New to me JD 790 TLB

[sixdogs]

This is the 790 i got a few months ago. It had only 100 hours on it. Have been using the past few days to move the cedars in the photos.
The backhoe is amazingly strong and I really love this combination. This is the best small tractor I have ever owned.

 

[RobS]

Great looking rig sixdogs, pretty much like mine except the tires and loader. What is your method for moving the trees?

 

[sixdogs]

Here's how. I dig around all four sides the best I can without moving the backhoe. Then try to pry under one edge and keep working until you rip it out. Have the other hole already dug and adjust with a shovel just before you drop it in. Works best in the early spring and then water like heck for the first year. I use 5 gallon pails around the tree all summer with a 1/16 drip hole drilled in the bottom.
Evergreens are fairly easy up to about 12 ft. Hardwoods take a while and is brutal (because it is ripped out of ground so don't let the wife watch) but if you dig in the spring and keep the watering up all summer they will all live despite a small and poor-looking rootball. I have done this for 40 years and only lost a couple out of more than 200. I have moved up to 15 ft evergreens with bigger equipment.
The cedars you see were planted only six years ago but watered the first few years and fertilized heavily. Some are 10 to 12 ft and were 2-3 transplants in '02.
I have more of these to move including some white spruce and Norway spruce--I'll take photos of the whole event and post. This is what these little backhoes do best.

 

[RobS]

Hmmm, I just ordered some Norway Spruce seedlings to replace a few that haven't done well. Maybe I'll transplant some larger ones from the back and replace them with the seedlings. Thanks for the inspiration!