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Lumberjacks, Get In Here!

Metallitubby

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ATL OTP North
In walking my property yesterday, I noticed a black walnut tree leaning on a power-line that connects to a neighbor. It appears the full weight of the tree isn't on the line, but obviously the tree needs to be removed. How would you you cut this tree down without damaging the power-line?

*I know that I need to trim around the line to avoid future issues.

Walnut Tree_2.jpg
Walnut Tree_1.jpg
Walnut Tree_3.jpg
 
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mike93lx

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Richmond, VA
Utility line or owned by your neighbor? That would determine if I call the utility or my tree guy.

If I had to do it, I'd probably cut the top off a few feet away from the line, then the rest from the other side
 

PCustoms

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Utility line or owned by your neighbor? That would determine if I call the utility or my tree guy.

If I had to do it, I'd probably cut the top off a few feet away from the line, then the rest from the other side

Looks like a telephone cable rather than a power cable?


This and this.

Doesn't look like power. If no power in the area, a cut on the top side of the line to drop that, then a chunk at the line. From there you can drop the rest no problem.

Getting up there is the issue.
 

PCustoms

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Another option, if you can get a rope on it at the line, and there is space to the left, start a cut and pull it back straight. Might take a few segmented cuts to flex enough, Once clear of the line cut through and drop it.
 
OP
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Metallitubby

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Another option, if you can get a rope on it at the line, and there is space to the left, start a cut and pull it back straight. Might take a few segmented cuts to flex enough, Once clear of the line cut through and drop it.

This was my initial thought. Use a throw rope, tie it and pull it back away from the line.
 
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Metallitubby

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Utility line or owned by your neighbor? That would determine if I call the utility or my tree guy.

The line is both power, fiber and an old defunct telephone line. It is owned by a house across the street that is used by the local botanical garden as their "data center".
 

PCustoms

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This was my initial thought. Use a throw rope, tie it and pull it back away from the line.
I did a combo of all the above to get several 2-6" trees overhanging my line down. PoCo doesn't handle drops to houses around here, so it was on me.

Pole saw for the small stuff, remote winch and slow cuts for the rest. Be careful in the cold, I suspect trees are less bendy...
 
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PowderKeg

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Little Rock, AR
If a power line is actually involved (looks like just phone from what I can see), DO NOTHING BUT CALL THE POWER COMPANY to deal with it, and DO NOT do any clearance trimming on your own - that's the power company's responsibility, not yours.

If it's just phone as it looks then try calling them, but the phone company will likely just ignore it - I've seen countless phone line runs weighed down with debris and limbs running through the woods practically on the ground and they do nothing until it's physically broken.

If you DO anything that ends up damaging that line you're gonna be held liable, if the tree ends up falling on it's own accord and timing or a storm then it's a natural occurrence.

Finally, you sure that's a Black Walnut? Can't zoom in clearly enough on my phone for a sharp look at the bark, but it sure looks like Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) from your closer line pics - easy to confuse with BW from a distance or casual look because of large compound leaves in the summer and thick branch tips/very large buds in the winter. Bark is the dead giveaway, as well as the rotten peanut butter stench of the leaflets when crushed up.
 

gleman

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Michigan And Florida too!
I had a clump of birch trees partially up root and lay over a powerline. A neighbor used a bulldozer to push them back. A limb grabbed the line and lifted it up about 15 inches before letting go. Scared the **** out of everyone.

Let the power company mess with it.
 

Fav Onefour

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MN cold and hot
Whatever you decide, it won't be the last time unless you keep on cutting. That line is running through a bunch of trees.

I'm not real clear on the line ownership. Power. . . fiber. . . old phone. . . all in one cable? That would not be a utility combo around our area. That would belong to the property if it even existed in that combination. I don't even recall running into power combined with low voltage.
 

JohnKal

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Even if it’s a telephone cable, it could still be energized. A local cable technician got fried when he was running a new cable. Seems it got hung up with and energized power line.
 

kbuhagiar

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Escondido, CA
Even if it’s a telephone cable, it could still be energized. A local cable technician got fried when he was running a new cable. Seems it got hung up with and energized power line.

C'mon, man, let's be real.
Unless you are currently experiencing storm conditions the chances of what you describe actually happening are extremely slim.
And that local cable tech must have done something egregiously wrong to suffer that fate. It got 'hung up' with an energized line because he (or his co-workers, or both) weren't following proper procedures.
 

ybnormal

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Jan 3, 2016
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In walking my property yesterday, I noticed a black walnut tree leaning on a power-line that connects to a neighbor. It appears the full weight of the tree isn't on the line, but obviously the tree needs to be removed. How would you you cut this tree down without damaging the power-line?

*I know that I need to trim around the line to avoid future issues.

Walnut Tree_2.jpg
Walnut Tree_1.jpg
Walnut Tree_3.jpg
well, first I would gets me a Honda chainsaw, and cut it down. then to haul it off I'll need to buys me a Honda ATV so I can hook up a chain to drag it out. once I have it out, I'd use the Honda chainsaw to cut it up into firewood and load it into my Honda camper so that when I go glamping, I'll have a real authentic Honda-only experience....

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:thumbup:
 

JohnKal

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New York State
C'mon, man, let's be real.
Unless you are currently experiencing storm conditions the chances of what you describe actually happening are extremely slim.
And that local cable tech must have done something egregiously wrong to suffer that fate. It got 'hung up' with an energized line because he (or his co-workers, or both) weren't following proper procedures.
I am real. It did happen. Even a slim chance of something happening will kill ya. I was just pointing that situation out to keep the OP safe.
 
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