I understand the physics in why pulling from the drawbar vs the FEL is important but I find pulling trees slowly with a hydro and a FEL is a very handy way to pull stuff out.
You can raise the base of the tree off the ground making pulling easier because it is not digging into the ground. That makes for a cleaner tree for bucking. Hooks on a bucket make it so easy to hook to the tractor without bending over and maneuvering around the
ballast box, although I have pulled from the hitch on the BB.
You can see what is happening while it is happening while looking straight ahead at the project. If the rear of the tractor feels light you can just take your foot off the gas and lower the FEL to a more comfortable pulling angle. It is nice pulling up to a tree and lift the truck and back out.
I have pulled hundred of trees using both FEL and the drawbar and never had a problem either way although I am alert and cautious pulling from either. Not one style of pulling is appropriate for all trees though.