Safe rope use to guide a falling tree.

[Howard Justice]

couple things, get the rope as high as possible. but still in solid wood.

9/16 samson stable braid, or even 1/2 will do just fine, not some hardware store garbage but good rigging rope.

While your tractor may have the stones to pull it over, it might not, so if possible, place a snatch block redirect in the general direction you want the tree to go, then run the line out to where the tractor is well out of danger if things go wrong. This does 2 important things, gets the direction of pull in relation to the tractor lower, more often then not putting additional down force on the wheels, and if thing do go wrong will pull the tractor, and rider farther away from the danger. and preferable facing down hill or on solid ground with lots of room to run.

as for pulling this off (pun intended?) a winch or some other form of mechanical brake on the pull line is a wise choice, but not always practical.
the wiser thing to do is have someone drive the tractor for you, put a small amount of tension on the line, mostly to make sure everything is snug and no unforeseen hang ups but not enough to put significant tension on the tree, make your face cut, and start your back cut, have the tractor pilot put gentle pressure as you make your back cut, when your happy with the cut (leave hold wood) have tractor jockey ease it over.

A bigger tractor would help, a winch would be better, a come-a-long still better, but we use what we got

If your concerned about chairing, as you should be, bore through the middle of the hold wood, leaving "posts" on either side, I generally do this from the face side, then make my back cut, it doesn't matter if they line up, but it does relieve a great deal of tension and will usually hold a tree together.

Thanks for the bore cut note! Just a bar width or % of diameter of trunk?

 

[Dangerous]

Thanks for the bore cut note! Just a bar width or % of diameter of trunk?

Make your cut at a comfortable height .
I make a horizontal cut about an inch deep from the apex of the front cut; the purpose is to create a reference as to where the apex of the front cut is .
Then I determine where the 3 to 4 inch Hinge wood should be I then begin to make my side to side Plunge Cut across the trees width being sure to not remove my Hinge wood or my Trigger Wood . When the plunge cut is completed side to side I’ll drive a wedge ( plastic) to further control where the tree is to be dropped. Time to trim the Hinge wood to the desired thickness and then begin the back cut or trigger cut. I have often removed the bark of the tree to know exactly how thick my trigger wood is. The wedges also prevent the chainsaw getting captured by the weight of the tree. In my view my Plastic Wedges are expendable and I do not worry about dinging them.
D

 

[Howard Justice]

Make your cut at a comfortable height .
I make a horizontal cut about an inch deep from the apex of the front cut; the purpose is to create a reference as to where the apex of the front cut is .
Then I determine where the 3 to 4 inch Hinge wood should be I then begin to make my side to side Plunge Cut across the trees width being sure to not remove my Hinge wood or my Trigger Wood . When the plunge cut is completed side to side I’ll drive a wedge ( plastic) to further control where the tree is to be dropped. Time to trim the Hinge wood to the desired thickness and then begin the back cut or trigger cut. I have often removed the bark of the tree to know exactly how thick my trigger wood is. The wedges also prevent the chainsaw getting captured by the weight of the tree. In my view my Plastic Wedges are expendable and I do not worry about dinging them.
D

So your plunge cut is parallel to and at same elevation as back cut? Thanks for guidance on this!

 

[calamari]

I just noticed it hasn't been mentioned, but never ever attach to the back of a tractor or truck.
1. The upward pull will lift the rear, reducing traction, and sometimes in the case of a tractor popping a wheelie.
2. The equipment operator doesn't have a good view of the saw operator.

Actually, the lifting movement was mentioned and it's a very real concern speaking as a wood cutter and not an Arborist. Some short trunk saver atraps and a snatch block are your best friends in these cases just behind your real best friend who should be there with you to spot, maybe run the winch and definitely stop the bleeding should something unforeseen happen.
I was very impressed with the 3/4" rope my friend brought to the "How's this for a problem Oak" thread site yesterday that he got from his tree trimming step dad. I'm not sure it stretched other than when the knots tightened and I put a lot of strain on it with my truck pulling the oak over. If it was my rope I'd use it over cable every time because it's infinitely adjustable and light for it's length unlike cable. That kind of rope isn't cheap unlike wire rope though.
It's surprising how many people are injured and killed by tractors coming over backwards on them. Even with a roll bar, you have to be buckled in to have that work properly and I don't know anyone who does that unfortunately.

