bull rope for pulling trees over

[ozzy42]

I've never NEEDED a truck to pull a tree ,but have used one many times .
Used one today to pull the stick over .It's just easier when a little persuasion is called for.

 

[Bobby Lee Wayne]

I use that big fat red and white rope they sell at Lowes, I cant break it and either can my buddys, we dont use trucks, so why buy a expensive rope if your doing it by hand? I can get 200ft for 80 dollars.

 

[Wiz]

In the morning I'm going to remove a 24 in dia. pine 10 ft. from my house. I could cut it, it's already leaning in the direction I want it to go. But, I want to remove the stump too. So, I'm going to put a 3/4 or 7/8 arborist bull rope 20,000 lb breaking strength thru a major crotch about 15 ft or so up. Then I'm going to run the line down the trunk putting 2 half hitches on the way with a timber hitch near the base. That will go to a 24,000 lb block with a tenex securing line tied to the base of a strong tree. From there to my F350 6.0 diesel 4 wheel drive with 2 tons of pellets in the bed. I'll tie off to the front loops. I'll put a little tension on the line. Then I'm going to cut some major roots opposite the pull. It may go just cutting the roots with a saws all. Then pull in 4 low slowly and observe to see if it's going to take the stump. If yes bring it down. If not notch and cut away. It would be nice to get that stump out. Maybe not professional but the stump is the problem. I almost ran over there and cut it a few months ago, That's when I thought this is worth a try.

 

[capetrees]

Interested to see if it works. Gotta get the process on video to post in here later.

 

[Wiz]

That tree after blowing all the needles from around the base and cutting two major roots and maybe 8 more, Did not budge.

I pulled until my tires were spinning. Nothing. So part B cut her down and that is what I did.

So now I have a mass of roots and a stump to deal with.
I'm thinking about fabricating a root tooth for my Kubota and start the process off digging and cutting roots.

Unless! Someone here has a great idea on how to remove this without burning or hiring a stump grinder.

I was hooked at least 20 feet up, I can't believe it didn't budge.

Wiz

 

[Zale]

I can. Rent a stump grinder.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Guys doing stumps cheap sound like they are a dime a dozen. Even paying a couple hundred bucks would be cheaper and easier than fabricating a tooth for the excavator. And less likely to do major damage to your property.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Maybe if you had invented square wheels for your truck they wouldn't have spun, and you ccould have pulled it on over.

Sorry, not being mean or sarcastic on purpose, just making a point. Tree workat this point is in a fairly mature stage of development. Any improvements at this point will be evolutionary, not revolutionary. The best way to take care of the tree you have described is to remove the tree and then grind the stump. Period.Honestly, by the time you're done dicking around with everything you're talking about about a pro job is gonna look mighty cheap.

 

[pro94lt]

Wow

 

[ArtB]

I pulled until my tires were spinning.
I was hooked at least 20 feet up, I can't believe it didn't budge.

Have pulled a few hundred trees up to 48" dbh and 155 ft tall clearing driveways and short roads.
Only have a up to 7 ton machines (small track loader, backhoe, etc) so with those small machines need to pull the entire tree to get big root balls out, stump grinding not an option on a road base.

Here is an example of what it takes to pull a 4 ft dia tree - double 5/8" wire rope, 2 blocks, 10 Ton winch with 3/8" wire rope to first block, 1/2" wire rope to 2nd block, which pulls on the doubled 5/8. 5/8 looped around trunk above heavy branch 70 (seventy) feet up.
3.5Ton Winch truck tied to > 2 ft dia other tree at base - then barely pulled the 4ft dia tree over, the winch was straining. Close to 300,000 ft-# torque on root ball. A PU truck and rope 20 ft up will be lucky to pull 1/10th that.

The big guys that clear roads for a living out here in big tree country have 30 ton (and bigger) machines to root out big stumps. A 7 ton machine can only nibble at a big root - a 'toy' Kabota will do nothing on a big stump. One time 45 years ago, took me 2 days to get a 5 ft dia DFir stump out with a D2 cat.
I've seen big developers here move in a D10 cat for a small 5 acre housing development.

 

[czbigoaks]

So where is the best place to buy rope?

 

[beastmaster]

Any of the sponsers that sell gear has rope . I like "treestuff".
I use 1/2 in three strand to pull over must trees, have used 1in. bullrope if the situation warrents its.

 

[Fireaxman]

That tree after blowing all the needles from around the base and cutting two major roots and maybe 8 more, Did not budge.

I pulled until my tires were spinning. Nothing. So part B cut her down and that is what I did.

