Rigging your truck unstuck

[Tree09]

I like pipefitting more than tree work myself, both are simply an end to a means. I more or less enjoy doing both, but both are work and there's plenty of other stuff i would rather be doing. If i had enough money that i didn't have to work i would still likely build random stuff, but i was wired that way even as a kid. If they don't move the goalposts again and i can still do it i have 21 years and 2 weeks to go to full retirement, not that I'm counting

 

[WoodCutr]

usually dropping a tree is boring to me, its planned out, I know whats going where, where to stand, when to hide

but theres always that one where every person on the jobsite lets out a sign of relief once it hits the ground

the side pull on a tensioned line, "bow and arrow", reminded me of something I saw on YT but never tried it
anyone ever hang a log in the middle of a tensioned pull line so as the tree falls the log goes with it keeping a constant/consistent tension on the line as it falls, instead of going slack? mainly used by one man falling and pulling by himself
generally for me I just tie a machine to it, pre tension the line till it feels "right" and giver as soon as the tree starts to go but I never work alone either

 

[Mick!]

usually dropping a tree is boring to me, its planned out, I know whats going where, where to stand, when to hide

but theres always that one where every person on the jobsite lets out a sign of relief once it hits the ground

the side pull on a tensioned line, "bow and arrow", reminded me of something I saw on YT but never tried it
anyone ever hang a log in the middle of a tensioned pull line so as the tree falls the log goes with it keeping a constant/consistent tension on the line as it falls, instead of going slack? mainly used by one man falling and pulling by himself
generally for me I just tie a machine to it, pre tension the line till it feels "right" and giver as soon as the tree starts to go but I never work alone either

Seankroll is a big fan of the suspended log trick.

 

[davidwyby]

usually dropping a tree is boring to me, its planned out, I know whats going where, where to stand, when to hide

but theres always that one where every person on the jobsite lets out a sign of relief once it hits the ground

the side pull on a tensioned line, "bow and arrow", reminded me of something I saw on YT but never tried it
anyone ever hang a log in the middle of a tensioned pull line so as the tree falls the log goes with it keeping a constant/consistent tension on the line as it falls, instead of going slack? mainly used by one man falling and pulling by himself
generally for me I just tie a machine to it, pre tension the line till it feels "right" and giver as soon as the tree starts to go but I never work alone either

Skip ahead to about 9:00 for the midline log part. Trees were hanging over the fence/neighbors yard. I used an electric winch. I need to get around to building a faster PTO or hydraulically powered “speed winch”

 

[davidwyby]

Here are the other two, more footage gives more perspective.

 

[gf beranek]

Speed is so important. Even critical in cases of side-lean or side favor.

With either scenario if a winch is too slow you're going to lose the tree to its side favor. In which case use a guy line to hold the side lean. Then you're covered. "all ahead, slow"

 

[WoodCutr]

cool to see you guys using that trick, ive only seen it a handfull of times

With either scenario if a winch is too slow you're going to lose the tree to its side favor

yup, I want to build a high speed yarding winch for this exact reason, currently if I need a faster pull I rig up a reverse 2/3:1, or pull with a truck, ive found some 3/4" line and pulleys will make the world reverse its rotation if one really wanted

Here are the other two, more footage gives more perspective.

Nice work, although did you bill extra for the demolition? last time I did that I think I got yelled at by the customer, something about "I hope you have insurance", he did NOT want to hear it when I said it was a bonus lol

 

[SeanKroll]

I almost used a suspended log this week.

Once, when wrecking a great big fir ,4.5' dbh, solo, I hung a pull line in the backleaning co-dom, descended to clean up, tensioned a log, re-ascended by Wraptor, control speedlined the Wraptor out of the tree, then cut the backleaner with wedges ready.
A big top successfully, and without any drama, went overcenter and down. Logs could fit the dropzone.


I half- hitch the log at both ends to suspend it horizontally.

Judging the log location (to provide a suitably-long tensioned pull) and line tension is critical.


JERRY B-FOGT SPECIAL!

 

[Nutball]

Seankroll is a big fan of the suspended log trick.

I did it cutting a big pine by my house.

 

[davidwyby]

cool to see you guys using that trick, ive only seen it a handfull of times

yup, I want to build a high speed yarding winch for this exact reason, currently if I need a faster pull I rig up a reverse 2/3:1, or pull with a truck, ive found some 3/4" line and pulleys will make the world reverse its rotation if one really wanted

Nice work, although did you bill extra for the demolition? last time I did that I think I got yelled at by the customer, something about "I hope you have insurance", he did NOT want to hear it when I said it was a bonus lol

It was a friend. I told him at the beginning it might hit the shed, he said it was time for it to go anyway.

If more importance were the shop, pump house, his trucks, powerline, my truck. (Not room to drive, which would have produced the speed @gf beranek said is important) I went up in the lift and removed entangled limbs or limbs that were off balance to help ensure they went straight over. You can see a point where once the tree is stood up, everything kind of slows down and then the tree starts to overrun the winch…if things weren’t right, could have lost it sideways.


I open block faced them and did a high back cut to try to increase the hinge Flex Time in the brittle eucalyptus.

 

[davidwyby]

Wakeboard winches seem like they are too fast and not enough umph. How about chainsaw winches?

 

[Nutball]

Depends on the gearing. I'd go hydraulic off the truck engine, or a high speed winch powered by the 3120.