 

[chipper1]

Thanks for the bore cut note! Just a bar width or % of diameter of trunk?

This is the problem.
Since we cannot see the tree, any advice should be taken with a grain of salt as it is mostly speculation on our part.
While the principles that those with much experience have shared are accurate, the degree/ % of how to utilize them in your particular situation could vary greatly depending on many factors.
Lets look at a few factors;
you are tied into the tree at an adequate height which we don't know because we can see the tree or it's canopy, we do not know any of the angles of the rope in relation to how high the rope is in the tree or is the tractor on a hill).
Another would be now you start to make your gunning cut and you realize the tree is hollow(or do you, do you know how to tell), how deep will you know make your hinge, will it be at 30% of the diameter, 40%, maybe just 20". How much of that bore cut would you now use, I know how much I would use.
As you can see everything can change based on the factors spoken of above, and those are only a few.
Having experience means you already think about each of these things in advance and will set up the pull, the notch, the backcut all based on what you see/see happening as you are in the middle of the process and before you even start.
If you don't have experience, find someone who does to give you a hand, or practice in an environment that is not target rich so you can gain a bit of experience.

 

[pdqdl]

Actually, the lifting movement was mentioned and it's a very real concern speaking as a wood cutter and not an Arborist. Some short trunk saver atraps and a snatch block are your best friends in these cases just behind your real best friend who should be there with you to spot, maybe run the winch and definitely stop the bleeding should something unforeseen happen.
I was very impressed with the 3/4" rope my friend brought to the "How's this for a problem Oak" thread site yesterday that he got from his tree trimming step dad. I'm not sure it stretched other than when the knots tightened and I put a lot of strain on it with my truck pulling the oak over. If it was my rope I'd use it over cable every time because it's infinitely adjustable and light for it's length unlike cable. That kind of rope isn't cheap unlike wire rope though.
It's surprising how many people are injured and killed by tractors coming over backwards on them. Even with a roll bar, you have to be buckled in to have that work properly and I don't know anyone who does that unfortunately.

Tractors pulling a rope, if done from the rear, should be attached below the axle. If so, there is no risk of rolling over backwards. Higher is what gets you in trouble. If tractor is 4whd, then pulling from the rear isn't likely to be a big risk of traction reduction, even if the rope is lifting a bit on the rear end. If you really need enough traction to break a rope, rig your rope to a pulley as described above, then attach just a little bit above the tractor axle. Any load applied to the rope will also be transfered (partially) to the tractors weight. Obviously, if you mount the rope too high or pull too hard, you can roll the tractor backwards at that point.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Tractors pulling a rope, if done from the rear, should be attached below the axle. If so, there is no risk of rolling over backwards. Higher is what gets you in trouble. If tractor is 4whd, then pulling from the rear isn't likely to be a big risk of traction reduction, even if the rope is lifting a bit on the rear end. If you really need enough traction to break a rope, rig your rope to a pulley as described above, then attach just a little bit above the tractor axle. Any load applied to the rope will also be transfered (partially) to the tractors weight. Obviously, if you mount the rope too high or pull too hard, you can roll the tractor backwards at that point.

I will still maintain that there are no downsides, and many upsides to attaching to the front of a truck or tractor.

 

[grizz55chev]

Tractors pulling a rope, if done from the rear, should be attached below the axle. If so, there is no risk of rolling over backwards. Higher is what gets you in trouble. If tractor is 4whd, then pulling from the rear isn't likely to be a big risk of traction reduction, even if the rope is lifting a bit on the rear end. If you really need enough traction to break a rope, rig your rope to a pulley as described above, then attach just a little bit above the tractor axle. Any load applied to the rope will also be transfered (partially) to the tractors weight. Obviously, if you mount the rope too high or pull too hard, you can roll the tractor backwards at that point.

Gonna need a bigger tractor!

 

[pdqdl]

I will still maintain that there are no downsides, and many upsides to attaching to the front of a truck or tractor.

