Listen to the wisdom of Ekka. A lot was said right there.
Lowering BIG blocks has got to be one of the slowest and most agonizing parts of treework that I can think of. By the time you get the third block rigged, you realize that if you could have just cut and pushed em off, you'd be done already. Especially if you're tying timber hitches. Men standing around, waiting...... Aughhhh! The pain!
However, damage to the driveways will cost ya far more time and money.
Leaners are tricky, but they don't require the conventional face-cut of any sort, just lop firewood length blocks, or whatever. A handful of round, bamboo chop sticks (not the squared-off wooden ones) can aid really well when it comes to the slide-off.
If using the conventional face cut you are generally to 'tip' the block off, like on smaller or taller big blocks. Shorter or more massive ones, they don't 'tip'. They slide and often need to be persuaded. Have Chinese for lunch is what I say. Round chopsticks (pencils don't work nearly as well).
Personally, I think the crane would be cheaper. Ever hear the expression that the last 10% of a tree job takes 90% of the time? Big logs will do that. Crane, and you'll be glad you did because any time you can take the last 10% of the job and make it take 10% of the time, go for it.
Get your standing log rigged, cut from the compression side through to the tension side, straight through, as low as possible. Your saw will clearly pinch, but that's the beauty of the crane. Now he starts his tension to get the leaning log vertical, saw no longer pinched, keep cutting. Crane guy should be moving things very slowly now, gentle lift, men clear well away, this giant log will hover and float, then fly up and out of there. Dice it up next to, or on the trailer out front.
I would explore the option of plywood, tires or foams for conventional push-offs. ANYTHING but rigging big, single blocks. Anything. |