coastalfaller
ArboristSite Operative
If jacking trees is ever something I do regularly, I will definitely put a gauge on it. In this case, I palmed the wedge in to take up the slack after every pump or two. 21 pumps bought me 2 inches. Almost no wind. 150 ft tall, 32" at the stump. Different conditions would have changed the game. I would also very much like to have a way to actually fasten the plate to the top of the piston. Pretty sure I could have gotten into trouble had the wind and weight moved things around more than they did.
Still got a twinge of pain in my left shoulder from the last time I got over-ambitious with the wedging.
We've machined an indent in a plate to fit over the ram, then used trampoline springs to hold it in place, much like the Silvey Hi Jacker, but nothing beats the actual Silvey jacks for when you really need them!