Pulling tres from front or back

[rekees4300]

Just want to make sure that I'm not harming my tractor by putting tension on it by having it pull in reverse.

Instead of concern about harming your tractor you should be very concerned for yourself. Do you realize how many people are killed each year when a tree crushes or flips a tractor?!

 

[newbury]

What I am trying to do is to direct the fall. I hook the rope to the tree and tractor and put tension on the line. I then cut a notch on the side of the tree in the direction that I want it to fall and then I make the relief cut so that the tree will fall over towards the tractor. Sometimes the tree will not fall and then I go get on the tractor and put it in reverse to apply enough force so that the tree will go ahead and fall.

I am talking about sweet gum trees probably 12-15 inches in diameter and 30 to 50 feet tall. He rope I am using is a arborist bull rope that is rate for 8000 lbs. I feel like I am safer being In
The tractor than I am standing under a tree that for whatever reason doesn't want to fall over. Sometimes you cut the notch and the felling cut and the tree just stands there. I don't want to cut through the hinge while trying to get the tree to fall. am I doing this wrong?.

Thanks

Good - more data gum tree < 15" D(BH?) is on the small side.
I cut down several 20" to 24" about 2 years ago. Had one split from the cut to about 15' up. They are mostly shelving on my pallet racks now.

Use at least enough rope/chain so when the tree is down you've got 10 extra feet.
With a NH 3930 you've got a fairly heavy tractor about the size of my M4700. If you've got enough weight in the back (so it doesn't lift when you pull) try and get the fastening device about 10 or so feet up the tree, the higher the better. DON'T put tension on the tree TOWARDS the fall direction where you are cutting the notch (https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/logging/manual/felling/cuts/notches.html) wait until the notch is cut. I sometimes even give it a slight pull the other way, helps prevent the saw from getting stuck.

After the notch is cut put just a slight tension on the tree while you make the back cut. If your falling notch is half the tree (< 15" DBH) as soon as you are satisfied with what you have for a back cut you should be able to pull it over, even with a large hinge. Using wedges alone is maybe more "professional" but I've had to take down about 5 trees on my lots where there is a house, a fence, or some other structure where damage is a no no and tension on the tree helped ensure success and lessened the tension on me. And always be careful of interactions with other trees, especially if there are any vines involved.

 

[s219]

What I am trying to do is to direct the fall. I hook the rope to the tree and tractor and put tension on the line. I then cut a notch on the side of the tree in the direction that I want it to fall and then I make the relief cut so that the tree will fall over towards the tractor. Sometimes the tree will not fall and then I go get on the tractor and put it in reverse to apply enough force so that the tree will go ahead and fall.

I am talking about sweet gum trees probably 12-15 inches in diameter and 30 to 50 feet tall. He rope I am using is a arborist bull rope that is rate for 8000 lbs. I feel like I am safer being In
The tractor than I am standing under a tree that for whatever reason doesn't want to fall over. Sometimes you cut the notch and the felling cut and the tree just stands there. I don't want to cut through the hinge while trying to get the tree to fall. am I doing this wrong?.

Thanks

Get some felling wedges. They will take care of 90% of the cases like this.

If the tree is truly leaning away from the notch and won't go in the direction you want, but is not leaning so much that it can still go in the direction you want, sure, use a rope to the tractor. Most tractor tires are uni-directional, so they have better traction going forward. But you shouldn't be pulling so hard that traction is an issue (otherwise you're trying to fell the tree in the wrong direction). I'd also suggest using a long enough rope that you can change the pull direction with a pulley block, so that you are not pulling the tree towards you. That is dangerous for several reasons, including what happens if the rope snaps. I like using a pulley block so that the tractor is moving 90 degrees or 180 degrees to the direction of the fall.

 

[/pine]

IMO...cutting trees is all about experience...you should learn something from almost every tree you cut...unless it's a tree farm they are all a little different...
...if there is full, clear range for trees to fall you can practice "steering" a fall by leaving just a bit more meat on the side of the tree where you want to "steer" it...regardless of your notch/natural lean etc..

IMO before cutting any tree...you should stand at the base and "really" look at the way it stands (sight upwards from the trunk)...it can be very deceiving from different perspectives as to which way a tree naturally wants to fall...

