Beginners dumb luck!

[Hematite]

I'm clearing the back acre of my property so as to put a storage building there sometime next Summer. I had dug the roots all around on this massive ailanthus cluster with the backhoe and was able to knock 3 of the larger outside trees down. The New Holland simply didn't have the weight to be effective against the remaining 7 tree cluster, at once. I was going to try to get a friend to bring a crawler over to try to push the cluster over.

Here's the incredible luck: we had some severe wind lately and apparently the wind did the work! Thank God that the cluster fell in exactly the one spot that I had already cleared! If it had fallen about any other way it would have fouled the numerous lucust trees around it. That WOULD have been a nightmare! Boy, if it weren't for the Grace of God and total dumb luck I'd be in trouble! I better run out today and buy a Lottery ticket!

 

[Deano]

Wow!! That is lucky!!

Deano

 

[ToadHill]

As dear old dad used to say, "I'd rather be lucky that skillful"

 

[Hematite]

As dear old dad used to say, "I'd rather be lucky that skillful"

That's a good one!

 

[RobertN]

Curious why you pushed the over? I would have though about cutting them down, but leaving a stump. Then pull the stump/rootball.

I would have worried that they might fall on me/tractor while trying to push over.

 

[brin]

I'll bet the New Holland loosened it up and the wind finished it up....Ya think ?

 

[Hematite]

I'll bet the New Holland loosened it up and the wind finished it up....Ya think ?

Yes, I could rock it a little with the NH but it was WAY too much root. I'm sure working it with the tractor "softened" things up.

 

[Hematite]

Curious why you pushed the over? I would have though about cutting them down, but leaving a stump. Then pull the stump/rootball.

I would have worried that they might fall on me/tractor while trying to push over.

Yes, I was getting very worried while rocking it, that's why I just went and left it alone for a few weeks. When I bought the tractor the saleman advised me to rip the roots on one side and push the tree over because it would be much easier than trying to get a stump out without the leverage of the whole tree. The problem with this one is that I took a few other trees off that root but it left the root base dug all the way around in the process.

 

[kthompson]

RobertN, realize you were not asking me but I have found with my equipment much better off on larger trees to do as he did. Did the roots on one side and then push the direction you want it to go and the weight of the top is a real big help. Just want to be sure of the condition of the top there are no dead limbs.

 

[Dead Horse]

Yep, Dozer guys cutting roads, push trees over and THEN they saw off the stumps. Uses the leverage of the tree weight to do the work. Pulling stumps is a ***** if you have to supply ALL the power!

 

[newbury]

Plus - if you can push it over - when you cut it up you can be pretty sure where it will fall.

 

[Hematite]

Plus - if you can push it over - when you cut it up you can be pretty sure where it will fall.

Yes, and that is a very good point. There is much more control of where the tree is going when digging the roots and pushing over.

 

[lungdoc]

I'd make 2 points
1) They don't call them widowmakers for nothing - be VERY careful of dead/broken or hanging branches. I wouldn't think of doing that without a cab or at least a canopy + a hardhat. Pulling with a rope tied higher in the tree and routed to a snatch block so not pullin to you can be a safer option. Cutting it off and grinding the stump is another.
2) If you go to cut stump off of pushed over trees, especially if pushed over by serious heavy equipment, be very careful as tree can store huge forces and snap or move in deadly ways. Very similar to storm-felled tangled trees that way.

 

[dcyrilc]

I'd make 2 points
1) They don't call them widowmakers for nothing - be VERY careful of dead/broken or hanging branches. I wouldn't think of doing that without a cab or at least a canopy + a hardhat. Pulling with a rope tied higher in the tree and routed to a snatch block so not pullin to you can be a safer option. Cutting it off and grinding the stump is another.
2) If you go to cut stump off of pushed over trees, especially if pushed over by serious heavy equipment, be very careful as tree can store huge forces and snap or move in deadly ways. Very similar to storm-felled tangled trees that way.

Is there such a thing as a PTO driven 3PH stump grinder?

 

[oliver28472]

My cousin had one. Made by Vermeer.

 

[Botabill]

One of the serious lessons I've learned when taking trees down is don't rock them. Sure enough when you do they'll bust loose on the back swing and go down in the opposite direction you want it to go. I had one huge elm decide to let loose towards my barn full of equipment. Luckily it got caught up in another big tree but the rest of the day became really complicated.

 

[Hematite]

I'd make 2 points
1) They don't call them widowmakers for nothing - be VERY careful of dead/broken or hanging branches. I wouldn't think of doing that without a cab or at least a canopy + a hardhat. Pulling with a rope tied higher in the tree and routed to a snatch block so not pullin to you can be a safer option. Cutting it off and grinding the stump is another.
2) If you go to cut stump off of pushed over trees, especially if pushed over by serious heavy equipment, be very careful as tree can store huge forces and snap or move in deadly ways. Very similar to storm-felled tangled trees that way.

Yes, those are 2 very good points!

 

[Hematite]

One of the serious lessons I've learned when taking trees down is don't rock them. Sure enough when you do they'll bust loose on the back swing and go down in the opposite direction you want it to go. I had one huge elm decide to let loose towards my barn full of equipment. Luckily it got caught up in another big tree but the rest of the day became really complicated.

Yes, for sure. That's what was scaring me about this tree/ root cluster. When I rocked it towards the way I wanted it to fall and I backed off, it rocked back towards me and the tractor a little more each time. That's when I decided that I was not going to pursue pushing it over and let Nature take it's course.