One of the oaks on my property died a couple years ago and I need to cut it down. The oak is amongst many other oaks, its' maybe 30-40 ft tall and the string I wrapped around it's base measured 6 feet. I got a chain saw for xmas, but haven't had a chance to use it yet and I have never cut down a tree that size before. Are there any web sites that can tell me how to safely do this?

Tannerite.

Get someone who has taken sizeable trees down to help you.  'Book smarts' cannot approach the practical experience of the things that can go wrong.  I've had some trees do some odd things.  Offer some of the wood as appreciation for the help.

CWO

Quoted: Get someone who has taken sizeable trees down to help you.  'Book smarts' cannot approach the practical experience of the things that can go wrong.  I've had some trees do some odd things.  Offer some of the wood as appreciation for the help. CWO

Not a bad idea, or maybe a wood worker who will want it...

Some advice is to cut as many of the limbs on the tree before attacking the trunk since it is around other trees.

How big is your bar on your saw?

I would use at least a 3.5 footer or around there to cut the tree down.

3.5 foot bar?!

Dead trees can be especially dangerous. Ditto on getting some help.

You best find someone with experience...

I know what I'd do to try and attack the project... but knowing me, I'd need a suit of armor and a big helmet.  



- BG

Don't stand underneath it when it falls.

Play the Vonage music while you do it.

"Woo hooo, woo hoo hoo..."

Just do it yourself, but fill out the Darwin paperwork ahead of time.

Oh, and make sure the survivors post pics.  

Thanks,

Merlin

Watch out for "Widow Makers".

aka Dead limbs that can fall out when cutting tree.

Danny

Quoted: Play the Vonage music while you do it. "Woo hooo, woo hoo hoo..."

I love that tune. They should cut a record. It should have been around for my dad to whistle when my bros and I pulled some of our bonehead stunts, (starting up the road grader).

Sing the Lumberjack song

I've taken down several trees down on my lot that size.  

Correct that, I've helped my neighbor take down some trees on my lot.  He's done quite a few.  

He basically straps on some climbing spikes, takes a strong rope and ropes himself to the highest branch in the tree.  He then takes his little 14" climbing chainsaw and cuts off all the branches except the one he's hooked into about 10' at a time.  After leaving basically just the trunk standing, he cuts the last bit down from the ground with a 24" bar saw.  

The takedown is very controlled in this method because the branches all drop within a few feet of the trunk, the trunk itself is usually only 20' tall when it's dropped, and because there isn't any branches at the top making it topheavy, the drop direction is very predictable.

Now, I've watched him do this a number of times, and still refuse to do it myself.  Better to let someone that's done it before handle it.  

Ones of the stories he tells is a homeowner that decided to do the same except with a ladder.  What happens when you cut a branch off with a ladder?  Yep, falls into the ladder and knocks the guy with a running chainsaw off of it.  

If you don't have a lot of experience and more room to drop the tree, don't do it yourself.

Thanks for all of the advise & I will be getting a proffesional's help.
Buttttt
When I was a teenager I once brought down a much smaller tree with a 44 magnum by shooting around the trunk until it fell.
What caliber & how many rounds would it take to bring this one down?

Quoted: Quoted: Play the Vonage music while you do it. "Woo hooo, woo hoo hoo..." I love that tune. They should cut a record. It should have been around for my dad to whistle when my bros and I pulled some of our bonehead stunts, (starting up the road grader).

Have you've seen the movie "Kill Bill-Vol 1"?

A tractor with a bucket on it helps to convince the tree to fall where you want.  If this is your first, seek professional help.
It's not very hard to get hurt here because  even though that's not exactly a large tree, it's Damned Heavy !.

what kind of wusses are you guys? I've cut trees over 9 ft in circumfrence with a "20 bar. My stihl is unstoppable. My advise though if you are going to cut it yourself is to make sure the chain is sharp. It really sucks when you get almost there then the saw will barely cut anymore. Since the tree is a good size, give the local lumber yard a call and see if you can get some money for that, they are usually willing to buy stuff over 20 inches. You never know you may be able to make a few bucks on the deal. If it were me and the tree wasn't near anything destroyable, I'd give it a shot, the only way you are going to get good with that new saw is to use it.

    If there is anything like a house,garage,barn,powerlines,fences ,ect ANYWHERE within possible range of this tree---Hire it out to a professional (you know,the guys with the knowhow and insurance) to get it on the ground.
      Oak trees are super heavy (a 6" circumferance oak will toss a tractor and bucket like a toy) and a dead one is sneaky weird .
     When you do it anyhow,take and post pictures.
      I know a bunch of weekend warrior lumberjacks (school teachers) who were going to charge a little old lady schoolteacher $100 to take down a tree and split up the firewood . They took down a private power line to a condo on a holiday weekend and the three of them had to pay a charge to the line crew something like $6000. They only got about a cord and a half of ant covered firewood ! Dumbasses!

Quoted: Play the Vonage music while you do it. "Woo hooo, woo hoo hoo..."