I wanna slice a palm tree... Bad idea?

[e9999]

OK, I got this big queen palm that is now higher than the roof (2 story house) but the contractor who built the place put it too close to the house, it's only like 10 ft or so. It's over 20 years old.
I'm starting to think I should take it down before it falls over the house and crunches the roof some day in a storm or due to old age.
I'd like to do it myself for the fun and experience if a reasonable thing to do but would rather not get killed doing it, or kill the house doing it.

I imagine that cutting the fronds would not be too bad except for the great height but I can handle that I think with a 24ft ladder, harnesses, tie ropes, pole saw and what not.

After that though, I'm left with a trunk. Now I can't just topple it over because:
- there are smaller trees around that one that I'd rather not crush, some walkway lights too
- because I don't want to take the chance that it would topple in the wrong direction and hit the house (or pull the winch bumper off my truck).

So I'm thinking to go up there and cut thin horizontal slices of palm trunk and pushing them off one at a time.

Never done this before and this would require skillful chainsaw use. Am proficient with chainsaws but not with horizontal slices at great height.

It seems that climbing up with gaffs would be better than ladder but never done that either.

Basically, this seems very iffy to do myself and I may want to hire a pro, but let's hear your thoughts anyway about whether this sort of thing is a good idea or not and/or feasible for a reasonably skilled guy willing to learn.

 

[splitshot]

Rent one of these..
Genie Trailer Mounted Booms

 

[batcon]

Go to Home Depot and get an hombre for 20 bucks, what could go wrong? Why not get a couple bids from the pros first and see what it would cost before you make a decision?

 

[e9999]

cherry picker would be a great way to go, no doubt. And great fun! (always wanted to rent one)
But I imagine would likely be more expensive than hiring a pro for a couple of hours. Plus I have never seen one of those around here.

 

[e9999]

Go to Home Depot and get an hombre for 20 bucks, what could go wrong? Why not get a couple bids from the pros first and see what it would cost before you make a decision?

what could go wrong you ask (tongue in cheek no doubt)? well, for one thing, he gets maimed and I have to support an entire village someplace south for the next 25 years... I'd rather do that by going down myself and living up the good life there for the next 25 years...

 

[e9999]

eh! forget the horizontal slices. I'd make them sloped so the slices gently slide off in the correct direction ...

 

[KLF]

I'm as handy as anybody, there are very few home improvement projects I won't tackle, but I highly highly recommend you hire a professional to do this.

March 15th, 2007: My dad had the same idea, it was only one branch. Against my Mom's wishes, he lashed his extension ladder to a tree and climbed up with a saw in hand. When the branch fell, it caught the rope on the ladder, flung him ~20' down on to his back on the pavement, then the ladder landed on top of him. The next door neighbor found him with the saw still in his hand. He did not survive.

Ladders kill more people every year than any other tool. A fall of only 11' has only a 50% survival rate.

Something to think about.

 

[DSRTRDR]

 

[-Spike-]

I took down a smallish palm tree. I'll never do that again. I dug out the root ball and cut it loose, it was a nightmare. I'm pretty sure palm wood is kryptonite for chainsaws.

 

[fsusteve]

we cut up palms all the time when they fall in roadways....they eat saw blades fast, it's comparable to sticking a saw in the sand and running it. Call a tree company and have it fully removed, it'll be less than you think.

 

[calstyl2]

I hate palm trees, they are like tiki torches in fires and burn alot of homes. But they are damn hard to get rid of, and yes they are really hard on saws, alot of tree places will take them for free and re-sell them if its a good tree. Id try that route first.

 

[e9999]

I hate palm trees, they are like tiki torches in fires and burn alot of homes. But they are damn hard to get rid of, and yes they are really hard on saws, alot of tree places will take them for free and re-sell them if its a good tree. Id try that route first.

good suggestion but not likely, it's too big to be readily dug up and moved so close to the house and I don't think queen palms are that rare.

Advice taken on the saws.

Dang, I'd like to do it myself but may just be too much risk...

 

[agomez]

just leave it in place....

 

[FJ60Seth]

Hire someone.

 

[D'Animal]

Hire a pro to remove it.

By the time you:
buy 4 or 5 chains for your chain saw
tune up your chain saw
rent a body harness or sadle and a good flip rope
realize you ladder is not tall enough
Rent a taller ladder
figure out a way to haul a 28' extention ladder on a hundy series
Twist your back standing up the 28' extension ladder
Start to cut the fronds and realize there are things living in them like pigeons, rats, big spiders and wasp nest
Scream like a girl as you jump off the ladder
Go to the hospital for a collapsed lung or broken pelvis or,
Cut the fronds and realize your flip rope is in the way, as well as your ladder
The fronds fall on your flip rope and the weight tries to crush you against the tree
the fire department shows up and rescues you
Go to the hospital for a collapsed lung or broken pelvis
Pay hostpital bill and the bill for the Ambi ride
Pay additional rent on the ladder since nobody took it back when you went to the hostpital

or

things go smoothly and you cut it down
the chunks roll down the hill and into your car/suv
the chunks roll down the hill and into the neighbors car
figure out how to haul 2 tons of debris to the land fill
find out the landfill does not consider it green waste
Pay through the nose

Or, as mentioned previously, hire a professional and sip your latte while they do the work.

 

[splitshot]

LOL!
You forgot the wasp nests..

 

[Trunk Monkey]

YouTube - DUMBEST TREE FELLERS

 

[FJ60Seth]

I would NEVER trim a tree while standing on a ladder.

 

[batcon]

I would NEVER trim a tree while standing on a ladder.

I did once when I was young and dumb. I just knew there was no way that big ass branch was going to come close to me. Damn that ground is hard.

 

[Dini]

I do this type of work on the side, and I can tell you first hand it is extremely dangerous work. This is not the type of work for the DIY crowd. You have to ask yourself what your life and limbs are worth before attempting something like this.