#4 Pulling Stumps With Snatch Block Pulleys and 25:1 Mechanical Advantage [4K 60FPS]

This is my 4th video and this one was much easier than the last two. I immediately used the tractor after giving a long breakdown at the beginning of the video. Skip directly to 14:30 for the start of the pulling action.

[@brainhomestead6]

As stated in the description skip to 14:30 to get to the pulling and skip my explanation.

[@jrs9144]

I love your mathematics. It helps a great deal. Thank you.

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, I appreciate it! I still have a bunch more to do.

[@johngodwin7902]

Great video. Good explanation and fun to watch that enormous force

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, I just got done with #7 last night. It was only a 6” hardwood, but my wife and I pulled it by hand with 50:1 mechanical advantage.

[@johngodwin7902]

@@brainhomestead6 awesome.

[@alan72688]

I would put another wrap around the stump with your straps, that should bind it in place and keep the strap from slipping as it leans.

[@brainhomestead6]

I appreciate it. I had someone mention that yesterday, so I’m going to try it on my next pull this weekend. I’ll do another video, hopefully it works!

[@gregwilkey7268]

Instead of just basketing the stump, add one full wrap around the stump..."basket-choker". ..No more/less failing at the stump. Also, there are some interesting ways to increase mechanical advantage in your videos, try to get your blocks moving.. this decreases load on your rope and increases pulling power in the process... gotta love the advancements in synthetic rope these days!! Keep rolling out these fun videos Brain. Thanks.

[@brainhomestead6]

Yeah, I’ve been making incremental improvements. So far everything is holding up pretty good, but I couldn’t put a wrap around the stump because I had no slack to do it.

[@Pipe-Layer]

Thank you for these nice videos.

[@brainhomestead6]

No problem, I enjoy doing it. I’m going to start the next one tomorrow and I have a ton more to do.

[@eCitizen1]

Thanks for the very clear explanation. It was helpful to understand the multiplying force as opposed to the additive force.

[@brainhomestead6]

I appreciate it! I like doing these pulls. It is for a purpose, but I actually like doing the setup and the pull itself!

[@torino9133]

Thanks for sharing. Appreciate the technique and the quality of the video. If you could roll a large cylindrical object (e.g. 1 meter logwood) under the straps, in front of the stump, when the stump leans down it would roll over that "bearing". The stump won't dig into the soil and the straps won't come off that easy because of the improved pulling angle. I am going through the same experience at the moment :). Thanks again!

[@brainhomestead6]

I just pulled the big one today and I don’t have any logs I could use as a fulcrum. I like that idea though!

[@cliffmorgan31]

Wrap a rope around the stump straps close to the stump to force the stump to help hold the straps in the notch.

[@brainhomestead6]

Yeah, I am still trying to get that part worked out. I just got done with video #6, and I’m still having this problem even when I wrap the straps.

[@gaylanbishop1641]

Great job on your vector analysis! And you did a pretty good job spacing your pulleys so you didn’t have to rest a bunch of times

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, man. I had issues with the spacing at first, but I have it dialed in pretty well now.

[@dennisseverns4014]

That last pull with less tension in the system, would have been a great time to switch the sling configuration to a choker hitch. Saw that your slings slipped off again.

[@brainhomestead6]

Yeah, I’ve been having issues with that and part of the problem is that I’m starting to get used to it…

[@dennisseverns4014]

@@brainhomestead6 choker hitch, you can drag those stumps all over the yard.

[@migueljose2944]

good job

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, man! This one was much easier than the last, but I think I’m going to do the big one next.

[@nicolaisvlog8701]

looking forward for the big one 😁

[@brainhomestead6]

I think I’m going to start working on that one this weekend!

[@hansjansen7047]

If you wrap the firts two straps , once around the stump , the won't slip off when the trunk is horizontal.

[@brainhomestead6]

Nice, I’m going to have to start doing that in the future.

[@WayneWerner]

You can add another snatch block to route around the tree - basically a "y" where the leg points to some other anchor point

[@brainhomestead6]

I hadn’t thought about that, but I get what you’re saying. I would need 2 though because if I point the rope to a different anchor point, the tractor has no room to pull it, but a redirect snatch block on the 2nd anchor would work.

[@caotropheus]

Nice explanation on the way pulleys work. Lets see how "harmed chair 'Ingeneers' " criticize your detailed explanation and your work. Still, I think you should place a blanket or a carpet on top of the ropes while being stretched. Keep the "pulley mechanical advantage" videos rolling...

[@brainhomestead6]

Oh I have plenty of videos to make. I have some 30’ tow straps coming today so I’m going to take the bags they come in and put some sand in them for damping weight on the ropes.

[@andrewalexander9492]

Have you considered going back to the chain around the stump, after breaking the stump free with the first pull? If you rig the chain so it chokes the stump, it won't slide off as the stump lays over (like your strap does) , and you could keep pulling it until it's completely out, and you shouldn't have a concern with the chain breaking again, as the hard puling is already done.

[@brainhomestead6]

That’s very true. It would require a little more downtime in between to set it up, but that would solve my issue of the tow straps coming off at the end of the pull. I think I will do that next time.

[@caotropheus]

I agree with Andrew. Get a choke chain grade 80 (at least) and use it for the final pulling stage.