So now I have a mass of roots and a stump to deal with.
I'm thinking about fabricating a root tooth for my Kubota and start the process off digging and cutting roots.

Unless! Someone here has a great idea on how to remove this without burning or hiring a stump grinder.

I was hooked at least 20 feet up, I can't believe it didn't budge.

Wiz

You never know until you try. I have pulled over several trees more than 2 feet DBH with a 3130 Kubota and 3/4 Stable Braid. Figured if a hurricane can do it, I can do it. I just grub around them with a weighted box blade with a couple of scouring teeth set as deep as they will set, then break the bigger surface roots with my Front End Loader. But, I tie in with twice the height you tried, at least 40 feet or 2/3 of the height of the tree.

Lots of variables, among them type of tree, strength and length of the stem, weight and COG of the crown, root structure, soil type, moisture, and proximity to other trees. Pines often have a deep tap root, very hard to pull over, unless they are in a very tight soil type (like the very tight clay common in my area) where they cant get a root down or a very wet, soggy location where the roots just have nothing to hold them. Hard for even a pine to get a deep root into hard, dry clay. Soggy, wet clay can let a root penetrate pretty deeply, but of course if it is wet enough, like next to a pond or after a period of very heavy rain, you may be able to pull it over anyway. If the tree is close to other trees, the roots may entwine, or even graft to one another, providing a support structure that makes it difficult to pull one out by the roots, and even if you do pull it out you risk damage to the root structure of surrounding trees.

Tallo trees have a very shallow, weak root structure and pull over pretty easily. Black Gum has a very deep root structure and even a small one can be extremely difficult to pull over. Oak can be easy or hard depending on soil type, moisture, and proximity to more deeply rooted trees.

So --- yes, it can be done. Just have to look at the situation and decide if the desired result will be probable enough and profitable enough to justify the effort.

 

[RVALUE]

It all depends on the species, and ground. I pulled on a sweet gum (80 footer) until its top was almost on the ground. It didn't budge. I then saw that if something gave away, it could throw a 20 pound piece (chain, snatch, hook etc.) a mile. Slight exaggeration, but I don't think you can pull out a sweet gum in dry dirt. With any puller. And I cut the back roots.

Ended up cutting it and having it ground....

 

[woodchuck357]

I have used about every method to pull trees aginst the lean and have never seen a barber chair from pulling. The omly problem I have seen from using a winch is most are to slow. I like using the rubber band effect of my one inch nylon rope for pulling trees where it will work but mostly rely on cable thru a snatch block to what ever vehicle is most appro to the job.
I have never been around a leaner that was being pulled that had to small of a notch.

 

[fearofpavement]

I pulled a leaning oak away from a building today using a 3/4" rope, 6" block and a truck. Hope using the truck doesn't make me a non professional, because I fully expect the customer to pay their invoice.

 

[ArtB]

I have ONLY used plow steel wire rope 3/8" or larger or grade 80 alloy chain for pulling any tree out here in W WA. Do not have any 2" Kevlar rope <G>. Guess you could use rope on little 5" trees?
Last week I BROKE a 3/4" wire rope choker (mistreated it, about 100k pounds applied) - 5 blocks, 4X on 4 line 3/8 wire rope from 12,000# winch, then 2x on 5/" wire rope blocks, final 2x with double grade 80 alloy 7/16" chain. 60# or pulleys (blocks) thrown 20 ft due to stored strain energy. Pulling 22 inch cherry root ball out of ground with choker at 8 ft height.
For a 12,000# winch, you need to tie the back of the truck to a big stump or tree or you simply skid a loaded 3/4T truck across the ground.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

The problem I have always seen trying to uproot trees rather than drop and grind is the unpredictability factor... equipment failure, or just unintended consequences from the roots... seems like most guys are just trying to avoid paying for a stump grinder, which just isn't that expensive considering the risks...

 

[Tigwelder83]

So we literally just pulled that maple over today with 1/2, 3 strand rope. We set 2 lines, one to a rope jack, another to a re-direct & a farmi winch on a 5k compact tractor. We just kept ample tension on the tree while the feller applied wedges very liberally. Its the combination that brings success. Not just brute force.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

So we literally just pulled that maple over today with 1/2, 3 strand rope. We set 2 lines, one to a rope jack, another to a re-direct & a farmi winch on a 5k compact tractor. We just kept ample tension on the tree while the feller applied wedges very liberally. Its the combination that brings success. Not just brute force.View attachment 915930

So you didn't actually read the original post...