Pushing With FEL

[JB4310]

I think cutting trees/branches under tension with a chainsaw can be as dangerous as foolish tractor moves, I'd suggest using the tractor to take the stress off some of those hung up pcs. like those in the first pictures, that large 12+" pc that's still partly attached to the tree, I would not want to be under that trying to cut it with a chain saw. If the loader couldn't dislodge it then at least it could be used to stabilize it.

I don't know what kind of trees you guys are pushing over with your tractors, about the largest I've done is 3-4 inches, and then I had a battle with the roots. It's not that I don't think they're designed for that it's just that I've found them incapable.
Trees are pretty tough customers, I've seen trees even as little as 10" dia hit by speeding cars and trucks, killing occupants in the vehicle but just scrapping a little bark off the tree?

JB.

 

[gemini5362]

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I'd still just clean up what you have to now, then wait for spring to see what survives. It will be safer and easier to finish when things are warmer.

Good advice but your time line is off a bit. He lives in Northwestern Arkansas. The weather in that part of the country is Ice Storm today high 60s tomorrow. Since the ice storm he has had several days of mid to high 60s weather. He probably wont have to wait until spring to finish.

 

[SouthernX]

I am pretty sure you are going to have plenty of broken limbs to deal with before you have time to remove trees.
I have family in both Harrison and Gassville, they have told me what it looks like, your pictures confirm the mess. What ever you do DO NOT do what this guy is doing... YouTube - Tractor Catastrophe!
KennyV

Gads. That was an exercise in demonstrating a lack of common sense.

 

[JB4310]

Gads. That was an exercise in demonstrating a lack of common sense.

Except the part where he jumps off, looks like he has that down to a science

 

[SouthernX]

[ snip...]

take a powersaw and cut the trees up before you push on them, a farm tractor is not made to push out trees.

[ snip... ]

By "cutting up" are you saying to make a starting cut near the base of the tree and then finish it off with a push with the FEL? That might be a good approach.

The whole reason I got to thinking about pushing with the FEL is because a lot of people, including professional tree cutters, get killed every year taking down trees with a chainsaw. Sometimes a tree just "pops" the wrong direction while being cut and falls on or strikes the cutter.

Now I'm just wondering if I should finish off the tree after the cut with a push from the FEL or a pull with a chain (of appropriate length). The trees I am talking about taking down aren't even in the pictures I posted. I have a couple of big trees next to the house and I'm leaving them to the professionals. The trees I'm taking out myself are much smaller in my creek bottom in very sandy soil. (and yes, even a "small" falling tree can strike you and break your neck).

 

[dex3361]

When I'm pushing on trees trying to get them down, my limitation is the tractor. The wheels will slip or the tractor will bog down or start climbing the tree. I haven't damaged the fel in the four years of doing that. Don't know if the recommended fels for different tractors are matched like that or not.

Here is a picture of my son testing the limitations of the L4400 HST. The trick is getting the tooth bar undeer the root ball. That is a wild cherry tree. Oh and it also helps if you let the wind blow it down first.LOL

 

[Redbug]

I would say that a tractor would work fine on smaller live trees. If you slowly push with the bucket elevated, you get more leverage on the tree. Once the tree begins to fall over...the weight of the tree itself helps it to continue it's fall. The good part to using the tractor then, is that the root ball is exposed and half uncovered.You can then push and curl the rootball out. No more stump to trip over.

Bigger trees need the chainsaw. Make a wedge cut, then a horizontal back cut on the other side of the tree a few inches above the wedge cut to fell the tree. The wedge cut opening will point the way you want the tree to fall. If you are afraid of lean...use wedges in the horizontal cut to slowly lift and move the tree to make it fall where you want. Make sure your tractor and stuff is parked beyond the tree! I don't think I would tie any rope or chain from the tree to the tractor, since the tree may fall the wrong way...and there goes the broken half of your tractor drug across the yard.

Don't mess with a dead tree except with a chainsaw. If you start to pushing on one the dead limbs and possibly the upper trunk may break off and dent your tractor and your head! And wear a helmet!

 

[jpm1]

I'm sorry to see the damage you sustained during the last ice storm. But this damage is minor compared to what might be in store using a wheel tractor to push over damaged trees. Without proper ROPS, (forest rated ROPS are different than agricultural ROPS rememberand much safer too) you could be looking at serious injury! I've been in the wood business for many years along with my dad and have done many-a-dumb stunt but its is terribly dangerous. May be old age is getting the best of me : If it were me doing the cleanup I would use the tractor to push brush away from the tree first to come down and then fire up the chainsaw and work one at a time making sure I had a way out before cutting the next tree. I broke my ankle and foot when I couldn't get away from a falling tree fast enough, injurys make the job tougher, especailly when you have to is work. You really do have a mess on your hands, but if you attack it slowly and one at a time planing as you go you should be all set. Remember a 90' tree has a lot of leverage on a little tractor 9' up on its stump, no need of spending extra hours and money repairing your tractor and your treescapes. John

 

[lungdoc]

Agree with all of those suggesting caution in these exercises and the limits of a tractor for such work. A LONG rope can certainly be useful in guiding a tree down, a snatch block is also very useful so that you aren't pulling the tree towards you. Beware of loose branches in other nearby trees as they can be shaken/knocked loose and fall in a lethal fashion. Be very aware of wind forces and of the direction the tree "wants" to go by gravity - either slope or lean.