Well, probably not the best thing I've done, but I have pulled a couple trees a little larger than what's in the picture with a tractor, not a big one either. Didn't have any problems, but looking back we could have. As others have said, if you must do this, don't tie it off to another tree and your truck.

Also, what I've done to get rid of stumps is cut them down as low as possible, then drill some holes in the top, and pour (stop here, please if you're a member of Greenpeace or a similar group) used motor oil on top. Let it sit a few days, then pour on a mixture of used motor oil and gas, light, and watch the candle burn. That usually got them below ground level, and I just coverd them with dirt...

 

Go for it! I don't think you're an idiot, just pull down the tree. Sure, chains break sometimes, but not every time, and chances are, it's not going to break this time. Go with the odds, and post pics!

 

I worked on an aircraft carrier for 4 years and though what you say about the barricade material is true (not being metal etc) it is just as DANGEROUS as a metal cable when it snaps.

It is NOT the material make up that causes death and decapitation it is the force of the blow against the body parts that takes them off.

You can take a simple rope with a diameter of say ½” and snap it with enough force to take someone’s legs right off.

DO NOT be fooled by the material in thinking its safe. That’s like saying diving into water at just 2 feet is a safe as diving in to water off a 3 story building. The water is the same and nothing changes, it is the force the body feels that kills someone jumping into the water at 3 stories and feels refreshing at 2 feet…

 

Darwin award, haha, ok. We had two engineers running the project, me the electronics and my friend the computer engineer. If we get the Darwin award then there is a problem. Hire a professional, we are the professionals, . Here are pics of the project, we chopped the stump down to ground level, we stopped trying to pull the stump out because we were running out of time. The truck and my barricade netting cracked that tree down like a twig, CRACK. We then disposed of the trunk, and went down to the jeep dealer and bought a 2004 rubecan(sp?) for my buddy so he can go offroading with me. Buying the jeep while I was a slob covered in wood chips smelling like chainsaw exhaust was fun. Guys think you don't have any money to spend and then they are pissed when you buy a 30k jeep because they overlooked you, lol.

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Good luck. Hope your names don't make the obituary section of you local paper. I guess your last name could be Ron, first name might be Moe.

 

read the post above yours son.

Dude, I know what I'm doing, obviously if you look at the pics you can see this. And I know I didn't uproot the tree, i ran out of time the chainsaw had to get returned so I just cracked it at it's base. But it could have been done, pull the tree, cut some roots until it bends a little more, pull more, cut, repeat. My friend in the pics has uprooted TWELVE trees using the same method.

Plus it was fun, i want to do it again.

PS lets see a lightning do that, (to anyone who remembers my "lightnings aren't real trucks" post)

 

Why would a Lightning “not” be able to do it? It has much more torque then the truck you used so I don’t understand with the only exception that it has to much torque to do that type of job because it might smoke the tires…

 

I'm just teasin, but it doesn't have 4 low(traction+low end), and I don't think it can carry the whole tree chopped up in the bed. Also, does a lightning even have tow hooks in the front?? It prob can pull it but the low profile tires and 2wd and tranny will prob make is less effective then a regular truck.

 

That's true, and with the 4 low you have better gearing to use the torque more efficient. The Lightning's, at least 03 & 04 can carry 1,400lbs, not sure what your truck can haul, but I am sure it is more then 1,400lbs...

 

All this fuss over a little bity tree. I pick my teeth with bigger trees. We dropped a tree an Elm over 150 years old and 17' (and a double trunk) around at the base and 125' tall. WE used 2 bull dozers a bucket truck and many helpers. It took us 2 days to completly remove the tree and stump (safely). To use an F-150 or any other truck is NUTS!!. What if something broke on your truck ie: tranny,engine rear end etc.. This would cost more to have repaired then it would have to have someone come in and do it IMHO...

 

I saw it as a win-win situation.
Even if things had gone very bad you would still be able to get a job with the circus, as a midget.

 

Cool, then I'd be able to fit in those clown cars,

 

Hawkz,

I am totally behind you on this. Any time you get a chance to take down a tree by yourself you should totally do it. The odds are on your side! Just make sure you do this often. I would advise trying to pull down a tree every couple of days. There are so few things that could go wrong and it is just so much fun to do...

I've taken down a number of trees in my life but I can't imagine using a truck to do it. If you set up kick lines, guidelines, and cut the trunk properly then the tree will fall exactly where you want it every time. The biggest danger is a kickout and we anchor against that pretty thoroughly. The person using the chainsaw also knows what they are doing as wll as when to run

As for the stumps, well it depends on the tree. Most I just dig down and cut out. If it is oak, ash or a tough elm then I just rent a stump grinder, finish up quickly and go have a beer.

-Don

 

Nice job Hawkz, F-150's are gret trucks!
(incl the L's )

 

I've fallen bigger trees than that without a truck but I don't see any issue with what you're describing..

We had a tree twice that size leaning over our house that had to come down before winter... only difference was we couldnt get a truck around the back of the house so we had to pull it with man power as it fell and just swing it once it was started its fall.

Make sure your cutter is standing clear of the way the tree is goign to kick out.

I'm assuming you're going to start your cut till the tree starts to give a lean then pull tension on the tree to pull it away from the house. As you continue cutting and increasing tension it wouldn't be surprising for the tree to "let go" all at once if there's enough tension being pulled on the tree.

Advice..
Don't start your cut on the side of the house.. if that tree lets go and kicks back it will snap off and kick into the house..
Don't pull directly away from the house... pull and cut on angles away from the structures.
Cut and pull slow


Better way to do this...

Climb the tree and cut it down in sections...dropping each piece one at a time.. Its a pine tree .. those trees are the easiet tree in the world to take down in pieces? I could have that tree down to a nub in under 2 hours once I climbed it. Provided I had a rope and 2 men to lower the 4-6 foot pieces down i was cutting at a controlled speed.