When you are pulling down a tree what size and type rope do you use? Or if you use cable what size cable? I'm thinking of adding a rope to my firewood gathering arsenal. But there are so many sizes and types I am not sure what to get.
It depends on how much you're going to depend on the rope. They make it with up to to 20k lb breaking strength. This is probably the smallest I would consider to pull with. If you're using wedges and rope as a guide you could get by with something cheaper with less strength. http://www.sherrilltree.com/Profess.../Stable-Braid-1-2-Orange#sthash.imoy2Fjh.dpbs
personally for using as a safety tether or "pull" rope, I use either 5/16" aircraft grade or stainless cable for the small to medium stuff or 3/8" aircraft or stainless cable for the bigger stuff. But there are several things to remember here, the big thing being "what are you going to pull that cable with"? You can have 20,000lb cable hooked to that tree, but if you are using a 5,000lb truck to pull it with, that cable don't mean a thing. I guess what I'm trying to say is "don't bite off more than you can chew" when pulling a tree down......I've heard a story before where a guy had a truck cabled to a tree that had a slight backwards lean. Well, he didn't have the cable up high enough (the fulcrum point was too low, this is where physics comes into play) and when the tree was cut, that tree went the opposite way taking that truck for a little 'ride'..... Anyway, just make sure you use a high fulcrum point when cabling off a tree. Use at LEAST an 8,000-12,000lb break-strength cable, and NEVER take on a tree that you don't think will work out for you. Learn the proper face cut (notch cut) and hinges for different felling situations, that is CRUCIAL for proper falling. Even a small or medium sized tree can cause catastrophic damage if it falls the wrong way or something breaks......
One other thing, rope CAN be used, but be cautious as to what type. I prefer core braided rope, but ANY rope can break after time, useage, and even UV damage (sunlight is a big factor in a rope's lifespan). When you snap a 5/8" bull rope, you definitely get an eye-opening experience.......
I have 90' of 15000lb overhead lift rating straps, which I'm sure translates into well over 30000 lbs of tensile strength. Pretty sure that's not my weak link. Mine is experience. Working on that, only one way I know of to gain experience.
Nothing on the planet beats gaining experience.....just take the time to look into different techniques. I can tell you that I've been doing tree removal for around 8 years, and every year I gain a little more experience, I find myself more capable of taking on jobs that just a couple of years ago I'd NEVER consider doing..... Like I said in another post, just keep safety at the very pinnacle of your goals when doing a tree job. Review EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of the job BEFORE you even start up a chainsaw. Look at the job over and over and over again, playing different scenarios in your head. There are some jobs (like that hickory leaner we did last weekend) that I'll literally spend over an HOUR just looking it over, from the ground AND in the tree, before I make the first cut......even if it only takes a half hour or so to do the whole job. We've heard the carpenter's term "measure twice and cut once" before, that also plays into doing tree work if you ask me. Only I "measure" around 10-20 times before I cut sometimes!!
Cable, or high grade rope are the most convenient to use. I use big old chain ......................... worked the yard sales and flea markets many years ago and accumulated almost 3 x 5gal buckets full of big old chain. Hooked up to a big tractor, you're pretty much in control. Watch out for what Scotty said though ................. there is a great video that used to be on youtube of a big Suburban being thrown through the air backwards by a tree that went the "wrong way"!
I use my 1/2 inch True Blue retired climbing line from Samson... I've never broke it yet... Scotty is right about UV exposure breaking down the fibers in the rope.. shortening the ropes life... Also keep it away from your gas cans, etc.. I use to coil my ropes neatly for years, then read and realized they take on a memory from being coiled,, best thing now is to lay your rope int a 5 gallon bucket , hand over hand so it's not coiled in the same way every time.. They make some nice rope bags as well.. Also never step on a rope, it breaks the rope fibers and grinds dirt into the rope as well which winds up acting like an abrasive. Huh, why did my rope fail I like the rope as I have redirected the rope with a snatch block at times... Rope just seems easy to handle... yet cable has it's place too... either one breaking in line of your body can take you head off...Just something to keep in mind.. I usually use a throw ball to set my line into a tree, attaching the throw ball line onto my rope, then pulling my rope up high over a crotch, returning the tail to the ground, which is then tied to the trunk of the tree just above my cut using a running bowline or a clove hitch backed with a simple half hitch.. Saves climbing the tree to set a rope, especially those rotten ones...
My rope is not rated anywhere near what you guys are talking. But I am not pulling any really large trees over either. My rope is only about 3/4" thick. I believe it was only rated at 1100 lbs. All you usually need is to have your notching correct and a slight bit of tension to help the tree go the way you want it to. But, every situation is unique. And safety, safety, safety on your mind with each and every job.
If you're just guiding like that a rope like that is fine. If you really want to pull then you need something stronger. I don't want to recommend something like that and they try to pull a 3' oak over with a 150 hp tractor on the 1100 strength rope.
Just remember to always be mindfulof your knots. We spent hours tying knots in lineman school the last thing you want is a hope knot. "Man I hope that knot holds" "whoops"
This is 5400# test rope. Hope I don't offend anyone but... If the average homeowner needs a rope heavier than this to pull a tree away from a bad spot, they might want to consider calling a professional. JMHO.
I know very little about climbing, but quite a bit about line/rope as a sailor for many years. I just want to put this out, There is a company called Defender marine, they are in Connecticut and they have "very" good deales on line/rope of all sizes, not just marine but climbers line as well. You have your top three Samson, New England ropes, and Yale, they sell them all. The biggest thing with "any" line is to protect if from chaffing and UV is the biggest killer. If your looking at ropes, give Defender a look Also, go to their clearance area, sometimes they have remnents you can get a real good deal on!
I use some safety rope I got from work and its rated at 8 or 10 thousand lbs., I have pulled down a couple of trees and it shows no sign of breaking.
I have always heard if you only know one knot make it a bowline, have used the bowline with no issues what so ever and I am not that good with knots.
Have used ropes to do a lot of stuff over the last 40 yrs. The posts here are awesome btw… no surprise. I've used all of the different types described… the only type I look for now is 1/2" or 5/8" braided white nylon, usually from a marine supply. As far as pulling trees over, I guess I've only used a rope to "nurse" a leaner in a different direction, not actually rip it down. If it really wants to go in a not-so-great direction, as the song says... "sometimes you gotta let her go". I just had that happen a couple days ago and it cost me an hour's work of clean-up. But, if I'd forced it, there were worse possibilities. Finally, somebody mentioned the unintended forces that can happen when the tree goes and all that weight snags the cable/line… and whatever else is tied to it. Can be very bad stuff. That's definitely something you have to plan to avoid before the pull… cause after, you won't have time to blink.
