#5 Pulling Stumps With Snatch Block Pulleys and 21:1 Mechanical Advantage [4K 60FPS]

This is my biggest stump removal so far and due to an oversight on my part the tree saver straps and snatch blocks went airborne! Was still able to complete the pull.

[@drawn2myattention641]

“Give me a big enough lever, and I can move the world.” -Archimedes

[@brainhomestead6]

I always enjoy a good mechanical advantage.

[@ravnodinson]

The root systems on trees is just amazing and the way it securely plants itself (no pun intended) into the ground is incredible. They are impressive.

[@brainhomestead6]

Very true. In my most recent video, I pulled a tree down whole, roots and all in one shot. Let me tell you it didn’t take nearly as much as I thought it would to pull down a whole tree.

[@Rufeo0]

take the tow straps out, no need for them to be there they just adding stretch to the whole system, connect your pulley direct to the tree straps. Choke your straps around the stump like a noose and they wont pull off when the stump starts to lean over.

[@brainhomestead6]

On my newer videos, I have changed to a better choking system that works perfectly. I need to have those tow straps in the system otherwise the pulleys are too far away and my synthetic rope isn’t long enough.

[@ewowen]

Good safe set-up! Way to go.

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, I still have plenty of people telling me I’m doing it terribly wrong. Seems strange that it works so well since I’m screwing it up so badly.

[@miketraver1539]

8:35 - So satisfying. I have actually dug trees this size out with a shovel, axe & chainsaw. This looks much easier. Good job.

[@brainhomestead6]

I tried doing that once, but this soil is heavy compacted clay and I called it after the first two hours. I rented a backhoe, but that would get prohibitively expensive very quickly. I’m glad I do it this way now!

[@name-to7xw]

​@@brainhomestead6 It is still doable for the average man with a good, SHARP edge spade (NOT a shovel, those are for loose material) - just get stiff sole shoes and kick the spade into the ground, your legs are stronger than your hands. If the ground is rocky you may also need a pickaxe. There are obviously easier ways, but it's a free workout and worth doing at least once, to see what you can achieve with just your great-grandfather's simple tools.

[@tomwilliams8675]

Well done, Brian. I wish more people would use block and tackle instead of just trying to yank things out. A suggestion might be to use steel chokers around the tree trunks and chains instead of tow straps. Great job. I saw a KZbin video where a jeep pulled a D8 out of a spot using block and tackle. It was awesome. He used a winch mounted on his jeep with a lot of fiber line on it by the way.

[@brainhomestead6]

I appreciate it! Ive seen that done too and I figure it’s just a matter of time before I get a winch to do the same with my tractor. Starting around video 8-9, I changed the configuration of the straps to be an actual choker configuration and it works way better.

[@shawsie5780]

@@brainhomestead6burnt it, way get fancy 🤷‍♂️

[@brainhomestead6]

@@shawsie5780 burning leaves way too many roots and termites move in.

[@jesseerickson662]

​@brainhomestead6 Also not as fun.

[@brainhomestead6]

@@jesseerickson662 another very large component!

[@danroberts9050]

Well, I sure learned a lot in this video. We tried a 3 pulley system pulling with a 12,000 winch on the back of my Tundra but the problem we had was that the truck moved. So I'm going to get a few more straps and anchor the winch to a tree. I think I'm also going to pick up another 2 or 3 snatch blocks and add to my mechanical advantage. One thing I did that's different than what you did is I used a chain on the stump and I looped it such that I created a slip knot. Also I used a 4x6 to draw the force upward. Not sure if that's better or not, but I saw that in a lot of other videos.

[@brainhomestead6]

That sounds good, I’ve seen people pulle with winches on truck and they had to anchor the truck to another tree. I had to stop using chain because it made me too nervous.

[@eholmberg]

Very satisfying to watch these stumps come out! I dont know how it would work across all of the block and tackled, but when I use a come-along to do this type of work, i use heavy chains for where I need to stand (at the come-along). Therefore, if something snaps, the heavy chain, which also has no give, is not likely to whip me in the face.

[@brainhomestead6]

I was looking at block and tackle setups but it makes me nervous all of the pulleys using the same sheave. That’s why I use individual snatch blocks, less stress on each sheave.

[@migueljose2944]

excellent job again! I've been chainsawing, doing tree work since the 70s and I'm learning from your videos. Thank you. Re: plunge/bore cut some chains are nicer for bore cuts than others. Semi chisel is probably the easiest should be sharp and not too extreme on rakers. youtube has lots on it. I would practice on an old dead standing tree. Meanwhile the notches you put in are working for you too.

