Digging up tree with backhoe

[green duck]

I have a very large oak tree that I want to dig up on my property. I want to dig it up instead of cutting it down so I don't have a huge stump out there. I have a big John Deere backhoe.

So, how should I do this so that sucker doesn't fall on me? If you imagine the tree as a clock, I was thinking I could park the backhoe at 6 o'clock. Then dig at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. So if the tree did fall then it would not fall toward the 6 o'clock, where I am sitting.

Once I dig for a while then back far enough away and try and pull it over with a heavy duty cable hooked fairly high up the trunk. Does this sound like a good plan? I have dug and cleaned out plenty of ditches with the backhoe and dug up smaller trees but nothing close to the size of this oak.

Any suggestions would be helpful, Thanks.

 

[Richard]

Usually Pine trees for me but... what I'll do is ascertain where I think/want the tree to fall. Put my backhoe (full sized industrial) on the opposite side, pre-setup with stabilizers down, backhoe raised and in place against the tree.

Go to tree, make my notch cut, cut SOME of my hinge cut... and then go back to my machine and "simply" push it over in the direction I've prepared for it to go.

THUS FAR (knocking on wood, cause trees always make me nervous) it's worked great every time.

I've even been able to "steer" the tree just a bit to try to help fine tune it to fall between branches of other treees (only a SMALL bit though) Once the tree starts to fall, it's heading down, regardless of the 'steering' I tried to do.

Although I presume there is an element of danger here, I'll admit to feeling a bit more safe doing it this way than having nothing around me and being 100% exposed under the tree (as contrasted to having a steel canopy over my head)

I would NOT cut the notch/hinge down low on this tree. If I was cutting your tree (absent seeing any pictures) I'd try to cut the notch 4' off the ground and then simply dig the stump out and use the 4' stump as a lever.

I've done enough digging of flush cut stumps and a lever makes it a LOT easier to grab & wrestle

 

[green duck]

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking instead of cutting it down I would use tall height of the tree to pull it over after digging around it. But, you are saying just cut it then dig the stump up after the tree is down? That definitely sounds safer.

I guess I was trying to cut some corners and save time. Which should be last on the list when talking about safety.

Thanks

 

[dave1949]

I agree with Richard, cut the tree down with a chainsaw, then work on the stump.

You really have to carefully 'read' the weight distribution of a large tree to have any idea where it is going when it falls. That takes experience. And then there are older trees with rot or voids in them that change the whole ball game, and won't realize it until it's maybe too late.

Be careful!

Dave.

 

[Richard]

Be careful!

I don't think that can ever be said enough so...

Be careful!

 

[SkyPup]

I always cut down the tree trunk to 4-5 feet out of the ground before I dig out the stump and rootball with the BH.

Digging out around an intact tree is NOT a good idea....

 

[Charlesaf3]

How big is the diameter? I've done a lot of oaks, but no bigger than 2 feet in diameter/60-80 feet high.

I dig them with the backhoe without cutting, and think it is safer. But I top rope them first with my timber rope, and put my pickup on the other end of the rope with a loooong line. Then have my wife slowly maintain pressure on the tree once it gets to the point where it might go over.

I try to do this in the direction the tree wants to fall, and never against the wind.

I find its more accurate then dropping them with the saw, and saves a LOT of digging around the stump, which pops out nicely.

btw - never put pressure on the top rope if you are cutting with a saw - otherwise the tree could barber chair

 

[green duck]

This is a big homestead oak, without measuring I'd say about 4' diameter no problem. I have lots of experience with a saw and feel very comfortable cutting it down. I was just trying to avoid having a big stump to dig up.

I guess though, with the shallower running roots of an oak it wouldn't be that hard to dig up, compared to a pine. As far as worrying about where it falls if I cut it, that's not a problem as it sits right in the middle of the field.

Thanks

 

[jdmar]

I guess though, with the shallower running roots of an oak it wouldn't be that hard to dig up, compared to a pine. As far as worrying about where it falls if I cut it, that's not a problem as it sits right in the middle of the field.

