# Pushin Trees Skidsteer Style



## Nailsbeats (Jul 4, 2008)

I pushed down 3 Elm this size this afternoon. Clearing some room behind my shed. They were 8-9 inch trees. I was impressed by what I could push over with the 763. 

I threw the four-four-O in the pic just for show, it wanted some attention. Well deserved after it bucked up all the firewood.

I need a beer. Pics are shady, bad light.


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## The Lawn Shark (Jul 5, 2008)

Nails,
I watched my brother push a tree over the other day in my skid loader and when the root ball came up it almost flipped my loader over backwards, he did'nt retreat fast enough...You would of had to been there to beleave it...it was real close to flippin all the way over... My brother still won't push trees over with it and this happed like three weeks ago


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## Nailsbeats (Jul 5, 2008)

Shark, 
I believe it. I checked the tops first to make sure I wouldn't break one and have it land on or in the cab, then I watched the root ball the whole time. I would get the tree halfway over, then backup and hook under the root ball to leverage it over and bring the roots up. Lastly, I would scrape the dirt off the roots and turn 90 degrees to push the tree off to the side by the trunk, rolling off dirt as I went then backfilling.

My brother almost rolled mine over backwards. He was dumping big rocks into the dumptruck. He had a big one on the end of the bucket and it tipped the machine forward, when it fell out the machine rocked back all the way to the stop with some massive side to side shake too. I was yelling and running at him, I thought he was done. Kept her up though and left shortly after to clean his shorts. I got to clean the rocks off the machine, nice brother huh?


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## senechal (Jul 5, 2008)

I've seen some really high butt bounces enough times that I will tend to pull a tree over with a rope every time, rather than park a tractor or skidsteer on backcut side. Mind you, use of an open face notch can go a long way to help.


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## Nailsbeats (Jul 5, 2008)

senechal said:


> I've seen some really high butt bounces enough times that I will tend to pull a tree over with a rope every time, rather than park a tractor or skidsteer on backcut side. Mind you, use of an open face notch can go a long way to help.





Pushing while felling with a notch is a definitely a different deal. Not bad with a skid though cause you can retreat so fast being that it is a hydrostatic setup. I like to do it sometimes, it's like a big pike pole. 

It works well on smaller trees when you notch it, plung cut, and almost trip the strap on the backside, get in the skid and push it.


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## Texas Traveler (Jul 5, 2008)

I used to rent skid loaders all the time from United Rental here in Dallas while building up our city lot. The driveway being near a storm sewer outlet to the lot next to us, over 5 years time I had a 15 foot drop to the bottom of the gully.
After renting a case 845 skid :censored: loader I did not like because it was backwards from a bobcat.
I dropped the safety bar & started it up with a full throttle roaring but had not put the seat belt on.
Parked right next to the 15 foot drop it started spinning around & around
It seem like it took me forever to hit the throttle & kill it.
And it took me about 10 minutes to lift myself out of the seat, the seat belt buckle had hung up in the steering lever locking it back.
Never again:censored:


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## senechal (Jul 5, 2008)

Nailsbeats said:


> Pushing while felling with a notch is a definitely a different deal. Not bad with a skid though cause you can retreat so fast being that it is a hydrostatic setup. I like to do it sometimes, it's like a big pike pole.
> 
> It works well on smaller trees when you notch it, plung cut, and almost trip the strap on the backside, get in the skid and push it.



Agreed. Depends on your confidence in the operator.


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## capetrees (Jul 6, 2008)

For small trees, perhaps up to 12" dia, we always use the Bobcat to uproot the tree. Trick is to cut the upper part of the tree down first. This elimintaes the chance of the tree snapping and falling on the operator and also eliminates the chance of the tree going over too fast, thus uprooting and by chance flipping the machine. Cut the tree and leave about 5' of trunk still attached to the stump. This will give you better leverage to uproot the stump with greater control and eliminates all the issues listed above. For bigger trees, same operation applies but we tend to use an excavator to first weaken the stumps hold by cutting in around the stump, thus cutting some major roots, and then tipping the tree with the remaining trunk still attached. Plucked out of the ground nice and neat if you do it right with either machine.


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## Nailsbeats (Jul 6, 2008)

Cape, it is safer that way.

In my case I was pretty much maxing out my machine and needed the weight up top to help leverage the tree over. If you do it this way check to make sure the tree is sound and go for it.