 

[newbury]

IMO...cutting trees is all about experience...you should learn something from almost every tree you cut...unless it's a tree farm they are all a little different...
...if there is full, clear range for trees to fall you can practice "steering" a fall by leaving just a bit more meat on the side of the tree where you want to "steer" it...regardless of your notch/natural lean etc..

IMO before cutting any tree...you should stand at the base and "really" look at the way it stands (sight upwards from the trunk)...it can be very deceiving from different perspectives as to which way a tree naturally wants to fall...

And interacting with other forces of nature such as wind and disease (rot) can quickly change a tree's "inclination" to fall in a certain direction.

 

[square1]

Had one split from the cut to about 15' up.

It's a condition known as "Barber Chairing" and it has killed and maimed many a chainsaw operator. Imagine standing behind and close to a seesaw with it's fulcrum 10~20' foot in the air and all of a sudden a few hundred or thousand pounds gets dropped on the end opposite you. The splintered, jagged end nearest you flies up and out toward you in a fraction of a second. This is the primary reason you should not exert any force on a tree until after you have made your cuts.

As many have pointed, a properly aligned (both in direction of intended fall and without overlapping / bypassing of the notch cuts) notch 1/4 to 1/3 of tree diameter, level back cut about an 1" to 2" (depending on tree diameter) inches above the horizontal cut of the notch, leaving a sufficient steering hinge, and use of felling wedges will get most trees on the ground safely with no other forces needed.

Get a rope in the tree before starting? Sure! But don't put any tension on it until all cuts have been made, everyone is clear of the base and possible landing zones, and you absolutely have to use it to get it to fall. I took (40) hours of training and am no expert, but I had to unlearn a lot of things my dad taught me about felling trees. It's not [possible to cover all the situations you might encounter in a forum post.

There's some good (and very, very bad) You Tube videos out there about how to fell trees. Did I mention there are some very, very bad videos by self proclaimed experts out there. This is one I bookmarked as a good one. It's a little long and I wish it had more about getting a tree to the ground, but it does cover critical information that everyone that picks up a chainsaw should know.

Stay safe!

 

[CobyRupert]

I agree with a lot of the above. Another problem, besides risk of barber chairing, with putting tension on tree to direct / change the fall direction , is that as when you are doing the back cut and the tree starts to move , you then lose all the tension in the rope and then gravity directs the fall, which may be up to 90degrees away from the intended direction with the rope now slacked.
Cutting without tension, with a wedge so your saw doesn't get pinched, leaving the hinge, and then using the tractor to pull the tree "over center" , using the hinge, to where gravity then takes over again as it falls in intended direction is ok (IMO)
Likes others said, every tree should be a learning lesson.

 

[Baby Grand]

Don't pull from your front axle - it was never designed for those forces.
Pull from the drawbar (the one that's under your rear axle, not on the 3pt hitch) with a clevis, as Coby suggested.
Use Polyester Double Braided rope for grunt work - low stretch (& snap-back), good UV & abrasion resistance, fair price and easy to tie knots in.
I'm assuming that the tree has been properly notch cut & hinged, prior to the pull with the rope.
Use a bowline hitch to attach the rope to the clevis and you will be able to untie it when you're done pulling.
With this arrangement, the rope will most likely rise from the drawbar to the tree where you've tied off for your pull.
This will create a vertical force component that wants to lift your rear tires off the ground and reduces your traction.
For this reason, and to minimize the risk of snap-back, get a snatch block and use it!
Fasten the snatch block to a solid tree trunk, as low as you can, so you can neutralize or even reverse that vertical force component and actually get some added down force on your rear axle.
The snatch block will redirect your pull, putting you out of the line of action, thereby reducing the risk (to you) of snap-back.
By redirecting your pull, you will better be able to watch the tree during the pull.
In addition, redirection will allow you to select a path that provides the best traction, while pulling in the optimum direction to get the desired fall.

 

[CobyRupert]

^ Well stated! :thumbsup:

 

[Wesdor]

I'm with the others who say pull from the drawbar - the front axle is not made to pull. I have a Wallenstein log winch and it has a screen to protect you in case of a cable break. Sounds like you have a good rope but pulling with a tractor could put more weight than the rope is rated for - if it snaps you have a lethal weapons headed your way.
You might get some additional and specific information by checking out forestry forum.com and asking the same question.

Nobody is trying to put you down, we just want you around a lot longer. Safety is what it is all about.