Tree Puller for hard to get at trees

[kthompson]

The rim is the outer part of the wheel which basically retains the tire on the wheel ... I'm picking at you a little bit but now days so many people talk "Rim equals Wheel" which is not true since the rim is a part of the wheel assembly!

Got you. So it would be like saying don't give me any rim instead of lip? Right? Guess that makes sense for I do remember "split" rims. kt

 

[davo727]

A gin pole tree yanker!

 

[rhett]

be safe.
Rhett

dag nabbit, just gotta ad this...

the pull line from tractor to top of "Sherweld Bipod" has a 1:1 pull ratio...
the lift line (chain / vertical lift) will bear the burden of the lift Advantage Ratio (1:4 burden as per drawing). If a chain is to fail, it will be the one from the top of the "Sherweld Bipod" to the base of the object being lifted. Backlash towards the tractor operator will / would be minimal. Stay clear of the lift area during lift operations.

EDIT : DO NOT USE ROPE FOR THIS APPLICATION, IT DOES STRETCH AND COULD / WILL HARM THE TRACTOR OPERATOR !!!

Good Luck
Be Safe
Rhett

 

[Reg]

...or you can use an old axle WITH rims and tires, wrap the chain around the axle 1 1/4 times, get it as close to the tree as possible before starting the pull.

There are pictures of horse drawn versions of this, before there were any old motor vehicles to get axles from.
At a guess the wheels were over 12ft in diameter - just by the scale of the men and draft horses pictured with them.

 

[Sherweld]

...or you can use an old axle WITH rims and tires, wrap the chain around the axle 1 1/4 times, get it as close to the tree as possible before starting the pull.

There are pictures of horse drawn versions of this, before there were any old motor vehicles to get axles from.
At a guess the wheels were over 12ft in diameter - just by the scale of the men and draft horses pictured with them.

Not quite old enough to remember these Michigan logging wheels - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia however I was working in the woods as a 12 y/o whistle punk with a steam donkey doing high lead logging with 90' to 100' long chokers.

I still cringe to think how dangerous that was watching those long chokers snag and then whip out of the vine maple on the return haul. You had to have a totally bomb-proof hidey hole all picked out and cleared any time the choker(s) snagged and stretched out.

However, I believe those big logging wheels were more for skidding logs than pulling out small trees (although that is an interesting thought).

Regards
Sherweld

 

[beersngars]

This is very interesting and a great idea. I have a bunch of gum trees in my field/foodplot that are to big to push over with the FEL. I have trired this method before and most of the larger ones just broke off. My thought in building one of these gizmos, would be to use a steel beam for the pole and weld a base to extend a foot or so to both sides for stability. At the top of the post how about a slit or notch to set the chain. It would be easy to them adjust or readjust the chain as the tree lifts.

 

[3RRL]

How about a clevis or grabhook?

 

[rhett]

keeping this great idea alive !
will post action pix if it ever dries up.

 

[carpenter383]

I'm glad I ran across this post! Simple mechanics at work, I will definatly put it to use sometime! .........I was thinking though, what if you had something similar to a long ripper tooth welded to the base of the pole/lever. It could be driven under the tree with a sledge hammer and would eliminate the need for a chain connecting the base of the tree to the top of the pole. My thought is to convert a two wheeled dolly (used for moving appliances etc.) into one. Of course it would need Extra bracing, a stronger axle and wider tires etc... Any thoughts?

 

[alltoys]

Trying to grasp the concept here. The longer the A Frame (taller) it is the more upward force is generated if the A frame is put as close to the base as possible?

Seems like the longer the A Frame would only lift the back end of the tractor.

All I know is a notched post will work perfectly for removing posts or trees for that matter. I tried to remove Lylock bushes one time with a 5 ton gravel truck full of gravel chained to the base of a clump of them. Had the chain with a straight pull put the truck in 2nd low took off the chain straightened out, stalled the truck. Backed off tried it again still didn't work. All I succeeded in doing was take some bark off the bushes and collapsed the links on a half inch chain.

Next day tried it again with new chain and a notched post. Truck pulled them out easily. Upward force was the answer. Some how I just can't see where the longer the pole the more force is exerted????

 

[DWCox]

Saw something similar to the rim concept years ago in an old picture of how farmers used to pull stumps with horses. They would take a short but thick log with a stout branch proceeding from it. They would then lay the log on its side and snug it up against the stump with the branch up in the air. A cable was secured from the base of the branch down around the stump. The horse just simply walked forward with a cable pulling the top of the branch down.

 

[djradz]

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

Rhett

Well sort-of and No. With the rim placed right up against the tree, there is a 2 to 1 advantage. This is derived from the fact that the radius of the rim (distance from fulcrum to tree) is 1/2 the diameter of the rim, which in fact serves as the larger lever arm. It really functions exactly the same as the bipod, until it moves away from the tree. The farther it moves, the less advantage there is. All bets would be off if the wheel was turning about it's hub axis, as if it was a huge fixed pulley, but it is not.

 

[jonstark]

Just bought a grubber from e-bay for $64 shipping included. There are three left. See or search for item # 300285688631

Happy weeding!

 

[rhett]

Well sort-of and No. With the rim placed right up against the tree, there is a 2 to 1 advantage. This is derived from the fact that the radius of the rim (distance from fulcrum to tree) is 1/2 the diameter of the rim, which in fact serves as the larger lever arm. It really functions exactly the same as the bipod, until it moves away from the tree. The farther it moves, the less advantage there is. All bets would be off if the wheel was turning about it's hub axis, as if it was a huge fixed pulley, but it is not.

agreed, except that.
if pull chain is draped over the rim, the rim is acting as a large pulley, no advantage due too the chain not being fixed to define fulcrum.
if pull chain has a full wrap around rim (as others have suggested), then yes I see an advantage because a fulcrum is defined.

I fully agree to the wheel rim idea, being an easy way to get the job done for those with enough tractor pulling. My little YM just does not have the stuff to go after the larger jobs, so I must resort to the advantage of increased leverage. To bad for me, that with a rim I can only go after smaller stuff, it is much easier to use.

Rhett

 

[SGStriglos]

Just bought a grubber from e-bay for $64 shipping included. There are three left. See or search for item # 300285688631

Happy weeding!

Now there are only 2 left! Thank you!

 

[wedge40]

I've read this thread would like to see one in action? Anybody have any photo or better yet a video?

Wedge

 

[rhett]

dang wedge40, i guess late is better than never.

my little cut strains but it worked, a full size tractor would be ideal.

check out the Tap Root in pix 5

 

[kidr]

Seems to me that you could put a cross piece half way up the A frame, attach the chain there for the first pull and have some real mechanical advantage. Switch the chain to the top for the final pull. Tractor wouldn't work so hard and you could tackle bigger trees.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

Here's a pic of those wheel loaders from days gone by.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

And speaking about fulcrums and pivot points, this one always gives me a chuckle