Removing trees with a chain hoist

[jballone]

In an effort to save money, I was wondering about the possibility of pulling trees down with a chain hoist and some straps.  I've got to clear about 25 pine trees (12"-16" diameter) and don't want to pay someone to come in and knock them over with a skid steer.  I thought I could simply pull one tree over at a time, using other trees as an anchoring point, just like farmers used to back in the day (or at least that's how I think they did it).

What's everyone's thoughts on this and is there anyone who's done it?

Thanks,
Joe

[peter nap]

I think your in for a hell of a lot of work.

It can be done and I've done it. I took down an Oak that had grown over a powerline that way. Took 3 days and I had to cut and dig roots until I got it rolling. Then when it was down, I had to cut/dig roots on the other side to get the whole mess out.

[FrankInWIS]

Can't borrow or rent a chan saw?  

I have to take about about 4 myself.   Put pressure on them one way with a rope to my van (this time not a straight line cause of a pulley borrowed from brother in law), then cut the wedge out of the way I want it to go down, then saw the rest of the way from behind.  

My problem is TALL barren pines over planted in middle of my lot.  Want them down, but SO tall already.  Not sure how to drop them.   May have to hire a fella off the reservation to go up and cut them down in segments from on high.  

[jballone]

I've got a chainsaw but I don't what to grind stumps.  

Anyone else tug pines down?

[John_M]

I was working on an addition over the summer and the guy had just taken a tree down and had a stump remaining.  He one day walked over with a 55 gallon drum with the bottom cut out and placed it over the stump.  He had some wood to burn and we wound up burning some scrap wood we created and in no time, the stump was nothing but ashes.

I know you have a lot to take down, but if you have the time, you get get a couple burning evey weekend maybe?  Just an idea!  Good luck!

[MountainDon]

My own personal experience in having my neighbor push down a bunch of trees for a short 400 foot road of mine is that it is likely to be a whole lot of work, if it even worked (pulling). The trees were Ponderosa Pines, and he had a medium sized skid steer. Most of them went over without too much trouble. However there were a couple of the larger ones (12" and up) that were very difficult even with the machine. I would say there would have been be no way to pull them over with a chain hoist or winch or whatever.

Pictures and video
http://www.countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1166598189/65
scroll down a little

But it sure beats having to deal with the stumps later. May be worth pricing out the job. You can always try a couple and see if it is workable.

[glenn kangiser]

12" and up I doubt a skid steer will knock them down.  A backhoe would be able to dig out the roots then knock them down.  

Chain hoist sounds like a lot of work to me too- maybe if you can climb it way up to anchor but a 12' and up is a very substantial tree.  Soft wet ground could help.  Don't forget how tall the tree is.  It will smack down hard and fast possibly hitting hard enough to break in two.  Wouldn't want to be under it.  I took down a 120' and 140' tree last year for a customer.  We left 3' high stumps to assist the backhoe operator -- gave him something to push against.

[jballone]

Soil is sandy and I figured if the strap was attached high on the tree, I would have good leverage.  A strong wind has been known to tip these pines.  Maybe it's more work than it's worth but maybe it's not....

[glenn kangiser]

It would be nice if you had an electric winch on a truck and a snatch block or two for reduction - or maybe a chain in the tree with a snatch block then a cable to a tree base then to a good sized truck -- or come along etc.  --
Twice the pulling power that way.

Still may be tough but let us know how it goes -- don't smash anything.

[southernsis]

I don't know about the chain hoist, but we just removed about 25 trees, pines and oaks, 10" to 24", cut them down and had a backhoe take out the stumps. We were doing alot of ecavation work, so the guy with the cat and backhoe took them out and only charged us a little for the stump removal. Good luck getting them out. We now have enough firewood to last for years.

[skiwest]

12" and up I doubt a skid steer will knock them down.  .

I think it would really depend on how high of the ground the top of the stumps were left.  Now we have a big skid steer, but the only ones we had problems with were the ones cut close to the ground.  If you left them high, lets say 3 feet from grade a skid steer would have lots of leverage on the roots.

[MountainDon]

We pushed over the whole tree. Most would fall easily, the weight of the falling tree pulling root lengths free of the ground, breaking most off. Some were then pushed with the bucket lifting the root end. On some larger ones we cut the root off after and dragged the rest off to the burn pit. Pushing them over with the top pointing in the direction of the burn pit made the disposal easier. Some of the trunk lengths were salvaged for fire wood, some were left in long lengths and peeled for future log wall use. Someday down the road.

[FrankInWI]

  This is a heck of a discussion!   I didn't even ever know that pushing them down with heavy equipment was an option in tree removal.   Now I got to find out if anyone in my gettaway area is willing to do that.  It's tall pines I'm talking about.  Making them fall right is important.  To the rear are power lines, and I have a big maple to avoid in the front.  (I'll move the ol' camper!)

[MountainDon]

The trees we pushed over were Ponderosa Pines in the fifty-five to seventy foot range. James has had lots of practice making roads through the forest here. Here did the 1+ mile in from the nearest forest road. Except for a few stubborn larger and "doubled" trees he made it look easy. There was no problem with the trees not wanting to fall in the direction he pushed them.

The hardest part may be in disposing of the root section. They don't burn all that well right off. We're fortunate in that James, the neighbor, has a large pit scraped out of the pumice that we use for winter burning of the slash and any unwanted wood.

(Pit left over from exploration for good pumice mining. Apparently this immediate area wasn't as good as that a couple miles away where they now have an ongoing pumice mine. All the better for us.)

[GW]

I had alot of pine tree's on my property to clear, I spent several weekends cutting and stacking and burning. I finally gave up and hired an excavator to come in and knock the tree's down. The operator did an excellent job, he cut all the stumps off and piled them for me, he even hauled away 6 truckloads of tree's for me, only cost $1000.

[paul s]

we just  hired out the claring of over an acre,  pines   about 10 to 14 inch dia,  they had to dig the root with the backhow then push we are in a drought so 20 inches short on rain this year to date down 4' n clay and still dry.  also no burning statewid so  had to chipp it all or haul it off so was costly but they fed a 12" chipper wth a winch mounted to the  chipper and two guys limbing with  chain saws

but oh so dry

[skiwest]

I was cutting down about 7 trees this weekend to get ready to trench in the water from well and underground power line.  I knocked down 12" aspen backing up with my skid steer.  Saw something in the corner of my eye moving.  looked around to see tree comng down.  In guess that tree was in the way too  .  didn't even feel it.

Hit it high and you have lots of mechanical advantage.  though it helps that very dry soil and gravel under that.

[jballone]

Thats exactly what I'm thinking.  These same trees can be felled with a fork lift.  I'm hoping I can attached the chain high on the tree I want to remove and anchor it low to two other trees.  I'll keep everyone posted.