That's my preference, too.
Mostly because it lets me watch the action, my grapple & winch are on the front, and it doesn't detract from traction as much. I don't rig through a pulley and block if I don't need to, as that might become a flying cannonball in the event of a failure on the tether. Plus, it takes time to set all that stuff up. There aren't many trees my tractor cannot pull over.

I've put dummies on the tractor facing forward, while I was running the saw. Sometimes it's safer to make sure they know where they are going, instead of blindly going backwards while watching the tree fall. Forward ho!

 

[TheJollyLogger]

That's my preference, too.
Mostly because it lets me watch the action, my grapple & winch are on the front, and it doesn't detract from traction as much. I don't rig through a pulley and block if I don't need to, as that might become a flying cannonball in the event of a failure on the tether.

I've put dummies on the tractor facing forward, while I was running the saw. Sometimes it's safer to make sure they know where they are going, instead of blindly going backwards while watching the tree fall. Forward ho!

Not a big fan of dummies on a jobsite, either, but it happens all too often...

 

[pdqdl]

You might be surprised how stupid people can become when things get exciting while sitting on a 10,000lb tractor.

I had a novice tractor operator return to the shop after mowing all day long with a 10' wide trailing mower deck. It was a very powerful but small utility tractor, and he did fine. Hit nothing, gave a good cut, and dodged trees and signs for more than 6 hours.​

When he returned to the shop, I went out and opened the double gate for him. It was two 8' swing gates, and one side hung up and only left him an opening about 14' wide. He waved at me to walk over and push it all the way over. I told him he had LOTS of room, and just drive on through.​

So he popped the clutch, wide open throttle, in high gear. Doing a wheelie, he ran down the center of the left gate post, and proceeded to run over everything in the way until the side of my pickup stopped him. I stepped aside as he went wheeling by on two wheels, yelling "PUSH THE CLUTCH, JOEL!!!"​

Then I calmly walked over to the crashed tractor with big-eyed Joel clenching the steering wheel at 10:00 & 2:00 positions, holding the clutch (Thank God!), with the engine still roaring wide open. I idled the engine way down to barely a putter, and calmly told him "Now put it in low range reverse, and park it over there, please." He did.​

It's funny how people can lose all their rational thought when a bit too much stress hits their neurology. I also learned the value of not putting too much on their system when they were behind the wheel.

Joel was a good guy, and kept working for me for a year or two. He has since retired from the KCMO water department, and subsequently died of heart failure. I always liked that guy. I hope you guys liked that little tale.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

You might be surprised how stupid people can become when things get exciting while sitting on a 10,000lb tractor.

I had a novice tractor operator return to the shop after mowing all day long with a 10' wide trailing mower deck. It was a very powerful but small utility tractor, and he did fine. Hit nothing, gave a good cut, and dodged trees and signs for more than 6 hours.​

When he returned to the shop, I went out and opened the double gate for him. It was two 8' swing gates, and one side hung up and only left him an opening about 14' wide. He waved at me to walk over and push it all the way over. I told him he had LOTS of room, and just drive on through.​

So he popped the clutch, wide open throttle, in high gear. Doing a wheelie, he ran down the center of the left gate post, and proceeded to run over everything in the way until the side of my pickup stopped him. I stepped aside as he went wheeling by on two wheels, yelling "PUSH THE CLUTCH, JOEL!!!"​

Then I calmly walked over to the crashed tractor with big-eyed Joel clenching the steering wheel at 10:00 & 2:00 positions, holding the clutch (Thank God!), with the engine still roaring wide open. I idled the engine way down to barely a putter, and calmly told him "Now put it in low range reverse, and park it over there, please." He did.​

It's funny how people can lose all their rational thought when a bit too much stress hits their neurology. I also learned the value of not putting too much on their system when they were behind the wheel.

Joel was a good guy, and kept working for me for a year or two. He has since retired from the KCMO water department, and subsequently died of heart failure. I always liked that guy. I hope you guys liked that little tale.

