Using a truck to pull a tree down

[geofore]

truck use

I'll admit I use a truck to pull trees over, with a 3:1 or 4:1 block and tackle setup you can over power a tree with a smaller truck. If you are concerned about lifting the trucks rear wheels off the ground use a redirect off a nearby stump to lower the rope to ground level while adding additional leverage at the same time. Yes, it takes a longer rope to do this. After waiting 3 days for the power company to show to drop a power line so I could drop a large tree into the front lawn, they were a no show. I set the rigging to pull the 4' DBH, 100'+ silver maple over backwards against the lean and used a Ford Ranger to pull it over. 4:1 block and tackle with a redirect to lower the tail of the rope to ground level. Did it look pro? The tree did a 120* spin off the stump and landed with the croutch to the left and right side of the honeylocust in the backyard, 79' from the maple stump without taking off a branch/leaf of the locust. The maple measured over 100' on the ground. George, the engineer who lived next door and Tom the engineer who's the homeowner, witnessed the event and they were impressed with the takedown. I could have spent 2 days taking the tree apart a piece at a time or do what I did, take off 7 limbs and over into the back yard in under 3 hours. Two limbs hung over the power line, one in a nearby white pine and one in a nearby hemlock and a couple towards the house. There are times when a truck will do what no other tool in your bag of tricks will do to save time. Did it look professional? I can't say but it did leave them with a lasting impression, I know what I'm doing. Too avoid a sharp edge on the truck I used a few 111kn steel caribeners hooked to one another like chain links to attach to the trucks frame through a factory made hole in the frame and out past the bumper/ sharp edges. :chainsawguy:

 

[a_lopa]

If ive got a tree that i need to be 100% on it going where i want it i hire in a guy with his road grader to pull it,makes it reak easy.

 

[ropensaddle]

I have yet to find a tree my 20 ton winch will not pull.
I have more pull than needed and no doubt where it will fall
my confidence is from years of doing the impossible with less
than I have today. It really doesn't take all that to pull tree over
unless lean is a factor but even that can be handled with correct
placement and sawing. My problem is usually there is no where to fall
and must be pieced down then I know I must climb another probably
number 500000 or so bwth it is my job.

 

[beowulf343]

I use whatever means are at my disposal to get a tree safely on the ground. Yep, i've pulled them over with tractors, trucks, dozers, skidders, etc. (Word of caution-skidders can put alot of tension on a tree--watch for barber chairs.) However, most of my jobs are in backyards with no access for any kind of equipment. Being able to drop a tree with wedges is an excellent skill to have. Even if the tree is tied off, i'll still pop in a wedge or two-seen too many ropes break. Better not to put all your eggs in one basket.

 

[a_lopa]

Its not so much a backleaning tree its the rotten ones that are a worry.

Like MBs teeth

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Most safety people involved in tree trimming say to never use a truck and an arborist rope to pull over a tree. Most rope manufactures don't want a rope ever tied to a truck. (I don't want one of my ropes pulled with a truck except by myself and a very few other people.)
The reason is that they are trying to make the business idiot proof. A half ton truck can easily build enough momentum to break a 3/4" rope. Good tie off points with out sharp corners are hard to find unless you have tow hooks or something else set up for tieing a rope to.
BUT I have pulled over a lot of trees with a truck in the past and will continue to in the future.
The wedges are a good idea in case the rope breaks. They will stop the tree from rocking all the way back.
What do wedges have to do with walking under a tree while it is being cut?

Good post.

The truck pull has some risks. Out in the woods is one thing, 20 feet from a house would make me nervous.

Wedges have limits. You can put a lot more pressure on a tree with a well placed rope or two, than with the best wedging.
Wedges are also very species dependent. A typical evergreen can be wedged very effectively, while some hardwoods can be steered very little with wedges.

 

[ArtB]

As has been said, good accuracy with cable.

Never have pulled a tree over with a 'rope', but have done hundreds with chain or wire rope and crawler.

