Tree Puller for hard to get at trees

[AlanB]

Hard to get it all in one shot.

Besides, I already pulled all the trees at that location

The next place has so much other brush that I might get lost, much less take a clear picture.

So here's a sketch

Thanks, the piece I was not understanding was I was not visualizing it set (both pads on the ground) as shown in your sketch.

I was picturing it pulling over one leg of your bipod, using the other leg to increase leverage, and was not getting the mechanism to work in my mind.

 

[flusher]

Just being the Safety Geek that I am. When pulling things out of the ground or even up higher for that matter. Keep in mind the strength of your cable or chain. Watch for cuts and broken links. Having a cable or chain flail back at you if it snaps or pops off the tree is going to leave an impression you might not like. Going as far as to say a hard hat, safety glasses aren't a bad idea if you don't have a safety cage at the back of your favorite flavor of tractor.
Those are great ideas. I had forgotten about that method when I was pulling metal fence post out of the ground by hand using the leverage method.

That's why I protect my backside with a simple expanded metal safety screen attached to the ROPS with hose clamps.

I use one screen on my Mahindra 5525 for protection when I'm using the brush hog. You can sandwich several screens for added protection.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

That's why I protect my backside with a simple expanded metal safety screen attached to the ROPS with hose clamps.

I use one screen on my Mahindra 5525 for protection when I'm using the brush hog. You can sandwich several screens for added protection.

Now that's what I am talking about. Simple to use. I can see where a metal strip down each edge of the metal screen and attach the hose clamps to them. Then if something heavy were to hit the screen it wouldn't rip out at the attach point of one hose clamp. The metal strip would be screwed or welded on that edge and spread the forces out from an impact. I am going to have to adopt your method to my Tractor for when I am skidding logs out of the woods for my Tree business.

 

[actionaj]

I have used a 4x4 post with a notch cut in the top for a chain guide to pull stumps out with. Works similar to what has been described.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Vstell is correct in that the bipod is the fulcrum and the chain is your lever. The height of the bipod is only related to how high you wish to lift the object. Just like a lever and fulcrum, the closer the fulcrum is to the object being lifted the more power you can pull, but you limit the height of lift. So you bipod must be high enough to lift the object clear of whatever it is embedded in, but you wont get any more power by having it higher.

 

[Sherweld]

hi, i think the "rim idea" is great, but it does not offer the "lever advantage" that Sherweld's bi pod does.

the rim feature is, it changes the pulling force to lift. the pull to lift ratio remains at 1:1 because there seems to be no fixed pivot point to determine a pull to lift ratio.

the bi pod not only changes pull to lift, but does utilize a fixed pivot point at its base. the bi pods height and the base distance from the lift point allows an adjustable and calculable pull to lift ratio. (as Sherweld originally stated, the chain is fixed at the bi pods top completing the lever.)

example: an 8 foot tall bi pod, base positioned 2 feet from lift point gives a 4:1 pull to lift advantage. so lets say 1 ton of pull translates to 4 tons of lifting force.

with my little YM1600 (which weighs in at about 1,500 pounds) i need every mechanical advantage i can find.

Sherweld, Thank You Again for bringing to light, a lever can be more than a straight board. my little YM1600's ego is going through the roof being able to work along side the big boys.

Rhett

and .... Thank You Rhett for that clear explanation.

The wheel does indeed offer a couple of advantages:
it does change the direction of pull,
it is quick (no construction involved),
it is cheap,
and there is indeed a small mechanical advantage (perhaps as much as 2:1) at the start of the pull. (but that's another discussion)

However, before we got on that wheel tangent, I was going to post the analogy of a claw hammer or wrecking bar.

The thing to remember about this scheme, is that the link from the base of the tree to the top of the bipod (or post, or 4"x4", or whatever) is fixed, making it basically a triangle lever. The mechanical advantage is determined by how far the "foot" is set from the tree.

Set it close, and there is enormous mechanical advantage. Either the tree is going to come up, or the "foot" is going to sink in (large feet help here)

In practice, I found that the bipod sometimes had to be reset a couple of times, that is, close to the tree to get things loosened up, then reset further away to get the tree out of the ground. (much the same way that putting a small block under the head of a hammer will help pulling a difficult nail)

Hope that helps

Regards
Sherweld

 

[rhett]

... hook the chain into the slotted top of the frame, ...
Sherweld

all three points are in fact fixed (somewhat), "creating a rigid lever" with a mechanical advantage. a long enough lever could move the world with very little effort. the bi pods height (length) and its bases (fulcrum) distance from the lift object do in fact allow a calculable mechanical advantage ratio (which will change during the pull as the lift object is drawn close to the bi pods base).

define fulcrum:
The point on which a lever is balanced when a force is exerted.
A prop, support, or fixed point on which a lever moves, i.e. about which rotation can take place. It is the point beyond which a cantilever extends into space, its other end anchored on the opposite side of the fulcrum.
A fixed point of support of a lever which acts as the pivot about which the lever turns. In biomechanics, when viewing the movement of the skeleton, the fulcrum is a fixed point, usually a joint, on which a bony lever moves.

the chain over rim is not rigid, so no mechanical advantage.

my little Yanmar just keeps going, Yes I Can, Yes I Can, Yes I Can, the little Yanmar that now can thanks to "Sherweld"

Rhett

 

[3RRL]

As Sherweld points out, there is a fixed length of chain from the bipod connected to the tree. Then there is the connection from the bipod to the tractor. The two connections don't need to be in the same place. In fact, for a given connection (bipod to tree) the higher up you connect the bipod to tractor would give you more leverage.
It's like holding on to the claw hammer example.
The higher up you hold it on the handle, the easier it is to get the nail out.

 

[vsteel]

I stand corrected, a pole that has the chain fixed, will act like a leaver. (add a pulley and its all out the window.) I am the skeptical type and did have to do the math and I did come up with an advantage.

As mentioned previously, get the post as close to the tree as you can, and have your tractor pull the chain as perpendicular to the post as you can.

Guess I was asleep at the switch on that one, my bad.

 

[rhett]

hi, just adding another visual aid to this awesome idea. Good Luck and be safe.

Rhett