[Chris]

Well, with all of the massive rain, I have a nice oak that topped over (I have a strange patch of trees out in the field that have grown and this patch is just too low and wet at times, I think caused the ground to lose the battle with holding the tree in place by the root systems) --- This tree looks like it could just be staightened up and sit back into place. ---- Alas, it is pretty big around (nothing valuable like a 200 year old live oak --- just a scrappy white/water oak) ---- Was wondering what it would cost for a service to come out and chop it up into manageable pieces.
I will not need them to haul it away --- just drop it when they cut.
I can remove the debris after cutting so this should reduce the cost. I have a chainsaw but it needs to go back to the shop again and frankly I am not an expert woodsman cutter with em anyhow. (and it is not a Stihl)

In any case, if someone can give me a rough or wild estimate.
Tree is probably about 40-50 feet tall, widest point --- probably couple feet thick at least. Not a small tree --- just not a HUGE tree either. Any ideas or insight?

Jody get your saw.

Andy

 

[Argee]

I can't give you an estimate in that regard, but if you have woodworking enthusiasts or furniture builders, it might be of interest to them. Line up a few and let them bid on it!

 

[Live Oak]

If the tree is leaning over and on its way down; perhaps you can get a ladder and hook a long cable to the tree and pull it the rest of the way over with your tractor?

 

[Rodster]

Hi
I live in the northern suburbs fo Detrioit. We also have a cabin
170 miles in north Michigan. A job that costs $100 at the cabin
would cost $300 at home. I could not believe the cost difference.

There is a disease affecting the Oak trees at the cabin and we
are losing a lot of trees. It is spreading in the area up north.
Rodster

 

[Rodster]

Should read OF Detroit not FO . HA HA My proof reader is sick today.
Rodster

 

[Chris]

Chief,

It is down on the ground and it is a little larger than I remembered from yesterday. Wonder how much it will cost to get this thing outta here and cut up? Who knows....

Andy

 

[Live Oak]

I would suspect that the cost of paying someone to cut the tree up would be nearly as much as the cost a buying a chainsaw big enough to do the job. You might try advertising in the local "Peddler" or trade/sale publication and over it as free firewood. I have cut these big trees up and it is a LOT of hard, time consuming work. You might be able to find some kids that want to make a few bucks for the summer vacation to do it. My experience has been that if it involves a lot of hard work.................most folks just aren't interested. Tree cutting services can be very expensive depending upon the job and area.

 

[Stewart]

We had a Bradford pear tree that was splitting and it cost us $600 to have it taken down, chipped up , hauled away and the stump ground. That is the Oklahoma price. I wouldn't thing it would cost you that much to just have it cut up. I would think it would lean, (no pun intended) toward an hourly rate. Good luck and if you are goung to haul it your self drink plenty of water and protect your back!!! Green oak I am sure is very heavy!!!!

 

[Chris]

Hmmmmmmmmmm....

It all sounds really fun!

So, how much for a good Stihl chainsaw that can handle this again? :furious:

 

[Stewart]

Not to sound funny, but how much do you want to spend?
I forget how much I spent for my Stihl 025 but it is probably too small for your task. I think it was about $280, I have the receipt at home somewhere. I don't mean to bash any other brand I just am partial to Stihl products. Husky makes good saws as well. Happy hunting if you can't get your saw repaired!
I think Neil Nassau and Amicks sell Stihl stuff and could maybe give you an idea of cost. Stihl doesn't list prices on the web, I guess they want you to go to a dealer.

 

[Live Oak]

Originally posted by admin
Hmmmmmmmmmm....

It all sounds really fun!

So, how much for a good Stihl chainsaw that can handle this again? :furious:

Andy, for most folks who have occasional clean up, firewood, and misc. cutting work; I would suggest the Stihl MS290 Farm Boss with a 20 inch bar. MS 290 STIHL Farm Boss

This saw is not too big or too small and has a good power to weight ratio. It is also the most popular selling chainsaw Stihl makes which makes it priced the most economical.

I personally own a Stihl O-66 which is the same model as the MS660M. I cut about 10 cords of wood a year with it as well as other clean up uses. They AIN'T cheap! My O-66 cost $900 about 10 years ago. The MS290 is about 1/3 the cost. If you use a chainsaw more than occasionally; would suggest looking at one of the commercial grade Stihl chainsaws such as the MS440.

