Another Tree Safety Reminder

[farmboy12]

Hey, guys. I know most of us don't want to hear about tree safety another time, and I don't either, but here goes.

We were working today with 6 total hired workers along with me, my dad, and my grandfather. I was running around on the AC with a wagon and two other workers picking up sticks. Well I came around just in time to see what happened next.

They were cutting down trees. They reached a branchless (word?) tree that was very tall (and dead, but still fairly green), probably 70ft+, and it got caught up and wouldn't fall. Course, since we are very fluent with equipment and stuff such as this, we felt the danger but still thought it was no biggy. My dad takes the M4900 to push it, and whaddo you know, the top 10ft section weighing about 120lbs falls, hits the tractor fender as well as my dad's shoulder. I hate to say I saw it coming. He nearly broke his shoulder I'm sure it's very cut/bruised up and he complains about the pain a lot. Luckily my grandfather called him a p***y, my dad made a quick reply and we were right back it. It won't stop us from doing it again, but we have this to tell our descendants. Maybe they can get some smarts put in them.


Kyle

 

[beenthere]

Never a good plan to push on a dead tree, as the tops will break out and fall straight down on what/who is doing the pushing. Lucky Dad is alive.

 

[RadarTech]

Never a good plan to push on a dead tree, as the tops will break out and fall straight down on what/who is doing the pushing. Lucky Dad is alive.

yes he is lucky... his guardian angel was watching over him for sure!!!


J

 

[johnrex62]

What advice can you give to someone not familiar with working around trees for removing the dead. Assume we will not listen to reason and hire it done, what could you say to help some a dimwit save their life? Any safer way to do it?


I have a couple small dead trees I will be pulling out, but they are only 25-30 feet tall, 8-10" thick, and really dead. I had planned to put a 30' chain on them and pull backwards from the FEL until they snapped loose. Good or bad plan?

 

[CurlyDave]

I had planned to put a 30' chain on them and pull backwards from the FEL until they snapped loose. Good or bad plan?

I do this fairly frequently. Some people will tell you not to pull with your FEL, but mine is robust enough to take it. YMMV. Actually determine the height of the tree. Easy enough to do with one of those torpedo levels that has a 45 degree vial.

Hold the level at 45 degrees and sight along the top of it -- move back & forth until the top of the tree is aligned with the level. On level ground the height of the tree is the same as the distance from your feet to the tree, plus the height of your eye above the ground.

I add about 10-15' of chain just for safety and then place the chain as high on the tree as I can get it. A ladder and a nail driven into the tree can help here.

Then go ahead and pull, or you can even notch the tree before pulling. Leave yourself enough tree to lever the stump out of the ground.

 

[RadarTech]

I had planned to put a 30' chain on them and pull backwards from the FEL until they snapped loose. Good or bad plan?

I do this fairly frequently. Some people will tell you not to pull with your FEL, but mine is robust enough to take it. YMMV. Actually determine the height of the tree. Easy enough to do with one of those torpedo levels that has a 45 degree vial.

Hold the level at 45 degrees and sight along the top of it -- move back & forth until the top of the tree is aligned with the level. On level ground the height of the tree is the same as the distance from your feet to the tree, plus the height of your eye above the ground.

I add about 10-15' of chain just for safety and then place the chain as high on the tree as I can get it. A ladder and a nail driven into the tree can help here.

Then go ahead and pull, or you can even notch the tree before pulling. Leave yourself enough tree to lever the stump out of the ground.

Good idea with the level!!!

Got to remember that one!

thanks for posting it..

J

 

[farmboy12]

Never a good plan to push on a dead tree, as the tops will break out and fall straight down on what/who is doing the pushing. Lucky Dad is alive.

Definitely. We know this very well, as I said very familiar, just showing what can happen if every single detail is not assessed. Granted, my grandfather told him to do it, and with little argument Pop did it anyway. Not pointing fingers but my grandfather didn't see what we saw, not the best idea to do it anyway in this case.


Kyle

 

[AlanB]

Great and simple idea on the level, thanks.

Yea, I hate dead trees, scare the beejeebus out of me. Have one out front SWMBO wants out before it falls on her mailbox. (Yes, the mailbox that almost ended up causing a divorce )

If I think of it, I will grab a picture of it in the morning, probably 40 to 50' still with about a 10' dead top broke off and hanging down on vines waiting to impale me if I try and cut it.

Will probably wrist rocket a line over it, tie off to the hoe or something and maybe use my new masdam rope come along to pull on it and see if it will come on over or at least break the dead top loose so it does not fall on me when I go to cut it.

Awful glad your dad was not hurt worse Farmboy, sometimes we just get lucky.

Adding in the pictures from the tree I have to do.