Come along

A come along is a standard piece of my tree cutting gear. I don't have to use it much, but, I have it with me. I also carry a couple of chains because the come along is limited in reach.

Other than the fact that the cable can snap and slice your head off, it's pretty safe.

Wood Wules said:

I wonder if barmstrong could tell me exactly how he uses the come along and if anyone else uses it before they start to cut down the tree

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i feel like using a come along to fall a tree is self explanatory... is it safe? if your asking how to use a come along to fall a tree, then no.

I have used one before, pulled a tree so it fell uphill, 2 man job, one cuts the other cranks.

Wood Wules said:

I wonder if barmstrong could tell me exactly how he uses the come along and if anyone else uses it before they start to cut down the tree

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Sure! I'll use a come along when I want a little extra insurance, if a tree is really not wanting to go where I need it to go. Along with wedges and other felling technique, I'll tie a chain off to something more solid than the tree, preferrably a bigger tree, and pull tension on the come along BEFORE I've made any cuts that could fell the tree. I'll usually double check the tension and take it up some before making the final back cut.

Don't go tensioning up a come along as a last ditch resort when everything else has gone wrong. Unless you're using blocks, you'll be under the tree if it should go over. The come along should be well thought out prior to cutting. This is for that tree that you've looked at for 30 minutes from every angle and you're still a little queasy about the cut.

I've used one many times before I got my rope puller. Now I use the rope puller instead. I can crank the full length of my rope (150') if I have to, instead of being limited to the itty bitty length of cable in the come-along.

I just dropped a couple of hazard trees for a friend two weeks ago using it. Got them where they needed to go instead of where they wanted to go.

Is it safe? Of course not! Nothing about felling trees is safe!

Is it an acceptable risk? Certainly. It's often less risky than the alternatives.

Get a decent rope (no Home Depot junk) and a good quality rope puller, a couple of stout straps to anchor it (I have some mil-surplus cargo straps rated at 6000 lbs.), and you'll be glad you did. Add in a throw bag and some slickline and you are good to go.

http://www.wesspur.com/Pullers/rope-cable-pullers.html

http://www.wesspur.com/throw-line/throw-bags.html

Pros use those rope pullers all the time. Like any other tool, it has its place, and used incorrectly, bad things happen.

I've used the rope puller in the manner that Barmstrong2 has described. It is extra insurance and is also handy if the tree gets hung up.

Don't use a come along but a rope tied to the tree and attached to the four wheeler or tractor quite often to redirect a tree.

cre73 said:

Don't use a come along but a rope tied to the tree and attached to the four wheeler or tractor quite often to redirect a tree

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X2
but also use a come along where I can not get the ATV into .
But also use a long chain to get me out of the way

I did it once. It took an awful lot of time, energy, and stress to drop one tree. If I need to do that again, I'll call a professional.

The last three trees I cut down on my property i used a come along and cable. Mostly for some insurance that they wouldn't fall in the opposite direction ( as they had a slight lean to them.)

I attached one end of the cable high up ( using an extension ladder) to the tree that was being cut.
I then ran out 75 feet or so of cable, going around one tree that was in the location of where I wanted the cut tree to fall, using that middle tree as a "pulley" and then attached the come along to base of a third tree at a 90 degree angle of the "pulley" tree.
Make my initial wedge cut, then proceed to make 2/3 of the back-cut. Enough to hold the tree up, shut the saw off, walk over to the come along, crank it till the tree drops.

I check the cable connections after each tree, the look the same. I am sure there is some danger involved. but the risk is worth it to me.

The OP who started this thread said his friend uses a come along to put a tree under tension before he starts cutting to force the tree to fall in a different direction from its natural fall line. No one has mentioned the danger of experiencing a barber chair effect by doing this. It is very dangerous cutting a tree that is under tension due the possibility of the tree "exploding" back on you when you reach the point in your cut when the tension overwhelms the remaining strength left in the tree to remain standing. I've used a come along to pull a widow maker down off the tree where it is hung up, but this is an all together different process.

Nick Mystic said:

The OP who started this thread said his friend uses a come along to put a tree under tension before he starts cutting to force the tree to fall in a different direction from its natural fall line. No one has mentioned the danger of experiencing a barber chair effect by doing this. It is very dangerous cutting a tree that is under tension due the possibility of the tree "exploding" back on you when you reach the point in your cut when the tension overwhelms the remaining strength left in the tree to remain standing. I've used a come along to pull a widow maker down off the tree where it is hung up, but this is an all together different process.

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Good point, that is why I do not put much tension on the tree when I do this, just enough to hold it in place, then after I make my two cuts i put enough tension on it to pull it down ( i do not go back and cut more)