Once the tree goes over 20 degrees or so you can tell how big the rootball will be, back out if you have to. thats when I drop the bucket down and shorten up the roots and dirt on the machine side. Then get under them and use your bucket break out force and your pushing force to finnish it.


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## Burvol (Jul 6, 2008)

Be careful when doing that nails, I know of a guy here that killed himself like that, in a smaller machine.


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## Nailsbeats (Jul 6, 2008)

What happened Burv? Did the top snap off, come down, and pin him in the machine?


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## Burvol (Jul 7, 2008)

Yep, smashola'. It was a smaller, tall fir that he was pushing when it broke about 1/3 of the way down. Crushed him in the cab. I would say your trees there are probably pretty stout for pushing, but you can never be too sure. Sorry, just something to make you paranoid.


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## Texas Traveler (Jul 7, 2008)

Burvol said:


> Yep, smashola'. It was a smaller, tall fir that he was pushing when it broke about 1/3 of the way down. Crushed him in the cab. I would say your trees there are probably pretty stout for pushing, but you can never be too sure. Sorry, just something to make you paranoid.


 You can never be to careful around a skid loader, years ago I watched a auctioneer scatter a crowd one day. One dumb stunt to get on one if you don't have any knowdge of the machine.
What a hoot & I am renting one this coming weekend to cleanup around here. Move some sand, dirt, mulch, dig 2 stumps & cut some fire guard A John Deere, 61 HP on rubber. Get it for the weekend on a Fri. evening delivery & picked up on Monday.
You have 2 days to put 8 hours on the machine for one charge of 345.00. Can't beat it with a stick.:greenchainsaw:


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## Nailsbeats (Jul 7, 2008)

These healthy elm would take some serious work to break, but that is definitely something to take a hard look at. I figured it must have been different wood.

You can do a lot of work putting 8 hrs. on a skid.


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## Lawnmowerboy48 (Jul 8, 2008)

Not quite pushing trees over but using a skidsteer with shears. Some of you may remember reading this. I think it was in Tree Service Magazine a couple months ago, probably closer to a year ago. A guy was using a skidsteer with shears on it to remove trees. As I remember the article he was on the uphill side of the tree cutting above grade because the shears were not big enough to cut at ground level. Cuts the leader out, too much weight and being on the uphill side of the tree the machine flips forward, stump enters the cab and kills him.


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## Nailsbeats (Jul 8, 2008)

I have a shear too, that I made. I did read that article your talking about somewhere.


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## treemandan (Jul 12, 2008)

Lawnmowerboy48 said:


> Not quite pushing trees over but using a skidsteer with shears. Some of you may remember reading this. I think it was in Tree Service Magazine a couple months ago, probably closer to a year ago. A guy was using a skidsteer with shears on it to remove trees. As I remember the article he was on the uphill side of the tree cutting above grade because the shears were not big enough to cut at ground level. Cuts the leader out, too much weight and being on the uphill side of the tree the machine flips forward, stump enters the cab and kills him.



Yes, won't ever forget that story. 
Nails, HEADACHE! But of course you are still the man. Did your dad give you hell for that?
I like it better when I know he is around... I think.


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## pdqdl (Jul 12, 2008)

Using a skid steer to push over trees might be more dangerous than just cutting them with a saw. Experience is necessary to avoid big mistakes.
I second the suggestion to cut and then leave enough stump to push over.

1. As described, the root ball can tip them over backwards. Their reach is too short to get away.

2. The wheelbase is shorter than the vertical reach. If you raise your bucket more than about 6' in the air, the bucket is pushing UP on the tree more than it is pushing the tree OVER. This can lead to complications like setting the machine on it's tail and not being able to back away from the tree. Now what do you do ?

3. If tipped over, they can be very tough to get out of the cab. And they tip easily. Nearly everyone knows they shouldn't even be driven forward up a hill unless loaded.

4. Once they start rolling, they tend to keep going. So you may not just turn upside down, you might become the clapper on a 6000 lb bell rolling down the hill to the bottom. Fortunately, most operators don't get on a hill big enough to roll down.


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## Nailsbeats (Jul 12, 2008)

treemandan said:


> Yes, won't ever forget that story.
> Nails, HEADACHE! But of course you are still the man. Did your dad give you hell for that?
> I like it better when I know he is around... I think.



Give me hell for what Dan, pushin the tree over? You lost me.


