Taking out Trees

[Wolf]

What's the best technique to use to take out trees with an excavator?

These trees are about 18-36 inches diameter. Hoe is a CAT LC.

Thanks.

 

[rino1494]

Just get up high and push them over. Some trees, you may have to dig up the roots opposite the side in which the tree will be falling.

 

[Wolf]

trees

But does it make sense to break off all the branches first or just go for the trunk and push it hard?

 

[zhkent]

I prefer to keep the trees intact as much as possible. It's easier to place a whole tree on a burn pile than a lot of tree pieces.

 

[Wolf]

What if you can't burn the trees. Don't think you can burn in this area--gotta load it out to the landfill.

 

[tylermckee]

Its still easier to pack the whole tree to one central location, in one piece, than to make 10 trips with a bunch of branches. push the whole thing over and pull it out whole, once you get it to where you want to load from, them break/cut it up to be loaded out.

Push high up on the tree, but be carefull if it looks rotten, or else you may snap it off where you are pushing from and land half the tree on your cab. bigger once you will need to dig the roots out. Push with your teeth and use the boom down preassure to push it over, or you can simply walk towards the tree using track power. Reason i push with the teeth is you then have some control of which direction the tree starts falling as the teeth bite into the trunk. Smaller trees you can usualy grab in the crotch of the bucket/thumb and pull/pluck them up in one swoop.

 

[345cl]

dig around the roots,then slowly push it over,if you do it rite she should down in one piece,thats how ive been doin it,,timber!!!!!

 

[digger242j]

Just get up high and push them over. Some trees, you may have to dig up the roots opposite the side in which the tree will be falling.

To elaborate a little on what rino says...I always try, as much as possible, to leave the roots undisturbed, on the side away from the machine. The reason is that, those roots won't really support the tree against falling in that direction, but, if your bucket should slip off the trunk to one side or the other, they can help to keep the tree from springing back and falling toward you. Similarly, if you want to be sure the tree doesn't fall somewhat to the right, leave the roots on the left side alone.

...but be carefull if it looks rotten, or else you may snap it off where you are pushing from and land half the tree on your cab.

I'll second that. Also, be on the lookout for even a rotten branch high enough, and large enough to do damage. Even though you may be pushing the entire tree away from you, the rotten branch can snap off and fall back toward you. Don't ask me how I know...

Start by pushing gently, perhaps even rocking the tree back and forth a little. That way you get a feel for how easily it's going to go over, and it may need to be loosened up a bit anyway. Only when you get it leaning so that you know it has no choice but to fall where you want it to, should you push with everything you've got. In other words, keep your options open--don't you commit to pushing it over until you know it's commited to falling.

What if you can't burn the trees. Don't think you can burn in this area--gotta load it out to the landfill.

Plan on taking the whole tree down and then dealing with the branches. Their weight helps bring the tree down, and they're a whole lot easier to control when they're laying on the ground in front of you, rather than hanging over your head.

Push with your teeth and use the boom down preassure to push it over, or you can simply walk towards the tree using track power. Reason i push with the teeth is you then have some control of which direction the tree starts falling as the teeth bite into the trunk.

I'll agree with Tyler, with some qualification--be careful that as you apply down pressure with the boom, that the teeth don't dig so far into the tree that it begins to lift the machine. Better you should back off and take another shot than to lift the tracks off the ground and get cockeyed. I'll generally start pushing with the underside of the cutting edge. That way you only have to roll the bucket out a little to bring the teeth into play, and roll the bucket back in a little to keep the teeth from biting into the wood too much.

You've got to be real careful throughout the operation. There's a lot of "spring" in trees and their branches. (Think of the old hunter's snares, made by bending a tree down and atteching a loop of rope to it.) Any time you push on any part of a tree, it has the potential to come springing back at you. Guys have been killed by this.

 

[Tn Bulldog]

I was gonna chime in BUT digger, rino , 345 & tyler has it covered coldnt had said better myself fellas




I perfer clearing, logging & demolition the most i learned how throw a tree w/ a trackhoe before i learned how to cut a grade




later



bulldog

 

[Alan]

3-4 years ago I was operating a 307 Cat with a manual thumb I had made. Clearing a lot in a hemlock swamp. First few trees were the worst, no place to tip them. As I got space opened up we would haul in sand to get me out of the mud. I would shove them over intact, then carry them out to the landing. Swing one way and clip all the brush off into one pile, swing the other way and clip the stumps off and then cut them into 12-14' sections and pile the logs. The 307 was machine enough to tip them pretty easy, a few I had to grub the roots out and then rock them a few times until they got the hint. Carrying them out was where it was a little too small, I had to carry off the side and it tended to want to travel on its' ear with some of the bigger ones.

 

[Wolf]

Awesome Responses

You guys are the best. Awesome responses to taking out trees guys. You guys are pros and have fantastic and creative ideas.

You all really know how to push a tree with an excavator. I am just getting into nailing trees with a hoe, and I can tell you it is great fun and a wonderful feeling of power to push over a big tree with my big track hoe. You guys are so awesome.

