digging trees

[KiotiJohn]

Eddie, I agree with you about several things especially that dead trees are the most dangerous. The deader, the deadlier! You never know what's going to break off while you're messing around with them, banging on them, vibrating them etc.

For a tree of any real size though, I wouldn't follow your procedure because my little tractor/bachhoe is just too small to have any control over a large tree, but it works great for smaller trees than I've been cutting down. I pretty much dig the same ways you do, and trees that are not too large go over pretty well with my outfit.

I would love to be able to take my 100 ft. pines down by digging and pushing, but with what I have, that's not going to happen. Taking those pines stumps out is a several day project for me. I did have my brother use his big CAT backhoe to take one stump out. It only took him 3 hours to do what would have taken me all week!

John

 

[MMM]

On the safety aspect, I think a saw is more dangerous due to slabbing, and trees twisting on the stump. Digging is a more predictable and slow motion fall.

 

[JimMorrissey]

Unless you use a backhoe and are reasonable about what you attempt to yank out in one pull. I'd imagine you guys are talking about digging stumps with a loader/toothbar, or pulling them out with chains....

 

[JimMorrissey]

I think it depends on the size of the tree. In the east here we have some very large hard and softwoods that are not easily taken with a CUT backhoe that most people own. Your system sounds good for the small and medim size trees. I've cut some monsters on this property and my last that were chainsaw only. You can't get away if you're stuck in a tractor seat and something bad happens.

 

[daTeacha]

When I had some selective logging done, the guys used a ladder, a chain, a long cable, a 50 hp tractor, and a chainsaw. They sent a guy up as high as he could go with the chain to loop it around the tree. The cable (5/8, 3/4?) was hooked to the chain, then to the tractor. The cable was about 100 feet, maybe more. The tractor gave a serious pull before anything else was done. Then they backed off, cut the tree as close to the ground as they could to maximize the wood obtained. As the tree was near falling, they pulled again with the tractor, this time slowly. The cut was the classic wedge, felling cut and hinge. The trees were guided to fall where removing the log was easiest for the drag team of horses to pull them out. Tractor impact to the woods was almost non-existant.

 

[TrippleT]

I have pushed down trees including oak with my TC33D. Of course your not going to push down a very thick tree with that size tractor. The maximum I have pushed down was a willow on my pond bank was probably about 12 inches and had grown on the side of the bank. I took my loader and pushed on each side of the tree severing all the roots I could. The same procedure on any live tree of any size. I agree that on dead trees be very careful because you might get a top right down on your toy or worse, yourself. But, the way I have had success is to put it in 4 wheel drive and lift the bucket higher on the tree and PUSH, not bang on it, and have had very good success and with a degree of safety. I must add that in my area there are a lot of rocks so sometimes the root system does not have as good hold as an area that doesn't have a lot of rock. My bottom suggestion is BE CAREFUL.

 

[TrippleT]

I have pushed down trees including oak with my TC33D. Of course your not going to push down a very thick tree with that size tractor. The maximum I have pushed down was a willow on my pond bank was probably about 12 inches and had grown on the side of the bank. I took my loader and pushed on each side of the tree severing all the roots I could. The same procedure on any live tree of any size. I agree that on dead trees be very careful because you might get a top right down on your toy or worse, yourself. But, the way I have had success is to put it in 4 wheel drive and lift the bucket higher on the tree and PUSH, not bang on it, and have had very good success and with a degree of safety. I must add that in my area there are a lot of rocks so sometimes the root system does not have as good hold as an area that doesn't have a lot of rock. My bottom suggestion is BE CAREFUL.