Brian Mitchell wrote:
Rusty Hinge writes:

Hmmm. Firewood!

Yes. Do they burn well?

Yes, Leylandii is good as firewood, not the absolute best (like Ash)
but perfectly acceptable and certianly better than pine and such. We
have been burning our Leylandii for several years now.

It's excellent 'outdoor' wood too, it lasts an amazingly long time as
untreated posts etc.

Oh, to burn it you need to season it (i.e. let it dry) for a good year
before use.

--
Chris Green

R wrote:

"Brian Mitchell" wrote in message
...
Rusty Hinge writes:

Hmmm. Firewood!

Yes. Do they burn well?

Back in the late 1950s we (Emerson Park Tree Felling Company) used a 36"
Pioneer - up trees in excess of 150 ft...

Heroic! I was thinking in terms of a 16" about 9 or 10ft up at the most.
The folk who come by to trim around the power lines seem to swing about
quite happily with largeish petrol driven machines in hand. No doubt
they're trained.

Elfin Safety'd have a fit now! Nor did we have leggings, jackets,
helmets, etc. Goggles and leather gloves, ropes, tackle and so-on, yes.

I don't think these handy accesories are de rigeur if you are using a
power saw on your own property, yourself...

I have a lot of that stuff. Not leggings, though. Are they sexy, like
chaps?


There's a variety of advice here, and so far mostly good and sound.

Plan A

What *you* do on your own property with a chainsaw in hand at height won't
directly break any reg's (As you aren't a contractor) but given your
inexperience do you *really* want to leap around on a ladder with a running
leg removal tool ?

Go to a hire shop, a proper one, ask advice about hiring a saw AND the
relevant safety kit.
This "should" consist of a hard hat, with (built in usually), ear defenders,
gloves, and suitable "Ballistic" lined coat and trousers.

Ear defenders not necessary for an electric chainsaw, you probably
won't be able to hire an electric chainsaw either. For the OP's job
an electric chainsaw will be quite adequate and (IMHO) safer because
of the much lower inertia and thus liability to kick-back.


The coat and trousers are lined with Kevlar strands. This is the stopper for
the chain BEFORE it gets to your skin, designed to block the machine with
strands of shredded fibre and stall it.

Believe me, it works ! (I still have the *tiniest* of lines on my thigh to
prove what happens when you trip as a saw is powering DOWN and off power and
you land across it) Chain brakes MUST be used BEFORE you move, I learned on
my course the following week !

Again that's a petrol saw rule, electric saws stop almost instantly
nowadays when you remove power, there isn't a manual chain brake.


Logs from Leylandii spit like f**k when still wet, smell nice, leave a tarry
residue and can in some burners leave ignitable tarry deposits up the flue
resulting in at a later date a lovely fire up the chimney which can warm the
place to the ground!

I.e. they're exactly like any other sort of wood! :-) 'Tar' in
chimneys is simply the result of burning wood with too much water in
it still, i.e. it hasn't been seasoned/dried for long enough.
Leylandii is no worse than a lot of other wood in this respect.

--
Chris Green

Muddymike wrote:

"Brian Mitchell" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I have a line of leylandii very close to the house (like, seven
feet)
which I need to fell and then reduce. I presume this is a
supposed hedge
that got out of control and the average size is now 20+ feet
high and
10" diameter (chest height).

I'm thinking of getting an electric chainsaw for this, since
the job is
close to the house and I think an electric one might be more
manageable
up a ladder than a petrol-driven one, but I would welcome any
experienced advice on chainsaws in general, electric ones in
particular,
and brands. I'd also quite like to know how *small* a diameter
of branch
it's feasible to cut with one.

I use one I bought from B&Q about 10 years ago. Its on its third
chain and still working well. I have cut down large leylandii
with it and found the best method is to cut off as many branches
as you can reach from the ground first. Then cut the tree at
waist level, before trimming off the remaining branches. Cutting
them down is the easy bit, its clearing up afterwards that's hard
work.