[@brainhomestead6]

@@caotropheus I can barely find a grade 70! I’ll see what I can find around here, but since it’s mostly broken free I can probably just use my normal chain.

[@buggsy5]

@@brainhomestead6 If there is a logging supply near you - get yourself a choker cable rigged with a bell on the end.

[@ronmurphy9819]

Put like half-hitches with the chain around the stump and it should put a chokehold on the stump without letting go. No need for a notch.

[@brainhomestead6]

I broke a chain in video #2 and now I’m a little gun shy. I do have a couple of chains still like you suggested, but it makes me nervous now.

[@WayneWerner]

​@@brainhomestead6you can do the same thing with your straps, FWIW

[@brainhomestead6]

@@WayneWerner I got done rigging the next stump pull tonight and I did the choking method with my straps but only on one of the stumps. I’m hoping it works.

[@yaykruser]

After the chain broke in the 2nd video and stored so much energy I went on and tested how much the half inch chain on my chainhoist would stretch. So I already had a wodden frame tensioned it up to about a ton , measured and marked 1 meter, tensioned it up to about 4tons and measured again. It stretched about 8mm. Seconds later I hear a giant Bang! Chain went flying faster than you could see! Fortunatly I had the chain secured with another chain so it came to a quick stop afer 20cm preventing any harm to me or other objects around . Turns out one of the 15mm screws that held the chain to the frame got its thread pulled out... So while the chain only stretches about 1% at its rated capacity it stores an enormous ammount of energy in it...

[@brainhomestead6]

That’s an awesome test and I’m glad you weren’t hurt. I should try the same thing with my tow straps. I just ordered 2 more, but 30’ long this time. I’m also going to have to do an experiment showing how much the system moves because I’ve been having a few people not believe my calculations for the mechanical advantage. What grade of chain were you using and where did you find 1/2” chain? I can’t find it anywhere.

[@yaykruser]

@@brainhomestead6 Thanks , I was using the grade 80 chain that comes with the chainhoist , since the whole setup is only 2meters long there was no need for extra chain. Bought my extra 1/2 inch chain used from a local guy that collects metall stuff in his backyard. For shorter pieces you could look on ebay, just saw another 4meter 1/2inch selling for 10 bucks few days ago.

[@brainhomestead6]

@@yaykruser I’ve been having good luck so far with the tow straps, but I know I’ll need the 1/2” chain at some point in the future.

[@yaykruser]

@@brainhomestead6 Testing the stretch should be easy if you have 2 trees that are strong enought only problem would be that you have no scale that tells you how much force is on it. ( I calculated it with a pull scale on the handle and the mechanical advantage) Proving the mechanical advantage seems a lot harder considering that you would have to attach the "power side" to something that provides enought resistance that the setup doesnt drop to the ground , but also moves before to much force builds up and the rope starts stretching. A truck / car maybe? Then pull till it starts moving , mark the spot, drive 25m and see if the car rolled 1m :)

[@brainhomestead6]

@@yaykruser it makes me nervous just thinking about that much tension…

[@richardgerman9351]

Thanks for the technicals. Can you check my compound MA system to verify its a 45:1? I used a RedWinch fiddle block with 9/16" 12 Strand thats 150' a redirection snatch ring coupled to two 3:1 using four snatch blocks with 5/8" arborist rope. Tree savrrs similar to yours

[@brainhomestead6]

That sounds right from your description. 5:1 x 3:1 = 15:1, 15:1 x 3:1 = 45:1.

[@richardgerman9351]

@@brainhomestead6 the genius concept you brought up that I didnt consider was to spread out the MA to multiple achor lines. Less stress on the lines thatvway

[@richardgerman9351]

Do you have an email adress so I can share pics

[@brainhomestead6]

@@richardgerman9351 yes, that’s where I screwed up and broke a chain. If I had been using multiple chains to anchor, it would have been fine.

[@Obrien993]

Why not precut the notch for the first pull so you don't have to reset? Also where are you buying your supplies? Snatch blocks, ropes, straps? Was looking to spec out a similar system.

[@brainhomestead6]

I bought everything on Amazon minus the red ends I spliced onto the winch rope, those I bought directly from Factor 55. If you go to the end of this video and go to the playlist I created and go to the first video in this series, I go through everything I use and I put links to all of the equipment in the description for that video.

[@brainhomestead6]

I was thinking about precutting the notch, I was just worried that it would weaken the stump when I was pulling it and it would break before I got it out.

[@dennisratcliffe5637]

Wrap that tree-saver strap at the stump being pulled. There is no reason for that strap to slip off if wrapped correctly.

[@brainhomestead6]

I figured out what I was doing wrong and have it fixed now.

[@jkmcp45]

Every time you go over a live pulley it divides in half DONT make it more complicated than it is I would bet your 1-1 is 1 on live end I may be wrong you need to invest in a 12000 lb winch with a remote makes life so much easier We use 1 for each leg over a live pulley add the 1’s up cause if it’s a dead end not adding so a 8 part cable has 7 live lifting is no different then towing or pulling

[@brainhomestead6]

I know at some point I’ll need a winch with remote, but it effectively doubles the cost of the system, which is what I’m trying to avoid. If I go with a cheaper 12,000lb winch, they have a short duty cycle so I have to let them cool down between pulls.