How not to bushhog !!

RSKY · Sep 12, 2021

Finished mowing 24 acres of CRP ground at one farm and moved seven miles to the next 18 acres to be mowed. The west boundary of this farm is Clarks River and the bottom ground floods about every four years and can easily get out of control if not mowed yearly. My brother in law mowed it last year with a large batwing until he got stuck in the wet area, the wrecker called to get him out got stuck, and a neighbor's four wheel drive tractor finally got them out. So the hillside got mowed but the flat land was badly overgrown with brush and 12'-15' tall trees. This year I am mowing it with a 45-year old Ford 4600 and a brand new BushHog 6' mower. The 7 acres in the flat land had to be mowed in low range 2nd gear instead of the normal 4th gear. So 2-1/2 mph instead of 6mph. Makes for a long day. The rest of the ground is on a hillside with a couple acres being seat clinching steep.

Anyway.

Made the first pass Saturday chopping up 1" to 2" saplings and brush so thick that no grass was growing under. Started making the second pass and I noticed a sapling trunk standing straight with all the limbs and leaves off. So I angled over to chop it off. Leaned over to the right and watched the front axle push it down and waited for the rear tire to catch it before it slipped off the front axle.

I miscalculated badly.

The sapling slipped out from under the front axle and snapped upright catching me right between the eyes on my safety glasses. (Never, NEVER ever mow without them!!) That hurt! I had to stop and get the tears out of my eyes before I could continue. Figured I would have a black eye but didn't. Still sore today. I have been mowing since I was 14-15 years old and I know better. I could have easily lost my left eye and with no center vision in my right I would not be able to drive.

Be warned. Mowing is dangerous even if you have been mowing the same ground for fifty years.

Also the brush is so thick that after 30-45 minutes the radiator gets clogged and the temp starts going up. Being a mile from the nearest house I have to load a generator and air compressor in the truck to blow the radiator out.

Be safe!

RSKY

Doughknob · Sep 12, 2021

2 days ago, cutting tree with chainsaw, 5" branch came "up" and got me on the nose as i just cut thru it. Of course i was expecting it to go "down."

Richard · Sep 12, 2021

I'm not sure if I should give condolences or an Oscar....

If nothing else, you certainly have a flair for telling a story.

Richard · Sep 12, 2021

Ahh... "this guy has you all beat".... I'm guessing you are conveying something you found.

Still... was funny

Root Cause · Sep 12, 2021

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!

RSKY · Sep 12, 2021

Doughknob said:
2 days ago, cutting tree with chainsaw, 5" branch came "up" and got me on the nose as i just cut thru it. Of course i was expecting it to go "down."

I did that a couple months ago. Except my limb was a lot smaller. Left toenail about half black.

RSKY

cathy liebchen · Sep 12, 2021

12’ to 15’ trees? The correct tool is a forestry mulcher head on a tracked skid steer, not a tractor

Vigo327 · Sep 12, 2021

Sounded to me like he was talking about 1-2" 'trunks'. I doubt he'd be using the front end to drive over something a bush hog couldn't cut. I've also never known a bigger tree to 'snap' back up like that when pushed over. But im still young and got a lot of years left to find out. Luckily right now my tractors are too small to try that trick. Id be climbing a 2" tree instead of pushing it over.

ruffdog · Sep 12, 2021

Those bent over 2-3" trees can be deadly...tree guys call them spring poles.

Accident Report Detail | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

jimainiac · Sep 13, 2021

It might be a pain to do in a large area, but when I have to grind up big stuff with the bush hog I like to back up to it. Seems like running over large trees, even if they are skinny, could damage things on the under side of the tractor.

RSKY · Sep 13, 2021

cathy liebchen said:
12’ to 15’ trees? The correct tool is a forestry mulcher head on a tracked skid steer, not a tractor

Not every one was like that. What pulled the tractor down more than the trees was the thick knee to waist high grass. Don't know what it was but it grows in thick clumps and is tough.

RSKY

RSKY · Sep 13, 2021

jimainiac said:
It might be a pain to do in a large area, but when I have to grind up big stuff with the bush hog I like to back up to it. Seems like running over large trees, even if they are skinny, could damage things on the under side of the tractor.

I did get the tractor hung up last week. Tried to drive over three 1"-2" diameter trees in a fence row and the large one wedged itself between the clutch and tractor body under the foot rests. The tractor was clutched and would not move. I was in 1st gear so didn't have the momentum to go over them. Had to walk to the house and come back a couple days later with a battery powered reciprocating saw and crawl under the tractor and cut it out.

RSKY

jdmeth · Sep 13, 2021

Vigo327 said:
Sounded to me like he was talking about 1-2" 'trunks'. I doubt he'd be using the front end to drive over something a bush hog couldn't cut. I've also never known a bigger tree to 'snap' back up like that when pushed over. But im still young and got a lot of years left to find out. Luckily right now my tractors are too small to try that trick. Id be climbing a 2" tree instead of pushing it over.

It probably didn't snap back, the rear tire ran over the root and flipped it back up. Happened to me, I wasn't hurt but the front glass on the Cat 928 wheel loader with a root rake I was driving got shattered. The Cat owner was not pleased.

Kschwennsen · Sep 13, 2021

I have black berry canes that like to slap me in the face when I drive through my trails, does that count?

It didn't snap back but I pushed over a 1' dia. dead poplar that broke into 3 pieces and used the forks to dig up the stump. Anyone want some poplar/birch? you can have all you want to cut!

Metalman5767 · Sep 13, 2021

Slash Pine: That's a great story!

CobyRupert · Sep 13, 2021

RSKY said:
I did get the tractor hung up last week. Tried to drive over three 1"-2" diameter trees in a fence row and the large one wedged itself between the clutch and tractor body under the foot rests. The tractor was clutched and would not move. I was in 1st gear so didn't have the momentum to go over them. Had to walk to the house and come back a couple days later with a battery powered reciprocating saw and crawl under the tractor and cut it out.

RSKY

Yep, just when you think you’re being safe and got all the dangers figured out, Mother Nature will **** you in ways you can’t even imagine.

barts · Sep 13, 2021

ruffdog said:
Those bent over 2-3" trees can be deadly...tree guys call them spring poles.

Accident Report Detail | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Lost a "big" (20" x 80') fir last winter (laminar root root; endemic here in the San Juan Islands) and it bent over several 3"-4" red alders on the way down... blocked the path to my folk's place. I had to very carefully release tension on those alders; definitely a lot of energy stored in those spring poles. "To Fell a Tree" is a excellent book on dealing w/ various tricky situations - recommended.

- Bart