Question on how to move logs

[Ken Platt]

Folks -

I was felling a medium to largish yellow birch tree, my aim was a bit off and it got hung up as it fell,, so that it's sitting there tilted at about 45 degrees. Normally I'd just start carefully cutting sections from the bottom, but I want to get this one down intact so that I can mill the bottom 20 feet or so for lumber (I have a friend with a Woodmizer). I figure there's maybe 200 bf in there, not a huge amount, but it looks to be pretty wood.

It looks as though if I could pull the bottom end back a few feet, it would be able to come to the ground. I'm wondering what sort of equipment I'd need to do this. What would I use to grip the tree? I'm assuming some sort of chain, but what size and where would I get it? Is there any special way to wrap the chain around the tree to hold it? What sort of equipment is needed to pull the chain? Would my pickup do? I really don't want to be the subject of a funny video starring me pulling my bumper off. If not my pickup, what sort of machine do I need for this? I know some folks with things like skid loaders and small front-end loaders, but I'd like to be able to have some idea what I need before I start trying to get one of them to come over. And, what might be a reasonable amount to offer someone for a short job, since I don't think I want to try operating one of those myself.

I appreciate all thoughts and suggestions.

Ken

[harry strasil]

I have 2 winch trucks I did custom work with for many years, mostly stuck farm machinery, I don't think anyone can make an educated guess without at least a picture to go on. FWIW

[curtis rosche]

when we are felling trees for fire wood we get this all the time, trees grow to close together. he have chains from harbor freight, 20ft of chain, rated at 4000 or 6000 lbs i think. we just wrap the chain around the tree trunk and hook it to itself. and then use the hook to make a loop at the other end, and put the loop around the trailer hitch.
i would suggest that you use a chain that is rated just below the trailer hitch rating so that you dont break the hitch. but make sure that you dont get a big running start when pulling, or you will bend your hitch (we did that once, it bends right before the chain broke) you should use at least 40ft of chain so that your truck is a safe distance away from the tree no matter what it decides to do.
if the chain slipps off, just cut a notch in the tree for the chain to fit in.

[Jason Roehl]

I'd use a snatch strap, not a chain. Chains are for binding static loads, not for pulling. When chains break (it is 'when', not 'if'), very bad things can happen.

Snatch straps are great. They're rated for very high loads, have loops at each end from the factory, and they stretch a little. The loops help because you can wrap it around the load (in this case a tree), and pass the long end through the loop at the load. The long end can just be hooked over your hitch ball then (hopefully you have a frame-mounted hitch). The stretch characteristic helps in two ways: one, it reduces hard shocks to the system, and two, when it rebounds, it gives a little "pop" to the pull. If you have a little bit of a running start, it will help "snatch" the load out.

I once used a snatch strap to pull out a one-ton, 15-passenger van buried "to the balls" in mushy grass with my 2WD half-ton truck on gravel a foot above the grass by taking as long a running start as I could with the truck at an angle to the van. I did work my way up in speed and length of run, though.

Another option would be to use a tow strap or two in combination with a come-along hooked to another tree. Whatever you do, you don't want to be anywhere near that leaning tree when it starts to move, because it can kick suddenly and quickly.

[harry strasil]

LOL, I remember a farmer with a stuck combine once, when I got there the bumper off his truck was still attached to one of those heavy duty straps and it was draped over the combine cab where it took out the big front glass, luckily no one was in the combine. He should have known better than to take a running start.This is what you need when its deep enough you can't see the drive wheels above ground. Knock on wood I never have yet damaged anything I have hooked onto to retrieve.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/winch%20trucks/duece005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/winch%20trucks/deuce003.jpg

Longest pull to date was when I had 2000+ feet of cable stretched out in a field next to the Big Mo after the 93 floods to retrieve a Cat Challenger with a chisel plow on behind. oh yeah, I had to retrieve the dozer they were gonna use to got get it first. LOL

[Jason Roehl]

Oh, Harry. That's a purty ol' truck you got there. I would love to have an old deuce and a half. But I think that's one of those either/or items. I either have it, or I have a wife. I already have a wife.

And, you're right--a winch and cable is even better.

[harry strasil]

a little tip if you wrap the chain or the strap around the butt of the log twice, it will roll it a bit when you start to pull and make it skid easier on the ground. FWIW Just make sure you have it wrapped the right way, over the top for towards you under the bottom for away from you.

[Cody Colston]

I'd do what Curtis suggested...hook a chain from the base of the tree to a bumper hitch and pull it until the tree is on the ground.

Unless the butt end of the tree is buried in the ground or caught behind the stump, it won't take much to pull it enough to let the tree completely fall. I've even used a lever (tree limb or small log) to move the butt end enough. I wouldn't recommend this, though cause I don't know anything about you.

The other alternative is to leave it alone and eventually it will fall on it's own from storm winds, etc. The Birch will likely be heavily spalted by then, though.

[Ken Platt]

Thanks, folks, just the info I needed. I appreciate Jason's comment about when chains break, I think I will get one of those snatch straps for future use. The HF sounds like a good option for this one use 'cause I'd like to get this thing on the ground right away, and there's an HF on my way to work....Or maybe the auto parts place would carry the snatch strap.

Cody, thanks for the lever idea. I actually had already tried that, and it almost worked. I was able to move the butt off the stump, and it almost went, but then snagged again and the butt stuck in the soft ground so I wasn't able to get a good fulcrum under it. In retrospect, I should have put a flat rock where the butt was going to go after it slid off the stump, and I probably could have gotten it down.

Thanks again, all.

Ken

[curtis rosche]

im not so sure about the chain snapping thing, everytime we break a chain it just falls to the ground and only slides a little, every time we break a strap or a steel cable it whips around, one time a cable broke and it cut a 2 1/2 inch sappling in half. i think the chains are safer,