Ready for the next storm.

[DieselBound]

You will find a grapple to be a handy tool, and soon wonder how you got by without it.

You can get a thumb for your pallet forks. Some members feel they’re better than a dedicated grapple. Just ask Sawyer Rob, he’ll tell you.

You, you.. I'm going to reach over and slap you!

NOTE: I do have a grapple , it's just that I don't want to be swapping in on/off this time of the year. Rob ain't going to be able to do that which I did here (the situation is more complex, but trust me he couldn't- he'd like to think so):

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PS - This was likely the result of stormy weather, but it wasn't a threat to anything- I was not there to hear it fall so it didn't make a sound!

 

[oosik]

BTW, Coobie - nice grill guard also. I'll just bet you made that all yourself. The frame looks to be a whole lot heavier than any OEM.

I'm right in the middle of a "big" wind storm - right now. Fortunately - they always seem to over estimate wind speeds. I've seen 24 mph as a max on weather station. When all is said and done - dead pine needles everywhere.

 

[TractorTYMe]

Oosik, you and me both.......here in Western Montana......the gusts are getting up there. I don't need to have more trees to come down.

 

[oosik]

I have a couple trees that might blow down. They are standing dead - pine bark beetle. Been out here 40 years. Had some really horrendous wind storm - never had a live Ponderosa pine blow down. Ponderosa pines are the ONLY trees here on my property.

 

[DieselBound]

Through all the storm sounds from Monday's big storm I heard this one huge CRACK. It was like thunder except the duration was too short for that. Pretty sure that this was the source of that sound: Not thinking that having my grapple on the tractor would help here. This Cottonwood measured 5 1/2' in diameter a few years back.

Sad to see it down. It had been a landmark tree. Lots of other trees busted up.

This was how things had looked before today (hard to convey just how big this tree was):

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Going to be a huge cleanup job. Figure that I'll be using an excavator on this: cut up in large pieces; to the left is LOTS of debris from this tree and from all that it smashed up- just way too much debris to be trying to run the tractor in.

 

[coobie]

BTW, Coobie - nice grill guard also. I'll just bet you made that all yourself. The frame looks to be a whole lot heavier than any OEM.

I'm right in the middle of a "big" wind storm - right now. Fortunately - they always seem to over estimate wind speeds. I've seen 24 mph as a max on weather station. When all is said and done - dead pine needles everywhere.

The work on the grill guard was done by my local Kioti Dealer Michigan Iron & EquipmentThey do quality work really happy with the way it turned out. Good luck with your storm hope it does not get to bad..

 

[oosik]

Well - our BIG storm turned out to be a fizzle. Saw gusts up to 28 mph - that's all it could do.

No pines came down - not even the few dead ones. Got loads of dead pine needles everywhere.

Dieselbound - around here Cottonwood trees are considered junk trees. The wood is like water saturated balsa wood. Limbs are always cracking and falling. NOBODY ever plants a cottonwood anywhere near their house or outbuildings.

Saw that big 'ol cottonwood into small sections and haul it away with your grapple.

 

[DieselBound]

Well - our BIG storm turned out to be a fizzle. Saw gusts up to 28 mph - that's all it could do.

No pines came down - not even the few dead ones. Got loads of dead pine needles everywhere.

Dieselbound - around here Cottonwood trees are considered junk trees. The wood is like water saturated balsa wood. Limbs are always cracking and falling. NOBODY ever plants a cottonwood anywhere near their house or outbuildings.

Saw that big 'ol cottonwood into small sections and haul it away with your grapple.

Yup, junk wood. I've got so much debris that I'm thinking it'll be safer carting it away with an excavator (the trunk parts shown here are of lesser concern, though, of course, are going to see a chainsaw): there's stump/debris area nearby, so not much travel. I've got other work that I had on my excavator-to-do list, so will just add this. LOTS of other usable firewood material elsewhere which will keep my tractor+grapple busy.

It's in the "I didn't see it coming" category. The area where the canopy hit was an area that I had cleaned up (by hand), salvaging lots of maple saplings. I was worried that they'd get nailed by breaking cottonwoods in that area. I didn't think that a cottonwood from "across the street" would be coming down and crushing everything there!

I'd hired someone to remove a 48" dia cottonwood that was behind our house (I didn't want to tests my house insurance). He wrapped heavy chain around the trunk, just above the cut area. He told me it was to keep them from blowing out. I believed him. Now I KNOW exactly what a blowout looks like!


For once our fence didn't take a hit: but, lots of time yet to go in this season!

 

[ponytug]

5 1/2' diameter is a big tree in my book. I feel bad about not using wood, but, I agree with @oosik water saturated balsa describes it really well.

Sounds like you have a wise arborist. The trouble with cutting weak trees is that they do random things, like blowing out.

All the best,

Peter

 

[DieselBound]

I've cut a few trees that had some internal issues that ended up making me change my, um, plans! (<<< that's how you mispell "pants"!)