 

[DeereBob]

Admin,
The cost of a new chain saw would be about the same as paying someone to remove it. I just replaced my two old saws with a Stihl 280 CQS with a 20" bar for $440 which would be an excellent saw for the job. I once took down a 36" diameter oak tree and will never do it again. However, if money is an issue here's an alternative. Rent a commercial grade saw and cut it up into 2' logs. Unless you want the wood to burn, get someone in who wants the firewood to split those logs into smaller pieces and haul it away. With a good saw, like mine, or one you could rent, cutting is not the work, it's the splitting. With a tree that size you might have to sharpen/replace the chain once or twice. A 2' oak log 2' or more in diameter will weigh several hundred pounds so it has to be split into more manageable pieces, even to put onto a hydraulic splitter. If you want to do it yourself, get a splitting wedge, and a sledge or splitting mall. Another little trick I learned for splitting logs that size is score it with your chain saw with a cross first. Then put your wedge or maul into the groove and the log will split much easier. I went through two malls and several sledge handles since oak is such a hard wood. The fiberglass handled sledge or mall will not break but the fiberglass does not absorb the shock as well as wood which is the trade off...and we haven't talked about the smaller branches and bark yet!!

 

[slipshod]

Andy

Does your mess look worse then this?

 

[Stewart]

Slip,
That is not a mess that is money!:money:

 

[Rodster]

Be carefull hiring kids and non insured handymen. If they get hurt you are liable.
Rodster

 

[jodyand]

Originally posted by admin

Jody get your saw.

Andy

Your out of luck i don't own a saw But am willing to help if you need it.
Jody

 

[Chipmaker]

I agree with Chief and the others about buying a new or bigger saw and going at it yourslef and you'll save mney, with one exception...........Buy a Husky not a Stihl

Other than that minor point, I found lots of folks ready and willing to get wood from a felled tree, that is at least when you ask them if they want it. Everyone always says yes, sure do, but then try and get them to come and get it is another issue all together. Especially this time of year, next years wood supply for the woodstove is the last thing on anyones mind right now, and won't be until the temps get low again. If you were closer to me (within 50 miles) I would cut it up for free and haul it all away except the root mass, and any branch less than 1 1/2" in diam.


I routinley cut large oaks for firewood on my place, and I have a system for the equipment I have that saves a lot of extra hand work in getting up branches etc. I cut the tree into manageable pieces where it lays. I only more branches to gain access, if need be, other than that they stay where they fall unless they make for a hazzard. Once it is all cut up I collect all the good pieces (usually all of a tree with the exception of brances and tips less tha 1 1/2" in diameter. Then I go back and cut into these smaller branches to sort of get all the Y's etcx out of them so they are more or less not sticking out all over. Then I hook up my homme made set of forks on the 3 point. At the vertical portion of these forks I have a piece of heavy gauge expanded metal mesh welded so things do not push back into the rear of the tractor. I then put the forks on the ground and back into a pile, manuvering it up against another tree which I use to crush and compact the pile of limbs against. The forks fit around the tree and crushing them is easy. Once I get sufficient limbs heaped and crushed like this, I either push the entire pile with forks in reverse to a burn pile or back up into the pile, and compress it, and lift it off the ground enough so I can get a big nylon tie down strap around the pile and fasten to the tractor then I can pull off forward with all the branches stuck on the forks and take em to where I burn. Forks are easy to make and very handy, and I can clean up a lot of limbs like this in no time, with the only need to get opff the tractor is if I use the nylon tie down strap. Once all the major stuff is gotten up this way I usually have less than a small L & G trailer full of small junk to pickup by hand.

 

[Stewart]

What in the $%^& do you mean Husky and not Stihl!!!!!
Huskys are the biggest pile of junk known to man!!!
Stilhl is the only saw to own!!!:tellyou:

Just kidding I have always wanted to do that.....Yes I have a warped sense of humor!

Husky makes great saws as well.

Andy, what is wrong with your old saw??:stupid:

:cheers:

 

[Chipmaker]

Don't get me wrong but my preferance is Husky over Stihl but I have both brands myself and both are fine saws. I can say with 100% experience that a HUsky vibrates less than a Stihl does, as my left arm is a testimoney to that as its very suspectible to vibrations. I can use any of my Huskys all day long but only can use my Stihls for an hour or two bfore my left arm goes crazy. I had the Ulnar nerve in my left arm repositioned 2 times and its very sensitive to any vibrations or cold.

And justy how many remember this statement on the "other forum" when the topic of what is the best chainsaw came up.....

"Poulan the best dang chainsaw in the whole universe"


I would not have thought that they sold chainsaws in Oklahoma......you mean they actually have trees big enough to use a chainsaw on? Or do you all use em for cutting the grass when it gets too high? I remember seeing a article in the States archieve museum out in OK City that said something to the effect that only native tree was a cotton wood and they were extremely small and only grew in one locality way back in the old days. And that all trees in OK are basically planted trees as there is no natural forests etc. I may have it wrong but its close to what I remember.

 

[Chris]

So how much to get you to travel a little further down the road
to get the wooden goodies, Chippy?



:furious: