I have a Cat 977L that I've owned about six months but now that the crops are out am finally getting around to cleaning out some trees with. It has a cab so I feel somewhat protected but since I am inexperienced I would like to hear some dos and don'ts from the experienced on safety when felling trees. Most of the stuff I'm doing are willows, Siberian elms and cottonwoods. The biggest ones are maybe 30' high with a 12 inch trunk. Is it best to first lean them over as much as possible and then lift from the bottom or start from the bottom? I'd appreciate any tips!
Is the cab a EROPS or just weather protection? A cab alone is not the best if a bigger tree clobbers you. Sometimes 3/4 of the tree will break off and come crashing down on the cab or canopy. For taking them down I would push them first and then grab the roots and lift and push. Sometimes on bigger trees the rootball will come up under the machine. If so that is the time to stop pushing high and grab down low.
I know men who have lost arms and been clocked by trees and debris. When you push trees and they bend or get bound up they can snap back or slap you. Be careful of this danger when breaking them up. Also the tops can snap off and fall straight back onto the tractor. The more you work with trees in a machine that does not have full protection made just for trees the sooner you will understand the dangers. Hopefully you don't get hurt figuring it out. Trees make me want a full cage with lots of heavy iron to protect my weak body. Just recently I had a large rotten limb hit my cab from about 50' up, it could have come down on an angle and got me. Luck was still with me.
It has the hard heavy cab, so I guess my biggest concern would be something coming through the windshield. I already bent the muffler over once.
You have the ROPS so you are pretty good there.As Old Iron-Habit said,it is the things that you don't see that can get you.When a tree breaks while you are pushing on it you can be pretty sure whatever breaks off is going to fall on you and experience is on your side as you go.That is a nice looking machine you have there.Ron G
You might look at the logging equipment section of this site. You will note that most cabs have iron and heavy wire screen welded over all the openings (for good reason). Maybe consider using a chain saw to loosen the tree before choking it with a long cable and pulling it over. Then come back and work the stump. It may take longer but it will allow you to go home at night instead of to the hospital during the day.
Here's my $.02 on pushing trees with a loader. Walk the machine up to the tree and give a gentle push 5-6' up the trunk in order to see how much resistance the root ball has. If the tree moves or starts to go over, continue on and lay it on the ground. Pay attention to the ground surrounding the tree as the ground itself plays a big factor in how well the tree is rooted. If you gently push on it and it gives resistance, take a swipe on either side and one on the side your pushing from. You want to keep the roots intact on the side of the tree in the direction you want it to go. Repeat the gentle push, if it starts to go put it on the ground. If not then repeat with 3 more swipes. The goal is to get the tree down with the root ball attached. The less resistance the root ball is giving makes the tree easier to come down. Now with that being said the size, species and root ball will all play a huge factor in how easy it goes. Trees will also surprise you in how easy or hard they are to come down. Here a small hickory 6-8" will be more difficult to get down than a 20" popular due to the root structure. The hickory's stump is deep and the wood itself is tough, a popular's stump is shallow and wide for example. The bucket teeth on a loader is a great tool to manage a tree as it's going down. Like others have said the most dangerous part of pushing trees are the "widow makers", rightly named. Dead trees, dead tops and dead limbs are very dangerous as they can break and fall, not in the direction you are wanting them to, usually straight down and back towards the machine. Take a moment to survey the work area, the direction/area you want it to go and the tree itself. It takes experience working with the types of trees in your area and the machine you are running. You have a brute of a loader, just stay out of the wet low areas.
some great advice here, i am also new to this and so far have only broke the precleaner when a small rotten limb fell down and hit while pushing on the tree.
also watch out for the hoses while in thicker woods, as i have hung one with some limbs and busted it, about $115 to replace
How not to kill myself pushing trees. (Great thread title by the way) Sit in the pickup and watch/learn with a operator on the machine that is experienced with this type of work. Not to be a ******** but id take the glass out of that cab while its worth something. Otherwise you might as well break it out with a bar now and get it over with. That elbow coming off of the turbo and exhaust manifold will definitely cost you a few days pay also. Some bracing or super short stack or a set of sweeps will do wonders for your exhaust longevity in a clearing application. Is there belly pans on this machine? I'd spend some time bulletproofing your learning weapon. It will be money spent but saved.