Posted the attached pix 4 years ago or so, dropped the tallest cottonwood I have ever seen (in own back yard, it was 30 or more feet higher than some nearby that were nearly twice the diameter, measured about 165 ft when dropped).
Happened to have an old '78 Dodge body, parked it 110 feet from the tree, hit it square on. (crunch.jpg)

 

[pbtree]

I have used, and will use again, a truck to pull on a tree - but I only do so under what I consider safe circumstances.... When in doubt, I climb it and take it down in sections...

 

[ropensaddle]

Its not so much a backleaning tree its the rotten ones that are a worry.

Like MBs teeth

Yeah then you have backleaning hollow rotten
ones with less than 20 percent of trunk sound like the one two weeks ago
top live bottom like mentioned. Ps thank you winch you helped me from
four hours of butt flinching dangerous work and possible injury!

 

[clearance]

Good post.

The truck pull has some risks. Out in the woods is one thing, 20 feet from a house would make me nervous.

Wedges have limits. You can put a lot more pressure on a tree with a well placed rope or two, than with the best wedging.
Wedges are also very species dependent. A typical evergreen can be wedged very effectively, while some hardwoods can be steered very little with wedges.

When its 20' from the house (or closer) thats when you use a truck, just using wedges to fall those trees can make me nervous. But I like to roll the dice. You are right about species, what I do with most conifers I would never try with maples or cottonwoods etc. We pulled over a big (3= d.b.h., 110' to its busted top) dead fir that had a very heavy lean towards the powerline yesterday. Two Tirfors, two bull ropes. I it could have bee pulled over with the bucket truck, I would have done that, not possible. Pulled over more trees with trucks than I can remember, works good but the faller has to run the show and be obeyed, if not barberchairs and snapped ropes can result, with possible fatal results.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

When its 20' from the house (or closer) thats when you use a truck, just using wedges to fall those trees can make me nervous.

I think you might be confusing the topic a little. The danger of the truck pull is that the truck has so much power and it's not well controlled. It is enough to break ropes or the top of the tree out. Clear communication is also difficult between the operator and the feller.

I wasn't suggesting to use wedges when close to a house, although that might work fine on easy drops, I was saying not to use the truck to pull.

I would use ropes and maybe even anchor the ropes to a truck. But then I park the truck and take the keys out before tying the rope on, so nobody accidentally moves the truck without knowing theres a rope tied to it.

The safest method is to set a rope, anchor it, then piggyback a pulling device on the rope to supply tension. The device you choose should not be strong enough to break the rope. A z-rig, GRCS, a winch, or come-a-long come to mind.

Pulling a tree over takes much less force than most people know. Too much force and the hinge doesn't get a chance to work, things break, stuff gets wrecked, and people die.

 

[ropensaddle]

I think you might be confusing the topic a little. The danger of the truck pull is that the truck has so much power and it's not well controlled. It is enough to break ropes or the top of the tree out. Clear communication is also difficult between the operator and the feller.

I wasn't suggesting to use wedges when close to a house, although that might work fine on easy drops, I was saying not to use the truck to pull. I would use ropes and maybe even anchor the ropes to a truck. But then I park the truck and take the keys out before tying the rope on, so nobody accidentally moves the truck without knowing theres a rope tied to it.

The safest method is to set a rope, anchor it, then piggyback a pulling device on the rope to supply tension. The device you choose should not be strong enough to break the rope. A z-rig, GRCS, a winch, or come-a-long come to mind.

Pulling a tree over takes much less force than most people know. Too much force and the hinge doesn't get a chance to work, things break, stuff gets wrecked, and people die.

The safest method I have is set winch cable back off 200 feet and get a pull just enough to shake top a little all the pull usually
needed and I shut truck off pto in gear if I need more pull I have my helper start the truck and bump the clutch usually first bump tree is ready to give go ahead to bring it over. I always get the initial pull so I know it is just enough to start fall and I have never exploded the stump but could be done as twenty ton pull can do wild things.I feel much better with the winch set up than any rope but have used them in the past, I try to select a rope that exceeds the pull being placed on it by truck as it is possible to have one strong enough to spin tires on the vehicle but should not be done.

