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Are_grits_groceries

(17,111 posts)
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:10 AM Jun 2014

How to cut down a tree.

(I got this in an email)


Keith Weckman took this picture yesterday in Shakopee.
He and one of his co-workers were driving by and had to circle the block.
It's a guy cutting down a tree in his backyard. The house is located on
Third Avenue across from the Library.
Keith also said the cops showed up telling the guy he couldn't do what he
Was doing. He told them to go to hell, it's his property and his tree.


One Darwin Award coming up.
38 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
How to cut down a tree. (Original Post) Are_grits_groceries Jun 2014 OP
Looks like he has a full safety harness on though madokie Jun 2014 #1
It's probably attatched to the tree, Jenoch Jun 2014 #15
I saw a guy doing that off a cherry picker giftedgirl77 Jun 2014 #2
That reminds me of an old photo meme titled DamnYankeeInHouston Jun 2014 #3
Wow, someone wants a Darwin Award! Rex Jun 2014 #4
looks like some of the photos that show up from eastern europe and asia. KG Jun 2014 #5
The power lines will break his fall. TheCowsCameHome Jun 2014 #6
Or the ground. Either way he's good! bluesbassman Jun 2014 #24
Aw, Geez! MineralMan Jun 2014 #7
Not here in Virginia. WCLinolVir Jun 2014 #9
The guy in the story is in Minnesota, not Virginia. MineralMan Jun 2014 #10
You are lucky, maybe it's because of ice storms and such. WCLinolVir Jun 2014 #35
OMG, the 2 grand (or whatever), he was quoted to take it down will look like a bargain compared WCLinolVir Jun 2014 #8
My neighbor had a small tree Leme Jun 2014 #11
Interesting how the tree trunk changes color right where the lowest power line crosses it. Gidney N Cloyd Jun 2014 #12
I know right! Now imagine the side of your brain where you hold your cell phone up to! snooper2 Jun 2014 #14
Just so you know Brother Buzz Jun 2014 #16
I actually wasn't making a point about the affect of the power lines on the tree. Gidney N Cloyd Jun 2014 #18
I received this photo several weeks ago in an e-mail. Jenoch Jun 2014 #26
It's not photoshopped crjo0202 Nov 2014 #38
Wish the photographer had circled the block a few more times. dixiegrrrrl Jun 2014 #13
top might never reach ground Leme Jun 2014 #17
ahhh..yes, I see. dixiegrrrrl Jun 2014 #25
i can't tell Leme Jun 2014 #32
one of my dad's friends cut down 21 eucalyptus tress in his yard with this: srican69 Jun 2014 #19
Some things shanti Jun 2014 #20
I predict Sir Isaac Newton will win this one. lpbk2713 Jun 2014 #21
Okay thats just yuiyoshida Jun 2014 #22
One needs a permit to remove a tree in most Bay Area cities CreekDog Jun 2014 #23
True, but there's apparently little restriction of pollarding trees ever year. Gormy Cuss Jun 2014 #28
Looks to be a photoshop. NCTraveler Jun 2014 #27
Recently had two trees cut down & hauled away/recycled CountAllVotes Jun 2014 #29
looks like he got the big limbs off without hitting anything. Now he will top off and move down. Sunlei Jun 2014 #30
I've seen sketchier, but that's pretty scary.... mike_c Jun 2014 #31
I just spoke with someone from the City of Shakopee and indeed, it is a real photo of Jenoch Jun 2014 #33
That is hard to believe... greytdemocrat Jun 2014 #34
I wonder Shankapotomus Jun 2014 #36
Reminds me of this... krispos42 Jun 2014 #37

madokie

(51,076 posts)
1. Looks like he has a full safety harness on though
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:14 AM
Jun 2014

not sure what he has it connected too, a sky hook maybe.
What an idiot no doubt.

I wonder if there is a follow up to this story to let us know how it turned out.

 

giftedgirl77

(4,713 posts)
2. I saw a guy doing that off a cherry picker
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:16 AM
Jun 2014

that was fully extended. Your down in the Carolinas like me where pretty much anything goes, you would think they would at least put down some gym mats or matress.... Geez, at least give the dude a chance.

MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
7. Aw, Geez!
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:35 AM
Jun 2014

The power company will come and deal with that tree for no charge. He needs to get down off that ladder and leave this to the experts. He's going to kill himself up there.

As they say here, Uff da!

WCLinolVir

(951 posts)
9. Not here in Virginia.
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:45 AM
Jun 2014

Dominion will only cut/trim tree limbs directly over the lines themselves. They will not take a tree out. And I had to call them twice.

MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
10. The guy in the story is in Minnesota, not Virginia.
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:49 AM
Jun 2014

I called our power company here about some maple saplings that were in the wires. I had removed some that I could remove safely, but didn't want to mess with the taller ones. Their contract tree company came, cut every thing down to the ground, chipped it all up, including the stuff I removed, and said thanks for calling.

Later, they came and removed a red oak tree from my neighbor's yard that might have someday fallen on the power lines. They even ground the stump. No charge to the owner.

WCLinolVir

(951 posts)
35. You are lucky, maybe it's because of ice storms and such.
Sun Jun 8, 2014, 07:43 AM
Jun 2014

Maybe there is more than one power company in Minn and they are not willing to do it?

WCLinolVir

(951 posts)
8. OMG, the 2 grand (or whatever), he was quoted to take it down will look like a bargain compared
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:41 AM
Jun 2014

to the cost of replacing the wires and/or shed and fence. Not to mention potential med bills. You never know which way the top will fall 100%. That's why he should have ground support and at least 2 ropes to pull it away from any obstacles. And the rest of the tree can move when the top is cut off.
I see he has ground support. Or a future victim.

