Stump Pulling with 3-Point - Any concerns?

[Gary Fowler]

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

I didn't imply that there is resistance to back flip. However if the 3 PH is not raised above the fixed drawbar height, then you are pulling from below center of gravity and traction looses before flipping can occur. Not many tractors have the traction to pull the front end off the ground when the attachment point is below the axle. Personally I wouldn't use the lift arms to pull with other than just using them to lift up with the tractor stationary. Also jerking the stump with chain or strap as suggested by others will stress all the components on the tractor (including the chain or strap) and may not be the best thing to do.
Before I got my back hoe, I would use my box blade scarifiers to break the side roots on trees and then dig them out with the FEL or just push it over. I never liked pulling on a tree with a chain close up as the tree usually ends up on top of the tractor even small ones can thrash you a good bit when they come over on you.
It is amazing how much a small root can hold on a straight pull, so cutting even a few of them will allow for the tree to pull up much easier.

 

[deezler]

He was lucky he didn't have enough torque to flip that tractor. He hooked to the top link probably right after he put the rear tires on backwards.

Jesus, what a disgrace. And he ruined his driveway once the stump actually came out.... moron!

edit: to perhaps add something of actual use to this thread, here is a thought in a totally different direction.

Why use the 3-pt at all?

For 2-4" trees, I just use the front loader. bend 'em over (don't snap the trunk), and get the roots loosened up. Pull them back or drive around and push it over the other way, now you are close. Finally get the loader bucket underneath some of the roots, and curl. POP! out comes the tree. Sometimes it'll even come out in the bucket, and you can drive the whole thing off to the brush or burn pile.

Why get off the tractor and fiddle with chains and wheels when you can just stay on the tractor and let your front loader do the work?

 

[TomSeller]

Getting the extra weight on the back sure helps in the traction department.

If you notice in the big time tractor pulls, the front tires bob off the ground. They are hitched just right. Max weight on the rear wheels, but not enough that the tractor flips back. Note they are 2 wd.

 

[Xfaxman]

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.

With that many trees I would rent a skid steer with a tree puller.

Pictures from Google Image Search

I have a long arm tree puller on my V417, so much faster than using a chain!


The view from the seat.


Link to pulling the big cedar: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/277824-tree-puller.html#post3444397

 

[The Fred]

Another EXCELLENT thread by some super members of TBN!
You guys are out standing in your field!
Fred

 

[Egon]

Don't know about now but fifty years ago when hitched to the draw bar ( very few three points then ) if the tractor had traction and some low gears it wasn't uncommon to have the front wheels off the ground. When doing this you always had a hand or foot on the clutch.:thumbsup:

Soo how should pulling be done?

 

[The Fred]

Soo how should pulling be done?



Mini excavator works well, Fred

 

[LD1]

Soo how should pulling be done?

From the fixed drawbar, which is BELOW the axle CL

 

[Egon]

From the fixed drawbar, which is BELOW the axle CL

Yes; but one may still have a backflip,

 

[LD1]

Yes; but one may still have a backflip,

That is debatable, but it is still how pulling "should" be done.

Doing things the way they "should" be done is no guarantee with anything, but has the least risk to the equipment and operator.