Stump Pulling with 3-Point - Any concerns?

[Baby Grand]

Try leaning a truck or auto wheel (rim) against the tree and wrapping the chain around it:

This will give you the vertical force component that you're looking for.
If the tap root is reall strong it still may no be enough.

 

[Egbert]

LD1, that's an interesting response. How is one to gain that experience? Wouldn't it suffice to explain the risks and to suggest an abundance of caution?

I am a tractor newbie myself but I didn't spend $30K to not use the thing. I'm just sayin ...

 

[mikehaugen]

Try leaning a truck or auto wheel (rim) against the tree and wrapping the chain around it:
<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=339593"/>
This will give you the vertical force component that you're looking for.
If the tap root is reall strong it still may no be enough.

What brand tractor is that? :laughing:

 

[Tompet]

Many years a go I read a suggestion on pulling on something like a stump with a tractor to use long chains from the rear all the way under the tractor and attach to the front end. This way all force is down and safer than drawbar or rear end pull. I tried it once with a couple of small fruit trees and our old ferguson and it does feel more stable. As others have noted it is surprising the root strength of even some small trees.

 

[Dutch445]

if you have a set of pallet forks, they make great little diggers.
you could go around to the trees and stick the forks down under the
stump a bit to start loosening them, and see if you can get anything
to move with them first. once you get them a little loose i bet they'd pull
right out with the chain.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I have a 100+ small pine trees (2-4" diameter) I want to remove, some around my pond are not conducive to pulling out with a longer chain. I have a very heavy duty 3-point 2" trailer hitch adapter and my thought was using this with a short chain I could lift the pine stump out of the ground. Tractor is a large 36hp PTO CUTs with a Cat1.

You may be successful at this. Not dangerous if you dont move forward, nor harmful if you dont continue to pull up while in relief bypass. If you were to move with a given sub max lift the position contriol valve will be "centered", locking that lift point. A lateral pull from there forward is very dangerous. The tractor will rear up right now. A lateral pull by backing would allow much more force before rearing. ... Safer, more extraction force - but could be harmful. May even be enuf to break the lift mechanism internally if stump doesnt give.
larry

 

[Gary Fowler]

Try leaning a truck or auto wheel (rim) against the tree and wrapping the chain around it:
View attachment 339593
This will give you the vertical force component that you're looking for.
If the tap root is reall strong it still may no be enough.

This concept works except the rim is usually too narrow and either turns over or buries in the ground. A large section of tree about 24" or more inches long x 20+" in diameter works better and if you have an FEL it can be moved easily into place.
I have pulled small trees using a 3 PH drawbar with larger tractors by just backing up and wrapping a chain around the sapling and raising the lift. NO danger of turning over even if the front end comes up. Lifting AND driving forward does make for a very dangerous situation. If you do that, don't raise the lift arms more than about 18" above ground (about same height as your fixed drawbar) and you should be ok since anytime the front raises enough to lower the 3 PH it would be pulling the rear wheel up also and reduce traction.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Lifting AND driving forward does make for a very dangerous situation. If you do that, don't raise the lift arms more than about 18" above ground (about same height as your fixed drawbar) and you should be ok since anytime the front raises enough to lower the 3 PH it would be pulling the rear wheel up also and reduce traction.

Lift arms pivot ~ rear axle location, and the ends can rise in relation. Virtually no developing resistance to back tip in a pull.
larry

 

[MESSMAKER]

Wrap the tree with a v belt and hook chain into that. Hook the chain to the drawbar and you are good to go.This will keep the chain from riding up the trunk of the tree. The drawbar is under the center of gravity of your tractor. As long as the location is below the rear axle, you should be fine. You will have better luck with a series of sharp tugs until you break the roots free.

 

[TomSeller]

LD1, that's an interesting response. How is one to gain that experience? Wouldn't it suffice to explain the risks and to suggest an abundance of caution?

I am a tractor newbie myself but I didn't spend $30K to not use the thing. I'm just sayin ...

The concern about a full flip over when pulling from your 3 point stems from the elevation your chain is connected at the rear of the tractor. If your chain is lower than the rear axle, the tractor front is pushed down when pulling. If the 3 point is raised higher than the axle, the tractor front is LIFTED when pulling and if you have solid traction, your tractor rear tires keep going and the front flips over backwards.

If you have trouble imaging this, think about hooking a chain to the top of your ROPS or cab. Then hook the other end to a solid immovable object and imagine driving forward with good traction. Your front will raise up, putting even more weight on your rear wheels giving them more traction.. Say you are in full throttle decreasing your reaction ability, your rear tires keep going but the top of your ROPS (or cab) stays still. So the tractor flips over backwards in a heartbeat. It literally is that fast.

I believe the OP was talking about lifting with the 3 point and the tractor front can raise up in that case. Once the 3 point is above the axle combined with going forward is a sure way to flip a tractor backwards on top of the operator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKlCtZttqtg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

This tractor pull event had horrible officials that obviously didn't know the basics of this problem.