 

Leme

(1,092 posts)
11. My neighbor had a small tree
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 10:06 AM
Jun 2014

Growing behind his garage (4 feet from my yard)...and it was starting to shade my yard.
-
I offered to cut it down because neither his garage nor my yard needed shading. but Nooooooooooo.
-
After a few year it grew from 15 feet to about 25 or so. It was now getting as high as the power lines.
-
He and two friends now decided to remove this useless tree( a scrub elm) only because the city ordered him to do so...Dutch elm disease.
-
One guy was up in this rather small tree, using a saddle, chainsaw. They could stand on garage and get a lot done also.
-
I went back inside to watch tv But just for a while. Tv went off. Electricity went off.
-
The guy had cut a branch and touched a 20,000 volt wire. The tree trunk was still smoking some along its length when I looked.
-
Ambulance took him to hospital and he was back in a few hours.
-
The electricity was off in a six block area about that long also.
-
Electric company crew came and finished the job using cherry picker.

Brother Buzz

(36,217 posts)
16. Just so you know
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 12:26 PM
Jun 2014

The lowest line is telephone, not power. No television cable in that neighborhood, either

Gidney N Cloyd

(19,781 posts)
18. I actually wasn't making a point about the affect of the power lines on the tree.
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 12:56 PM
Jun 2014

I'm suggesting it's a photoshop and that's the spot where someone photoshopped in the upper part of the tree.

Plus, I use cell phones all the time and there's nothing brain with my wrong!

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
26. I received this photo several weeks ago in an e-mail.
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 01:36 PM
Jun 2014

I thought it was photoshopped then, and I still do now. I do not think it would be possible to climb the second ladder in the position it is on that tree.

crjo0202

(1 post)
38. It's not photoshopped
Tue Nov 25, 2014, 06:58 PM
Nov 2014

If you simply go to Shakopee, MN on google maps or better yet, use bing.com and do the birds eye view you can find the alley, the tree and everything.

I actually got this (and many other) pictures from a co-worker in that county, which is just an hour north of me.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
13. Wish the photographer had circled the block a few more times.
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 12:05 PM
Jun 2014

I am dying to see where the top of that tree ends up.
from here, looks like the garage is the landing spot.

 

Leme

(1,092 posts)
17. top might never reach ground
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 12:49 PM
Jun 2014

you tie top part to bottom part; attach rope to topmost as high as possible; make two PARTIAL cuts in area midway between these tie offs

1 cut----------->trunk
trunk
trunk<--------2nd cut

-
pull with tractor seen on bottom LEFT.


top falls as far as connecting rope allows

 

Leme

(1,092 posts)
32. i can't tell
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 02:31 PM
Jun 2014

but if the ladder he is on is secure at top and bottom, and he has his safety harness attached to something ok... he is doing a fine job.
-
looks like he took down the most dangerous branches already, and a major limb that his ladder now stands on.
-
just getting that ladder he is on...whew, and the ladder resting in the tractor bucket, that must have been some doing

lpbk2713

(42,696 posts)
21. I predict Sir Isaac Newton will win this one.
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 01:07 PM
Jun 2014






One of my self-proclaimed unabashed Teabagger neighbors recently did some tree trimming stretching out from the top of an extension ladder while using a corded circular saw. I couldn't bear to watch. I was waiting to hear the sounds of ambulance sirens approaching at any time though.



CreekDog

(46,192 posts)
23. One needs a permit to remove a tree in most Bay Area cities
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 01:13 PM
Jun 2014

not only are their reasons to require that it be professionally done, the removal of trees affects the community, so often the permit will require that it be replaced in some form.

Gormy Cuss

(30,884 posts)
28. True, but there's apparently little restriction of pollarding trees ever year.
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 01:44 PM
Jun 2014

Severe pollarding, common in the SF Bay area, creates ugly, stunted trees like this:


 

NCTraveler

(30,481 posts)
27. Looks to be a photoshop.
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 01:44 PM
Jun 2014

That being said, I want to comment on his supposed comment to the cops. I am normally a person who wants cops to have limited authority as to actions people take on their own property. Clearly there would be numerous exceptions. But in this instance, if it were real, the public could be at risk of incurring large costs. His property? Sure. His tree? Sure. Possible damages to others? Absolutely.

Thanks for sharing. Cool picture to look at.

CountAllVotes

(20,854 posts)
29. Recently had two trees cut down & hauled away/recycled
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 01:47 PM
Jun 2014

The cost was $300.00 for both of them.

It was well worth it having a business that removes trees do it with a license to back their work up.

Doing this on your own was a pretty dumb idea at best.

One bad fall = god only knows what.

Sunlei

(22,651 posts)
30. looks like he got the big limbs off without hitting anything. Now he will top off and move down.
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 01:58 PM
Jun 2014

I've had to remove 10 old oaks and pines (severe Texas drought) & this is about how they do it.

Such a big old nice tree it's a shame to see them go.

mike_c

(36,214 posts)
31. I've seen sketchier, but that's pretty scary....
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 02:02 PM
Jun 2014

Personally, I'd have done it from ropes, not used those ladders. A full saddle and a couple of arborist's ropes would be much safer than those ladders.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
33. I just spoke with someone from the City of Shakopee and indeed, it is a real photo of
Thu Jun 5, 2014, 03:27 PM
Jun 2014

a real moron cutting down that tree. I did not see anything on the news about this guy falling from the tree, so he must have survived.

krispos42

(49,445 posts)
37. Reminds me of this...
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 11:49 PM
Jun 2014



I've seen how this on World's Dumbest... a sudden horizontal displacement, a ballistic trajectory, and a full body cast.


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