What did you do to or on your Kubota today?

[ajschnitzelbank]

The trick is to pull just enough to remove the slack in the rigging, and only enough to make sure the tree doesn’t pinch the bar on the back cut. I.E., nullify the back lean. The primary purpose of the rigging is only to prevent the tree from falling in the unwanted direction. All the rigging goes on before the saw is even started, ergo basically just opposing gravity a little. Then cut the notch, make the back cut leaving enough for a substantial hinge, and as Tony Beets says, “give ‘er”. The snatch block configuration give a 3:1 multiplier for applied force as well as the tensile strength of the rope. The rope will break long before the tractor slips, and that rope is rated for about 600# tensile strength, giving me up to 1800# tensile strength between the anchor and the tree. The whole tree probably wasn’t more than 1000#. The tree was almost vertical, so it probably took less than 100# tension to pull it back over center. The tractor just pulls it better than my arthritic back.

Barber chair happens when there is no relief to hinge the felling and the back cut is made. Cutting below the hinge notch can also cause some very unwanted results. My biggest quandary with felling is whether the notch will be a standard notch, or Humbolt notch. Humbolt notch is handy to kick the trunk off the stump and help the tree land flat for less breakage, as in felling for lumber.

As far as reversing the natural fall of the tree, the only way I know is to pull it, or use a tree jack (which I don’t have). My LX2610SU is nearly 3500# with loaded tires, so yea, I think it’s heavy enough to hold a 600# rope.

Cool, thanks.

The way I’ve dealt with back lean is to use a wedge. Why not do it that way? (This is a genuine question, not trying to challenge your approach!)

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Cool, thanks.

The way I’ve dealt with back lean is to use a wedge. Why not do it that way? (This is a genuine question, not trying to challenge your approach!)

The snatch block is simple and works as @Old_Paint is intending. Technically, from a logging standpoint (and most of us are not loggers, myself included) it's mostly ineffective other than the initial stress placed on the tree, which as pointed out can promote barber chairing, though I should stress as @Old_Paint is using the setup so the bar is not pinched it does work:

The trick is to pull just enough to remove the slack in the rigging, and only enough to make sure the tree doesn’t pinch the bar on the back cut. I.E., nullify the back lean.

Generally people pull on a tree to fall it a certain direction (which @Old_Paint is not doing and what I think you're questioning) and in that general case it does not work as the line goes slack as soon as the falling tree outruns the line, which is pretty quickly. The proper way to do this is use two lines, one on each side of the tree at an angle, so as the tree falls both lines guide it the correct direction. Using one line and not realizing how many tons a tree can weigh is the cause of losing control of a tree and it pulling a truck or tractor like a kid's toy as it falls "the wrong way."

If the tree is too big to pull over it can be wedged, jacked, and perhaps also pulled depending on the amount of back-lean, but this is better done with multiple lines and a crank tensioner. A bore cut or plunge cut can be used to help avoid a barber chair, and sometimes strapping or chaining around the trunk is also done depending on the amount of tension.

Also not-quite-yet-somewhat-related to this is the Palm Tree Hinge used to steer trees (youtube link #1) (youtube link #2).

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a logger. I have studied tree falling in-depth and succeeded in several extremely complicated falling cuts, each one being extensively planned and carefully executed, but that does not account for all the weird, unexpected, one-off situations that one should expect when falling trees.

 

[Siesta Sundance]

Been rockin the Oranges most of the day. Making holes for fence posts to unloading and moving material. I'm hoping to get the cows moved to the new pastures by this wknd. I need to place an order for farm diesel, filling up by jugs sucks.

 

[Gary Olson]

I did not remove the now dead thorn bushes I sprayed a while back.

 

[Moose7060]

I did not remove the now dead thorn bushes I sprayed a while back.

If there's a will, there's a way!

 

[S-G-R]

Still watering trees. Finished that and used the loader to dig out some rocks from the pile and put them in the dump trailer for a culvert project this weekend.

 

[ACDII]

What I did to my Kubota last night, I do not recommend. Not my tractor, but my Rake. Was raking hay as night fell and had turned round to head back to the barn and didn't see that the curtain was in the weeds. Well it snagged something much stronger then the steel it is made of and bent the guard and pole the curtain hangs on.

Good thing for KTAC

 

[Old_Paint]

Broke in a brand spanking new King Kutter landscape rake from TSC. I only wonder why I waited so long to get one.

 

[Moose7060]

Used the M today to clean up 3 piles of gravel left over from the home construction then used the M to get the chain harrows out of storage and moved them to the north pasture. Removed approx 1800 feet of electric fence and cross fencing now that the horses are in their fall pasture. Grabbed the L3902 and rotary cutter and cleaned up 2 acres of the west pasture in preparation to fall harrow. Nothing exciting enough for pics but was a beautiful sunny 19C day to get some chores done.

