What goes up will come down

[cantoo]

I don't start too many threads on here but I figured this one might be worth while.
Went back to the bush today to do some tree cutting. Snow was pretty deep so decided to go to a section I haven't cut in for awhile. I usually walk thru the section and clear out any dead standing or leaning trees 1st. This time I was lazy and decided to just clear stuff with the tractor 1st. At one corner I noticed a few broken birch branches on the trail so I used the loader and pushed them into the brush. The birch tree looked pretty solid but I couldn't see the top so I lifted up the loader and tapped the tree with the fork. That's when all hell broke loose. It was over before I even had a chance to think. I built my own cab and I tend to build things stronger than they need to be. The roof is an old highway sign and is made of heavy (1/8" or more) aluminum and bolted well. The frame is 1/8" steel tubing and the glass is laminated safety glass. There is no way I would have survived this hit. It would have hit me vertically just at the back of my head. Pictures show me sitting in the seat and I'm actually leaning ahead a little to get a better picture. Can't tell how long the piece was but it's about 7" diameter and 2 of the pieces are 6 or 7' long. There was no hole in the ground so I think it was one piece about 13' long when it came down.
I cut 2 trees down after this and then I realized my head wasn't in the game so I went home and put my grandsons new bed together.

 

[cantoo]

Inside picture.

 

[Sundown]

Thank God you added the roof... Might consider making it even thicker...

 

[Knobby57]

Scary !!

 

[nighthunter]

I wonder if a factory cab would of held up any better, thats a scary one to have happen

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Yikes!!

Glad you're alright.

 

[LogSawyer74]

Wow!! Thank goodness for the cab

 

[Cody]

Thank God you added the roof... Might consider making it even thicker...

Maybe go the same route, but add in some angle iron every foot or so to add strength, some sort of wire mesh/screen always works too.

 

[stevetheboatguy]

Just last week I had a neighbor do the exact same thing. Glad you and him both are ok.

Death from above is what we call those. I hate dropping trees because of falling limbs. I'm not sure it it helps, but I usually try and chain them up as high as I can get. And give them a tug with the truck or tractor. It's a attempt to lessen the danger. I figure tugging with the chain keeps me further away than trying to shake it with the loader. But still dangerous nonetheless.


Stay safe.


Steven

 

[rarefish383]

A friend that used to work for a tree service, and should have known better, dropped a dead standing Oak in the woods behind his house. It was only about 12-14 inches and maybe 50-60' tall. The top 6-8 feet looked just like the piece in you pic. He put in a perfect notch and the tree started falling perfect. But, just as the tree started to fall forward, the top collapsed backward. A piece like yours hit him in the forehead, ripped his lip in half and broke his neck. He called me from shock trauma. He recovered 100%. He wound up wearing a "Halo" for months. The Halo had 4 screws into his skull and sat on his shoulders. I think it had screws going into his shoulder blades also. To look any farther than his eyes could turn, he had to turn his whole body. I'm sure glad that wasn't one of those green JD umbrellas over your head, we would sure miss you around here. Keep building them tough, and keep looking up, Joe.

 

[Marshy]

Wow, glad you are ok. That's Newton's third law in practice. Be safe.

 

[sirbuildalot]

Wow, that as close. I know two men who had cut trees there entire lives who died from similar accidents. One was my fathers first cousin and the other was the eldest brother of a well known construction company in town. My fathers cousin went to move a tractor out of the way of a tree that fell the wrong way and it crushed the cab on top of him. The other one was a widowmaker.

Trees are fun, but boy oh boy are they dangerous. Glad to hear you're ok. That grandson needs you, build the roof twice as thick this time around

 

[cantoo]

I have extra steel bracing on the front half of the cab but am going to bolt 2 more in line for the back half. I just had it in my shop 2 weeks ago and added a bunch of 3/8" bolts with washers to hold it in place, it ripped right thru them. It only had 4 roof screws in before that. My wife was less than impress with the damage. It looks a lot worse in person. I really should cut down every birch in the bush, anything over 10" are dead at the top. I also should have realized where the branches on the ground came from and got out to look. It's easy to see what you should have done when it's too late. We get very few 2nd chances in this hobby of ours.

 

[711ac]

That a close one Cantoo. Glad you were tucked in!
Curiosity has me wondering what's on the back of your tractor?

 

[cantoo]

711ac, rear grapple. Search my name ( cantoo) and "grapple" for a bunch of pics. I use it for a lot of things, sleigh rides on the weekend for my Grandson.

 

[JeffHK454]

Man..that pic sure illustrates how close that was!

 

[panolo]

Man alive! Glad you had the roof. Scary.

 

[unclemoustache]

Wowza! Sorry about your pants!
Glad you're ok.

 

[Big_Eddy]

I had a similar thing happen, but without the tractor.
8" beech tree to come down. Checked the tree. Live and healthy. Checked my exit - clear. Easy drop into an open space so I cut the notch then the back cut. Tree started to lean so I stepped back on a 45 about 10' from the stump.
Standing there safely out of the way watching my tree fall when WHAM!
I had my hardhat on - always do - but it sure rang my bell! After the spots cleared and the ringing stopped - I found the culprit. A dead branch from the neighbouring tree had been resting on a limb of the tree I was cutting. When the tree fell, the support was removed and the dead limb came straight down. On to me! Branch was about 3" dia and 6' long. I'm lucky it wasn't bigger!

Was a reminder to me that even a simple fell can be dangerous.

 

[cantoo]

Big_Eddy, Same type of thing happened to my buddy when we were clearing trees at a tornado damaged farm. I was doing most of the cutting and my buddy decided that he wanted to cut one of the big ones down. He started cutting and after he had the notch done and was starting his final cut I tapped him on the shoulder and told him to shut it down. I had him walk 30' away and relook at the tree he was about to cut down. About 40' up was a chunk of the neighbouring tree just hanging there by a shiver. It was about a 10" diameter x 25' long chunk of willow. It would have fell straight down and right on him. Gotta stand back and look at the whole picture.