bull rope for pulling trees over

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talcott

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hello

i am a power lineman by trade and i also do line clearance. i sometimes have to use a bull rope to pull a tree over or just for a lil insurance that the tree doesnt get away from me.

what type of rope and what size do you pros use?

i climb poles but not trees...i use a bucket to top out the trees.

thank you

talcott
 
I rarely use a bullrope to pull a tree over. 1/2 inch has always worked well for me, a bull rope is just too darn heavy.

Really? They are only 6000lbs. b.s. new. After knots, wear, defects, who knows what the b.s. is now. I have pulled over some big trees, with a bad lean, you have to use the right tool for the job and be somewhat sure.
 
Pulling trees

talcott
I use 1/2" line too.
When working with my partner, we'll set a line high up in the tree and use a rope come-a-long to pull over the tree.
When working alone I'll set a rope up in the tree with my polesaw and pull it over with my Kubota tractor.
1/2" line will take a lot before it snaps.
When setting a line in a tree, higher the better as long as the leader your tying to is sound.
 
I also use 1/2" for 80-90% of all rigging/pulling. I have a 5/8" in the bin for the HUGE stuff.

All we use is NE Kernmantle, and Samson Stable braid ropes. NE for pulling mostly, and Stablke braid for the rigging.

Isnt 1/2" stable braid rated fro somewhere around 13,000??
 
talcott
1/2" line will take a lot before it snaps.
But you have snapped 1/2"? So have i-that's why i go bigger. If/when i snap a 5/8, time to go bigger again. Having a 1/2" line snap causing a stem to go back into a house and cause thousands of dollars worth of damage makes you realize that maybe the weight and cost of 5/8" or bigger may have been a good investment. Guess we should ask what size talcott's planning to pull over and how he's going to pull it.
 
Old climbing lines! (my vote);)


Seriously clearance, no recommendation??

Bull rope. We tried to pull out a boom truck once, not stuck bad, downhill a bit, couldn't move cause the tires were spinning. Anyways, 5/8 or 3/4 bull rope, it snapped like nothing, no jerk, just a steady pull and Twang! 30 000 lbs. yeah, right.
 
Bull rope. We tried to pull out a boom truck once, not stuck bad, downhill a bit, couldn't move cause the tires were spinning. Anyways, 5/8 or 3/4 bull rope, it snapped like nothing, no jerk, just a steady pull and Twang! 30 000 lbs. yeah, right.

How much do you figure a boom truck weighs? I would think between 25K and 50K!!! Add ONE knot or turn and that 30K rope is down to 15-20K in no time!
 
Snapped line

I did some Arborplex last summer for the fun of it. The walnut tree was on the ground with a lot of trash around it. I put a bow line with a few extra wraps aroung the butt and started pulling with the tractor, Got the tree almost to the edge of the field before the rope broke.
Well I wasted a junk rope, it was fun.
Would never try such a thing around any thing good.
We do have 5/8 and 3/4" ropes too, but their so heavy doing them up after use. I'll do anything to stay with a 1/2" line.
 
diffrent sizes and types of trees

But you have snapped 1/2"? So have i-that's why i go bigger. If/when i snap a 5/8, time to go bigger again. Having a 1/2" line snap causing a stem to go back into a house and cause thousands of dollars worth of damage makes you realize that maybe the weight and cost of 5/8" or bigger may have been a good investment. Guess we should ask what size talcott's planning to pull over and how he's going to pull it.
.
i use a pickup or digger derrick to pull with.

i have been useing a regular handline for the pulling and the trees will vary in size. i was thinking that 12,000 lb test would be about right but the only type rope we have at work is poly and i believe that you pros use a diffrent type. 1 inch poly is probally good for the 12,000 lb test but i have reached an age where i would rather spend more money and have someting lighter and stronger. an oh "frack-ah-racker" on a broken rope could mean a broken power pole and or a hot conductor comeing to the ground.

i am just too old that that kind of duppie to happen.

i appreciate you guys taken the time to provide information to an old fart like me.

thank you

talcott
 
How much do you figure a boom truck weighs? I would think between 25K and 50K!!! Add ONE knot or turn and that 30K rope is down to 15-20K in no time!


bingo!

i worked a jobsite once where they used the truck to pull a 3/4" bull rope attached to a huge tree. Not only was the bull rope knotted in several locations, they fed it thru several swingplate micro pulleys (which are NOT designed for 3/4" rope).

so now you have massive strength loss due to knots, sharp angles over improperly sized pulleys, and your pulling it with a truck (no control, sudden tensioning (ie shock load)...not only that, you have the boss standing in the line of fire (should the rope break. He would have had several micro pulleys and several biners int he face, at about 130km an hour. (than and again, that would be a good thing ;)

but what do i know, i dont know nuttin about safe rigging, rope use, engineering or anything..... rolls eyes....
 
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Too heavy-waahhhhhh-thats what I say to you J.Walker and Kennertree. Now Boston Bull, we were not trying to pick the boom truck up, like right off the ground, we only tried to pull it, big, big difference. Like you can push a pickup truck by yourself on flat ground, I don't think you can pick one up.
 
arborplex in the 3/4" (and yes even the 1" size if you find it!) is quite nice for bullrope. But the 1/2" size........save it for climbing.
 
bingo!

i worked a jobsite once where they used the truck to pull a 3/4" bull rope attached to a huge tree. Not only was the bull rope knotted in several locations, they fed it thru several swingplate micro pulleys (which are NOT designed for 3/4" rope).

so now you have massive strength loss due to knots, sharp angles over improperly sized pulleys, and your pulling it with a truck (no control, sudden tensioning (ie shock load)...not only that, you have the boss standing in the line of fire (should the rope break. He would have had several micro pulleys and several biners int he face, at about 130km an hour. (than and again, that would be a good thing ;)

but what do i know, i dont know nuttin about safe rigging, rope use, engineering or anything..... rolls eyes....
Nothing wrong with using a truck to pull, or a hoe or cat, just has to be done properly. About pulleys (blocks), seems to me that the blocks used for most arboriculture are way to small. A 6" block for a 3/4" rope is too small, most do not use 6" blocks. I have been a part of big hazard removal jobs for Hydro, that went on and on. Pulled over many skanky, big trees with bad leans away from the powerlines. Used good bullrope, a block or two chained to trees in the bush, a boom truck, along with competent guys. You have to plan, double check everyhting and be smooth.
 
i'll agree that using a truck or skidder is fine, BUT its how its done that is the issue. ...these yahoos love the gas pedal too much.

and the pulleys had 1" sheaves. :bang: :bang: :bang: (and were returned back to the CLIMBER for use on his hitch....)

:yoyo:
 
Locally there is a wrecker service that uses his truck and steel cable that is well over 100 feet long to pull up to 15% leaners over houses to fall safely while a back cut is being used with a slow cut. This is not me before everyone commits on this. It does work or has for several that i have seen. I have often wondered with the stress load while there hasn't been a barberchair yet. Has anyone seen this done? It gets my blood pressure way up and its not even my problem.
 
I have never broke a half inch line trying to pull over a heavy leaner. When a half inch line is broke it's usually due to leaving too much holding wood or just pulling too dang hard which runs the risk of a barber chair.
 
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