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks! I need to figure out the different types of cuts because I have 9 more stumps to pull, then I’m back to cutting down trees, about another 40-50 and pulling those stumps.

[@nickhildabridle1612]

​@brainhomestead6 why are you removing all these trees???

[@brainhomestead6]

@@Wungus_Bill I figured this out after I tried it a few times. I ultimately stopped try to do this on subsequent videos because I change the way I was wrapping the straps so I didn’t need to do it this way with the cuts.

[@TimothyBrewer]

Darn good job!

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, man. I appreciate it!

[@thetigerstripes]

An incredible effort setting everything up and then pulling and the damn stumps are still in the ground. 😂

[@brainhomestead6]

It’s always bad when something breaks but I’ve been having good luck for awhile.

[@shawnkulczyk4935]

great video thanks for sharing.

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, man! I have plenty more done and a ton to still do.

[@ronhanish]

good job.

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, man. I like doing it this way.

[@chill2195]

amazing

[@seetheforest]

I saw the wind blow over an oak tree with a 42" diameter trunk in my neighbors yard. Sept 28, 2022. It almost blew mine over too.

[@brainhomestead6]

I actually would be ok with the wind blowing down some of my trees! I’ve seen that too in Florida.

[@2muchtime26]

Awesome video sir! I have a question for you when rigging up for a mechanical advantage like that does the equipment you use have to be able to handle that extra force? For example when you are at 21:1 does the straps you have around the stump have to be rated to be able to handle 21,000 pounds of force/weight given your initial force was 1000lbs?

[@brainhomestead6]

Yeah they do. Where I’m pulling, it can be rated lower because it’s much lower force. All of the lines of force on the stump are all tied to the same point so you have to add all of them together. That why I put some of the snatch blocks on one strap and some on the other strap, to split the load.

[@2muchtime26]

@@brainhomestead6 Got it... thank you sir.

[@brainhomestead6]

@@2muchtime26 no problem, thanks for watching! I have quite a few more videos, I’m on #11 now. I give a brief overview on forces in a few of them.

[@caotropheus]

Nice pull. You can always use a choke chain for the final pulling stages. Looking forward for the next video. Can you pull that "little" stump without machinery just with pulleys and a couple of guys applying some force?

[@brainhomestead6]

I don’t have a couple of guys…. However, I’ll try with just a 5:1 and tractor. If I start spinning on the tractor, I’ll bump it up to 15:1. I’m pretty sure that last one will need at least a 21:1, maybe more. Then I’ll move and start pulling stumps on the other side of the house.

[@brunolaflamme5202]

By the laws of physic, in theory, I would say yes! On the field, I would be curious to see the experience. Imagine the absurd amount of pulleys required and the even more ridiculous ropes lenght. Pulled by only men, how much? Which pulling ratio? You have a lawn the size of a fooball feild ? Am asking because you and your team would need some space due to the mecanical advantage required, each time tou pull one feet of rope, how much lenght of rope handeled prior to see some result? Best regard respect and smile! P.S. Try to not laugt facing the derision from the situation just for not using heavy equipment It would be hard for me!😂🙂

[@brainhomestead6]

@@brunolaflamme5202 I just got done pulling the last two stumps in this line. The first was only 7:1, the second was 21:1. I exclusively used the tractor and no issues!

[@mauriceplouffe8455]

Great video

[@JoeCroghan]

Did my first stump......picked the smallest and it there was no problems. 20+ to go! Your video's are very clear but once you start pulling they become even more clear. I'm using my Polaris Ranger that has 4,500 pound winch. Using the tree savers, 3/8 synthetic rope, snatch block, straps etc. Using the winch elimates and distance issues but I still need to figure out how to set it up so i don't have to keep readjusting. Still amazed how a 3/8 rope can pull down big tree stump! Do you have any experience with metal rigging plates to space the snatch blocks? Are all of you snatch plates single? Have you used any double?

[@brainhomestead6]

I’m glad it’s working for you. I haven’t used any doubles because then the weight from both pulleys are on a single sheave, which is the bottleneck on a single already so on a double it would be even lower capacity, unless you wanted to buy a heavy duty double, like from a crane. But then those are really expensive and weigh so much it becomes a pain just to move them around. The readjusting is just something that has to happen unless you have REALLY long ropes, but most winches can only accommodate a 100’ rope anyway. I still have a bunch to do too!