Exactly our experience with our Leylandii, biggest we cut down was
around 50' high and 18" diameter. Don't try and reach *too* high
cutting branches before felling the tree, the 'rule of thumb' safety
rule is that you shouldn't try and cut above shoulder height with a
chainsaw.

If you want to be really sure which way the tree falls (i.e. if it
must avoid falling in some directions) use a rope plus a vehicle of
some sort to guide it in the right direction after cutting the classic
'notch and slot' to create a hinge.

I quite agree that most of the hard work is cutting it up after
felling. By the way I have found that cutting into 'log lengths'
directly off the felled tree is easier than cutting off big branches
and then chopping them up. This isn't possible for every branch of
course because some are inaccessible on the felled tree.

Remember to think about 'stored energy' in the felled tree, don't just
cut branches at random without thinking where they will go if/when
they straighten and also if the trunk/bulk of the tree will move.

--
Chris Green

R wrote:

Plan B

Get a man in!

But make sure he knows what he is doing. Just because you are
paying doesn't make him capable. A neighbour of mine, after
having been ripped off by itinerants who left him with
unbelievably mangled eyesores of trees, plus all the trimmings
for him to dispose of, apparently went with a garden landscape
firm to clear the lot, and give the plot a bit of a makeover.

They had a reasonably large conifer to bring down, without room
to drop it in one. I saw no goggles, ear defenders, or safety
clothing in evidence whilst using a chain saw. An extended
sectional ladder rested against the tree, but wasn't secured to
it. There was some form of primitive personal safety loop, but
it was only clipped to the ladder, the top rung of which rested
insecurely against the curve of the trunk. The chain saw was
deployed at about head height but, having no goggles, the
operator was showered with sawdust and had to look away from the
cut. Meanwhile the second man had to leave his position footing
the ladder to heave on the rope hoping to persuade the section to
fall the right way.

To my surprise they survived, but that is simply not the way to
do it. At almost every stage they progressed in such a tentative
way, that it seemed to me that they were way out of their depth.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

"Brian Mitchell" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I have a line of leylandii very close to the house (like, seven feet)
which I need to fell and then reduce. I presume this is a supposed hedge
that got out of control and the average size is now 20+ feet high and
10" diameter (chest height).

I'm thinking of getting an electric chainsaw for this, since the job is
close to the house and I think an electric one might be more manageable
up a ladder than a petrol-driven one, but I would welcome any
experienced advice on chainsaws in general, electric ones in particular,
and brands. I'd also quite like to know how *small* a diameter of branch
it's feasible to cut with one.

I have taken down a large conifer in the last year, using a hand saw and an
electric chain saw.
A lot depends on the structure of the tree.
The one I took down had branches that curved down and then up, and also did
not have a single large trunk much above 12' - 15' off the ground.

What I did:
(1) Cut off all the branches I could safely reach from the ground using the
chain saw. This cleared a surprising amount.
(2) Stood on the flat roof of the shed (you would need a small tower or
stable ladder) and used a pruning saw (fold up one) to cut off all the
higher branches I could reach.
(3) Went up a ladder (tied to the trunk) and cut off all the higher branches
with the hand saw. There wasn't a main trunk above about 15' - just a load
of smaller branches. My beautiful assistant helped guide the branches down
using a rope.
(4) Felled the remaining trunk using my Bosch chainsaw.

Not all 100% H&S but no really scary moments.

This strategy is only likely to work if you have no main trunk going all the
way up.

You could use an electric saw (not a chain saw) such as the B&D Alligator
instead of the hand saw, if used with care.
Reciprocating saws are not usually as brutal and dangerous as chain saws if
used carefully.

However, I used this strategy as the tree was sandwiched between the shed
and the end fence and so I didn't have any room to drop the whole tree
cleanly. It sounds as though you might have a clean drop and so could
dispense with some of the branch clearing.

Whatever, please heed all the good advice over chainsaw safety.
A tower scaffold might be useful as a safe working platform if you can get
it close enough to the trees.
This would enable you to tackle the higher branches more easily.

