luckydraw
ArboristSite Lurker
Hi all, first time here – happy to find this forum.
I have a property that has a large downed tree next to the cabin. In fact it only missed it by about 6 inches! I would like to start chopping up the tree but it could be unstable and I need to get it on the flat ground first (there is a hill immediately behind cabin).
The tree is all the way bent over but it still hanging to the root ball system. It has two main trunks sticking out, one of which is very close to the cabin. The entire area behind the cabin (where the trees are) is a hill with about 25 degree slope.
Theoretically I have all the tools in my arsenal to move this but I really need to make sure if it starts to roll, its not going anywhere near the cabin. I have 10Ton and above snatch blocks, soft shackles, tree straps, winch dampers, and 2Ton and 4Ton pull along winches. I also have access to a 12,000 lb harbor freight 12VDC electric winch. That is plenty powerful but I can't get to the location with a vehicle. I don't know if its possible simply to put that kind of a winch's mounting plate to the back of a large tree, or if that's a terrible idea. I'd rather just use hand winches if its going to be possible, even if it takes longer. I'm just not in love with the idea of pulling possibly 8000 lbs of tree where I need to be right in front of the winch to operate it. The electric one can be operated remotely.
I've attached this rough diagram of the situation (not everything is "connected" on there, I'm trying to figure out whats best). One thing I've also really been wondering is this:
if a pull along winch is rated "2ton" and I attached that to the anchor tree with a snatch block and double line, and then on one of those lines at the downed tree, put another snatch block, and route it back to a 2nd tree as an anchor (I guess this is called triple line?), I am increasing the power at my pull along, but is the total stress at the pull along reduced? For example if the tree is 5000 lbs, is using a 2ton pull along sufficient if setup double line, or triple line, because it reduces the tension at the pulling end of the winch?
I may be overthinking and confusing myself, I just have a lot of questions:
- Most diagrams I see show the winch on a vehicle, but in this case the winch would be on the other side near the anchor. Does this affect the location of the snatch blocks?
- How can I set up a safety system here, so in case the winch line breaks, I still have rope preventing the tree from rolling
- If I wrap the rope around near the middle/ lower part of the fallen tree, can I simply loop it around 3 or 4 times as shown in diagram. Will this reduce the the working load strength of the rope?
- Do I use tree straps on the downed tree instead of wrapping rope around it a few times?
- Where do I connect to on the downed tree? It's basically two trees in a Y shape, and a large root ball. Do I connect at two different spots?
- Do I use two separate winches in different locations?
- All the connectors (snatch blocks and shackles) are rated for plenty of weight. What I'm also wondering about is the rope, since it's "working strength" is 1/5 of breaking strength. The hand pulleys only use 3/16" steel cable and I think that may be a weak point here. I don't know the weight of the tree but my friend who works with trees says we should rig it expecting it to be up to 10,000 lbs. I don't think its that much but I don't want to take any chances. My guess would be it's around 7 or 8k.
I really appreciate anyone's help here. I'm a visual person, so I'm going to have to see a diagram of what I'm doing before I do anything.
Please not the diagram is not drawn to scale! However I can say the distance from the anchor trees on the left to the downed tree is about 50 feet
I have a property that has a large downed tree next to the cabin. In fact it only missed it by about 6 inches! I would like to start chopping up the tree but it could be unstable and I need to get it on the flat ground first (there is a hill immediately behind cabin).
The tree is all the way bent over but it still hanging to the root ball system. It has two main trunks sticking out, one of which is very close to the cabin. The entire area behind the cabin (where the trees are) is a hill with about 25 degree slope.
Theoretically I have all the tools in my arsenal to move this but I really need to make sure if it starts to roll, its not going anywhere near the cabin. I have 10Ton and above snatch blocks, soft shackles, tree straps, winch dampers, and 2Ton and 4Ton pull along winches. I also have access to a 12,000 lb harbor freight 12VDC electric winch. That is plenty powerful but I can't get to the location with a vehicle. I don't know if its possible simply to put that kind of a winch's mounting plate to the back of a large tree, or if that's a terrible idea. I'd rather just use hand winches if its going to be possible, even if it takes longer. I'm just not in love with the idea of pulling possibly 8000 lbs of tree where I need to be right in front of the winch to operate it. The electric one can be operated remotely.
I've attached this rough diagram of the situation (not everything is "connected" on there, I'm trying to figure out whats best). One thing I've also really been wondering is this:
if a pull along winch is rated "2ton" and I attached that to the anchor tree with a snatch block and double line, and then on one of those lines at the downed tree, put another snatch block, and route it back to a 2nd tree as an anchor (I guess this is called triple line?), I am increasing the power at my pull along, but is the total stress at the pull along reduced? For example if the tree is 5000 lbs, is using a 2ton pull along sufficient if setup double line, or triple line, because it reduces the tension at the pulling end of the winch?
I may be overthinking and confusing myself, I just have a lot of questions:
- Most diagrams I see show the winch on a vehicle, but in this case the winch would be on the other side near the anchor. Does this affect the location of the snatch blocks?
- How can I set up a safety system here, so in case the winch line breaks, I still have rope preventing the tree from rolling
- If I wrap the rope around near the middle/ lower part of the fallen tree, can I simply loop it around 3 or 4 times as shown in diagram. Will this reduce the the working load strength of the rope?
- Do I use tree straps on the downed tree instead of wrapping rope around it a few times?
- Where do I connect to on the downed tree? It's basically two trees in a Y shape, and a large root ball. Do I connect at two different spots?
- Do I use two separate winches in different locations?
- All the connectors (snatch blocks and shackles) are rated for plenty of weight. What I'm also wondering about is the rope, since it's "working strength" is 1/5 of breaking strength. The hand pulleys only use 3/16" steel cable and I think that may be a weak point here. I don't know the weight of the tree but my friend who works with trees says we should rig it expecting it to be up to 10,000 lbs. I don't think its that much but I don't want to take any chances. My guess would be it's around 7 or 8k.
I really appreciate anyone's help here. I'm a visual person, so I'm going to have to see a diagram of what I'm doing before I do anything.
Please not the diagram is not drawn to scale! However I can say the distance from the anchor trees on the left to the downed tree is about 50 feet