[@gregwilkey7268]

Basket choke. Nice.. finally. That was painful

[@brainhomestead6]

I’ll for sure keep doing that in the future.

[@normansoucy389]

a tether rope from the stump to the shackle would help control the travel of the slings when they come loose from the tree.

[@brainhomestead6]

Very good idea, I never thought of that! Starting in my video #8 and after the straps stopped flying off because I changed the way I put them around the stump.

[@user-xg4zz8ij1l]

Just think...a tornado plucks trees out of ground without even touching.

[@brainhomestead6]

No kidding, in my newest video I pulled a tree down whole and it didn’t take as much force as I thought it would.

[@supercoffeemug1921]

You could dig around the stump and cut some of the roots to make it a little safer.

[@dennisratcliffe5637]

Put the notch on the front side of the stump with the strap wrapped around the back and under the notch in the front. It will not slip off.

[@brainhomestead6]

Good idea, I’ll start doing that on the next ones.

[@TheJamaalsr]

Drill three bolts into stump, 2 on the sides and one on he rear. Them put belts below the bolts.

[@brainhomestead6]

In later Videos after this one I got the choker figured out better.

[@ronhanish]

or one vertical plung and one horizontal plunge, pull vertical first , then restrap to horizontal last

[@brainhomestead6]

If I put the strap in a choker configuration, it seems to work better and saves notching time.

[@mervstockman693]

I am thinking of using recovering snatch rings

[@ronhanish]

looks like you got less that1 percent of load pull with your rigging? very cool. the more pulleys the more load reduction.

[@brainhomestead6]

Yep and all cables/pulleys holding up well. Got another video in the works.

[@BrainfoodHoney]

Watched your videos and thought spending money would allow me to pull stumps but I promise you. Just get to digging.

[@brainhomestead6]

What digging are you talking about?

[@BrainfoodHoney]

@@brainhomestead6 if someone didn’t have any of the equipment you used, you could just dig those out in a day.

[@brainhomestead6]

@@BrainfoodHoney that’s true. I think the normal home owner can’t justify buying this rigging equipment, but I have trees fall down on the back part of the property so often I needed to find a solution. My first thought was to buy a backhoe, but couldn’t get the wife on board with that one!

[@ThorHammer-ff3fz]

It appears that your anchor lines are pretty long.....is there any advantage/disadvantage of them being shorter? Great videos

[@brainhomestead6]

The only advantage to shorter lines is only the upfront cost being lower. Pulling weight and stretch percentage is identical. Shorter lines don’t allow for as high of mechanical advantage because the pulleys would be closer together so you can’t move the load nearly as far.

[@JoeCroghan]

thnaks so the greater the distance between the stump being pulled and the "anchor tree" will allow for hight mechanical advantage?

[@brainhomestead6]

@@JoeCroghan not exactly. You can make the exact same mechanical advantage, but with a shorter rope there’s not as much travel space so you would have to keep resetting the system much more frequently and that makes it much more time consuming. I prefer to set it up once and pull it at one shot.

[@fricknjeep]

hi there doing a great job, you may have said if so i missed , how much do you have in all the stuff (rigging) to do all of this , , john

[@brainhomestead6]

Between $1000 and $1100, but that also includes $200 worth of chains I don’t really use anymore.

[@fricknjeep]

@@brainhomestead6 hi thats not bad it would most likely cost more than that to have them ground up john

[@brainhomestead6]

@@fricknjeep yeah, it’s $150 per stump to grind here. I have discovered the problem with grinding stumps too. They turn into termite farms here and after the remnants are demolished, the roots rot away underground and start leaving cavities in the yard. I’ll never grind stumps again.

[@brunolaflamme5202]

I own the same black pulleys, I wonder what size shackles do you use to put 2 pulleys side by side?

[@brainhomestead6]

The shaft is 7/8”. It’s only rated at 4.75 tons for the working capacity, but the minimum break strength is 54,000lbs. It would be better if they were a little bigger though.

[@malcolm2587]

Put a choker on the stump the harder you pull it the tighter it chokes

[@brainhomestead6]

Yeah, in Videos after this, I finally figured out the correct way to choke it.

[@Trial-N-ErrorFarms-jk9iz]

14:08 Its ABOUT TIME YOU RIGGED THAT CORRECTLY!

[@brainhomestead6]

In videos after this I actually figured out a different and better way with straps.