Keep up the great suggestions, I'm taking them all to heart.

 

[CM1995]

The only thing I have to add is the different ways different species of tree will act when pushing them down. When the ground is wet a pine is by far the easiest but when the ground is dry its a little more difficult - the tap root of the pine can be down right testy. I have found that the difficulty of getting down hardwoods is varied. A white oak seems easier than a red oak. Popular and mountain oak are some of the easiest - their roots seem to run horizontally across the ground instead of down into the ground. The absolute most aggravating is a hickory or sweet gum - seems like they usually shear off right above the stump - leaving you a tough stump to dig.:Banghead If I am pushing a sweet gum or hickory down, I will usually dig almost all the way around the stump several feet down (depending on the trunk size) before I try to push it over.

Very good advice on paying attention to the "widow makers" - dead tops and limbs in the tree you are pushing down. If a tree has a dead top in it I usually try to position the hoe (like a 320 -325 size) as far away from the tree as possible and still reach it with the boom outstreached, bucket mid way up the tree. At that point I try to push the tree in the direction I want the tree to fall, to see how "solid" the dead part is. If you happen to have a dead top break out it gives you some reaction time and distance from it should it fall back towards you.

Of course a thumb is almost a necessity for the obivious clean up but you can also use it to take one down. I like to use the space between the bucket and the thumb - this is even easier with a hydraulic thumb - to hold and guide the tree where you want it to land.

 

[Wolf]

Cool update on how different species of trees act or react to the hoe.

Most of my time in the seat has been wrecking old slum buildings in the city where there aren't too many trees around. (It's great fun, except when the rats come pouring out because the xterminator hasn't done his job.)

On some other jobs, the tree huggers and leaf lickers won't let you touch anything fatter than a tree in a flower pot.

Now that the demo jobs for the city are drying up, trying to get into more land clearing for housing developments out in the country. Gonna try out all of your suggestions about clearing trees---like I said, they are awesome suggestions, and seems like I can get some good results.

Thanks for all the awesome input guys. You rock!

 

[Squizzy246B]

Wolf, trees are one thing, but I often get the task of removing a stump that the tree loppers have taken off with very little trunk left for leverage. In this case its excavator and root ripping time unless you have a D9 handy. You need to work your way around the stump breaking all the roots off and using the ends to twist and lever the stump. Pines are usually easy....Australian hardwood species are often a fight. Good Luck

 

[grubber]

My Technique

I've been pushing alot of big trees recently. I normally dig front and back of tree, reach high and walk the machine to push the tree down and guide the tree with the bucket in the desired direction. Its a good Idea to not get in a hurry.


If your clearing and grubbing alot, this is one of the most valuable tools you can have in your arsenal, ecspecially for pushing trees.

http://www.excavatorthumb.com/raker/stumper5.html
Good Luck!

 

[Wolf]

That rake looks pretty good, Grubber. I'm going to check it out. BUt I was wondering, how big a tree can you handle with that? The trees in the picture on their website look pretty small. How big are the trees that you are pushing with that rake?

 

[grubber]

Any Size

I wouldn't recommend using the rake when pushing trees, just the stumper. The rake is a addon that bolts to the stumper. The stumper is good for ripping roots away before you push'em down and not grabbing a lot of dirt. I always put the rake on after I'm done clearing. I primarily use the rake for cleanup, finishing, and loading brush and logs. Hope this helps!

 

[white_boyz1]

hard trees

the only method we are able too use in the south is the dig around and shove with all you got and hope for the best.down here we have a tree called a ''hackberry'' it has to be the worst and the strongest ever,roots go for miles in all directions.

 

[Digger145]

Wolf, trees are one thing, but I often get the task of removing a stump that the tree loppers have taken off with very little trunk left for leverage. In this case its excavator and root ripping time unless you have a D9 handy. You need to work your way around the stump breaking all the roots off and using the ends to twist and lever the stump. Pines are usually easy....Australian hardwood species are often a fight. Good Luck

If you have a lot of big gums (particularly swampys / mountain ash) to do. Get the fellers to half of quarter down the stump. It makes it much quicker if you can fail them through the center. I really hate tap roots when a paddock of stumps appears as you drive on site.

I don't know if you get silver wattles over your way. But they're called 'widow makers' here in Tasmania, Australia. They just luv to split at the push point / contact point and the top half will try and fall back towards the digger. Make sure you've got a ROPS / FOPS or OPS, whatever you want to call 'em as long as there is a minimum of 1/4 inch steel plate above your head!

 

[Digger145]

I was going to add the "why you should have a FOPS" pics in my other post but couldn't see the edit button. Your eyes go when you get old you know....

I'd also like to add that there are no yellow or brown stains on the seat!! lol
Looking back on it, I could have just jumped out the door, as it was open - but it all happens sooo quick when you're tried at the end of the day. Which is why it generally happens in the first place.
Anyway, I got away with a few glass cuts. I then had to go and get a chain to get the tree off the cabin by myself. Really needed a beer that night.