Tree Puller for hard to get at trees

[Brad_Blazer]

Looks like a nice little machine. What is the price range?

Are you affiliated with Portablewinch? Portable Winch Capstan Winch 4x4 Winch Off-Road Winch Tree Service Rule Gas-Powered Winch

 

[JFS2295]

Have any of you tried or reviewed the portable winch web site. I own one of these winches and have pulled many a tree. Some as large as 24 inches in diameter at the base. This past year I made my own pulley block with triple pulleys. Ten thousand pounds of pulling power. Have to use low stretch polyethylene rope. A lot safer than steel rope or chain. With the block at the base of another tree you can stay out of the path of the falling tree. I think the web site is portablewinch.com

Funny you should bring that up.

When I was in my teens (30+ years ago) I used to do the same at the farm as all we really had was the Farmall Cub to pull down trees. Being around a boating community I had access to many blocks and mass quantity of rope. As you mentioned what was great was you could pull to the side or opposite where your trying to put the tree, making it much safer. I still have those blocks and rope.

Going up the tree for the attachment also helped the leverage.

 

[Baby Grand]

As soon as the ground thaws a bit more I plan to try this with 5/8 double braided Polyester and a few strategically located snatch blocks to compound the pull and get me & my tractor far away from the tree & out of the line of action. Actual attachment to the tree will be with 1" nylon double braided, a big block and a nylon sling wrapped around the base of another tree for an anchor. I intend to start small and work my way up.

As jsf2292 mentioned, going the trunk up really helps your leverage. To this end I'm thinking of making a little air bazooka to cast a throwing weight over a suitable limb. That or I've seen some wrist rocket surgical tubing type contraptions that might be simpler. I dunno. I just like being able to say bazooka in casual conversation.

-Jim

 

[carpenter383]

I've used my jeep winch to assist in felling a few pretty good sized trees, I used a climber tree stand to get up the tree to attach the cable. I use a 100 ft 1/2" wrecker cable, one end hooked to the tree and the other hooked to a snach block. The winch cable runs through the snach block and hooks to a nearby tree.

 

[ThomasH]

I would be *very* careful using rope of any sort, steel or nylon. If something breaks or lets loose, it will be a slingshot coming back at you. There have been people killed trying this.

 

[jeff_jeff]

with over 4,000 x-mas trees in the ground, I have an ongoing need to pull the dead ones so I can replant. I've been using a HD Brush Grubber, which works fine for the trees on the edges of the fields, but I can't use it in the middle of the fields because the tractor would tear up the other trees.

After reading this thread, I decided to build a weed wrench copy like Brad_Blazer - I went with the simpler design of the original, which works fine - this thing is great, works good on my trees up to about 4 foot tall - and a lot quicker than using the grubber.

Jeff

 

[bikerdib]

This is a really old thread I'm reviving but I sure am glad I found it. I've been pulling down some trees in an area along an old creek bed where I'm building a pond. I've been doing it the hard way. First I use a subsoiler to bust as many spread roots as possible. Then I use a ladder to put a cinch chain around the tree about 8 feet above the ground, then run 40 feet of grade 70 chain to the draw bar of the tractor to pull the tree over. I am using an old tire for a damper about half way in the length of chain in case of chain failure (run the chain through the eye of the tire and let the tire hang on the chain). It has been so-so in the success rate. Of course, smaller trees with a trunk of 4 inches or less have been pretty easy since my land is sandy. However, some of the "trash" trees really surprised me. Chinese Tallow trees have pretty large spread roots as well as a major tap root. I'm going to build an A frame about 6 feet tall. I plan on making a complete triangle out of the pipe since portability isn't a necessity. The base pipe will be around 5 feet so I can haul it on my trailer. The base pipe will lay on the ground with the 2 upright pipes welded to it. That way I should get a pretty good footing but the frame will still be able to rock over as the tree comes up.

 

[jcaron2]

This is a really old thread I'm reviving but I sure am glad I found it. I've been pulling down some trees in an area along an old creek bed where I'm building a pond. I've been doing it the hard way. First I use a subsoiler to bust as many spread roots as possible. Then I use a ladder to put a cinch chain around the tree about 8 feet above the ground, then run 40 feet of grade 70 chain to the draw bar of the tractor to pull the tree over. I am using an old tire for a damper about half way in the length of chain in case of chain failure (run the chain through the eye of the tire and let the tire hang on the chain). It has been so-so in the success rate. Of course, smaller trees with a trunk of 4 inches or less have been pretty easy since my land is sandy. However, some of the "trash" trees really surprised me. Chinese Tallow trees have pretty large spread roots as well as a major tap root. I'm going to build an A frame about 6 feet tall. I plan on making a complete triangle out of the pipe since portability isn't a necessity. The base pipe will be around 5 feet so I can haul it on my trailer. The base pipe will lay on the ground with the 2 upright pipes welded to it. That way I should get a pretty good footing but the frame will still be able to rock over as the tree comes up.

Make sure you take some pictures for us!

I can't believe I've never thought of putting an old tire halfway along the length of the chain. That's a really good idea.

 

[wetstuff]

You guys scare me.... We had a local with a large field tractor pulling a truck out of a ditch with heavy chain .. and very unlike chain, which should not stretch-and-snap like wire rope or nylon (the worst) rope ..it came back. In some respects, it's too bad it didn't kill him.

I love the idea of fulcrum and leverage, but somehow I would only do it if I was able to anchor the chain to a fixed point and pull a short distance 90deg from that anchor point.

Jim

 

[bikerdib]

You guys scare me.... We had a local with a large field tractor pulling a truck out of a ditch with heavy chain .. and very unlike chain, which should not stretch-and-snap like wire rope or nylon (the worst) rope ..it came back. In some respects, it's too bad it didn't kill him.

I love the idea of fulcrum and leverage, but somehow I would only do it if I was able to anchor the chain to a fixed point and pull a short distance 90deg from that anchor point.

Jim

With as much force as a tractor will put on the chain, there is a possibility the chain will recoil. That's the reason I put a tire on the chain. It acts as a damper should the chain fail. I in fact intend to start using two old tires thus splitting the length of chain into thirds. That should give me an even greater safety margin.

I'll post some pics of my fulcrum frame as soon as I finish it. I pretty much have it finished but I changed the way I made it from my original plan. I thought I was finished with it but I see a week point I want to reinforce.