[@dale5898]

Tight as a banjo string

[@brainhomestead6]

It sounds like it in person too. I’m nervous every time because I know it will break eventually…

[@thepotterer3726]

The strops flying off was inevitable - always a suitably rated chain led up over the top of the stump.

[@brainhomestead6]

I know, I’m still figuring things out as I’m going along.

[@thepotterer3726]

@@brainhomestead6 Chain will grip and bite in a way that no strop or strap can hope to achieve. A 3-4 ft length of trunk laid in front of the stump will do two things, stop the top digging in the ground and act as a roller for the stump.. There is always an amount of hand work in this sort of job, as soon as there is a bit of a lean on the stump, start clearing the topsoil/subsoil off the root and leave it in the hole - where it belongs.

[@brainhomestead6]

@@thepotterer3726 I just recorded episode 6 and it will be uploaded tomorrow. I realize what you said about the chain so switched to that halfway through. I need to find a nice round chunk of tree to help as you said.

[@thepotterer3726]

@@brainhomestead6 What happened to the trees you felled, there must be loads of suitable lengths?

[@brainhomestead6]

@@thepotterer3726 I wish! I felled them 9 months ago before I thought about pulling stumps this way. I have 7 more to pull before I’ll start felling again. Then I’ll keep some for this purpose. Or I’ll just find an old tractor rim.

[@hustlr23]

I ran through the video pretty fast. How much tension is on those ropes? And what did the pulling power peak at?

[@brainhomestead6]

I don’t have a force meter so it’s hard to tell, but the ropes are 23,000lb minimum breaking strength and I’ve never broken one. However, the full force is split among all of the strands. If I had to guess, at the highest there’s 10k-12k pounds of force on the first rope, 2k-3k pounds on the second, and 700-1200lb on the third.

[@robertsmith3518]

Wrap your yellow straps around the stump 2 x , it will force the straps to pull upon itself . Not the stump . Now the leverage will keep the straps secured.

[@chadcochran4654]

What if you put some sort of cylindrical device in front of the stump for the straps to go over to increase the upward angle so as to pull up more than towards. This way you will not be pulling the stump over into the ground when it goes past Horizontal.

[@brainhomestead6]

That’s a great idea and someone mentioned that to me last week. My problem is I don’t have anything here to do that with. All of the stump rounds that I have are too soft. I need a tractor rim!

[@Trenz0]

As you pull the direction the force applies on the grain changes. So as long as you cut a `V' and not like a '/_/' and as long as that cut is mead sufficiently high from the bottom it breaking in half would be super unlikely. I'd be more worried about that second shape of cut I was saying as the failure condition would likely result in that chunk "delaminating" so to say a long the grain pattern (though the grain would be round so even then the risk is lower if it's a deep cut.)

[@yukonheart]

Real Nic e ANy chance of going through your set up slowly with each component and how they are hooked in ?

[@brainhomestead6]

I have a couple of videos that do that. One is a preparation video, but I’m still doing them and adding more context about setting them up at the beginning.

[@leebennett3672]

For the last bit if you can find a large log to put under it . Keeps it out of the ground . fulcrum like .

[@brainhomestead6]

I had that suggested to me so I’m going to start doing that. I’m also going to try pulling down trees while and putting a log in front of them so as it falls, the logs act like a fulcrum as your suggesting and pops the whole thing out.

[@leebennett3672]

@@brainhomestead6 👍👍👍stay safe amigo

[@jcar1417]

Rope technician do what they call wrap 2 pull 1, or wrap 3 pull 2. If you choke your slings on the stump you would loose about 25% WLL if you double wrap your sling depending on sling angle you will loose even less and it should remain on the stump longer. You will get a little friction damage on your sling but not enough to render it unsafe. Watched the rest of the video saw the extra wrap so you can ignore what I said lol

[@brainhomestead6]

That wrap I did worked, but it wasn’t pretty!

[@ericbrack4546]

Where does one find a job as a rope tech!? Sounds like a dream job to me!!!

[@brainhomestead6]

@@ericbrack4546 LOL, I was thinking about the same thing. My guess is either an arborist, or in the navy.

[@ericbrack4546]

@@brainhomestead6 quite possible. I think Navy is the Bosun's,

[@jcar1417]

@@ericbrack4546 high angle rescue technician and or rope access technicians , also scalers( guys who hang off mountainsides removing loose rocks, very hard work)

[@jesseerickson662]

13:35 I want to see you pull it over that far then loop a 5/8 or 3/4 cable around the root system in the same manner as the yellow straps and pull it through the bottom of the stump cutting or tearing the roots out of the ground. That would be some good watching. 👍

[@brainhomestead6]

I am thinking about trying to pull a whole tree down all at once…

[@jesseerickson662]

@@brainhomestead6 Oh yeah 👍

[@rubinbrown8142]

With all the straps cables and pulleys, wouldnt it be cheaper to get a stump grinder for the day?

