OK to push trees over with a box blade?

[beppington]

Back into a tree with the box blade, push on the tree & lift the 3PH at the same time to lift the root ball up & out of the ground.

What do you think? OK to do?

 

[sandman2234]

Probably not a good idea. Price the arms that you will probably end up bending and see if you still think it is worth the chance of bending them. Backing into stuff has been discussed on this board many times, and while many get away with it for years, some don't. Adding the llifting stress to the backing up only increases the chances of bending the arms.I bought a set of lift arms for my 7710 and they weren't cheap.
David from jax

Size of tree versus size of tractor will help determine size of $$$$damage bill...

 

[teg]

The arms are for pulling, not pushing. I've seen them bend...

On the other hand, you get to straighten them out and weld more metal on them so they will not bend (of course, something else might break.)

Why not use the FEL?

 

[beppington]

Probably not a good idea. Price the arms that you will probably end up bending and see if you still think it is worth the chance of bending them. Backing into stuff has been discussed on this board many times, and while many get away with it for years, some don't. Adding the llifting stress to the backing up only increases the chances of bending the arms.I bought a set of lift arms for my 7710 and they weren't cheap.
David from jax

I'm in the "some don't" category as of last night at ~9 pm. Crud. I wish it was only the arm(s) that bent ... snapped the cast housing pin holding piece right off. I didn't notice the arm was bending.

Anybody care to see pics?

Why do box blades have a blade on the back?

Dang - I hate this kind of "live & learn" lesson.

 

[schmism]

ive pushed with my box blade but I always keep in the back of my mind that i risk bending an arm like 3RRL did.

But specifically for the job at hand (pushing a tree over) id pick my FEL before my boxblade.

 

[TripleR]

I'm in the "some don't" category as of last night at ~9 pm. Crud. I wish it was only the arm(s) that bent ... snapped the cast housing pin holding piece right off. I didn't notice the arm was bending.

Anybody care to see pics?

Why do box blades have a blade on the back?

Dang - I hate this kind of "live & learn" lesson.

Maybe the pics would be good to see.

I use my box blade sometimes to push brush and often use it to push dirt etc., but as you have discovered, it must be done judiciously. Sorry to hear about the damage.

 

[beenthere]

It's a good lesson for others to learn from.
Others may differ, but I'm thinking the blade on the rear of the BB is for smoothing out dirt and not for bulldozing.

Would be helpful to see the pics to get the message across. Some learn the hard way that pushing snow in reverse can catch an immovable object and bend the arms (or more serious damage).

 

[DAY]

Some trees are easy, some not so much. And tractor 'size' will determine how big a tree can be attacked.
As others have said, use the FEL. First give the tree a push, to loosen things up a bit, then throw a chain around the tree a couple of turns, hook it to the bucket, and use the curl, not the lift, to pop it out, roots and all. With one person driving and another chaining, we cleared about a dozen 6" saplings in ten minutes.

The 3 pt hitch is for lifting/lowering implements, and then pulling them, NOT pushing.

 

[Perplexed]

With one person driving and another chaining, we cleared about a dozen 6" saplings in ten minutes.

A 6"-diameter tree is a sapling? :shocked: I wonder how big you think a non-sapling tree is

 

[jake98]

I got lucky and just bent the BB linkage all to crap when I did it. Sorry about that casting.

 

[beenthere]

6" are saplings. At least in a foresters world.
When they get to 12" diam, then we start calling them trees.

Curious what species can be pulled out with FEL and bucket curl that are 6" size. Must be very shallow rooted.

I grub out 6" norway spruce with my forks, and pop the lateral roots using the forks on curl up. With the lateral roots torn loose, then go up about 4-5' height and push over with FEL. Get under the root cluster with forks and pop them out (but not easily) with a combination of lifting and pushing. Another 1000 to go and I should have them pretty well thinned out.

 

[jake98]

Why do box blades have a blade on the back?

I think the geometry is stronger with the blade down low. When I bent mine I had it up high and the thing crumpled real easy. I didn't get what was happening, so I did it twice.. just glad it was a cheap BB and not the tractor parts.

 

[DAY]

Curious what species can be pulled out with FEL and bucket curl that are 6" size. Must be very shallow rooted.

Cottonwood. The "trees" I cut down went 18-24 inches and had less than twenty rings. Plus it's a BIG bucket- on the yella fella pictured

 

[beppington]

Pic below

The arms are for pulling, not pushing.

That's what my new ones will be doing from now. Well, I might push some cool whip or warm butter, but that's it

Why not use the FEL?

I felt like the leverage I get using the box blade was actually better. Also felt like the rear of the tractor is stronger. So much for that thinking.

This really stinks, too, because I always thought I had a good "feel" for geometry & force, good enough to know when I'm pushing something too hard. Dangit all.

ive pushed with my box blade but I always keep in the back of my mind that i risk bending an arm like 3RRL did.

Oh man I wish that's all that happened.

But specifically for the job at hand (pushing a tree over) id pick my FEL before my boxblade.

Will have to change to that policy from now on.

It's a good lesson for others to learn from.
Others may differ, but I'm thinking the blade on the rear of the BB is for smoothing out dirt and not for bulldozing.

Prob true. I just didn't know it.

As others have said, use the FEL. First give the tree a push, to loosen things up a bit, then throw a chain around the tree a couple of turns, hook it to the bucket, and use the curl, not the lift, to pop it out, roots and all. With one person driving and another chaining, we cleared about a dozen 6" saplings in ten minutes.

I've done this a lot, too, but it was sure nice to be able to back up to trees & uproot them without the need to get off the tractor to do the chaining, or have another person there to make it faster.

The 3 pt hitch is for lifting/lowering implements, and then pulling them, NOT pushing.

I now know. A day too late.

I got lucky and just bent the BB linkage all to crap when I did it.

Lucky duck. I thought the cheap TSC box blade I was using would bend before the lower arm, or surely before the casting would break.

(The chain in the pic is just holding the arm from swinging around & getting caught on the wheel or the ground during for my sad 4-mile ride home last night)

 

[beenthere]

OUCH!! OUCH!! OUCH!!

I hate that when things like that happen.

What is the next step? Remove the housing and try to get a good weld job?
Find a replacement housing? It's on the wheel/axle side and not the main tunnel by the looks in the pic.

Do wish you well.

 

[jake98]

Is it still under warrantee?

 

[beppington]

What is the next step? Remove the housing and try to get a good weld job?
Find a replacement housing? It's on the wheel/axle side and not the main tunnel by the looks in the pic.

My Kubota dealership is handling the repair. I believe the broken/ bent parts will be replaced.

Do wish you well.

Thank you ... Hopefully others read this before the break happens. Sure wish I had. Just did not occur to me. Kicking myself.

 

[beppington]

Is it under warantee?

By warantee, if you mean insurance with a $250 deductible , I haven't received a determination yet.

 

[jake98]

The box-blade didn't bend?

 

[beppington]

The box-blade didn't bend?

Unfortunately not at all. It's my dad's Leinbach 5' from about 2000. Never thought much of it ... you know, it works fine, but nothing special ... but I do now.