Thanks

Careful, some oaks have a very deep tap root. Maples often have shallow roots (and tear up a drive if planted too close). But many oaks have deep roots and a larger central root. I still think your plan would work. Primarliy because of the very large moment arm of tying a heavy line up very high. Be careful please...and send a pic of the (safe) result.
Peter

 

[LBrown59]

1*Any suggestions would be helpful, Thanks.

1*You don't want to saw down the tree because of the stump but if you push the tree over how are going to detach the stump from the tree to clean up the downed tree?

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking instead of cutting it down I would use tall height of the tree to pull it over after digging around it. But, you are saying just cut it then dig the stump up after the tree is down? That definitely sounds safer.
2*I guess I was trying to save time.
Thanks

2*Seems to me the time required to saw off the stump
after the tree was pushed over would be about the same as it would have been to have sawn the tree down in the first place.

 

[green duck]

I figured that I could use the weight of the tree to "pop" the stump out, thus saving time. I figure it will take a lot more digging to get the stump out when the tree is already cut down. Basically use the big top of the tree as leverage to help me out.

Either way, the stump is coming out to be put on a future burn pile. I was just thinking less time digging means less fuel I use. Also, if I dig then pull it over it would take about ten mins. to saw the stump off and move it to a burn pile.

Yes you are right, the time to saw off the stump would take about the same time to saw the tree down in the first place. But, there again, I figure the dig then pull approach would save more dig time, as apposed to saw then dig approach.

As Charlesaf3 stated, it would take a lot of digging to just dig up the stump. So hopefully the weight of the tree falling will do a lot of that work for me.

Thanks

Also, when I say "pull the tree over" I mean pull with about 200' of heavy cable, not pull right up along side the tree.

 

[Charlesaf3]

lbrown, with due respect, I don't think you've downed many trees - the cut of the stump is the same either way, but the digging of the stump is the big deal - even with a big backhoe it can soak up a good portion of the day. Whereas popping the stump out by using the leverage of the trunk is faster, and you get more control. Its how the pros do it around here if they can get the heavy equipment in for that reason.

greenduck - I'd pull with the cable (don't forget to put a blanket or such over) AND push with the hoe around 15 feet up. I usually use a snatch block too, but thats going to depend on the situation

I find getting the line to a good place in the tree takes me a LOT of time, but its worth it. And maybe you are going to be better than I am at that - you couldn't be much worse...

You really want to make sure that tree isn't coming back at you... I wouldn't want to test the FOPS that way, though it'd be better than relying on a helmet in that circumstance.

 

[green duck]

Yeah I usually use a snatch block when cutting down trees by the house but this tree is in the middle of the pasture. Also, that's a great idea pulling and pushing, I'll pull the cable with my tractor and push on the tree with the backhoe, Thanks

 

[powerstroke444e]

Using a hoe and pushing them over is how most clear land around here. Being your in middle of a field I would figure out which way is the easiest to push it and get to go that way, after you push one over with the tree on the stump you will never cut a tree off before hand as it takes way to long to dig with stump only.

 

[Ductape]

Green Duck .................please don't be this guy !

 

[Redneck in training]

If the trunk is healthy sell the tree to a logger or timber mill. They will cut it down and pay you some money. Then dig the stump.

 

[green duck]

If the trunk is healthy sell the tree to a logger or timber mill. They will cut it down and pay you some money. Then dig the stump.

Interesting, I never thought about a mill buying a single log.

Thanks

 

[alltoys]

I have knocked over a number or large trees with my little tractor hoe just a 28hp tractor with 8' hoe. I did try to push over the first tree but found out it wobbles quite a bit and widow maker can fall down completely silent. I have since dug all around the tree on a windless day while anchoring it to a truck a long distance away. Once all the tap roots are busted a large tree is easy to pull over if the rope is high enough up the tree in the first place. My little hoe I have managed to rip through 12'' tap roots without to much trouble.

One trick I use is to dig as far under the tree as you can on the side you want it to fall and not as much on the opposite side.