[@brainhomestead6]

Yes, for sure. This whole setup cost me around $1100 and a stump grinder rental at Home Depot is $130. There are problems though. Where I’m at in the south, if you don’t get all of the stump it turns into a cozy home for termites. The Home Depot stump grinder only goes 6” below the surface so most of the stump will remain. Also, as the remaining stump decays underground over the years, the ground keeps caving in so I have to keep digging up chunks of the rotting stump every year then filling back in. Grinding stumps was a very bad idea for me and I had it professionally done.

[@phiksit]

Yeah, you get the sink holes if you don't get the roots ... plus you gotta clean up all the chips or nothing will grow there, unless you don't care if there's a dead spot there.

[@RealJeep]

It's a whole lot easier to short stump them then rest a stump grinder. Now you have a whole stump to deal with.

[@brainhomestead6]

I can deal with whole stumps because a 30 yard roll off container can fit a bunch of stumps and costs $300.

[@stockjockey26]

You can rent a large stump grinder for less than $300 then you have less mess and fewer holes in your yard.@@brainhomestead6

[@pauls4708]

not sure you hav a 42 to 1.I think the last leg is a simple redirct? Maybe at the last pull have a roller under the top of the stump to keep it out of the ground

[@brainhomestead6]

The last is a 2:1 because both my car force and my anchor force are pulling on that load going into the next system. If the pulley was on the truck and the car was pulling in the opposite direction, it would be a redirect.

[@user-od6js1bn8e]

Hey, I'm not allowed to strap she hooked in a mud brown. She should be wrapping it around the stump and running one eye to strap to the other to where it pulls up tight against the tree, that way it insurance won't slide off wouldn't even probably have to cut a notch. In fact, actually you should have a shackle dental chain, cause it's chain with puller. Pull even tighter or you can make half inches around the tree with the chain. Therefore, insurance debt I won't slide off. Cause it's change you're the dig in to the trperiod

[@brainhomestead6]

That’s a good point, but I can’t find any 1/2” chain.

[@mervstockman693]

How many pullies did you use please?

[@JoeCroghan]

What the "widest" stump have you pulled out and what was muchancal advange ratio did you use?

[@brainhomestead6]

I think it was probably close to 26” but I didn’t check it. I was able to use a 42:1, but realistically I could have probably gotten it with a 21:1. When the stumps get bigger, I soften the ground with water for a day first.

[@dantheman9852]

Could use a hose or pressure washer to get dirt off and back into the whole.

[@brainhomestead6]

I have been doing that now a little bit and also bringing dirt from the back of the property as well as a little peat moss to help the dirt quality.

[@phiksit]

Do some digging and the blast the hole periphery with a zero degree pressure washer nozzle.

[@ghidfg]

about how much force is the car pulling with? when I saw all the pulleys I thought you were about to pull the stump out by hand lol.

[@brainhomestead6]

In one of my videos, my wife and I pulled one out. As for the car pulling force, I’m not sure but I’m guessing around 1000lbs.

[@rogerbrandt6678]

I’ve got a lead vest if you want for a dampner.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Would drilling a hole through the stump horizontally help? Either feed a chain or cable through it, or put a strong bar through and loop the sling(s), chain or cable around it. That way the stump angle wouldn't affect the grip.

[@brainhomestead6]

Yes it would help but as I’ve found out recently that reduces the strength of the stump and they break apart. Starting with video #8 I use my straps in a true choker setup and I no longer have issues all of the way through the pull.

[@eCitizen1]

I'm kind of surprised you did not soak the ground first. Also I think it would be wise to leave your stumps much taller.

[@brainhomestead6]

I agree with both accounts. These actually aren’t too bad to pull. I just mean that I haven’t gotten to the limit of pulling capacity yet so I haven’t been doing everything to make it easier yet. I have 9 more stumps to do before I have to start dropping new trees, so I’ll start leaving those longer.

[@caotropheus]

@@brainhomestead6 Or even pull down the whole tree first and cut it once it is in the ground. You can even use "natural unbalances" or tree leaning in your advantage to pull it.

[@brainhomestead6]

@@caotropheus I will try this once I get to my standing trees. I wasn’t planning on pulling them really until after I cut them down.

