Truck VS Tree

[RobertN]

I have done this with a 3/4 ton 4x4, a little bigger and heavier than a 2wd Dakota. You may have some success if you are careful and plan ahead...

Prepare the stump. Cut any roots you can see. Dig around the edges to expose any roots you can.

Try wrapping the chain around the stump a couple times. I hook up so that the cahin wraps around the stump afterthe hook is set. When pulling, this seems to give a little twist in addition to the forward pull.

Put some weight in that 2wd. You won't get much traction, so you may want to load up with firewood, or maybe a yard of gravel.

Use your lowest gear. That's where you'll get best power

Know when to stop; don't jerk the chain and bust your truck.

I've had good luck with ny truck, and with my Jeep pulling stumps this way. And, yes, I have a couple stumps that are still staring at me when I go around the property...

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[Wal]

Whew!! /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif You have all given me lots
to consider before I try this project tomorrow. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif
Well, I'm going to procede REAL carefully, and if
something good doesn't happen REAL fast, then I'm
going to scrap the idea. I don't want to end up in the
hospital and I don't want to injure my nice <font color=red>red</font color=red>
Dakota!

Wal

 

[Anonymous Poster]

It may already be too late, but I thought I'd chime in anyway. It sounds like you have a separate tow hitch that's attached to the frame. If so, great, if not, don't try pulling that hard from the bumper. I have a LOT of experience with this kind of stuff. First, get a tow/snatch strap which has some elasticity like someone said earlier. Chains are a disaster waiting to happen! They are unforgiving and will be really hard on your pickup. Next, get a clevis with a pin, remove the trailer towing ball, and connect the clevis to that point, not where the safety chains go. Do as much digging and chopping of the roots as you have time/energy for. Then, wrap the tow strap around the stump (or clump of stumps) and feed one end of it back through the loop on the other end of the strap and connect it to the clevis. This will make the strap tighten up on the stump as you pull. Add some weight to the bed of the truck and go downhill if you can. Without 4WD it will be a struggle, but it's worth a try. Do you have snow chains? If so, they will help a lot. You never know how hard a stump will come out. It depends on the soil type, if it's wet or dry, etc. I've pulled many wheelies with tractors trying to pull stumps. Fortunately for me, now I do it with an 8000lb Warn winch mounted on the front of my Jeep. I still have to anchor the Jeep to a big tree though, or often it will just slide the whole Jeep with all four wheels dragging! Good luck and be careful, I once yanked one out with a Jeep and a tow strap, only to have it spring back and hit the back of the Jeep! Putting a heavy tarp or blanket on the over the strap will help prevent this.

 

[scruffy]

Not recommended to 'get a running start'. If you do not have equal pull to the frame rails, then you have an excellant chance of bending the frame.
I would agree that the proper equipment is the best way to approach your job.

 

[Wal]

Well guys, its Monday and the truck VS tree experiment is over. TREE 1 -----TRUCK 0. It really was not even a contest. I ended up using a 20ft. towing strap attached about three feet up on the six inch diameter oak stump. Other end of strap attached to hitch pin on the frame mounted hitch. Cut all the roots I could get to around the perimeter of the stump. Took most of the slack out of the strap and gave her a tug. Nothing. Gave it a little harder tug. Nothing. One last tug, wheels a'spinning for a couple of seconds. Nothing. Decided that the only way I was going to move that stump would be to ram it at about 50mph head on. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Decided to save my truck for other purposes, like getting to work today for instance. Going to check out renting a stump grinder for my next lumberjacking session /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>ram it at about 50mph head on</font color=blue>

If you try that, be sure to let me know; I wanna watch./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif My partner rammed a tree at about 40 mph one night with our squad car; didn't move the tree, but danged near killed us./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Wal,
I know its too late now that you cut the tree, but how big were these trees? A 6" white oak sounds like a pretty good size tree to just chop down to get it out of the way. With all the new housing in my area a tree spade service would love to get a tree like that to resell. If they had customers they might come take it at no charge to you.

We have lost 3 burr oaks to storms this year, each was estimated to be over 200 years old. I have planted at least a dozen white, burr and live oaks on our property to replace those we lose, I'll never see them at full size but generations to come will.

It your property to do with as you like, I just think that sometimes there is a more eligant solution than a chainsaw. My 2 cents worth.

PitbullMidwest

 

[pdxman]

Wal, trying isn't neccesarily failing. You were cautious, gave it your best shot, and no damage done.

Hey, maybe the next post topic could be Dynamite vs Tree. That could be fun!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Truck VS Tree- or Tell me I\'m Crazy

<font color=blue>...I haven't done this before, so tell me if I'm crazy. ...</font color=blue>

That reminds me of a joke I heard...


A man walks into a psychiatrist's office with absolutely nothing on but cellophane wrapped around him...

The doctor looks at him and says,"I can clearly see your nuts"... Baaaaaaaaaa Booooooooooooooom

 

[Wal]

<font color=blue>a tree spade service would love to get a tree like that to resell. If they had customers they might come take it at no charge to you.</font color=blue>

PitbullMidwest,

I love trees also. I hate to cut them down unless absolutely necessary. Where my property is located, white oak and hickory trees grow like weeds and are everywhere. I would jump at the chance for some landscaping company to come and take several "in the way" oak trees at no charge to me./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I just don't think its going to happen.

Wal