The most dangerous trimming of the tree branch with a John Deere backhoe in my life..

[MossRoad]

I have a digger pine tree next to my house that is more than 100 years old.
It needs to trim the agley branches which look so ugly.
It is quite high, about 30ft or more.
So, I had to utilize my Ryobi pole saw, a Husqvarna 450 chainsaw and John Deere 410 backhoe.
It was very dangerous to cut the branches and would be the last cutting for that tree in my life.
Jkk

In your video, we notice many times you start your cut from the top, then the branch starts to fall and hangs. Then you have to mess around with trying to release the hanging limb without pinching your blade.

As others have mentioned, you can almost entirely eliminate that issue if you do a small undercut first, then do a downward top cut an inch or two outboard of the undercut.

Doing it this way, the branch will just snap off and drop 99% of the time VS swinging down and being held by the outer cambium and bark.

Here's a picture of what we're talking about. I never knew about it until I read my chainsaw owner's manual many years ago. I tried it out and it works great. Give it a try. You'll like it.

You'd only be using steps 1 and 2 unless you want to remove the branch entirely from the tree. Then you step 3.

 

[MossRoad]

 

[Jchonline]

I have a digger pine tree next to my house that is more than 100 years old.
It needs to trim the agley branches which look so ugly.
It is quite high, about 30ft or more.
So, I had to utilize my Ryobi pole saw, a Husqvarna 450 chainsaw and John Deere 410 backhoe.
It was very dangerous to cut the branches and would be the last cutting for that tree in my life.
Jkk

One wrong step and you will be in the ER or a hospital bed. No safety gear (eyes, helmet, harness, etc), no safety platform to work from, terrible trimming technique (make a small cut on the bottom side of the branch, then cut the top to keep them from peeling).

I get that we think we cant afford appropriate safety gear when doing these types of tasks...but one trip to the ER will change that quickly.

Interesting we can take the time to record and upload a video but none for appropriate safety. Not something anyone on this forum should watch and repeat!

However I am glad you were not injured!

 

[WranglerX]

The tree is more than 100 years old and has been with me 30 years or more.

It is kind of a symbol of my ranch. That is the reason, I really want to save and make myself look better before I couldn't do it by age.

Also, the reason to upload the video is to let people know how dangerous it was.
and discuss getting better ideas to trim the trees etc.

Thank you to all who input the opinions.

View attachment 731981

Hire professional arborist if tree is that important......

 

[mred2]

I have a basket lift. Battery powered. I still paid to have 3 large trees taken down near my house. He had better equipment and insurance. I did the clean up after it was on the ground, so still saved some money. I love my lift, but most of those only hold 500 pounds in the basket. Great for paint and trim work around the house, trimming fruit trees, But know the limits and it and you.

 

[bmg88201]

just before the ambulance arrives ( “hey hold my beer and watch this “)

 

[swreeder]

I just ordered a limbsaw for my tractor. I spent hours last year trimming trees with a pole saw and a ladder and did some really stupid stuff. My strategy now is to use the limbsaw and If I can't reach it with that, I'll let it go or hire professional help if needed.

I've got a lot of trees on my 50 acres that need trimmed annually and figure the $2k for the limbsaw will pay off in a year or two of work and time. Along with keeping me much safer in the end.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

You can trim or cut branches relatively safely from the bucket of a machine like that, and the first few cuts were a good example.

I’ve done the same many times with both large and small limbs however tractor placement is important and I’ve always had someone in the drivers seat to lift and lower me and reposition whenever necessary. I wouldn’t climb the loader but maybe use it to lean a ladder against out of the path of falling branches. Certainly safer than leaning against the tree you are cutting especially tied if off to the tractor.

After the first few cuts though he began to over reach and even stand on the edges of the bucket. That’s just plain dumb, aka natural selection.

 

[Smokeydog]

I just ordered a limbsaw for my tractor. I spent hours last year trimming trees with a pole saw and a ladder and did some really stupid stuff. My strategy now is to use the limbsaw and If I can't reach it with that, I'll let it go or hire professional help if needed.

I've got a lot of trees on my 50 acres that need trimmed annually and figure the $2k for the limbsaw will pay off in a year or two of work and time. Along with keeping me much safer in the end.

Great! Please start a new topic when you get some time on your limbsaw. Be very interested in your experience.

Bought a hydraulic motor, valve, hoses to build one. Have some of the steel cut. Socket receiver already welded to grapple and bucket. Had the same idea decades ago and plagiarizing some ideas from limbsaw.

Have some big limbs to cut. Also a 1/2 mile green tunnel to maintain.

Good luck and be safe.

 

[NCL4701]

Several years spent making a living working for a tree service climbing, cutting, trimming trees. A few decades investigating causation of ag and industrial accidents since then.

Couldn’t make it through the whole video. Looked like it was prepared for a campaign to require training and licenses to trim trees.

Glad the OP wasn’t injured. Not glad he doesn’t have the self awareness to be too embarrassed by his ill advised behavior to not post it online. Yes, it was dangerous; MUCH more dangerous than it should have been.