[@trex283]

I've got to ask, why not leave the stump in and cut it down to the ground?

[@brainhomestead6]

I’m sorry, I don’t know what UT means.

[@trex283]

@@brainhomestead6 sorry. I corrected the text. I leave my stumps in unless I it would end up under concrete or road.

[@brainhomestead6]

@@trex283 I live in Georgia and I have several bad things happen if I leave the stumps in the ground and just cut them off. Termites find them and end up making huge colonies inside of them. Another bad thing is that as the wood rots underground it kicks off tons of mushrooms all the time and it smells like rotting wood all the time. Also, as the roots rot underground over the course of years, the ground keeps sinking in as it collapses, so I have to keep digging out rotten wood every year and filling the void back in with dirt. It’s more work to extract them at first, but much easier in the long run.

[@trex283]

@@brainhomestead6 that makes sense. Bugs are everywhere in the south.

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

I used to be a snatch blocker! ;)

[@brainhomestead6]

I really like doing this. I’m going to start yanking down trees whole pretty shortly.

[@brainhomestead6]

Nevermind, i just got it!

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqu0fml7h7NraLcsi=0eqfMgaeRglVKuc2

[@deanhorlick319]

If you use a saw to cut a notch in the stump for the strap/chain to sit in you won't have slipping problems

[@brainhomestead6]

I finally got that figured out a few videos after this one. I think I have it dialed in pretty well now.

[@joebert889]

How much is invested in pulleys and slings?

[@brainhomestead6]

For everything, it was $1100. I could have done it with less, but it’s still working very well for me.

[@leroykidd7457]

OMG….finally….a cinching knot…….

[@brainhomestead6]

LOL, it took me a bit. Now, I only do choking configuration on the straps.

[@scottstromme1792]

do you have something against chain? Close cinch in a notch, one try.

[@brainhomestead6]

Yeah, I’ve had them slip out of a notch and break also. I think my video #2 was the one where I broke it. I can’t find any bigger chains here so I’ve just started using straps in choker configuration starting with video #8.

[@Yettiattack]

Cut notch in to keep strap in place on stump

[@brainhomestead6]

I got that figured out after this video. Subsequent pulls have gone much smoother.

[@buggsy5]

You can notch half way through the stump without reducing the strength too much.

[@brainhomestead6]

I was worried about that. I thought if I did too much it would break off.

[@ericlehman839]

Is soaking the ground beforehand cheating? I imagine that could help a lot for some soils.

[@brainhomestead6]

I’ve had a lot of people suggesting I do that. It’s a little difficult in Georgia because the soil is compacted clay and doesn’t take water very much. I usually try to pull stumps after it rains though. It does make a difference.

[@phiksit]

Use a pressure washer with zero degree nozzle 😁

[@tuberNunya]

Comes out a lot easier if you do it during the rainy season.

[@brainhomestead6]

For sure, it’s been pretty wet here, but not enough. I’m going to have to water them, I think.

[@fredstipak6719]

If you choke the strap, it can hold the stump up and not dig into ground

[@brainhomestead6]

I just got done recording video #6, and I couldn’t choke the strap because I didn’t have enough slack, but I ended up choking with the chain instead.

[@mrmonkey2214]

Choking it will downgrade the safe working load of the strop by 20% though so bare that in mind. Used to be a slinger working in a UK based dockyard.

[@docghines]

Two words: Clove Hitch.

[@brainhomestead6]

I can’t since this is synthetic rope. Ok, I technically could, but it reduces the tensile strength of the rope by as much as 60%.

[@TheBillythepoet]

One word: Tannerite

[@brainhomestead6]

@@TheBillythepoet I love that stuff! Too close to the house though.

[@Estwing22]

If you had left 12 to 15 ft of trunk and pulled from the top you could have tripled your leverage. Why cut it down? Just pull it over. Thats an awsome setup youve got there. It must have taken a lot of prep to get it ready to film.

[@brainhomestead6]

It takes about an hour now to get everything set up and only 10-15 minutes to actually get the stump out. My next video #11 I’m going to start pulling down trees whole.

[@1three7]

I think the risk of leaving it too tall would be snapping it before uprooting it. But it would depend on the tree. That and a ton of variables. There's plenty where it would work. Probably the majority. I just mean it's something to consider if you are leaving them tall to do this

[@brainhomestead6]

@@1three7 yeah, I don’t know how well it’s going to work, but I think a good part of the solution is going to be making the ground very wet and soft beforehand and going slow.

