Felling conifers

[i_am_fubar]

Looking to remove 2 huge conifers. Probably about 60ft+ each.

I'm a confident climber and will be tying myself off to prevent fall risks.

While I'm happy to use a chainsaw at ground level, all high level work will be done with saws and brush hooks.

The trees were heavily pruned many years ago, and as such, don't feature a single central trunk which should make climbing and lowering of branches an easier job.

The battle plan is:
1) Climb up, remove all brunches smaller than 2 inches at the trunk(s) inc. foliage to clear a climbing path.

2) Starting at the bottom, remove any branches between 2inches and 4 inches to leave 6-12inches of branch as steps. Lowering them to the ground.

3) To remove the top most whippy part of the trunk(s), tie a rope above and below the intended cut point and cut duel V's. Then climb down and use another rope to pull and snap the branch. Then climb back up, attach another rope and lower it down.

4) Climb down, removing 2ft lengths at a time and lowering / dropping them to ground level.

Does anyone have any better ideas on how to address this? (without paying for someone else to do it)

Both trees are at the property boundry against a footpath and road that only see light use.

I'll be keeping the wood to season and burn. But what'll be the easiest & cheapest way to get rid of the foliage?

Cheers,
Fubar.

 

[Mursal]

Have you considered hiring a cherrypicker, platform lift?

Your plan will probably work, but you will have to do it over a long period of time. As fatigue after a short time working/climbing will leave you vulnerable. If you consider the amount of times you will have to climb to get one piece down and how many pieces do you think you will have in total?

Unless you are X military/SAS?

 

[r896neo]

If this was not beside a footpath i'd say go nuts.

Worth considering the potential problems with not having public liability insurance like a tree surgeon would should the worst happen and something hit a passing car or little johnny from across the road.

You sound like your going about it sensibly though and are relatively aware of the main dangers.

 

[i_am_fubar]

Thanks for the reply. I'm aware of the dangers to other people and property as well as myself. But hadn't considered the benefit of liability insurance a surgeon would have.

The road is practically a no-through road. Maybe a couple of cars an hour in busy periods, and as I would take a day off work to get it done, should be quiet. Only issue could be dog walkers park their cars around there. I'll have other people on hand to provide verbal warnings.

Where would I stand with regards to marking out the pavement under the tree. Do you need a permit to cordon off an area of a public highway? Are there specific signs that MUST be used... etc?

Cheers,
Fubar.

 

[i_am_fubar]

Mursel,

Thought about it. But if I'm going to spend that, I may as well spend the money on a surgeon.

With regards to my personal fitness,

I don't have a military background.
I work a desk job.
But I can happily spend all day swinging an axe.
Oh, and I'm also training for Tough Mudder, so it's good exersise

I'm also very stubborn, which could be a problem. Thankfully the missus will sort me out if I go too crazy.

 

[r896neo]

You arte not allowed in theory to block an area of pavement without the proper consent, notices and saftey signs etc.

In reality if its not a busy road then simply coning it off for a few hours is worth doing.

I am assuming you don't have room to simply drop these so just go carefully and then drop the remains as soon as you have space. Just go slowly and methodically.

Good luck

 

[i_am_fubar]

Well, thanks for all the replies. However, I was forbidden to attempt it (something about health, saftey, risk... etc) by the parents, other half, other halfs parents and my brother.

I agreed and got some quotes.

First one came in at... £3700 for 4 days work

I'm now wondering if I could drop that cost by doing the 'safer' job of just removing all branches under a couple of inches and leaving the bigger branches to the professionals.

Does anyone have any experience to know how much time I could save a surgeon by doing this innitially?

Fubar.

 

[r896neo]

Get more quotes. Unfortunately Very few people will like the idea of finishing off what you have started.

 

[i_am_fubar]

Have more on the way, though I doubt we will get under 1500 looking at that.

With regards to professionals finishing work, I can understand it with addative work (plastering, plumbing, brick laying... etc) Though with demolition or removals, why would it be such an issue providing nothing is left in a dangerous state?

And by 'won't like it' do you mean won't do it or will charge more?

Fubar.

 

[wrathkeg]

I had three very large trees (two oak, one beech) in a tricky location felled not so long ago in a day, so four days sounds like quite a long time.... Although I did the clearing up myself which increased the time for the job, I wouldn't have thought it would take very long to throw the conifers through a shredder and dispose of it.

I think they are unlikely to reduce the price because you are offering to do the preparation work: they aren't asking/needing you to.

 

[i_am_fubar]

as far as foliage desnity goes, I image conifers are much thicker. So for a comparativly sized oak, there will be a lot more mass of greenary and small brannches from the conifers. I recon I could easily fill the garden with one of the trees once it's down.

I live next to a couple of farms, would a farmer have any use for pine chippings? Not for multch, but maybe paths :s

 

[wrathkeg]

a competent tree surgeon should be able to estimate how much material there will be once shredded.

dunno about a farmer, but local allotmenters/gardeners might want it for mulch. but in my experience, even getting rid of masses of oak logs free to people with wood burners, was trickier than you might think.

a tree surgeon should have appropriate methods for disposal, so you shouldn't need to worry about it. seriously, if they include disposal in a sensible price, take them up on it (I wish I had).

 

[i_am_fubar]

Well, we can't take them down until the end of nesting season. So we have a few months to find good quotes.

Will maybe take a largish branch down from low level and see how much mulch I get out of it.