HTH

Dave R

In article ,
says...
On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 20:50:59 -0000, Charlie Pridham wrote:

I have a Bosch (40-18S)and it tackles quite big stuff if the blade is
sharpe, it is light and easy to use. I am not keen on using it off the
ground, but it would be quite happy to take out a 20 foot lylandii
cutting at around chest height, be a good idea to get someone to control
the tree coming down with a rope.

A question Charlie - wouldn't cutting such tall leylandii down that much
kill it off altogether? I ask that question as we too have a very tall
leylandii hedge running around part of our property and I hate it - makes me
feel rather claustrophobic

Yes :~)))
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Brian Mitchell writes
I agree, but there is a strip of land to the other side, away from the
house, to aim them into, so if I choose a windless day...

Trees do one of two things

a) fall towards the side they've been cut (as the cut closes up) - ie on
to you if you are cutting from one side.

b) fall the way you least expected and which will cause maximum
inconvenience

Tie a rope as high as you can and get someone to guide it the way you'd
like it to go.
--
Kay

David WE Roberts wrote:

Whatever, please heed all the good advice over chainsaw safety.
A tower scaffold might be useful as a safe working platform if you can get
it close enough to the trees.
This would enable you to tackle the higher branches more easily.

Yes, I've done that, but it does have one serious factor to take into
consideration - there's no 'easy escape route' which is one of the
things you should always look for when felling. As long as nothing
you cut off while on the platform is big enough to hurt you seriously
then you should be OK. However don't cut really heavy stuff when on
the platform, if it falls in an unexpected direction you have nowhere
to go.

--
Chris Green

On Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:35:18 +0000, K wrote:

Tie a rope as high as you can and get someone to guide it the way you'd
like it to go.

Prevoiusly making sure that you have enough space for it to land. A
sighting device with a less than 45 degree lower angle might be
useful.

And make sure the rope is long enough such that the guider isn't in
the landing area or if they have to be has a clear escape route
bearing in mind that the tree may well bounce/roll when it lands.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 9 Dec, 20:20, Brian Mitchell wrote:
Hi,

I have a line of leylandii very close to the house (like, seven feet)
which I need to fell and then reduce. I presume this is a supposed hedge
that got out of control and the average size is now 20+ feet high and
10" diameter (chest height).

I'm thinking of getting an electric chainsaw for this, since the job is
close to the house and I think an electric one might be more manageable
up a ladder than a petrol-driven one, but I would welcome any
experienced advice on chainsaws in general, electric ones in particular,
and brands. I'd also quite like to know how *small* a diameter of branch
it's feasible to cut with one.

Thanks,

brian mitchell

Using any kind of chainsaw from a ladder is an absolute no no. You
slip = 2 badly broken legs + chainsaw cuts - it happens.
The guys who use chainsaws up trees are well trained and the saws are
made for the purpose. The normal (good) advice for on ground chainsaw
use is to keep the saw no higher than chest height.

For felling cuts - decide on the direction of fall, make a small
horizontal cut ACROSS your line of fall to around 25% of the diameter
of the tree (no more than 30%)

Now cut down into that to remove a wedge so the mouth of the cut is
facing the direction of fall. If gravity is not going to aid your
felling with ABSOLUTE certainty then get a rope up there as high as
you can and helper/s to help you pull it over - *this tree is much
higher than your estimate* so get a rope way too long or divert the
pull by a pulley fixed to a suitable anchor.

Now make your felling cut from the back - horizontally and just a
little higher than the floor of the mouth of the directional cut -
stop and look at what you're doing before you get too far.
You can see that as the remaining wood gets less you will be left with
something that looks a bit like a hinge which will hold the tree to
your chosen line until it breaks.
Now you need to use your judgement - get your helpers to put some
tension on the rope but not enough to pull the tree over just yet.
Continue the cut until you judge that your helpers will be able to
pull the tree over (don't cut right through the hinge - you lose all
control that way) - stop the saw and go to help your assistants.
If you've judged right the tree will topple under the control of the
hinge and when that breaks the tree will be well on the way in the
right direction and your team should be heading away from the scene.
After the fell look at the cut stump - if you cut correctly and the
tree fell right you will see a line of broken wood across the line of
the felling cut - that was the 'hinge' that ensured the direction of
fall.

