tree pulling rope

[421Altered]

Andries, no apologies necessary my friend!  As I said, I wasn't clear enough on the details on my original post.  So, naturally everyone was rightfully concerned for my safety!  I should have included more details in my original post.  Thanks for all the details that you included about the guy North of Kenora that uses the 1" Samson  line to put a lot of tension on the tree before he starts cutting.  Also the detail of how he shakes the tree with the rope to get out hidden widow makers.  Just a small detail like that can have a huge difference in the outcome.  I have been using a chainsaw for around 40 years on my farm, mostly cutting problem or dead trees.  Till I discovered this website, I was self taught!  Not a good thing, but, I'm still alive with all legs and hands, .  However, I have learned an awful lot on this site by a lot of good people that know a lot more than I do.  I wish I could work with some of you guys to learn how to manage trees with a rope!  Lol, but, not many people want a 72 year old beginner on the job site!!

[lxskllr]

Dunno about pretensioning the tree. That's asking for a barberchair if you do it wrong. I still haven't heard how the line's getting set. If it's out of throwing range, that adds a bunch of expense for tools to get a line up there. That's another $150+ on top of my $300 baseline price.

Pulling trees isn't magic, but you need to determine value. A rope's always useful, but a bunch of gear for setting lines sitting around unused is a waste of money. If it's only a few trees, it might be better to just have a crew come out and get it done. If it's an ongoing project, then...?

I said before, particulars matter. How big, how wide, how much lean, how much decay? All these things drastically change the materials and technique used. Every tree is different, and every setup will be different, sometimes by a lot.

[Ljohnsaw]

Interesting thread. I was asked by a neighbor if I would take these out. First one has about 180° of hitting the cabin, the power feed and the main power line. The other directions are into a thick cluster of tall trees. And all those dead limbs would make a bunch of shrapnel. The other tree could hit the cabin but the only clear path is to drop it on the well used road.


That's a little out building, not the main cabin off to the left.

 
I took a pass on it!

[421Altered]

lxskllr, If one owns more than one chainsaw that they only use rarely, that's a lot of unused money too.  I don't use my big chainsaws everyday, but, got to have them for the rare big tree.  So having more seldom used equipment is just part of it.  Several years ago, I had 4 problem trees near structures that needed cutting, I called 4 different tree service companies, had to leave a message with 3, they never called back, one requested my email address, never got in touch with me either.  So what are you supposed to do?  Over time, I removed 3 of them myself.  And the last one is the one that I will need a rope for.  That's why I asked about ropes.  I can't give you a specific height that the rope will need to be placed in any tree that I may need to cut with a rope for assistance.  All different heights.  I have on occasion used a large hex nut and a string to pull chains up into trees.  And I have all day, and the next, and the next, to get a rope into a tree, I'm retired!

[421Altered]

Ijohnsaw,  I wouldn't even consider taking that tree down near valuable  structures!  My barns are just for our sitting pleasure sitting in the shade looking out over our pond.  I'm with you on letting someone else do that one!

[lxskllr]

For a start, I'd get 150'-200' ½" Treemaster(3strand, 7k# tensile) with an eye spliced in the end. That rope is kind of hard to splice unless you have the experience/tools, so it's better to pay someone else to do it. Use a shackle in the splice to create a slipknot to girth around the tree. Fabricate some kind of bollard to hook to your tractor to wrap the free end around, and hitch it off to a couple cleats. If you put a knot in Treemaster, it's very hard to get out after loading. and a bollard will help preserve strength. The above setup is pretty cheap and will do a lot of work. Treemaster is about as close as you'll get to wire rope for durability, so it's good for beating up on a farm.

You'll want at least two 150' lengths of throwline, and at least two weights. I've had as many as three lines stuck in a tree, and rescued them with the fourth. Don't cheap out. Life's too short for cheap throwline. I like Dynaglide, and Zing-It is also popular, though not a favorite of mine.

Practice throwing. If you can't get it high enough, you'll need a launcher. A BigShot is basically a big slingshot that fits on to polesaw poles and shoots the bag into the tree; about $150. Or you can buy/build an air powered launcher. I bought one a couple years ago for $180. They're now $200-$300. Building is probably $120 not including any special tools needed.

