Using a truck to pull a tree down

[ropensaddle]

We have pulled over 100 trees with a truck. We have used a 5 to 1, a come along, a 12K winch on chip truck. I have used a 34hp tractor many times. We have used blocks and multiple blocks. The only problem I ever had was with a winch that did not pull fast enough but I blame that on my inexperience and how I cut the tree.

You have to be a professional to know when and how to use each. We have rigged many trees in which we thought that was the safest method.

Again, we do what it takes to the the job done based upon each individual situation.

My winch is two speed and if don't put it more than twenty feet up
fast enough for the girls I date! Also you can just back the truck up
to get a faster speed but not needed on my pto two speed just put
in high and rev the engine and you have tons of pull at a fast rate!

 

[Wismer]

You have to be a professional to know when and how to use each.

I disagree.

 

[clearance]

I disagree.

Is that it? C'mon, tell us more.

 

[Timberhauler]

Is that it? C'mon, tell us more.

opcorn: ...You're funny Clearance...opcorn:

 

[Wismer]

I'm just saying, I'm not a professional. I have pulled numerous trees down, both leaners and standing. It can be dangerous. Common sense and realistic expectations are critical. For example, you can't expect pull a heavy rotten leaner the opposite way of it's lean.

Bottom line, know what you are doing, and keep it safe, but I don;t think this felling tactic is limited to "professionals"

Craig

 

[vandal]

I skimmed thru the posts and I didn't see anything mentioned about barber-chair. I have no problem floppin em with equipment but overloading will result in barber-chair. easy to overload with machines. If you don't understand how barber-chair happens, do NOT pull with equipment. I saw a guy do it once. incurred barber-chair and luckily nothing/nobody got hurt but he was left scratching his head and changing his underwear.

 

[clearance]

I skimmed thru the posts and I didn't see anything mentioned about barber-chair. I have no problem floppin em with equipment but overloading will result in barber-chair. easy to overload with machines. If you don't understand how barber-chair happens, do NOT pull with equipment. I saw a guy do it once. incurred barber-chair and luckily nothing/nobody got hurt but he was left scratching his head and changing his underwear.

Welcome to the site. Wrap the stem with a good chain above the undercut, like at least a grade 70 with a decent grab hook. Prevents chairing, brought up manty times here.

 

[ropensaddle]

I prefer a heavy duty strap binder as it gets tight on spar!
It is easier to handle and just as strong I used it on this tree
and had to pull against lean I guess it is rotten?

 

[teamtree]

wismer...did not imply you had to be a professional to use a rope

I have known many people who used a rope to pull a tree over and they are not employed by a tree service.

I also know many people you had a bad experience when they did not set the rope correctly or place the cable high enough in the tree or did not do something that a professional may have done to prevent the mishap.

I think you have to be a "professional" or have quite a bit of experience or understanding to know when you can pull a tree over with a truck or when you need to piece it down or rig it out or call in a crane or whatever. Some people that I have talked to or know think they can pull every damn tree over and it is a crap shoot as to whether it works. I have seen the damaged they have caused because they did not take the time to assess the situation and take the correct action in getting the tree down.

My main point is that a professional would know to assess the situation and apply the appropriate procedures. I am sorry if I offended you, but I would put my money on a true "professional" any day than someone who is not in this business when it comes to getting a tree down close to a house or other hazard.

 

[Wismer]

I have known many people who used a rope to pull a tree over and they are not employed by a tree service.

I also know many people you had a bad experience when they did not set the rope correctly or place the cable high enough in the tree or did not do something that a professional may have done to prevent the mishap.

I think you have to be a "professional" or have quite a bit of experience or understanding to know when you can pull a tree over with a truck or when you need to piece it down or rig it out or call in a crane or whatever. Some people that I have talked to or know think they can pull every damn tree over and it is a crap shoot as to whether it works. I have seen the damaged they have caused because they did not take the time to assess the situation and take the correct action in getting the tree down.

My main point is that a professional would know to assess the situation and apply the appropriate procedures. I am sorry if I offended you, but I would put my money on a true "professional" any day than someone who is not in this business when it comes to getting a tree down close to a house or other hazard.

