thank god for ROPS

[damage_inc]

I was trying to bring over a 42" dead red oak stearn about 11' tall. No notch just a straight back cut leaving a small strap on the lawn side. It had a lean towards the woods. I tried to use the tractor wich is a articulating front loader to push the log free of its lean. Once she went over center it came directly over on top of the tractor with the old fractured tip strcking the solid metal roll over protection system on the machiene. If it wasnt for this 1/4 inch think metal I for sure eouldnt be writing this. Once again trust your gut like I should have and put a rope on it for the pull! Now the equipment is damaged and I'm a little wiser about approaching such a task the same as this again.

 

[Kevin]

That's what makes good tree men better, unfortunately we lose a few along the way.
That may have worked better with an open face notch and a hinge.

 

[Norm_Hall]

Why was there no notch?

 

[BUK]

Better to notch and then pull the stem over with a tractor rather than push it.

 

[Treeko_LLC]

I am ashamed to admit it, but I did the same thing a few years back, but the tree was about 12" and about 50ft tall. Luckily there was no damage to the skidsteer or the operator. Now I notch and hinge everything, no matter how insignificant or easy it seems. I seldom push with the skidsteer, and if I do, I do it very carefully, with a significant hinge.

 

[damage_inc]

I didnt use a notch because I was confident it would go the direction I wanted. Unfortunatly I didnt have the right position with the tractor. I was at the south east corner wtih the lean to the north and tring to go south to the lawn. This is the only situation that iI dont use a notch because it was short and nothing to damage around, except me. But I guess that would be major enough.

 

[Colin]

No notch = trouble.

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

Wow!

You are fortunate to be alive.

 

[Altreeist]

If it should have gone over without a notch, it would have with a notch. Thank goodness for steel. Glad you are OK.

 

[SpaceGhost]

On those short stubs I like a really deep notch.

 

[familytree]

call me cowardly but i never trust using trucks or tractors to help pull over sticks, i just never felt comfortable, if grcs cant handle it then i need to keep pieceing it out

 

[hl_tree]

I don't mind having a machine push a tree over if that machine is a big excavator, with a good operator. If we are talking anything front end loader like though... I'd rather set a rope.