Mark, I finally got to use my new tongs this weekend.. They work great.. I have already bent the brush plate but learned not to try to use it on too large items. I also found that a hickory and winged elm are the hardest 2 trees to uproot. Even a small one about 1 1/2 inches sometimes is a chore. They sometimes slip a little up the tree but are much faster than trying to wrap chain around the tree.
Greg H