If you are at all unsure - get a good tree surgeon - they aren't that
expensive considering the high degree of skill and courage required.
And they'll clear the site afterwards.

Rod

In article ,
says...
writes:

You're bonkers. Get a 30" bow saw...

My usual instinct is to use hand tools but I seem to have reached the
age where not very much reciprocal motion wrecks my elbow rather soon.
There's eighteen of these trees. However, given the warnings so far, I
may think about doing the felling as you suggest and use a chainsaw to
reduce them once they're down.

brian mitchell


When we moved here, I had to reduce a line of 30' leylandii to 15'.
The actual trunks were about 4" or so dia at that height, but the dense
smaller branches were well tangled together, so had to come off first anyway.
For this I used a pruning saw in order to gain access for the bow saw. As it
happens, the pruning saw was the best tool for the main trunks also.
As I recall, trying to cut off small stuff with a chain saw is considered to
be very dangerous, especially if perched on a ladder.

Steve

R wrote:
"Brian Mitchell" wrote in message
...
Rusty Hinge writes:

snippy

Plan B

Get a man in!
Seriously it is worth doing right and he may suggest just topping the
conifers to leave an all important wind-break.

--
https://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Pete C
London UK
Best idea yet!

Aries wrote:

A question Charlie - wouldn't cutting such tall leylandii down that much
kill it off altogether? I ask that question as we too have a very tall
leylandii hedge running around part of our property and I hate it - makes me
feel rather claustrophobic

I know my name's not Charlie, but there's a lad called Charlie down the
road, so I'll answer on his behalf.

Cut off all the grennery from most, if not all coniferous trees will
kill them. Generally if not always, conifers only grow from the bits
with foliage. The only exception I can think of offhand is yew, which
technically, is a conifer,

--
Rusty

Brian Mitchell wrote:
writes:

You're bonkers. Get a 30" bow saw...

My usual instinct is to use hand tools but I seem to have reached the
age where not very much reciprocal motion wrecks my elbow rather soon.
There's eighteen of these trees. However, given the warnings so far, I
may think about doing the felling as you suggest and use a chainsaw to
reduce them once they're down.

Admittedly, age isn't everything, but in three months I'm seventy. I
still use hand tools in preference in the garden. I have a petrol power
saw an an electric one. I haven't used either for at least two years,
and my house is almost entirely heated by wood fires.

--
Rusty

Brian Mitchell wrote:
Rusty Hinge writes:

Hmmm. Firewood!

Yes. Do they burn well?

Very well. Usually, Leyland cypress doesn't spit if seasoned. Don't burn
it green, though, or your chimney will be coated inside with a thick
layer of hard tar.

Back in the late 1950s we (Emerson Park Tree Felling Company) used a 36"
Pioneer - up trees in excess of 150 ft...

Heroic! I was thinking in terms of a 16" about 9 or 10ft up at the most.
The folk who come by to trim around the power lines seem to swing about
quite happily with largeish petrol driven machines in hand. No doubt
they're trained.

You do need experience and common sense. *LOTS* of common sense...

16^ will be quite a heavy beast. I'd recommend a smaller one: Stihl make
good light, reliable saws. 10" should ne quite enough for your job.

Elfin Safety'd have a fit now! Nor did we have leggings, jackets,
helmets, etc. Goggles and leather gloves, ropes, tackle and so-on, yes.

I don't think these handy accesories are de rigeur if you are using a
power saw on your own property, yourself...

I have a lot of that stuff. Not leggings, though. Are they sexy, like chaps?

Like chaps, but not exactly fishnets

--
Rusty