to keep it from making a mess in the yard. All for free, as usual for me. I didn't think the tree was safe to climb back then, and I'm hesitant to do anything with it now. I'm sorta surprised it's still standing.
 
southsoundtree said:
What do you think is the benefit of a Stalpen tree jack?
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Here's a yt video from Finnish Lumberjack that explains felling leaners with the Stalpen way better than I can.

Video highlights pretty much what I was thinking with that tree. Similar to directional falling with a Silvey or the Salt Creek Hi-jacker, but without having to cut a pocket for the jack. Of course, this will only work if there is adequate drop space.

My initial hind-end-retrieved thought had been to pull it over, but my thoughts moved to the Stalpen thinking that the bottom couple feet are going to be the strongest and if it can be pushed on the strong part the fragile top would follow.

Definitely not a tree to climb, at least not without having a crane overhead for tie-in. Would be a great sales video for a spider lift, along the lines of "look how bad of a tree we can deal with safely"

Mind you, all my statements are basically armchair cowboying. I'd personally nope my way off that job and pass it to someone with the right gear. It's well past my personal comfort and skill levels.



Interesting, discovered there are knockoffs of the Stalpen Tree Jack. Just noticed a Timber Tuff version on the 'zon. Looks kind of wimpy compared to the Stalpen, reviews are on par with concrete swim fins. "Doesn't work" "Broke first use" "stripped gears, then pushed tree over myself"
 
Wedges are amazing, cheap, lightweight and multipurpose.

Finesse goes a long way.

Residentially, rope and wedges (stacking plates in place of stacking wedges for backleaners) do wonders.


I've got most everything for climbing, felling, and rigging that I could want, aside from a Hobbs, and duplicates of some things, like a second GRCS.
Mostly, I use the basics in gear and basics in cutting.

There are certainly times for more than basics.

Some people try to find a place to use their expensive speciality gear since they have it, and spent a lot of money on it.






Beware marketing...$0.02.
 
There's no work order. I just dropped by to see if it was still there and what it looked like eighteen months after I worked on it. I'm not going to do any more with it...too risky now.
 
southsoundtree said:
Wedges are amazing, cheap, lightweight and multipurpose.

Finesse goes a long way.

Residentially, rope and wedges (stacking plates in place of stacking wedges for backleaners) do wonders.
Click to expand...
Yep.

Stalpen jack is the perfect tool to influence over trees in the 5”-15” dbh range when you’re doing a bunch, you can overcome a bit of a back lean or side lean withem. A lot faster than setting lines and a bit more leverage than wedges. This tree certainly doesn’t whisper Stalpen jack to me but if it’s on the truck, sure.
 
southsoundtree said:
How do you mean more leverage?
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Well, there’s a wide range you can crank if you can set it up right.. equal to many wedges stacked. and it’s a powerful force. I don’t recall the ratio. This is a dumb way to put it, but It feels like you have a pull line in the tree vs wedges.

Does that mean it has more leverage? That’s probably not the most accurate way to put it. It’s a lot of force that’s easy to set up and apply.
 
A screw jack is actually a wedge wrapped around a rod, so it has the same mechanical advantage, which is determined by the pitch of the screw thread.

A finer thread has more MA, but it takes more turns to go the same distance. A thinner wedge is easier to drive in, but you have to drive it in further.

Stacking wedges is an odd situation. When you start the second wedge, it acts like a fine thread. When you start hitting both at the same time, they act like a coarse thread.
 
$1500 plus tax, and all it does is push over small trees.

I already have a bottle jack in the truck that lifts all sorts of things, if needed. 20T, $40, 15 years ago.
I picked up a 2T jack at a garage sale for $3. Haven't used it. Super light and compact, probably undersized. 4000# is a bunch of go-that-way, in my mind, for a small tree.
I've used a Silvey jack a little. NICE!
Considering buying a modern tree jack. Maybe it was Salt Creek 45T. A whole lotta go-that-way!

No brainer for me.

I didn't watch the video.
I can imagine being able to push a small tree farther, without resetting with a spacer. Cutting a jack-seat is pretty fast and pretty easy, basically holding the same saw in the right place and pulling the trigger.






I don't understand how the size of the threads matters. I would think it's the pitch of the threads, (I think that's the correct term, measured in threads per unit of length).
 
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