So, I have this q-tip tree near the end of my driveway. It's really just a big wind lever and I looked at it a couple days ago when it was gusting to 50+ mph. We also park our cars pretty well in line with where it would blow over.
I hadn't paid a whole lot of attention to the lean until it got windy, but in order to not take my son's car out, I decided it was time to take her down, it was leaning nearly 20 feet out at the top, towards the house and our parking spots. I'd rather not take down live trees but this one had seen better days without any of the lower branches. It was maybe 60-70 feet tall.
As per usual, it's incredible what a backhoe can do and the speed at which it can do it. I pulled up to it, reached out, found the angle I was at wouldn't fell it really where I wanted, so I changed spots and gave a shove.
30 seconds later the tree is almost exactly where I wanted and not on top of any cars.
I hopped out of the hoe, grabbed the saw and about 20 minutes later had chunks that I could drag back to the fire pile. I spent about an hour or hooking up the straps and dragging limbs and trunks, now it's about cleaned up and I've got a glass of bourbon by my side.
As per usual, the hoe saved some dangerous/timely felling work that could have been done entirely with the chainsaw, but who knows where it would fall and with pushing it over the roots popped up with it too, along with some honeysuckle and other garbage trees that surrounded it.
It may sound silly but I give the hoe a nice pat on the a$$ every time I use her, and marvel at the work she can do. God bless a backhoe.