3-Point Hitch Mother nature hates me.

[OLD FARMER]

I was out getting up some wood for the stove a week ago and found a nice dead oak about 12 inches across and I just had to have it.
when I went to cut the tree down I parked my JD 790 well away from where the tree would fall and cut the notch . I checked the area for horses and the dog and started the final cut, to make a boring story shorter......... I watched a tree turn 120 degrees and fall on the tractor! I have had a tree not fall where I wanted many times including on my ankle ( 6 screws, a plate , 50,000$ ,and a lost job later,) I still had never seen a tree turn on the stump that far, any way........ it glanced off the rops and landed on the QH and drove it into the ground. Now I have the opportunity to see what the inside of the 3 point looks like. I've ordered the parts and will have to drain the fluid from the rear end to find the missing part of the lift cam, our local dealer is very good about printing off pages from the shop manuals so I ordered the parts online and pick and pay there. the only other damage was a branch slapped the hood and gently reshaped it, but not enough to notice unless you know how it should sit. It could have been a lot worse I know, I just wish mother nature would quit throwing trees at me and my stuff.

 

[Knight9]

That sure sucks! But I guess it could have been worse....right across the hood or so. Or worse...across you again!

 

[Thomas]

OUCH..you just never know,glad your still w/us.

 

[CBW1999]

Run Forrest!.........RUN!!!!!!!!

Sorry- couldn't resist.
All in the blink of an eye, thankful to hear you didn't get hurt.

Maybe you can sell the wood to offset the cost of repairs? I would think there is some good usable lumber that could be milled and the rest into cord wood. Just a thought.

 

[dminer]

Dead trees don't behave as expected quite often. Hope the internal damage is not to severe.

 

[brin]

I'm glad you are OK...I had a hickory tree do that to me one time and it started to fall my way just as I mad my last cut....I took off running and a vine caught my foot and I went down hard...my head missed hitting a huge sharp rock by about 2 inches....I was lucky....Ya just never know what a tree will do....

 

[jejeosborne]

Alright, I am now not the only one in this exclusive club. Welcome to my club! Our membership fee is pretty steep but anyone else is welcome to join.

Picture please!

Here is my experience:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187769

 

[etcallhome]

Glad to hear you are alright could have been a lot worst.
Years ago my wifes cousin took his dads new (about 3mo old JD50hp or larger farm tractor and brand new Stihl Chain saw bought that morning down to cut down some trees and haul in some firewood.. Needless to say only cut the one tree ,got hung up in the nearby trees .,,twisted fell across JD hood and radiator and then twisted or fell on new chain saw busted it all to pieces.. Dad had never started the chain saw.
Like I said could have been worst.

 

[rekees4300]

"I parked my JD 790 well away from where the tree would fall"

A safe definition of "well away" is double the height of the tree. In 50 years of cutting trees, Mother Nature hasn't figured out how to exceed that distance. :tree:

 

[BrokenAxle46]

Apparently, "parked well away from where the tree would fall" assumed the tree would fall the other direction, and of course, the tree didn't cooperate. I don't suppose you kicked the tree after it was down or anything like that? Not that it would do any good other than make you feel some better. I believe we learn from making mistakes and remembering not to do that again. My problem is the remembering part, after I do something like this, then I remember I did this before! Replacing equipment takes place everyday, replacing a loved one because of an accident with a tree isn't possible. Glad you were not the tractor and hope the tractor works better than new when it gets repaired.

 

[Ed of all trades]

OK I'll do it. If the tree did not go where you thought it wood you need to learn how to cut a tree. Trees don't go where they want to they go where you tell them to go. Maybe you did not intend to tell it that but you did. It sounds like you cut the hinge and told the tree to do what it wanted to. I used to have trees go everywhere too and then a neighbor who was a retired logger saw me cut a tree and It scared him enough to teach me how to cut a tree the right way. I see people that don't know how much they don't know that brag on their skill with a saw and it scares me, but you can't tell someone who already knows. Please find an old logger and pay him if you have to and learn how. A tractor is a cheep lesson. Last weak a 19 year old logger that was a friend of my sister in law died when a tree fell on him. His time to learn is over.

 

[jejeosborne]

OK I'll do it. If the tree did not go where you thought it wood you need to learn how to cut a tree. Trees don't go where they want to they go where you tell them to go. Maybe you did not intend to tell it that but you did. It sounds like you cut the hinge and told the tree to do what it wanted to. I used to have trees go everywhere too and then a neighbor who was a retired logger saw me cut a tree and It scared him enough to teach me how to cut a tree the right way. I see people that don't know how much they don't know that brag on their skill with a saw and it scares me, but you can't tell someone who already knows. Please find an old logger and pay him if you have to and learn how. A tractor is a cheep lesson. Last weak a 19 year old logger that was a friend of my sister in law died when a tree fell on him. His time to learn is over.

Even experienced loggers are not 100% in placing trees, especially dead ones.

 

[ccsial]

Sorry to hear about you mishap. I cut a tree two years ago and it turned. Missed my quad and landed right on top of my Stihl MS192TC. Saw was a total loss. I now move everything out of range.

 

[Ed of all trades]

If I sound like a know it all, forgive me. I grew up logging part time and have seen too many men hurt or worse. As I said a 19 year old friend of some of my family died last week. He was a pro, logger and he made a mistake. I just hate to hear someone say you never know where a tree is going. If you watch what you are doing you do know and you know where it will go if something goes wrong. The key is knowing, and watching. Guys please pay att. and if you don't really know what you are doing find out or don't do it. I don't want to read a post that you are hurt or worse. Again sorry if I offended anyone.

 

[General Lee]

A tree turning/twisting like that is called a barber chair. Very dangerous, worth keeping an eye out for. Sometimes all the experience in the world can't control physics. No one knows whats going on inside or at the top of a tree. Wind, one side heavier then the other, natural lean, etc all play a factor.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

My limited experience tells me standing dead wood is a whole different thing to deal with compared to living timber.

Even having tied off timber with cables etc. to assure how they will fall doesn't always work out how you want.......
Don't ask how I know that one........... Barber chairs and kick outs are always a danger anywhere.

Keep safe.

 

[jejeosborne]

If I sound like a know it all, forgive me. I grew up logging part time and have seen too many men hurt or worse. As I said a 19 year old friend of some of my family died last week. He was a pro, logger and he made a mistake. I just hate to hear someone say you never know where a tree is going. If you watch what you are doing you do know and you know where it will go if something goes wrong. The key is knowing, and watching. Guys please pay att. and if you don't really know what you are doing find out or don't do it. I don't want to read a post that you are hurt or worse. Again sorry if I offended anyone.

Hopefully it wasn't me that gave you that impression. I said no one can be 100 % certain on where a tree will land. 99.9% maybe but that .1% is what keeps the fear alive and is what you are calling something going wrong. Live trees are much more predictable. Dead trees are different and the hinge points are sometimes brittle or rotten.