Pushing trees with a trackhoe.

Am I missing something?
Dig the roots around one side and undermine.
Reach high with the bucket and push.
Once down, rip it out of the ground,
drag the tree to where you want it and cut the stump off.

Most trees around this area are less then 30" and 70'.
I knock the widow makers out first so I don't have wood raining down over my ROPS.

I've cleared whole lots like this. The only time I wouldn't do it is on a future septic field. The engineers want the ground undisturbed and uncompacted, even if it means stumps.
I can push 'em down perfect and there's no stump to dig up.
What's so dangerous about this?

Trees have been pushed over with bulldozers for years. Lucky no tree has broken off above and gotcha.

ray benson said:

Trees have been pushed over with bulldozers for years. Lucky no tree has broken off above and gotcha.

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That's pretty much it though, right? I mean it doesn't really matter how you take a tree down, they don't like it and sometimes try to kill you. I don't think I'd have the balls to push one with a dozer or loader. I feel a lot better having that boom and dipper between me and the tree. Also, digging the roots up, the tree pushes over easy. You don't rip it out all at once. Sometimes it comes down so soft, it doesn't even hit the ground really. Then you just dig it out the rest of the way and...done.
Am I going to kill myself quicker this way?

I don't know...sounds like your missing a very good opportunity to operate a chainsaw. Kinda shameful, no?

Blakesmaster said:

I don't know...sounds like your missing a very good opportunity to operate a chainsaw. Kinda shameful, no?

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HAHA! Excellent point!

The only reason I ask is that it's very time consuming to dig stumps and beats up the machine.

We do it all the time on land clearing jobs. But make sure you have a ex that is the right size for the trees you are working on !!!!!!!!!! or you can get in trouble real fast!! We have an 18,000 lb. / 45,000 lb. and a 106,000 lb. and they all have a time and place where they work well

ASD said:

We do it all the time on land clearing jobs. But make sure you have a ex that is the right size for the trees you are working on !!!!!!!!!! or you can get in trouble real fast!! We have an 18,000 lb. / 45,000 lb. and a 106,000 lb. and they all have a time and place where they work well

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Noted.

You probably have monster trees right? Around here, the sycamore is the biggest tree. They get scary big actually. Next up would be cherry then hickory then maple and down. I can clear a lot in no time with a 320. Most stuff I could handle with a 312.

I do the same, except I use a backhoe. Dig the sides and push it over with the hoe. Stumps are much more eaiser to get rid of this way. I would love to have a big track hoe.

2000ssm6 said:

I do the same, except I use a backhoe. Dig the sides and push it over with the hoe. Stumps are much more eaiser to get rid of this way. I would love to have a big track hoe.

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So you wouldn't push it with the loader either? There's something about having hoe out there. It puts you a little but further away but it's more then that.

I've used a loader/backhoe to push over many smaller trees. An excavator is better because you can get up higher on the tree and they have more concentrated power for the same size machine. Saws are great, but machines get it done.

i've use my mini ex a bunch for pushing over trees.

i have a pretty small mini ex,. and have pushed on some pretty big trees. even pushed on some trees and had a buddy cut the trees with a saw.

a few comments. it is pretty easy to push on a tree and push the mini ex over backwards, so be careful that way. the higher you push, the easier to push the digger over backwards.

i think it would be pretty tough to get hurt pushing on a tree, even if the tree came over on top of you. my theory has always been if the tree started to come over on me, i'd hold still. You'd probably be pretty safe inside the ROPS, but squished like a bug if you lost your nerve and ran for it.

I have an old PC50UU1. I've trashed some little walnut trees in my swamp but I like my big trees so I've never pushed over anything over 8". That's like swatting a sumac bush for a 6-1/2 ton machine. I've used a KX 121 to push some pretty large trees. Maybe 20" diameter. Piece of cake. My PC outweighs the KX by 2500#. I was hired to do some storm sewer repair on private property. This will be my first job with this machine. It hasn't left my farm since I bought it last spring. There's a tree right in the way and the pipe would have to go right where the stump is. I am planning on limbing it up with my rope saw. Just two branches that stick out toward his septic field. He's afraid that a branch could go through a pipe if the field is very shallow. See I wouldn't have thought of that. He was going to bring a "climber" in but this guy is kind of known to everyone...in an affectionate but bad way. He doesn't use ropes usually and when he does, they're tied to the bumper. And he's had the job for over a year. The only snag was two lilac bushes but The wife has agreed to lose them. I offered to throw in a shrub or two to replace them, or to try to transplant them (they're pretty young and have been let go wild so I could hack them right down probably and they'd grow back beautiful).