 

[clearance]

Pulled over more trees with trucks than I can remember, works good but the faller has to run the show and be obeyed, if not barberchairs and snapped ropes can result, with possible fatal results.

We use hand signals, we have a talk right before we do it, everyone gets on the same page. The hand signals are-one hand imitating talking which means little bit, little bit, upraised fist which means stop. I too have heard stories off people getting excited and racing off with the truck, and you are right Mike, you don't have to pull like you are bringing up the Titanic. I have also fell trees with the help of big excavators, the falller has to be obeyed there as well. When you do removals all the time and have enough of a crew to make it happen and big enough ropes and trucks they work fine. Someone else here suggested using a 4x4, chocking the wheels and then using a Tirfor, this works great, I have done this when I there were only two people.

 

[youknowwho]

Well, using a couple of tons of force to pull, to help make sure a giant mass of wood doesnt land on someones living room?


Might be a good idea sometimes.


With the RIGHT EXPERIENCE, how could you not use a truck SOMETIMES?


a tree being pulled in a certain direction along with a good notch is usually a better idea than hoping that stick will just fall in the right spot.

Helps to if the tree want s to go back on you.too

 

[diltree]

We use the truck and a stable-braid rigging line to pull over heavy butts all the time! We have also used the truck and line to fell tree's. The key is communication and experience, too much pressure can cause the tree to barber chair, especially if your dealing with a wood that holds, like hickory or white oak. We usually apply enough pressure so that the line is taught (this is not allot of pressure), then as the back-cut is made and the desired hinge has been reached the signal will be given to the driver to add more pressure. Its very important to be aware of the type of wood and its hold factor as well as the rigging lines breaking strength when using a truck to fell. Lastly make sure you find a nice strong stick to place in the bowline knot or you will be spending time pounding the knot out in your vice!

 

[tree md]

Diltree, are you using a running bowline? Just curious, because the reason I love that knot so much is it is very easy to untie after it has been loaded.

 

[John Ellison]

My thoughts are, if you have the line in the top third of the tree you can tell how much pull is being applied by just looking. On a larger tree that wont have much flex, you will have to feel the line. Experience is the only way you can figure it out.
Clearance is right, the faller is running the show. Nothing should be done without his signal. (No chance of com. foul up if you are a one man show) I like hi-lead hand signals. Worst senario is the puller thinking on his own.
Instead of a knot, I would rather use something large and round to hitch to. Two round turns and a couple of half hitches on a 3" dia. hook that I can hang off the frame works for me.
I use a truck, but am more likely to use a Maasdam rope puller.
If it is a sound tree there is no need to rush. Loggers used to stand trees up with just line and blocks. And they did'nt even need no stinking hinge.

 

[nytreeman]

I climb probably 95% of my removals but if the opportunity is there to pull it over I will if it can be done safely,I've used pulley blocks,tractors,trucks and winched them over and I almost always use a wedge to help hold it from rocking back in the cut in case of a broken rope but if its something to bad I use two ropes.But Clearance is right the faller is in control and you def have to have someone doing the pulling that knows whats going on,communication is a must!

 

[teamtree]

Using a truck to pull a tree is not unprofessional

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.

 

[Tree Machine]

Hey team tree,

Here's a bit of video from a couple years ago when you and your crew came up and helped me on a day job, actually a two-day job, but you awesome dudes made it a one-day job.

This tree was way dead and leaning towards the pond. We coulda hammered in wedges, but with dead leaners that need to be dropped at a different angle to the lean, the hinge becomes much less predictable. Perfectly sawn and directioned notches and back cuts can fail miserably as brittle, non-living trunks don't follow the same sense of reason as moist, live wood. This tree would have predictably fallen in the pond and caused us undue pain and time in cleaning up and getting it out of the water. What this tree needed was to be notched and back-cut properly and yanked over forcefully the direction we needed.

In keeping the video short, I didn't include the pre-tensioning and the safety talk and instruction before the felling, just the last of the back cut and the result.

I can't remember which of your guys was in the driver's seat, but he did a great job. I had to do the saw work because if the tree hit the water, I wanted to be 100% to blame for that.