Falling Trees in the Wind
- Thread starter Jed
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gf beranek
Old Schooler
I used one of those ratchet winches. The cable would back lashed on the spool terribly. The spool needed a brake to keep it from free wheeling when you disengaged the pawls. Otherwise the set in the cable would spin it and you'd have a mess. Personally I didn't much care for the winch just for that reason.
Once the cable was laid tight though it was OK.
Once the cable was laid tight though it was OK.
That's definitely an issue. I get around it by releasing the pawl as I walk backward (or have my help pull cable off), in a stop-and-go sequence. Just release it for a couple of seconds and immediately release it. Aggravating, but it avoids the backlash. I've got some Amsteel Blue to try on one of them. They sell them with Amsteel Blue now, instead of cable. Should make them much more user-friendly.
Burnham
Woods walker
That would be an attractive upgrade, for sure.
One of my much less expensive come alongs has sort of a spring loaded metal flap the pushes down against the spool and line, sort of helps keep things snug...wonder if yours might be modified similarly, and if it might help any.
One of my much less expensive come alongs has sort of a spring loaded metal flap the pushes down against the spool and line, sort of helps keep things snug...wonder if yours might be modified similarly, and if it might help any.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
I have the same puller and have used it a number of times. Little by little unspooling at a time prevents the backlash I found too, there is a small learning curve. They have put out a three ton one now, which has the Amsteel.
To my mind, far and away the best pullers are the endless line ones. Rather costly, but Amazon.com has started offering a Chinese ripoff of the most excellent Tirfor. A friend bought one for the heck of it,under $200 for the 1.5 ton, and you can double the capacity. I have used a Tirfor made many times successfully, the day before yesterday on a fairly large 100 year old Pine with pretty good back and side lean, really love the tool. The Chinese one looks very good, and taking it apart and looking at the inside shows a well made mechanism, my friend informs. For that price you can't go wrong if it is as it seems. Since I started using an endless line type, my puller as in Scott's photo, hasn't moved from it's hook on the wall. Here is the link to the Chinese one if anyone is interested:
http://www.amazon.com/Vestil-CP-15-...&ie=UTF8&qid=1333020913&sr=1-1&tag=acleint-20
To my mind, far and away the best pullers are the endless line ones. Rather costly, but Amazon.com has started offering a Chinese ripoff of the most excellent Tirfor. A friend bought one for the heck of it,under $200 for the 1.5 ton, and you can double the capacity. I have used a Tirfor made many times successfully, the day before yesterday on a fairly large 100 year old Pine with pretty good back and side lean, really love the tool. The Chinese one looks very good, and taking it apart and looking at the inside shows a well made mechanism, my friend informs. For that price you can't go wrong if it is as it seems. Since I started using an endless line type, my puller as in Scott's photo, hasn't moved from it's hook on the wall. Here is the link to the Chinese one if anyone is interested:
http://www.amazon.com/Vestil-CP-15-...&ie=UTF8&qid=1333020913&sr=1-1&tag=acleint-20
I suppose someone good at fabbing stuff might be able to engineer something like that, Burnham, but since I learned how to deal with it, it's not that bad. What's amazing is that they only rate these big rascals at 2 tons, yet they build them much beefier, and put bigger cable on them than the ones like you mentions. I've seen pullers that looked flimsy that were rated for 4 tons. These things are cast iron/steel/something heavy and solid, not the stamped and folded sheet metal. I must admit that having Amsteel on it sounds great, but I have no experience with Amsteel, and it's just plumb difficult to believe that cord is stronger than steel cable.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
I'd be cautious about using that puller over it's rated strength, Scott, especially doubling the line back onto the device and using the pulley hook. 3/16" cable is rated under a ton for safe working loads and slightly over four tons before it will break. I think they made that handle to bend for a purpose.
Jack
Treehouser
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2010
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- 2,537
OH, I'll second that! Years ago (young & stupid), I was using one of those 'hardware-store-come-alongs' while pulling a tree {I said stupid}. It came apart and the pulley flew passed my hear (thank God) so fast, it whistled like bullet. Having rigging gear fail will make your eyes big and your pants wet.