Anyway, I want to thank everyone who's weighed in. I feel much better. I thought I was just not seeing something. I don't FEEL stupid!:monkey:

Edit: I'm talking about a tree that's 22" +/- and pro'lly 60'. And a back leaner. The other reason I want to take the bottom two branches off.

poulson01 said:

So you wouldn't push it with the loader either? There's something about having hoe out there. It puts you a little but further away but it's more then that.

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Unless it is already leaning to the fall direction, I might use the loader to turn the root ball over some more. Most of the time the hoe gets to do the work, much more control. Mine also has the "extend-a-hoe" option so I can really put some force on the tree, just broke a tooth/shank off too.

ASD said:

We do it all the time on land clearing jobs. But make sure you have a ex that is the right size for the trees you are working on !!!!!!!!!! or you can get in trouble real fast!! We have an 18,000 lb. / 45,000 lb. and a 106,000 lb. and they all have a time and place where they work well

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How usefull are stump shears when clearing big trees?

I'm a bit lucky in that I have a 10 ton 933 loader and I'm only pushing pine. Not that some of those pine don't have tap roots down to china (then ya gotta digem out, then push). I'm also in a non penalty environment (no houses or power lines). I'm clearing land so it's much easier to get the tree out, root and all, in one step. Much harder to get those stumps out after the fact. The leverage you get when pushing a 90' tree (weight + you pushing) is amazing.

Happy pushing,

Wow nice machine! The last one in Warwick finally got retired last summer. I have an old Case 855b with a backhoe that needs a motor. I'd like to restore it some day. You don't see track loaders anymore.

Edit:Just a couple things I would worry about, besides the obvious. Complacency. I'm guilty of that myself. You can get carried away listening to the radio in that air conditioned cab and that's when you do something stupid. Also, this method of tree removal is REALLY dangerous...to the people on the ground. You could kill someone 50' away and not even know it. Best to get everyone out until you have a good portion cleared and then your saw guy can work. Having said that, there are times when you don't want to be by yourself. Clearing is THAT TIME. Have them keep their distance but keep an eye out for you.

drmiller100 said:

i've use my mini ex a bunch for pushing over trees.

i have a pretty small mini ex,. and have pushed on some pretty big trees. even pushed on some trees and had a buddy cut the trees with a saw.

a few comments. it is pretty easy to push on a tree and push the mini ex over backwards, so be careful that way. the higher you push, the easier to push the digger over backwards.

i think it would be pretty tough to get hurt pushing on a tree, even if the tree came over on top of you. my theory has always been if the tree started to come over on me, i'd hold still. You'd probably be pretty safe inside the ROPS, but squished like a bug if you lost your nerve and ran for it.

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I think you're better off in the cab, no doubt. A piece of wood that could dent the roof would kill you for sure. Some of the most dangerous work I've done is knocking out widow makers. I did one just recently that was pretty exciting . I had to swat it loose and then quick track the machine out of the way. After a few years, these machines become like another appendage so you're confident doing stuff like this. Gets the adrenalin going. Not the kind of move I would suggest for someone who can't figure out which way his undercarriage is pointing!

John Paul Sanborn said:

How usefull are stump shears when clearing big trees?

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I Googled it and these things look like more for material processing. They look pretty expensive too. It's always best to burn the stumps if you can. If not, you have to truck 'em out.

Edit:I guess that's not the only option. Plenty of guys will come in and do the processing for you.

Sit my big ass in a D8 or 9 with sweeps and I'll knock anything over!

We've done something similar with sit-backs close to the road, take the loader and give it a budge.

A company around here shears the trees, than has a couple of 245's fitted with railroad cribbing buckets, pop the stumps out. Than, its off to the tub they go.