Best Way To Remove This Tree

[Renze]

Obed, when can we enjoy pictures of your little mean green machine, pushing that big tree over ??

 

[Obed]

Maybe I missed it, but time wise, how long do you think it took you from start to finish? Nice job, by the way.

BTDT,
Here's an approximate breakdown:

Dropping the tree - 45 minutes
Dragging the tree off to the stump dump - 15 minutes
Filling in the hole with my FEL - 10 minutes
Taking pictures - 20 minutes
Celebrating - 2 days

With some experience, dropping the tree could be done much quicker. I bet Eddie could knock it over in 5 minutes. I'm sure I dug a lot more than I really needed to for this small tree. Plus I was taking my time - no deadline, just having fun.
Obed

 

[Obed]

The only difference is that Ober illustrates cutting roots on the side toward the backhoe before pushing. Clearly Eddie's technique allows for taking out larger trees.

I have to admit that cutting the roots on the "fall" side of the tree makes me a little nervous. But it will allow the dropping of larger trees. However, even after I had dug on both the "fall" side and the "push" side of my small practice tree, I had to push really hard on the tree to make it fall over.

After I get some more experience, I'll get a better feel for how much digging is required in order to drop the tree. My tractor is no match for the "real" TLBs so I have to do a lot more digging. Obviously, the most conservative and safest method would be to only cut roots on the "push" side of the tree. That would make it really hard for the tree to fall back on the tractor when positioning it to push on the tree with the backhoe. However, I doubt my tractor could drop a tree of any substantial size by only digging on one side.

BTW, my little backhoe has very little force when pushing sideways with the hoe. When filling in a hole that I've dug, I can scrape the dirt sideways back into the hole but only if the dirt I'm trying to move is very deep. Otherwise I have to scrape off a little at a time. I don't think I would have any success trying to push over a tree from the side, even a little tree.
Obed

 

[Defective]

Obed,

Ya done good! A near-perfect fall on your first try.

I've taken trees down both ways. As most of my felling has been for lumber and firewood, I usually use a saw. On the other hand, if the stump needs to come out, I prefer the backhoe. You should have no trouble with the size of tree you're working up to. My last backhoe was mounted on an 8N and had no trouble with trees up to 28" across. (biggest I ever tried, don't know where the limit is...) I'm by no means certain, but your hoe looks to be about the same size. Just going slow & careful means a small tractor can do many big jobs.

I keep seeing warnings & panic about dead limbs & broken trunks creep into this thread. These are problems whichever way you take the tree down. When I prepare to fell a tree using a saw, I inspect the whole tree before I start cutting. I do the same when I use a backhoe. It's called common sense.

Eddie,

One benefit I've always found to working from both sides of the tree instead of your preferred (dig both trenches from one place) method: I can dig like a madman from the down side & undercut the tree quite a bit safely. Then, when I dig from the other side, I can often watch the tree slowly fall away from me without pushing it at all. Kinda neat to watch...

(note...I started writing this immediately after looking at the last picture. I'm too lazy to go back & completely reword it if I'm duplicating anything someone else said before I finished... )

Obed,

I now see you've already learned the "slow & careful" lesson well...

Only cutting roots on the "push" side of the tree is actually more hazardous than you think. If the "fall" side of the tree, for some unknown reason, has weak roots (it happens), then the tree can sway back & squash you when you go to push it over. With a deep hole on the "fall" side, the tree will WANT to go where you're sending it.

Again, inspect the whole tree before you start. Hint: Lots of dead branches on one side of a tree often means the roots on that side have been damaged. (could also be a sign of trauma in the branches, but I wouldn't make that bet...) Of course, lots of dead branches would send me looking for a cherry picker to take the tree down in pieces.

 

[Renze]

No need to push trees right now in Holland: its a pretty strong storm and trees are falling everywhere... The 6 ton polyester silo for the horse feed was blown over because there wasnt enough feed in it to keep it in place... i'll put it back upright tomorrow with the FEL after my brother torches a rag of roofing bitumen over the crack...

 

[Egon]

There are some trees I have been able to remove by just pushing.

 

[Obed]

One benefit I've always found to working from both sides of the tree instead of your preferred (dig both trenches from one place) method: I can dig like a madman from the down side & undercut the tree quite a bit safely. Then, when I dig from the other side, I can often watch the tree slowly fall away from me without pushing it at all.

Defective,
Ok, I'm beginning to understand why I need to dig the "fall" side trench deeper than the "push" side. When you dig the "fall" side trench, where is your backhoe? When digging from the side of the tree as shown in my pictures with my small bucket, it is difficult to undercut the rootball because my bucket is not much wider than the dipperstick. With my dipperstick against the tree trunk, my buck doesn't really get very far under the tree.
Obed

 

[Obed]

Obed, when can we enjoy pictures of your little mean green machine, pushing that big tree over ??

Renze,
I might drop another practice tree this Saturday. Here's a picture of the next practice tree. Look at the bottom right hand corner of Practice_Tree2.jpg. See the pair of trees on the side of the road. I'm not sure if I'm dealing here with one tree with a shared root ball or two separate trees.

All,
I'd sure like some suggestions from all you guys on how to attack this pair of trunks with my backhoe. It looks a little more complicated than my first tree.

This tree, like my first practice tree, is also preventing me from creating a proper ditch and is causing the road to wash. Practice_Tree2.jpg is a picture of the road after grading with my box blade. See CUT Box Blade Newbie - Road Pictures for the thread on my first attempt at grading a road (this road). Road Before Grading Showing Washout By Double Practice Tree shows the practice tree on the left. The big tree that is my final target is down the road on the right (although in the distance it looks smaller than the double practice tree).

However, before I can tackle my next tree, I need to re-set the electric pole at the camper site Electric Pole. This is a 16 foot pole the electrician put up last week. It's only 2 feet in the ground and he didn't use any concrete. I'm hoping I'll have time on Saturday to re-set the electric pole and drop another tree. But we'll see.
Obed

 

[CurlyDave]

However, before I can tackle my next tree, I need to re-set the electric pole at the camper site...

How are you planning to re-set that pole?

Are you going to take all of the electrical panels, conduit, weatherhead, etc. off first, or do you have a way to re-set it with them still on?

Not criticizing, just curious in case I ever have to do something like that.

 

[BTDT]

Might build you one of these to pull pole. Adjust size to fit your tractor. Recommend that electricity be disconnected first before using. Safety and all that.