Went out an bought the best come along I could find - 1/4" cable (pic attached). It does have a 'fail-safe' handle that will give-up before the anything else will fail. And, there's a 'shield' that mitigates the cable spinning out of control (closeup attached). It doesn't get used much, but when it does, it's worth every penny ... and there were A LOT of pennies.
-Jack
Attachments
sotc
Dormant hero!!
We cancelled todays job cause of wind, supposed to blow 20 and gust 40. We can bucket about half of the tree, no one wants to climb out of the bucket on days like today to negative block off a long skinny top. Even if it is a doug-fir
rbtree
Climbing Up
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2005
- Messages
- 1,924
Bonehead move. Hope he mans up and replaces the maple on his dime. Might learn him a thing or two. If the maple was a laceleaf or good sized, it was worth quite a lot.
Burnham
Woods walker
Agreed.
murphy4trees
TreeHouser
Had a combination of last cut syndrome and wind take a top over the wrong way yesterday.. Wish I could say a gust came up at the wrong time, but it was just plain stupid... last top on a fair sized silver maple, 4-5" diameter, maybe 15' long, from the bucket at full extension... Slight lean, deep face, I just wasn't thinking about the wind.. not more than a steady breeze... I wasn't paying attention (last cut syndrome), maybe in part becasue there were no leaves on the tree yet... Just a bad move.. as soon as the top started to stand up, I moved the bucket into the wind and up, before the little bit of holding wood let go. The piece went straight back 180 deg. from the face, so it wouldn't have got the bucket anyway.. BUT IT SURE WAS AN EYE OPENER! No harm done as it was tied off... lesson learned... got it on video too...
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Losing a top I believe is regarded as one of the most dangerous things that can happen in tree work. Let's for sure play it safe.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
That's a climber's worst nightmare. It usually doesn't turn out well.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
But man, I LOVE DOING IT!!! 
Burnham
Woods walker
Losing a top??
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
No, throwing one.
Burnham
Woods walker
I understood you just fine, Jay...I couldn't for the life of me understand Butch's apparent enthusiasm for it. Now I see he went tangential on us 
.
.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
Oh yeah. Bomb's away!
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
I jumped the gun a bit, B, thinking you were responding to my post. 
Obviously you would know.
Obviously you would know.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
There was a glitch I think, Jay. I seen it too.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
The server's hiccuping tonight, it happens.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
I noticed. It's alright.
Jed
TreeHouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #49
Burnham: Thanks for the affirmation about the possibility of a corner ripping out due to a strong side gust. I really don't have the experience to know when to rig a "90 degree side-holder" line (after all: how many times do we really have the obstruction-less chance to do so anyways) due to the wind, and when not to worry about it; so, for now, I'll keep rigging the side-holder whenever I can.
Jay: Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.
Scott: Best of luck with that red-pig.
Murph: Thanks for the humble admission. God knows I've done a lot dumber.
Willie: Yeah, the wind is gettin after it up here as well today. Blew down a Western Red last night into a huge, tangled mess of Dougs and Cascara. Tedious and not-fun removal.
Jer: Thanks for the commiseration. It can be a real pain when you're older and more experienced than some poop-stain kid who just happens to have political preponderance over you in the company. The phrase "piss-poor treeman" strikes a chord too. He just cuts stuff, and let's it fall where it may. I'm in a weird spot: he's an incredibly wonderful guy, and I love him half to death when we're just talking on the way to the job, but once we're there.... We just bump heads.
Jay: Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.
Scott: Best of luck with that red-pig.
Murph: Thanks for the humble admission. God knows I've done a lot dumber.
Willie: Yeah, the wind is gettin after it up here as well today. Blew down a Western Red last night into a huge, tangled mess of Dougs and Cascara. Tedious and not-fun removal.
Jer: Thanks for the commiseration. It can be a real pain when you're older and more experienced than some poop-stain kid who just happens to have political preponderance over you in the company. The phrase "piss-poor treeman" strikes a chord too. He just cuts stuff, and let's it fall where it may. I'm in a weird spot: he's an incredibly wonderful guy, and I love him half to death when we're just talking on the way to the job, but once we're there.... We just bump heads.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
You're in the curve right now.
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