Push over trees with a small compact?

[Suburban Plowboy]

I have a Kubota L3710 (38 HP gross), and I have never been able to push anything alive over with it, except for tiny things. Rotten trees are different.

I would never push anything that was over maybe 10 feet tall. I don't want chunks of tree flying back at me over the loader. When you push trees, they may act like they're on springs, so if one can find a way, it will swing back toward you. That's very bad.

As for barber chairing, bore cutting is a good tool, and so is putting a ratchet strap around a tree.

I use a subsoiler with a hook on it to go around stumps and yank the roots so the stumps will come out, and it will work on trees up to maybe a foot in diameter. Some put up an exceptional fight, though.

 

[rumwrks]

I mostly use lines as an "and also" safety if I'm near buildings or other stuff I REALLY don't want to hit and the tree is already a leaner. 99% is done with wedges even in that case. There's a lot of advantages to slow and easy when you're falling, moreso when you're not 100% sure.. Things can still happen really really fast, but wedges give you some room to think and adjust at least.

I have pushed over some small doug firs with the heavy grapple.. Up to maybe 5" or so and maybe 15'-16'' high max. In the boggy spots they don't develop much for roots and are poorly anchored so a gentle push around half way up and then a sustained push at around 5-6' up until they go over. Pick up the root ball and drop it a few times to knock the dirt off.. Works really well. This isn't ramming them though, this is in low and kind of easing into the tree to see how it gives... No way I'd do it with anything anywhere near 60'!! NOPE! that's a good way to get a tree top in your lap IMHO.

I've also thrown a line around a tree or two and used the winch to yank trees out that were hung up. But again that involves a bit of sitting and looking where they want to go and what the best vector to pull them on is.

 

[mikester]

I think you won't have much luck pushing an 8-10" tree over with a SCUT. A 4-5" and smaller shallow root tree in wet ground yes you probably could.

I've pushed over 8-10" norway maples with my CUT and grapple on wet ground. The trick is to push from higher up and let gravity help the top heavy canopy tip over. Once the roots have lifted on one side you can get the tree to topple over completely. Something like an oak with deep roots and dry ground forget it.

Generally speaking greater machine mass lets you push over greater trees. 35+ ton excavators tend to do well against trees.

I wouldn't attempt this kind of work without a FOPS. Avoid the widowmaker trees...

 

[Rockbadchild]

I think you won't have much luck pushing an 8-10" tree over with a SCUT. A 4-5" and smaller shallow root tree in wet ground yes you probably could.

I've pushed over 8-10" norway maples with my CUT and grapple on wet ground. The trick is to push from higher up and let gravity help the top heavy canopy tip over. Once the roots have lifted on one side you can get the tree to topple over completely. Something like an oak with deep roots and dry ground forget it.

Generally speaking greater machine mass lets you push over greater trees. 35+ ton excavators tend to do well against trees.

I wouldn't attempt this kind of work without a FOPS. Avoid the widowmaker trees...

FYI op's is talking about pushing a tree in the opposite lean direction while cutting it, not uprooting it.

 

[5030]

Even if they were, often the mains issue is while pushing on a tree with a machine the tree snap in half, then fall on itself or the cut hinge let go, the bottom kick out and the tree fall on the equipment.

Why it's a good idea to have the ROPS in the working position instead of the usual folded position that so many owners on here like to do. I see pictures (on here) of so many tractors with folded ROPS. Why fold it, just remove it entirely....

I will confess I removed the ROPS entirely from my Kubota diesel front mount mower because it gets in the way when mowing under trees. Took it off entirely and it's parked against the shop, in the grass. Other issue is, if it's folded, it interferes with opening the engine hood to check fluid levels so I removed it entirely.

Gal down the road bought a new Cub ZTR and runs around with the ROPS folded and no seat belt on. Hopefully, she don't wind up in a compromising situation.

 

[5030]

I've in the past, popped some fiarly large trees with one of my M9's but they have the weight and tractive effort to do it. What I did was I cut them off about 8 feet above ground level attached a stout chain at the top where I cut it off and hooked that to the drawbar and pulled them out. I say did because I always wound up with a hole where the root ball was and then had to dispose of the root ball anyway and then have to backfill the resulting hole. I did but no more. Now I grind the stumps a couple inches below grade, rake the chips back over the non existetent stump and in a short time, the chips rot and nothing is left to fiddle with ar all.

Why I purchased the stump grinder in the first place. Much easier on me and the equipment.

 

[Runner]

Learn how to chainsaw fall and use wedges to control the path.

And, for Heaven's sake, don't be stupid and cut the corner of your holding wood off like I did...

 

[Runner]

Now I grind the stumps a couple inches below grade, rake the chips back over the non existetent stump and in a short time, the chips rot and nothing is left to fiddle with ar all.

Same here, unless I want to plant another tree in the same spot, then I have to bite the bullet and dig it out with the backhoe.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Why it's a good idea to have the ROPS in the working position instead of the usual folded position that so many owners on here like to do. I see pictures (on here) of so many tractors with folded ROPS. Why fold it, just remove it entirely....

I will confess I removed the ROPS entirely from my Kubota diesel front mount mower because it gets in the way when mowing under trees. Took it off entirely and it's parked against the shop, in the grass. Other issue is, if it's folded, it interferes with opening the engine hood to check fluid levels so I removed it entirely.

Gal down the road bought a new Cub ZTR and runs around with the ROPS folded and no seat belt on. Hopefully, she don't wind up in a compromising situation.

I am questioning this reasoning ... '' Why fold it, just remove it entirely...'' I mean at least if it's there you have the options

I keep mine up but I need to lower it to bring it inside the barn or garage (I almost took the whole building down once ). Now put it up right after because I stood up under it, banging my head on it and compressed my spine while attaching an attachment on the 3 points it hurt for a while.

 

[5030]

I don't have that issue as the door on my equipmenmt barn is 10 feet wide and 14 feet high. Besides, mine are way too big to keep in any garage in the first place. No little units here.