The rope can be upgraded as necessary. StableBraid is a nice static line, but more expensive, and more delicate than Treemaster. You could also go bigger on the Treemaster. Depends on exactly what you're doing. You also might want some good pulley's for mechanical advantage/redirections. CMI is a good value, and their outlet store has some good deals. The defects are cosmetic, and don't affect functionality...

https://cmigearusa.com/collections/clearance

You might want some steel carabiners, or more shackles to make connections. Depends on the setup. The whole system is only as strong as the weakest link, so keep that in mind.

[421Altered]

lxskllr,  Thank you very much for all that great info!  That is exactly the kind of info that I need.  I can't thank you enough!

[Al_Smith]

In my collection of stuff I have two 600 foot reels of 1" three strand nylon .It was from an electrical contractor going out of business I used to work for and used to pull armored cable .It was last fall I used it to tip a 100 foot cottonwood with an old Oliver bulldozer .I ran the dozer 200 feet away and off sideways using a redirect so I didn't get impaled by a flying limb .It really was just insurance ,the fall was caused by an 084 Stihl .Needless to say that big tree really made a big thump .

[Al_Smith]

I might also add that three strand nylon has an elongation rate of 70 percent ,acts like a big rubber band .However some tree services prefer lines with very little ability to elongate .What ever floats your boat .The largest three strand I've ever worked with was 2" and those used for mooring lines on the submarine ,300 feet long .I made the eye splices in all four  of them .Those lines were strong enough to pull a cleat right out of a pier like childs play .A sub might look small but they have the pulling  power of a tug boat .

[slider]

big pine today

[421Altered]

Slider where are you located in South Georgia?

[slider]

421 altered i am near fitzgerald ga. I posted bib pine then lost internet. Not many here are much over 100 ft but this one was 120 with a split top .A 36 in bar would not completely get thru the base.We put a rope in at 75 ft then my guy came down and pretension it to the skid steer .The lean on that stem was near the house. He put his notch in it and pulled just a little to be sure and i moved back just a bit .When he made his back cut it started to come ,and fore some reason i could not move ,no hydraulics at all. My heart stopped.The pretension is what saved our butt. I ordered a new toggle switch for the skid steer .When you think all your ducks are in a row sometimes they are not.

[421Altered]

Slider,  Sorry I didn't see your post earlier, but, been really busy doing other things.  That is a real good informative event that you related.  Glad you had enough rope length that it did not get you.  I believe that I know you, or should I say I know who you are.  I was born and raised in Ocilla, and live between Ocilla and Tifton now.

[slider]

421 altered im close to you if you need to borrow a rope i have several.

[421Altered]

Thank you Slider!  That's a very nice offer!!  I bought a 1/2" rope a while back, 200 feet and have used it to get a widow maker out of a tall pine.  The widow maker was hanging about 60 feet up.  I copied an air gun, I call it a bazooka!! !  It works pretty good, I can actually put the line where I need to, well so far I can, that will change I'm sure!  What I can't figure out, and I'm not good on knots,  my rope is 200 foot long, but, I didn't need 200 feet, so, I basically doubled the rope, and put a double bowline in it on my truck.  What know would be easier when I don't need the entire 200 foot?

[lxskllr]

Cut 6'-8' off your line, and make a prusik loop using double fisherman bends.

Prusik Knot | How to tie a Prusik Knot using Step-by-Step Animations | Animated Knots by Grog

Double Fisherman's Bend | How to tie a Double Fisherman's Bend using Step-by-Step Animations | Animated Knots by Grog

I like to keep the knot over the coils when it's completed, not on the side of the loop as shown above. It's tidier, and stays out of the way. Wrap that around the line, and hook it off to whatever you're pulling with. Back it up with an alpine butterfly as a stopper...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_loop

The prusik may slip before it's fully loaded, and perhaps when heavily loaded. The butterfly will keep it from slipping past it. You could use the butterfly as a loop to pull from, but it can lock up tight, and be almost impossible to remove. Put the rest of the rope in a convenient place on the machine you're pulling with, or let it  drag the ground near the attachment point.