Point taken team tree. I still disagree on your main point: a professional knows when to use a rope or when to climb,

A professional should know how to do both, but I think alot of us ordinary folks can tell when we can do it ourselves or when to call in help (granted, some people seem to think they can do anything). I guess I disagree because living on a farm we have more tools and equipment than city dwellers. I'm by no means saying I'm a professional, but we like to do as much as we can. There is a line however, that shouldn't be crossed when it comes to tricky removals

I too would put my money on a professional when it comes to a technical/hazardous takedown

cheers,

Craig

 

[teamtree]

It is your right to disagree. It is your property and you can do whatever you want on it. I deal with your kind every day. Guys want to call up and get an estimate and then they say they can do it themselves. Well, we (arborists/professional tree services) are the people they call when they don't want to take a chance.

I am not sure why you took offense to my comment but hey I guess you pulled a couple of trees and think you can do it whenever you feel like it. How many trees have you rigged down without a piece of the tree hitting the ground?

Go back to the beginning of the thread and re-read the whole thing. I am sure you have seen so much more than the rest of us on your farm. Like trees in which people built a deck around it and now need it out. Or trees that were planted and then came the powerlines, fences, landscaping, pools. I am sure you have seen it all.

The original question was whether it was an acceptable practice. I think it is an acceptable practice.

A few post later someone mentioned it was "unprofessional". I responded that you need to be a professional to know when to use each particular method (i.e. climbing and rigging, bucket and rigging, blocks, multiple blocks, winches, trucks, skidders, dozers, 5 in 1, grcs, rope pullers).

You go throw your rope in all the trees you want. You are not a professional if you do not do this full-time. If you think you are but you don't do it full-time, then why? Is it a hobby?

You have to understand what arborists deal with everyday. I would say that most of the calls we get are not for trees in which we can simply pull them over. Being a professional, in my opinion, is knowing when to pull a tree over (i.e. not taking a huge risk to save time by pulling a rotten tree or heavy leaner) and when to bring it down in another manner.

Loggers use this method all the time but I would never let them do it there way on one of my jobs. I have seen them spin out due to not putting their cables high enough. Putting a cable 20' up a 100' tree with a good lean is not a smart thing.

 

[teamtree]

wismer...do you no how to read....

being a professional means knowing when to use a certain method and when not to use it. Never said you could not pull a tree over.

I.e. would it be very professional if I took a 50/50 chance of cutting a tree with a rope and truck or would it be better to pull up a bucket truck and cut the top out and drop the spar in which i reduced my chances of destroying a customers property by 45 - 50%. What I was really getting at, is there are many guys "in the biz" without the proper equipment so they take chances of cutting that tree with a rope and truck as opposed to climbing it or using a bucket truck. When those guys have problems it makes us all look bad. That is not being professional. I am sure everyone has had some problems from time to time but it is when the same set of guys keep making the same mistake, I think that is unprofessional. They are not making the right choices of getting trees on the ground. That is not to say if you have the equipment that you are a professional either. One of the biggest hacks in my area has the nicest equipment you could imagine. Tears more ???? up than you can believe. I love it cause his ex-customers love us when we show up.

At any rate, do what you want. You obviously missed my point. It was not a point in which you can disagree or agree. So thanks for pissing me off and getting me going.

 

[teamtree]

wismer...do you no how to read....

being a professional means knowing when to use a certain method and when not to use it. Never said you could not pull a tree over.

I.e. would it be very professional if I took a 50/50 chance of cutting a tree with a rope and truck or would it be better to pull up a bucket truck and cut the top out and drop the spar in which i reduced my chances of destroying a customers property by 45 - 50%. What I was really getting at, is there are many guys "in the biz" without the proper equipment so they take chances of cutting that tree with a rope and truck as opposed to climbing it or using a bucket truck. When those guys have problems it makes us all look bad. That is not being professional. I am sure everyone has had some problems from time to time but it is when the same set of guys keep making the same mistake, I think that is unprofessional. They are not making the right choices of getting trees on the ground. That is not to say if you have the equipment that you are a professional either. One of the biggest hacks in my area has the nicest equipment you could imagine. Tears more ???? up than you can believe. I love it cause his ex-customers love us when we show up.

At any rate, do what you want. You obviously missed my point. It was not a point in which you can disagree or agree. So thanks for pissing me off and getting me going.

 

[Timberhauler]

wismer...do you no how to read....

being a professional means knowing when to use a certain method and when not to use it. Never said you could not pull a tree over.

I.e. would it be very professional if I took a 50/50 chance of cutting a tree with a rope and truck or would it be better to pull up a bucket truck and cut the top out and drop the spar in which i reduced my chances of destroying a customers property by 45 - 50%. What I was really getting at, is there are many guys "in the biz" without the proper equipment so they take chances of cutting that tree with a rope and truck as opposed to climbing it or using a bucket truck. When those guys have problems it makes us all look bad. That is not being professional. I am sure everyone has had some problems from time to time but it is when the same set of guys keep making the same mistake, I think that is unprofessional. They are not making the right choices of getting trees on the ground. That is not to say if you have the equipment that you are a professional either. One of the biggest hacks in my area has the nicest equipment you could imagine. Tears more ???? up than you can believe. I love it cause his ex-customers love us when we show up.