I think all us old guys have a memory and a guy like that, mine was Opie....
I was running a commercial landscape crew, doing an apartment complex, his name was Stan, but he was a goofy freckled faced redhead, so... Opie.
He was hauling river rock in the bobcat, and was a decent operator... just green, and when he went to dump the bucket of rock, on an uphill slope... the bucket emptied, the bobcat sat back on its a$$, and he froze up...
It was a 7753 wheel loader, and they had a fat a$$, so there was no danger of him going over, but of course it feels way different in the cab. I heard hollering and ran over, and there was Opie, wide eyed and panicking...
I said "Opie, just lower the lift arms, and back up a bit, and it will settle back down..." panicked head shake... "OK, just shut it down, crawl out, and I will take it..." panicked head shake... "OK Opie, then we will see you tomorrow, because that's the only way we fix this..."
Finally three of us jumped up and grabbed the bucket lip and pulled it down, and Opie was out of that cab like a scared rabbit... didn't get him back in the machine for a month, lol. Good times...

 

[bovander]

Make your cut at a comfortable height .
I make a horizontal cut about an inch deep from the apex of the front cut; the purpose is to create a reference as to where the apex of the front cut is .
Then I determine where the 3 to 4 inch Hinge wood should be I then begin to make my side to side Plunge Cut across the trees width being sure to not remove my Hinge wood or my Trigger Wood . When the plunge cut is completed side to side I’ll drive a wedge ( plastic) to further control where the tree is to be dropped. Time to trim the Hinge wood to the desired thickness and then begin the back cut or trigger cut. I have often removed the bark of the tree to know exactly how thick my trigger wood is. The wedges also prevent the chainsaw getting captured by the weight of the tree. In my view my Plastic Wedges are expendable and I do not worry about dinging them.
D

https://www.maasdam.com/a-100.html I use amsteel blue 1/2" 3 strand has 6600# working load can pull a tree opposite of lean. Much safer than winches , tractors. Works great with or without wedges.

 

[bovander]

Not a big fan of dummies on a jobsite, either, but it happens all too often...

https://www.maasdam.com/a-100.html Power puller will pull rope continuously. I use amsteel blue 1/2" 3 strand has 6600# working load can pull a tree opposite of lean. Much safer than winches , tractors. Works great with or without wedges.

 

[bovander]

Gonna need a bigger tractor!

https://www.maasdam.com/a-100.html Power Puller pulls a rope continuously. I use amsteel blue 1/2" 3 strand has 6600# working load can pull a tree opposite of lean. Much safer than winches , tractors. Works great with or without wedges.

 

[pdqdl]

I've never seen an Amsteel rope in 3 strand. Are you sure about the name of that rope?

I don't think Amsteel would be that great a choice, either. Amsteel is very slick and expensive. A 1/2" Amsteel rope, even in 3-strand, would be far stronger and much more expensive than you could ever hope to need with a Maasdam rope winch. At 6600lbs safe working load, your rope is about 6 times the maximum load rating of your winch.

 

[pdqdl]

...Much safer than winches , tractors. ...

A 45 hp tractor weighing 6000lbs has at least twice the pulling power of the biggest Maasdam rope winch, and probably 80 times the speed. Sometimes strong isn't enough, you occasionally need to pull FAST.

 

[CJ1]

Trouble with a comealong I think is that your not able to take up enough line fast enough to direct the tree. I have used a chain type comealong and it requires some pretensioning of the tree which is kinda not safe especially if the tree isn't green. I have done it but it's not the smartest thing to do. I only done it to drop a few popple trees around a deerblind.

Your hinge is what will direct the tree, once you have the tree going the right way the pulling line is now useless as it has served it purpose. If you need a "tag" line or something that you are controlling the direction of fall then it needs to be tied on to something like a tractor or truck that can control where the tree hits and can move fairly quick. But you also have to worry about angles and height of the rope ect. I normally don't do that as I only have 1 person who I can trust to do EXACTLY as I say. I figure out ways to do stuff by my self as I only have myself to rely on! CJ

 

[calamari]

One down side of pulling from the front of a truck is that you're using the reverse gear set which isn't designed for heavy pulling. It's just to move the vehicle backward. Pulling from the rear is what trucks were designed for. If you look in a transmission you'll see that the reverse gears are smaller than the forward gear sets.