[@1three7]

@@brainhomestead6 yeah I agree with that. Especially the saturated ground

[@brainhomestead6]

@@1three7 my big slow down right now is that it hasn’t rained here for weeks so this clay ground is basically concrete at the moment.

[@nativetexan5879]

Question, why not grind them isn’t that easier?

[@brainhomestead6]

For sure it is easier and I end up addressing that question in a future video, but the problem is here in GA if I grind the stumps, it still leaves tons of roots underground. These roots then host termites and rot underground over the next few years which causes the ground to keep collapsing as well. I grinded a few of them three years ago and every year I have to go back to where they were and dig up more rotted roots and fill dirt back in on top of it. Grinding stumps is easier at first, but takes way more time in the long run.

[@nativetexan5879]

@@brainhomestead6 gotcha, thanks for the response

[@brainhomestead6]

@@nativetexan5879 no problem. There are sometimes where I have to grind, but I try to avoid it if possible.

[@Roadglide2020.]

Grinding wouldn't be as much fun

[@brainhomestead6]

@@Roadglide2020. absolutely, plus I have issues with grinding because termites live in the remnants underground.

[@the7thbananaking]

You know, you could always use a trencher or something to just cut a circle around the tree roots, and then pull.

[@brainhomestead6]

I don’t have a trencher and it costs $200 per day to rent one. I wish I had used for one so I could convince the wife I need one.

[@Jimmy-Legs]

That’s no fun.

[@brainhomestead6]

@@Jimmy-Legs also true.

[@patrickbouldinkm5l143]

Why would you use a tree saver strap on a stump?

[@seanzellers3340]

Try using a choker on the stumps

[@brainhomestead6]

Yeah I’m going to start doing it that way so I don’t have to stop mid-pull.

[@EliteTractorworks]

What kind of rope are you using?

[@brainhomestead6]

It’s an Amazon special. 3/8” synthetic winch rope. It’s rated at 23,000lbs and it’s been working great. I had to cut off the winch end and splice on my own end.

[@EliteTractorworks]

@@brainhomestead6 looks like its holding up really well and have you splice it to make it longer?

[@brainhomestead6]

@@EliteTractorworks not yet, but I’m going to try pulling my trees down whole a putting a log in front of the tree to act like a fulcrum to pop the roots out as it falls. I may have to splice them in because I’m not sure if my Farmall 70A has enough power/weight to do it without pulleys.

[@EliteTractorworks]

@@brainhomestead6 I was curious really enjoyed your stump pulling videos

[@brainhomestead6]

@@EliteTractorworks thanks, man. I’m having issues with the ones by the house but im going to get back into it shortly.

[@JoeCroghan]

If i had a wench then woudl that solve the problem of runnng out of room?

[@brainhomestead6]

Yep, exactly. I’ve been trying to save $700 on a winch and $200 on a battery, so I’ve been getting more creative on later videos using pulleys to redirect the force so I can pull farther.

[@m-rezaabazar-ghafari8757]

Don't use tow straps around stump but either chain or wire slings and before that clean off barks around stump.

[@jonnypaget]

All right everyone

[@brainhomestead6]

Always fun.

[@Friedrich-Wilhelm-1980]

not how i would have done it but good use of mechanical advantage

[@brainhomestead6]

I’ve tried different ways and keep refining my process.

[@brad99rocks]

Just call a grinding company, got it.

[@brainhomestead6]

Depends on where you’re at if that’s a good idea. Here in Georgia, I had some grinded a few years ago and I discovered a termite colony moved into the remnants underground and I had to dig it up by hand. It added way more work in the long run.

[@ronhanish]

one lag bolt above the strap would hold it im sure.

[@brainhomestead6]

I think so too, but I put a choker strap hold on and it appears to be working wonderfully as well.

[@bashisobsolete.pythonismyn6321]

guys, you need to expose large roots and cut them 1-2 metres away from the stump. then, get the rope under a large root and pull vertically upward. in the navy, this kind of lateral whiplash setup will put you in jail... or at the very least on permanent latrine duty.

[@brainhomestead6]

Yeah this wasn’t good, but was my fault for not running a choker setup on my straps.

[@sawboneiomc8809]

Yeah....the stump was super slick....that’s why they flew off. 🤣

[@brainhomestead6]

I even noticed when I started wrapping them with the straps, but my brain just ignored what the consequences would be for some reason.