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## treemandan (Jul 12, 2008)

Nailsbeats said:


> Give me hell for what Dan, pushin the tree over? You lost me.



Yes for pushing the tree over.


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## Nailsbeats (Jul 12, 2008)

treemandan said:


> Yes for pushing the tree over.



Oh no. I don't think I ever told him.


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## treemandan (Jul 12, 2008)

That was just a joke Nails, my nonchalant way of saying THATS NOT GOOD. I wouldn't do it but you can surely do as you please.
Its not an art and I am not the one to school you BUT if I had a nickle for evrytime I saw someone almost get crushed bashing down trees... even small trees. If I had a nickle for everytime I saw someone push over trees and it didn't go right and endanger everybody else...
Truth is I wouldn't be very rich but that is only cause a nickle don't go very far BUT I am interested to hear what dad had to say about it.
Is it really worth it? I mean how much more work is it to set a notch then push? Leave the stump up high if you want leverage to yank the stump.
See Nails, the notch is what sets us apart from monkeys. Within it is the power to direct mega amounts of force with little manipulation. We came so far with it and here you go just putting it aside and ramming your loader into things like a landscraper who thinks he is a big time tree guy.
Of course I know you know but I had to say something, I need attention to.
Now also see that I didn't call you a landscraper who thinks he is a big time tree guy, I just said it was LIKE one cause that is who I see pushing trees over like that.
I have driven past land clearing operations where I have seen huge trees laying in a pile with the root plate still attached. What in the hell kind of machine can do that?


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## Nailsbeats (Jul 12, 2008)

Truth be told there was really nothing risky about it, and my old man wouldn't care. He's pushed many a tree over with a dozer. We can climb em, we can drop em, we can push em. Just another technique and tool in the bag.

Dan, the "art" factor is what separates the dead ramrod from the guy that can do it safely and efficiently. There is an art to almost everything if you look at it critically.


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## treemandan (Jul 12, 2008)

Nailsbeats said:


> Truth be told there was really nothing risky about it. I can climb em, I can drop em, I can push em. Just another tool in the bag.



yes that one was an easy push. We know you are good but still feel we have to warn you about making a habit of it. Press on buddy, you the man.


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## Nailsbeats (Jul 12, 2008)

treemandan said:


> yes that one was an easy push. We know you are good but still feel we have to warn you about making a habit of it. Press on buddy, you the man.




I am good, thanks for the compliment, now I can sleep tonight.


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## treemandan (Jul 12, 2008)

Nailsbeats said:


> I am good, thanks for the compliment, now I can sleep tonight.



OH GOD!


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## Texas Traveler (Jul 13, 2008)

I just spent 3 half days on a John Deere 1700 series rubber tired skid loader, it had 61 HP.
With the fire guard I had cut out I needed every bit of the 61 HP.
I had 8 foot weeds & a sea of 4 foot weeds full of burs.

With the dry spell we have here there was no chance of doing any tree pushing.
I run out of my paid 8 hours by 2, so I get to settle up with them when they do a pickup on the machine. So far it has been 326.00 plus about 65.00 on diesel fuel.
But at my age of 72 that damn thing like to have killed this ole toot.

When I was a kid learning to run bulldozers, I tackled a few dead pecan trees. Never again
They are one bad tree, you never know which way they will fall.
If you tap them a little to much, they will break off high in the top.
You will have at least 2 12 ft.tree trunks coming straight at you.


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## treemandan (Jul 13, 2008)

I saw this one guy pushing a little pine over. It looked like he had it and was being careful but a lateral root held on one side and it swung round into the pool.


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## pdqdl (Jul 14, 2008)

treemandan said:


> ... I have driven past land clearing operations where I have seen huge trees laying in a pile with the root plate still attached. What in the hell kind of machine can do that?



Track loaders and excavators. They were almost made to do just that.

I watched 3 large excavators some years back taking out the entire row of cottonwoods perched on the 2:1 slope above Brush Creek by the "Plaza", a well known shopping district in KC, Mo.

The excavators would dig out a ramp going up this unbelievably steep hill, dig out the roots, and push a 80'-100' tall cottonwood over in about 10 munutes apiece. Then they would scoop it up and pass it down to the bottom of the hill for another excavator to break it into smaller pieces and load into semi trucks. Not a chainsaw in sight, they could break up 4' diameter tree trunks like twigs.


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