pine tree

Here's a couple of still pics. The videos are just giving me headaches right now, so I'll try again later.

 

Good pics! The youngster looks like he is having a good time. How appropriate that he is wearing a Thomas the train shirt. I knew you could do it!

 

Thanks! Thats my son, Ethan. He was there for moral support. At three years old, he's built like a tank engine.

 

O.K. Got it. Here are the two videos. After the truck stops moving the action is over. I was filming solo with a tripod, so theres a little bit of useless footage at the end of each.

 

or you can do my little trick.. take a good 15ft heavy chain... run from the hitch and loop through a old but decent tire and hook chain to itself....then run another chain from the tree to the tire...loop through and hook to itself... when you pull the tire will stretch like a rubber band to a certain point then it will try to pull back together...helps take the shock load off your truck... and as always lay a heavy blanket or something on each chain to avoid the chain to back window snap effect.
this helps alot if you fins yourself pulling out a bigger/ heavier truck
I'm sure to embarrass myself here but here is the idea
___/```l____
l O l___l O l--------O---------Tree

 

this seems to help if you ever need to do this with larger tree or a really stuck truck

 

Thanks for the tip. Someone I work with tried to explain something like that to me, but it didn't quite make sense to me. Your explanation helped.

 

If you are still trying to pull that tree, from experience, here's how it can be done safely. Cut the tree off 4' above the ground. Hitch up your pickup to the stump with with the line (I recommend a chain) to the top of the stump. This gives you a lot of leverage. Then pull away. If it doesn't come first try, you might try hitting it with a short running start, to break some of the outer roots with the sharp hit (hope you have a solid bumber). On a 20' pine, though, you should have no problem. Get someone to stand by with a sharp shovel and cut roots as the stump comes over.

As for the strap, my first choice would be a hefty chain. Second would be a steel cable, about 1/2", with doubled cable clamps. Third would be an extra-heavy tow strap, doubled if possible. For safety against recoil with the any of the lines, make sure you hang a heavy chain or something over it at about the mid-point. Should the cable or strap break and recoil, the weight in the middle will stop the recoil before it goes too far. You can buy weight pads specifically made for that purpose for winch cables at some 4WD suppliers.

I used to pull 20-30' pines out of the ground with a small tractor to clear ground when I was a kid. I used a steel cable and had to hit the trees running to break the tap-root. Broke a few cables, but never had a recoil problem. Occasionally got smacked on the head with the top of a tree...maybe that's what's wrong with me...

Heck, I just saw your pics. Just pull that little thing outa there! I thought you had a TREE to pull!

 

Here's the tree b4 I reduced it to a stump. The top is obscured by the maple to the left, but you get the idea. I never said I was yanking down a sequoia.
This was a 1st for me and a feat I am proud of however small it may be!

 

BTW, let me know if the videos aren't working. I went through Photobucket, it was simpler to use.