The way we do it around here, with hilly ground and trees up to 3' thick is to use a hoe or excavator and to push on the trunk in the direction of intended fall as high as possible, while a second man cuts about chest high with a chainsaw. Tree falls safely and no widow makers. Now the hoe, dozer or track loader digs the stump. This might a be a tad slower, but works on larger trees. Howard
Yair . . . I truly find hetkind's #11 post quite disturbing. In no way am I being critical . . . it obviously works for him. I would point out though the last thing I want is a man on the ground anywhere near the machine when I have a tree under tension and, cutting chest high with a chainsaw under the blade or bucket? No way, not in our timber, it could well be different in other places. If it HAS to be done that way I would use conventional tree falling techniques and cut it as low as possible with a front scarf, hinge, and back cut with the blade or bucket resting against the tree . . . the more distance down between the blade or bucket contact line and the hinge point the more control the machine has over the tree. With a properly equipped machine convention dictates that the leverage and bulk of the tree be used to tip it. As a tree begins to rock on the root ball the operator gets into rhythm with the sway by manipulating the shift lever or clutch . . . it is often easier to do this by setting up to watch the shadow. It is also quicker than digging out a stump . . . less so with an excavator. The key point is properly equipped machine. Such rocking motion can cause the shedding of branches particularly in dead timber but the technique is inherently safe in that the machine is rotating the tree on the root ball and it is effectively hinged to the ground. There is little possibility of it coming backwards as is quite possible with the chain-saw method, particularly in gusty wind. Cheers.
Lots of good advice here, with a 12" trunk I don't think you will have many issues with the 977. Just watch out for dead trees or limbs, keep an eye on the rootball, and push 5-6 feet up the trunk, take your time.
I agree with Scrub the method mentioned above is very dangerous. If we have to take a tree down with the "saw and push method" we do it like you described Scrub. We've had to do this from time to time but I don't like it. The last time we had to saw and push was taking a row of pines down that were leaning towards the power lines where the limbs were touching the lines and the trees were 12' or so off the pavement of a well traveled road - not fun but we got the job done safely.
CM1995 and Scrub are right on in their post. I will say I will take the roots out on all 4 sides of the tree on bigger ones so you don't have to fight so hard to push it. Last resort on a big tree build you a large ramp to drive your 977 to be able to push higher on the tree. I doubt this would be necessary with a 977 though. Watch those Cotton woods they can be brittle and break like a dead tree. As long as you don't get in a hurry. Look the tree over and the surrounding trees and feel the tree out a little with your 977. You will be fine.
Follow the advice you got here and you will be fine. Remember not to get in a hurry clearing. As you get more comfortable with your machine, and acquire more experience, you have to resist the Urge to get careless and cocky. Keep your eyes open, and thoughts on the task at hand. You get in a hurry clearing and it will bite you every time! Tom
Please forgive me...I was talking about LARGE trees, far too large to push with a track loader or a dozer. Up here, many of the trees were once logged, and now have secondary trunks. A 30" tree will have a 15 FOOT across rootball, and now, all the hemlocks are dying with hundreds of widow making branches ready to fall. The stump is left as high as possible to give leverage when digging out the root balls. Now, the SAFEST way to fell the large trees with brittle, dead branches is with a bucket truck and bringing them down in sections. My personal preference is to bring in a logging crew to remove the standing timber, followed by a dozer or track loader to push the brush into stacks for burning, and then grubbing the roots and stumps.
Trees up to 3' are dropped the same way here. Not many trees get bigger then that in these parts. I would never let someone push on a tree while I cut it with a saw.
Around here a patch of willow trees usually is an indication of some pretty wet ground which can easily result in alot of dirt/mud in your tree pile if you are not careful. If you intend to burn the piles the dirt/mud will make this alot more difficult. I have used a 977 to clear trees for a few years. That machine should lay down the trees you are talking about with minimal effort. Like catskinner said.... getting in a hurry will bite you everytime!!! Good luck
Just my .02 cents but try to avoid pushing in a direction that the tree gets hung up in another one sounds common sense but there is not always room etc to push in the direction you may want or wind and other factors.
I am always amazed at the level of help and the years of experience from each person that has responded to the OP questions. This type of advise and guidance is what I would consider "expert level".. these men have many many years of experience...Pretty cool to sit hack and read these posts.....Well done to each of you who took the time to help the OP....Pushing trees is dangerous business and should never be taken lightly. I have had dear friends Injuried very badly with one bad move....take your time, re read all of these posts and be extremely careful. I have spent a life time in the woods running Heavy equipment and I tell my men to treat each day and each situation like your life depends upon it because it very well may...Safety before any thing else....if it feels wrong " STOP" and reassess ...be extremely careful while reversing into brush or fallen tops...Good Luck and be safe !