hslogger
Platinum Member
That is a good and heavy stick. Use your drawbar a good cable or chain. If you want to minimize ground damage hang a block in a tree to give lift, run your line through the block.
ctgoldwing
Platinum Member
lot of good info in previous posts. I'll just throw in my $.02
At our old house I had to cutup / remove several large oaks that were in the woods and on a pretty steep incline. I always pulled from the drawbar. In addition I used a snatch block so I could redirect my pull to be up the fall line rather than across it. I used 10k lb rated synthetic rope and placed a chain across it back from the tractor, jic. If the rope would have ever snapped the chain would pull it down so it wouldn't come back into me. I do the same for steel cable.
At our old house I had to cutup / remove several large oaks that were in the woods and on a pretty steep incline. I always pulled from the drawbar. In addition I used a snatch block so I could redirect my pull to be up the fall line rather than across it. I used 10k lb rated synthetic rope and placed a chain across it back from the tractor, jic. If the rope would have ever snapped the chain would pull it down so it wouldn't come back into me. I do the same for steel cable.
Last edited:
California
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
- Messages
- 14,785
- Location
- An hour north of San Francisco
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM240 Yanmar YM186D
The above covers the heavy end of the tree.
Where I have problems, is carrying the small-branches upper half of a downed orchard tree on front forks. I've more than once torn a loader hydraulic hose. Once ripped off the oil pressure sensor wire while driving over debris to crush it. Going back to the barn with the red light on was unnerving, but essentially harmless.
When you get down to moving the small stuff, watch for risk to your hoses or worst case, the radiator, if debris carried up front starts to tumble off. Rasseling a downed tree with branches pointing in all directions requires more caution than you might expect.
Where I have problems, is carrying the small-branches upper half of a downed orchard tree on front forks. I've more than once torn a loader hydraulic hose. Once ripped off the oil pressure sensor wire while driving over debris to crush it. Going back to the barn with the red light on was unnerving, but essentially harmless.
When you get down to moving the small stuff, watch for risk to your hoses or worst case, the radiator, if debris carried up front starts to tumble off. Rasseling a downed tree with branches pointing in all directions requires more caution than you might expect.