Hi, Folks.
There have been a good number of posts on here over the years about clearing with machines. There have been some GOOD ones amongst them and some not-so-good ones as well. Here are a few of my thoughts.

First and foremost - ALWAYS try to match the size/capacity of the machine to the task at hand based on size of vegetation , ground and terrain. Using 'gnats' to try to flatten 'giants' is NOT good policy. Better to be over-sized than under-sized.

Second, if you are working in timber - that's taking down trees for all you 'topsiders' - using a machine without adequate overhead protection is NOT smart. The basic rule is: If it's taller than the machine, you NEED protection.

Next, NEVER try to take down a tree without first checking it out for dead limbs, bee hives, wasp nests, etc., ESPECIALLY the dead limbs. The bees and wasps may make life uncomfortable but the dead limbs can make it SHORT.

If you're working in timber, you will usually need a machine with enough reach to handle the biggest trees in the lot. A dozer with a tree pusher, a track loader with teeth on the bucket, an excavator, again with teeth on the bucket - IF you are working within the working radius of the machine and 4WD front loader, again with teeth on the bucket, can usually be good tools. 4WD front end loaders do have a couple of 'provisos' with them - NOT good for steeper country and DO NOT lift the front wheels off the ground 'coz that removes the machine's stability. To put it politely - since this izza family friendly 4um - you could find yourself base over apex quite quickly if you are not careful.

ALWAYS err on the side of caution. BOTH you and the tree only have one life but more people are likely to miss you - providing you haven't upset a bunch of them - than are likely to miss the tree and there izza LOTTTT more paperwork involved if you get yourself hurt or killed than if the tree karks it.

Like most jobs, economics also comes into clearing. BUTTTTTT, 'economics' will take one HELLUVA beating if someone is hurt or killed on the job. Better to be scared and alive than to die 'bravely'.

ALWAYS be aware of what is behind you. Some good operators have lost their lives 'coz they didn't check behind them.

Just my 0.02.

Just my 0.02.

Deas is as gently direct as he could be - THANK YOU!
His points are honest and direct - Each Machine has a purpose and every one of them is without feelings or care for the operator - improper use will and can be quite life changing.
Add the element of in-attention, lack of knowledge or observance and the recipe is being made for disaster.

We each need to remind each other when we observe unsafe acts - it just might be the life you value most that you save --- YOUR OWN

CTS

Well said Deas
I would like to add that just because a machine has a ROPS does not mean it is suitable for pushing trees over. Ideally it would have a FOPS cabin with protection from branches that could fly back at the operator.

Do not treat dead trees the same as live ones, That dead tree may be holding itself up but hit it with a tree pusher or bucket and it can break off right where you hit it or higher and you now have limbs or the rest of the tree falling uncontrolled in every direction.

Do not treat forked trees the same as a single trunk tree. most forked trees are weaker at the fork and can split if pushed

No expert here, by any means. Story I have is from what I saw on a road building job years ago.

Operator of a D6 or D7 was pushing just fine from the side opposite direction of fall. It was about a 36” oak. It started to go and part of the root ball came up and caught his blade-drug and lifted him. Experienced operator on good equipment. I think he got in a hurry and didn’t catch when it started to move.

Keep safe-

Similar thing happened to me with my 941B---was pushing over a large tree downhill on a mountain slope---tree went over so quick that i couldn't raise the bucket quick enough and the root ball caught the back of the bucket and pulled the machine half way into the hole--now the bucket couldn't go high enough to clear the root ball to back or twist out
So had to walk down the mountain to get my 500C dozer and dig a hole alongside the root ball and push/roll it out from under the bucket---941b wouldn't back out even with rolling the bucket for extra push--so had to go forward thru the hole to get out after cutting down the hole lower side

Each job has it's particular perils - some just unavoidable - we ask our machines to do many tasks which they may not be ideally suited to perform.
The Key to all of it - THINK SAFETY - KNOW THE LIMITS of YOURSELF and the MACHINE!

No matter what safety gear you have on the equipment things still happen. A neighbor started out adding limb lifters to save the exhaust pipe on his walnut cultivating tractor, they helped a lot worked good. Them added screens to the sides. So thinking all was good, had a pencil size but long limb poke through the screen. Came close to loosing a eye. So always expect the unexpected.


From one of the manufactures of equipment. THINK SAFETY IT CAN'T HURT


SAFE and MERRY CHRISTMAS all.

Hi, Folks.
The biggest fallacy of safety is that REAL safety is NOT a collection of 'roolz'. It is an 'atti-tood' and a way of LIVING and DOING. It is at least as much about knowing your own abilities and limitations as it is about 'roolz'.

Hi, PhilC.
All valid points and well worth the posting. Your point about the ROPS Vs FOPS is especially true of the bigger hi-sprocket Cat dozers with just the ROPS frame about the cabin. They are often even MORE likely to get you into trouble 'cos they are seldom fitted with tree pushers which do at least get you further away from 'the action' - but sometimes more into the 'firing line' of it.

I didn't mind dead tress as much when I was chaining with 2 dozers and ship's anchor chain 'cos I could go around them and leave them for the chain to deal with them. Up close-n-personal izza whole nuther ball game witha whole different set of things to consider - including being gentle with them.

I had to take down an old oak tree here on the ranch with a D9H with a ROPS canopy but no FOPS. This tree had. amongst others, one big limb that stuck out about 60 feet over a road right at a gate. I ripped around all four sides to loosen it as much as I could then approached it at a right angle to the protruding limb so that I was not under said limb. To this day, I don't know if it was the blade touching the trunk or the blast from the fan that took that tree down but it sure went easy - - - - - and split in two all the way up the sixty foot trunk - - - which was about six feet in diameter - - - - and about six INCHES thick.

Personally, I try to approach forked trees from an angle where I can put pretty much equal pressure on both trunks - makes it a bit harder when you come up against something like an Australian Mallee tree which may have as many as a dozen trunks growing out of the one root base. Then it can become head-scratch time.

Just my 0.02.

Hi Deas how are you merry xmas. Having pulled thousands of acres in central qeensland when younger with d8h 22a s and d9 g s and wrote about it here, i forgot about the bees (dont they get upset when you destroy there home lol). I found hollow box trees the worst , they often split when they hit the ground or crush if you walked over them dont that make them mean, dont know if its the noise or the colour yellow but gee a lot of them want a ride on the tractor with you lol i am lergic to them ,so id thow the clutch or shift power box to neutral leave engine reving get out in front of fan ( blasting hot air they cant get you) leave blade up wave to other driver to keep going forward hang on to the blade rope tight and chain going round trees pulls you away from their destroyed home i just could not cope with the stings from the swarm under the canopy with me





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These men had it the worst!!!!!!!! Snakes, spiders, bees, hot and humid, down pours of rain, getting shot at, landmines that would blow whole track frames off!, bomb craters that the whole dozer would fall into, and many more crazy things...


8:20 Track frame blown off from mine