digging trees

[kubotadan]

What do most of you do when it comes to digging up
large trees.. Cut the tree first with a chain saw and dig the
stump. I dropped a big tree yesterday, man if it rolls the
wrong way I had it.

 

[DUMBDOG]

It is always best to cut the tree off first as you said you never know which way it is going to go. This is true even with a chain saw. But the chain saw is a safer way to go.

 

[wushaw]

Yup just what Dumbdog said /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Highbeam]

Depends on the tree. If it is standing dead I am more likely to cut it than to risk it breaking and falling on the tractor. Dig stump out later. Otherwise, I try to push it over. If I can't push it over I cut it down. There aren't many choices here. The pushing is very slow and predictable and is very much preferrable.

Maybe I misunderstood the question. Digging up stumps is the hardest thing on a tractor that I know of.

 

[N80]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Digging up stumps is the hardest thing on a tractor that I know of. )</font>

Amen.

 

[RayH]

Be careful cutting down dead trees. I was cutting this one down a couple seasons ago and the root ball pulled out of the ground as it was falling, it spun around and tagged the corner of my carport. I was lucky, it could've easily taken out the garage. Ive never had a rootball pull up before so I never worried about it. Now I do.

 

[MMM]

I leave it one piece as the top's weight/leverage will greatly aid toppling it and pulling up root ball. If you do cut it, leave a long stump for leverage.

 

[KiotiJohn]

As to cutting or pushing dead trees. Dead trees have dead branches that like to fall down on you and/or your tractor when you least expect it!

I haven't cut down a tree in the last 2 years that wasn't at least 80 feet tall, and I can tell you that I don't dig around them and try to push them over.

I tie a good 1" nylon rope up as high as I can get it, run that out to a snatch block/pulley, and then the end out to an area that I can hook it up to a truck. My helper then pulls the rope until it starts to pull the truck back, brakes the truck and waits while I cut the tree.

As soon as I'm close to the final cut, I signal the helper and he starts accelerating the truck. Once the tree moves the least bit toward the fall, it's gone, but he continues pulling in the beginning to make sure of no surprises.

A combination of the wedge cut and the back cut "should" cause the tree to fall where I want it, but anything can happen, so the rope is essential.

If it's convenient to, it's best to leave several feet of trunk, especially on pines, so that you can dig and push out the rest of it later, but keep in mind that cutting up high may make it more difficult to get out of the way when the tree begins to fall.

That is a critical time because if you haven't made the right cuts, and if you cut all the way through instead of leaving a small piece intact, the tree can kick back and up on you. Cutting high means you're probably on a ladder, and you may have a hard time getting out of there in time.

Rather than continue with this, here's a very good, short and simple explanation of cutting a tree:
Cutting a tree

John

 

[dubba]

On live trees I take the back hoe & dig a straight trench as close as practical to the stump in one direction to cut the roots on the side I don't want the tree to go to, then I push the tree over setting the tractor over the ditch. In my limited experience in works well.

 

[EddieWalker]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It is always best to cut the tree off first as you said you never know which way it is going to go. This is true even with a chain saw. But the chain saw is a safer way to go. )</font>

I'm gonna disagree with you here on this one.

Since the post was on cutting down a live tree, not a dead one, that's what I'll respond to. But first I gotta mention that dead trees are totally unpredictable with any method. They are easily the most dangerous ones out there.

I feel the backhoe is the easiest and safest way to take out a tree. You can dig all the way around the tree and it will still be standing there. It takes a certain amount of push just to get them going even after the trench is dug.

For most trees, I dig my first and deepest trench on the side I want the tree to go. Then I dig another on the oposite side. If it's a smaller tree and certain specias, I try to push it over with the side of my bucket.

If it doesnt' go, than I change positions and back up to the tree on the opostie side that I want it to fall. I put my bucket up almost as high as it will go, and push.

If it still doesn't go, than I dig a shallow trench on either side of it. This will break off the offending roots.

Than I push again. It will alwaye go when all four sides are dug. It will also go exactly where you push it. I can change direction of the fall by moving the hoe stick for side to side while it's falling to really place the tree exactly where I want it.

Working alone with no guide ropes can be very dangerous with a chain saw. With a backhoe, it's allot safer.

Eddie

 

[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.