I think the 3120 powering a winch would be marginally worth it. My estimate is almost 1.5 ft per second pull at 1 ton force. Better yet, if it had a simple centrifugal automatic shifter, it could double or quadruple that speed when much force isn't needed. Just about as many gears as you want could be built in to shift from a slow 5 tons to a fast 200lbs @ 15fps.

 

[davidwyby]

cool to see you guys using that trick, ive only seen it a handfull of times

yup, I want to build a high speed yarding winch for this exact reason, currently if I need a faster pull I rig up a reverse 2/3:1, or pull with a truck, ive found some 3/4" line and pulleys will make the world reverse its rotation if one really wanted

Nice work, although did you bill extra for the demolition? last time I did that I think I got yelled at by the customer, something about "I hope you have insurance", he did NOT want to hear it when I said it was a bonus lol

How do you do the reverse?

 

[Burnham]

Wakeboard winches seem like they are too fast and not enough umph. How about chainsaw winches?

Also quite slow.

 

[WoodCutr]

How do you do the reverse?

instead of the block on the load, put the block on the winch hook, anchor the rope to something near the tree and out the other end up the tree
double the speed, half the force

a winch similar to this is ideal, pretty quick pull and a lot of power, but most of them are clutch driven and require you to pull a rope to keep it locked in, if you let go I do believe they drop the load but not 100% sure
I like my hydraulic on the chipper, its a worm drive so if I blow a line or the chipper dies it cant drop the load, must power line out to release tension, I put a log splitter valve on it so I can step away and watch due to how slow the winch is, I believe I get around 5-7fpm out of it but 10K pull

I was originally planning to make a mini skid mount for my hydraulic winch but decided the 8 thousand pound chipper hooked to 22-40K truck was safer when it comes to sliding the winching vehicle

 

[WoodCutr]

How about chainsaw winches?

my buddy Zaccheus on YT has a good video or two on the lewis winch





heres what I use a lot for skidding, not sure how it would do pulling trees on a single line pull
stock drum pulls around 40FPM/2200 pounds, they sell a bigger drum that pulls at 60FPM, 50% less capacity with the larger drum if my math is correct

 

[gf beranek]

Some loggers I knew considered the word "Pull" a four letter word.

Most loggers hate "pull"-trees because it ties up equipment that could be skidding logs to the landing instead of sitting idle holding onto a "Pull" tree and waiting for the word "Pull!"

Being a climber and rigger the woods, for 40 years, I rigged and felled a lot of "Pull" trees.

Once in a blue-moon a logger would look at a pull tree as a challenge. Make a plan, build a lay, set the rigging whatever way it takes. With that kind of attitude everything usually worked out OK. The tree saved and everybody made a pay day. The climber, the faller, the logger and the land owner. Happy, happy.

On the other hand, for those loggers that didn't like pulling tree they wouldn't take the time to do anything right, and everything usually went to shit. Nobody made a pay day breaking trees and rigging. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[SeanKroll]

instead of the block on the load, put the block on the winch hook, anchor the rope to something near the tree and out the other end up the tree
double the speed, half the force

a winch similar to this is ideal, pretty quick pull and a lot of power, but most of them are clutch driven and require you to pull a rope to keep it locked in, if you let go I do believe they drop the load but not 100% sure
I like my hydraulic on the chipper, its a worm drive so if I blow a line or the chipper dies it cant drop the load, must power line out to release tension, I put a log splitter valve on it so I can step away and watch due to how slow the winch is, I believe I get around 5-7fpm out of it but 10K pull

I was originally planning to make a mini skid mount for my hydraulic winch but decided the 8 thousand pound chipper hooked to 22-40K truck was safer when it comes to sliding the winching vehicle
View attachment 133512

You need to anchor your winch, sometimes...butt a skidder tire to a tree, chain a truck to something, etc.

 

[lxskllr]

Thanks for that Lewis winch video. I've been interested in seeing one work.

 

[WoodCutr]

You need to anchor your winch, sometimes...butt a skidder tire to a tree, chain a truck to something, etc.

I did a job a few years ago helping a buddy, I put a rope about 30ft up this 16" DBH cherry tree, then had a big hydraulic winch hooked to a 406 UNIMOG, and a 650G deere pushing on the base of the tree, the dozer was spinning its tracks and I was dragging the 406, and thats after root excavation with the dozer!

not good, add his horse walking in the lay non stop, made a fun day

 

[WoodCutr]

Thanks for that Lewis winch video. I've been interested in seeing one work.

no problem, if you want I can ask Zach for any info he has regarding it, dunno if he sold it yet or not (I know it went up for sale pretty soon after the video, with his 362, think he wanted $1K for it all

 

[lxskllr]

$1k is a little tempting. Not really sure how much I need it, but if it were sitting in front of me, I could see it going home with me.

 

[SeanKroll]

I have a Simpson chainsaw-powered capstan. Little use. I got a mini.

I want to put it to use.



Often, I can move my chipper to the brush.

 

[WoodCutr]

$1k is a little tempting. Not really sure how much I need it, but if it were sitting in front of me, I could see it going home with me.

I paid $450 for my PCW5000 and it paid for itself the next day, they are $1500 new and more useful than a lewis winch IMO, little slower but have an unlimited pull length and easier to control how hard you pull
that being said, if you would like, I can see if he still has it, im sure its gone now but never know

 

[lxskllr]

Don't worry about it. I'm not serious enough to waste anyone's time over it. I could have used a decent winch a couple years ago when I was pulling logs out of the woods, but lately, my maasdam covers most of what I need.