 

[g_man]

Used the M today to clean up 3 piles of gravel left over from the home construction then used the M to get the chain harrows out of storage and moved them to the north pasture. Removed approx 1800 feet of electric fence and cross fencing now that the horses are in their fall pasture. Grabbed the L3902 and rotary cutter and cleaned up 2 acres of the west pasture in preparation to fall harrow. Nothing exciting enough for pics but was a beautiful sunny 19C day to get some chores done.

I got worn out just reading about that stroke of work you did today.

gg

 

[BT3101]

Cut some firewood this afternoon. Wild Cherry. Carpenter ants had apparently setup shop inside.

 

[lynnmor]

Cut some firewood this afternoon. Wild Cherry. Carpenter ants had apparently setup shop inside.

Those miserable things have destroyed a large percentage of my cheery and locust trees. You don't know how bad the destruction is till a tree breaks or fungus breaks out. Locust is great firewood but it is near worthless after the ants start the rot inside. Just a week ago a cheery tree that appeared good cracked and will fall after it breaks down those that it is leaning against, it is too unsafe to attack it with a chainsaw.

 

[BT3101]

Those miserable things have destroyed a large percentage of my cheery and locust trees. You don't know how bad the destruction is till a tree breaks or fungus breaks out. Locust is great firewood but it is near worthless after the ants start the rot inside. Just a week ago a cheery tree that appeared good cracked and will fall after it breaks down those that it is leaning against, it is too unsafe to attack it with a chainsaw.

I'm hoping being caught without a developed nest this late in the season, they won't survive Winter. I'm gonna have to remember to get some spray before I cut firewood in the future. At least if there is a Cherry tree on the list.

 

[Old_Paint]

The bestest yellow jacket spray EVER:

And my policy (scorched earth, literally) regarding the little creatures from hell.

Did I ever mention how much I HATE yellow jackets??

I think I stirred up this nest with the tractor and the missus was moving some brush nearby. One got her on the eye lid. As luck would have it, it’s the first nest we found this year (in a spot I’ve run over many times recently. Turns out, it’s the first time she’s ever been stung by a jacket. She claims it hurts. They just really piss me off. Doc says it’s the pheromones of the sting that trigger my rage. Not allergic at all, but sure go bonkers when they sting me.

 

[L35]

A rock that is poking up 2” out of the lawn just enough to get my attention is usually much larger than it originally appears.

 

[S-G-R]

Traded my three point phd for a skid steer mount SA10. Poked a couple of holes and I think this is going to be much more plesant to use.

I can already say that it's 110% better to hook/unhook.

 

[S-G-R]

I also gave the driveway a go over with the land plane

 

[Old_Paint]

Traded my three point phd for a skid steer mount SA10. Poked a couple of holes and I think this is going to be much more plesant to use.

I can already say that it's 110% better to hook/unhook.

View attachment 137554
View attachment 137555

Ok, I’ll bite. The LX3310 has the same pump/flow rate as the LX2610, right? Did you use the 3rd Function valve to run the auger or did you use rear remotes? My understanding is that hydraulic PHDs tend to need a bit more flow than the LX series has available on the FEL. A long time friend of mine has a Grand M and absolutely loves his QuikTach PHD, but he ran hoses from the rear remotes to get the flow it needs.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

The bestest yellow jacket spray EVER:
View attachment 137526

And my policy (scorched earth, literally) regarding the little creatures from hell.

View attachment 137527

Did I ever mention how much I HATE yellow jackets??

I think I stirred up this nest with the tractor and the missus was moving some brush nearby. One got her on the eye lid. As luck would have it, it’s the first nest we found this year (in a spot I’ve run over many times recently. Turns out, it’s the first time she’s ever been stung by a jacket. She claims it hurts. They just really piss me off. Doc says it’s the pheromones of the sting that trigger my rage. Not allergic at all, but sure go bonkers when they sting me.

Damn things do hurt. This is probably peak yellow jacket season. They have a very interesting life cycle, but I still hate them. Probably wouldn't do for me to be waving a flame around while under attack.

 

[S-G-R]

Ok, I’ll bite. The LX3310 has the same pump/flow rate as the LX2610, right? Did you use the 3rd Function valve to run the auger or did you use rear remotes? My understanding is that hydraulic PHDs tend to need a bit more flow than the LX series has available on the FEL. A long time friend of mine has a Grand M and absolutely loves his QuikTach PHD, but he ran hoses from the rear remotes to get the flow it needs.

I hooked it up to my third function. This one is designed for the BX/B/LX lower flow rates. Our soil is hard packed from almost no perception and it dug in slow amd steady with the 9" auger. It won't break any speed records but, it won't break my back hooking it up. The true test is once we get some moisture in the ground will it turn my 24" auger.