Using a truck to pull a tree down

[(WLL)]

I use mules and bungee cord. If the tree goes the wrong way it will sometimes fling the mules in the air taking the homeowners mind off the damage.
Works for me,
Phil

:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Sprig]

I tend to shy away from pulling things over for most of the reasons posted here. I have done it but look at other factors first. When I have had to use a vehicle I've made darned sure the driver (if it isn't me) is well versed on signals and not a hyper-active sort with a lead foot (having had a dead branch or two snapped off up top by eager beavers, not nice and very lucky me), iow. a steady gentle pull is,more often than not, sufficient for the job. as someone previously mentioned this, using a vehicle to anchor to when there's nothing else around to guide or swing an ugly is sometimes necessary if there are concerns about the tree pivoting in the wrong direction, but I've found it very important not to over tension the lines, if I want a barber chair I'll go for a haircut Rope or cable without stretch is my preference as it prevents/minimizes any undue slingshot-type events. But having dead branches shocked offa the tree is my biggest concern (and no, I don't climb, or I'd get up there and remove as much as possible, esp. over my last cut zone etc.).
Just a thought or two for my afternoon cocktail hour :biggrinbounce2:

& stay safe All!

Serge

 

[(WLL)]

pulling trees over with a truck

i do it only when its gonna work,and it works every time we do it. i have lots of tools and use what works. if your not shure than you better do something your sure about!!

 

[sharkfin12us]

pulling tree down with truck

I use 3 ton hand winch if it has some lean to it and i cant get a truck to it.Only use winch if it is not staight up.

 

[undercut]

books

Anyone know and great felling books?

 

[Ekka]

I think many would enjoy this video I just put up.

Felling a large ironbark pulling with 4WD

I read this entire thread and frankly, using machinery or trucks is all science, art belongs in galleries, danger is ever present in any situation, climbing isn't always an option and it's wise to have the full bag of tricks.

Barber chairing from premature take offs etc is all AMATURE stuff. I pull over heaps of trees ON MY OWN. Yes, back cut, then go over to the vehicle/loader etc and pull. I back up with wedges 99% of the time.

Even in this older video I did it on my own. You should be able to complete the back cut and walk away then do the pull.

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=34656

 

[2FatGuys]

Ekka - Great video... Be careful with the comments though. Barber chairing is not always caused by "premature takeoff" and is even sometimes not "AMATURE stuff". The one that I mentioned that caused the most "pucker factor" for us was a large red oak that we later determined had experienced lightening damaged many years ago and healed over the internal damage so that nobody knew it was there. There was an internal split in the tree that started about 4 inches inside the bark line and went from below grond to about 30 feet up. There was enough evidence of dead branches in the canopy, so we opted (as in your video) to not even climb for line placement since we could easily place the line from the ground. This tree had to be felled 90 degrees to a significant lean to avoid a pool, the house, and some elaborate gardens. There was no way to get a crane or bucket truck anywhere near the tree. So, persuading the tree to go 90 degrees to the lean was our only option. Our truck couldn't get in line with the pull direction due to heavily wooded terrain and a hill, so we had to redirect the pull line through a huge block and pull about 75 degrees off axis (which is no big deal and why we own the huge block). Everything was going great until the tree started coming over. The internal split was in line with the felling direction, but the weight was perpendicular to that. As the tree broke on over and the hinge wood folded and started to let go, the pre-existing split allowed the weighted side of the tree to "take off". We've seen the "amature stuff" barber chairs you mention, but this was a freak situation caused by unseen internal conditions. Luckily my partner recognized it quickly as he was pulling with the truck and he increased speed just enough to regain the control of the top. It landed about 15 degrees off of our intended location (the top), but close to 20 feet short since the butt of the tree kicked out when the split started influencing the fall. We hit nothing with the main body of the tree, but the side of the tree opposite the lean, with 20 percent of the trunk attached, landed exactly 180 degrees opposite the lean! It was an eye opener and we spent a good amount of time doing what we jokingly call "forensic cutting" on that tree to see if there was any possible way we could have determined the internal condition prior to cutting. The split was obviously an old one. There were some obviously dead branches, but the trunk appeared strong and healthy, even when sounded with a heavy hammer. There was no rot or decay in the trunk at all except about 45 feet up where we found some internal charred wood, which led us to the lightening damage theory. The old split ended about 4 feet below where a major vertical stem took off from the trunk. the "barber chairing" continued the split through that joint. It was interesting looking a tthe old versus new split. We wondered if the possible lightening damage could have damaged the woody cells enough that it prevents it from ever healing.

While I agree that many barber chairs are "AMATURE stuff", some are not. We do use portable power when necesary, but only when nothing else is a better method. We have just learned over the years that sometimes that external influence hides subtle reactions that we all watch in the canopy as we cut. It prevents us from being able to adjust our cut in response to the wood's own internal stresses becuase they can be hidden in the pretensioning of the line, no matter how light.

Now, my "broken 30K line slingshotting into the tailgate" story is totally different. We'll save it for another day so that we can ALL bash my partner for his "hey y'all watch this" behavior. We never fixed the sheet metal damage as a reminder that even pros can get a little lazy at times.

 

[Ekka]

I'll repeat.

Barber chairing from premature take offs etc is all AMATURE stuff

It says exactly what it reads. That is barber chairs CAUSED by premature take offs IS AMATURE STUFF.

In your instance there were other factors, and you could have strapped the butt and bore cut, set the hinge, then released.

 

[2FatGuys]

Which is exactly what we would have done if there had been any indication that there was even the remote chance of a barberchair risk.

Ekka, thanks for all the videos. They are a great help in explaining methods and processes to the crew...

 

[lees trees]

ekka your little truck was slippin a little and rocking a dead rotten tree is spooky maybe its just me that's art. like your videos.

 

[Ekka]

Thanks fecrousejr. I understand what you were saying however there's two main types of barber chairs when using machinery. One is the premature pull and two is the excavator push.

Leestrees,

Tough wood the ole ironbark.

It was backed with wedges and lets assume worst case scenario, the rocking broke the hinge wood.

Could it go backwards? Not unless the rope broke too.

Could it go sideways? Yep, but any decent driver would floor it and get it going a little toward the right direction.

The rocking was caused mainly by the combination of stretch in the rope and vehicle suspension/brake movement etc. No biggie and again ... just stay cool, dont panic, dont do anything drastic or stupid. The hinge wood was just too strong, too stiff, had to come down to a finer hinge for that pull.

Now if it were a 100 series posi-track, would have gone over I'd say.

 

[lees trees]

the rocking just stay cool, don't panic, dont do anything drastic or stupid. The hinge wood was just too strong, too stiff, had to come down to a finer hinge for that pull.


I understand calculated risk and you handle it well but your little truck almost couldn't do the job that time. the ground looked like clay even with the horizontal pull just a guess but your 2500 pound truck might pull 1000 maybe 1500 pounds probably less once it breaks traction, a lot less.

 

[Ekka]

And then you have the option of installing a Zrig and tripling it. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[lees trees]

zrig sounds better than blocks and pulleys gets right to the point. I need to master the video so you can pick mine apart