At any rate, do what you want. You obviously missed my point. It was not a point in which you can disagree or agree. So thanks for pissing me off and getting me going.

Give em' hell there new guy!!!opcorn:

 

[lees trees]

I have seen some good mistakes made from pulling trees with trucks. not taking about wench trucks. I mean riding the clutch, over pulling, miss communicating, oh yea hitting the truck. I was watching a competitor pull a 100 pine with a 50' anchor rope about 40' up and it had been tied back together several times. He's been in business over twenty years and thinks he's a pro.

 

[Wismer]

I think you have to be a "professional" or have quite a bit of experience or understanding to know when you can pull a tree over with a truck or when you need to piece it down or rig it out or call in a crane or whatever.

team tree this is what YOU said.... I disagreed, I do not believe you have to be a professional to know when you can use a truck to pull it or if you have to climb or break out the bucket truck...

I don't think it take's a professional to look at a tree and say " hmm this tree is leaning towards the house... we should call some one with experience"... i think most of us can make a call like that.. and on the other hand.. you can look at a tree and say "this tree has a good lean away from any obstructions, there is a clear drop area, lets pull it to be sure"

now OBVIOUSLY it does not take a professional to decide what needs to be done, because the home owner has to decide and the CALL THE PROFESSIONAL if need-be

whatever man i disagree, you disagree lets leave it at that

 

[teamtree]

huh...ok!

You are superior to the rest of us. Go pull a tree down.

First of all this thread was posted on Commercial Tree Care and Climbing. I thought my audience was tree care people, not farmers and homeowners. Yes you probably can tell the difference. But you see in this industry there are many hacks out there or unprofessionals. I was commenting on the difference between a hack and a professional. I thought I was talking amongst other tree care professionals. I thought I was commenting on professionalism vs. unprofessionalism.

Sorry for bruising your fragile ego buddy.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I thought I was commenting on professionalism vs. unprofessionalism.

Sorry for bruising your fragile ego buddy.

How about pro vs non-pro. Unprofessional implies a pro operating in a substandard manner, nonprofessional infers a lack of experience.

Just to split hairs.

I've seen a few unskilled and underskilled people get in trouble trying to fight the lean with a vehicle, the force of leverage against the line exceeds the weight of the truck

One funny one was where the home-owner tried to yank some taxus out with the stationwagon, pulling the rear end clean off

 

[Wismer]

Wrong! .........and dangerorusly wrong. There is a lot more to safe tree felling than hooking a truck to a tree and sticking a saw into it.....even if the tree is leaning away from the house.

Your are absolutly right treeco, I'm sorry if i did not make it clear, now i am not saying anyone should go out and do it, but with the right amount of experience (not necessarily a professional) and the right tools, some people can do their own removals, as long as there are not too sketchy, without having to call in some one of "pro" status

I apologize if i was not clear in this whole thing, I am by no means saying go out and hook to a tree and take it down. I am also not trying to discredit professionals... the world NEEDS professionals.. there is endless scenarios where professionals need to come in and do safe, quality jobs (although i understand just cause you have a truck that says "someone's tree service" doesn';t mean you are a professional.) I'm not saying i can do anythiing because i live on a farm (far from it infact) I know when it comes to felling and treework, I am vastly inferior in terms of skills from most of you boys, I am here to LEARN and have some fun.


Cheers,

Craig

 

[Can-Do-It]

Pulling Trees with Winch

I agree with the general idea, except I use a 9,000 lb. winch mounted on the front of my chip truck. I prefer the winch over a truck because of the constant and controllable pull and speed of the winch.

If the tree is not accessible to the truck then I setup redirects using pulleys attached to other trees and then back to the winch sitting in a side yard or drive way. The final redirect angal coming back to the winch can be adjusted by using a 20' chain ( pully attached to the end), either by shorting or longating the chain length.

Generally before using the winch I remove all limbs that are weighted in the opposite direction of the pull. 3/4 bull rope is attached at top of tree or stub.

Notch the tree no more than 1/3 and apply the pulling force. The amount of pull needed should reflect the amount of lean.

I've used this methed to remove a 70' pine with a 7' lean from center.

Word of caution: Always, always chuck the truck tires.