[@cranberriesdoodle1450]

Tip: when you start the video leave more footage. I had to rewind 5 times to watch the first clip but the screen is still dimmed because you shove the action shot too close the the start of the video and the controls and dimming is still active.

[@brainhomestead6]

Alright, I’ll rewatch it and take a look at how I start it.

[@cranberriesdoodle1450]

@@brainhomestead6 not trying to sound mean, I've done it and see it from time to time, just trying to help. 😊

[@brainhomestead6]

@@cranberriesdoodle1450 no issues. I’m no professional so it doesn’t bother me. I’m glad for people to be watching.

[@cranberriesdoodle1450]

@@brainhomestead6 OK, thanks, it's hard now a days to give constructive advice and not have someone take it wrong.

[@brainhomestead6]

@@cranberriesdoodle1450 nah, I’m 41 and mellow. I don’t have all the answers so it would be silly for me to pretend that I do.

[@mattsmith9600]

this dude everything spot on, but dimensional estimation.

[@brainhomestead6]

Not sure what dimensional estimation is, but you’re probably right.

[@jcar1417]

Tow ball should not be used for any kind of kinetic recovery, what you are doing is basically no different than towing a trailer. In this situation your car would loose traction before exceeding the limits of the ball with the complex system you are using. Problem is some people do not understand the math so whatever they see on KZbin is what they repeat. There is nothing wrong with being safety conscious but if a person understands what they are doing and the risk involves they should be able to carry out the job with no issues.

[@brainhomestead6]

I appreciate that and I agree also. For this entire pull, I was at idle. At 42:1 idle is good enough, I just run out of room to pull. If I do it in the future, I’ll just put a disclaimer in there. Thanks for watching!

[@Cr8MyLuck]

So why don't you offer some solutions that you like instead of being negative. Better yet make your own video. Send me the link

[@winnyjstew]

@@Cr8MyLuckyou took this as negativity? I took his criticism as positivity because he’s looking out for us

[@Little_Sams_Top_Guy]

My brother in Christ just call a stump grinder

[@brainhomestead6]

I don’t think I addressed it in this video, but there’s several reasons why I don’t grind stumps anymore. They leave too many roots in the ground and turns into termite colonies. Then as they rot, they kick off mushrooms all over the place. As the roots rot underground, the ground keeps caving in so I have to dig up old roots every year and fill it back in with dirt. Grinding stumps adds so much work over the years, I quit doing it.

[@Little_Sams_Top_Guy]

@@brainhomestead6 well I’m a stump grinder myself and while I’ve never had anyone call and complain about old root rot I’m sure its a possibility

[@brainhomestead6]

@@Little_Sams_Top_Guy maybe the guy that grinded my stumps didn’t go down far enough or wide enough. I dug an old one up two years ago right by the house and it was packed with termites.

[@Little_Sams_Top_Guy]

@@brainhomestead6 yeah it sounds like he gave you a cosmetic grind I always ask if people want a total removal or a cosmetic finish the cosmetic removal is a lot cheaper typically

[@martin09091989]

People who say you should not use your trailer hitch to pull stuff are idiots! It is literally made to pull stuff! On big machines which are made to pull very high loads, they have dedicated attachment points, shure in that case you would be stupid to use the accessorie trailer hitch. But on normal road cars, this is the most solid single point of the whole chassis.

[@brainhomestead6]

I did the calculations and me using the hitch to pull would be the equivalent of towing a 2 ton load up a 6% grade, which is well within the towing capacity of the trailer hitch. I understand they mean well, but it’s not helpful to create a boogie man where one doesn’t exist.

[@michaellonsdale5904]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, man!

[@ziegenwilly]

so , crazy hättest du den gurt richtig fest gemacht wäre er nicht weggeflogen

[@frogdogify]

Choking is probably better than basketing your slings in this situation

[@brainhomestead6]

For sure. Starting in video #8, I changed them to choker configuration and I haven’t had problems since.

[@cbpuzzle]

Leave the trunks much longer for even more leverage

[@brainhomestead6]

Yep, and now I’m going to start pulling trees down whole. I’m not sure how possible it is, but it seems like if I can pull stumps out, I should be able to pull the whole tree out.

[@montewestlund8195]

put a choker sling on the stump. you have plenty of sling strength capacity.

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, a few videos after this I finally figured that out and life has been much easier since.

[@trick4247]

Not sure why you don't cut a notch into your stump so you you don't battle with slings pulling off

[@brainhomestead6]

For sure. Videos after this I figured that out as well as how to use the straps in proper choking setup.

[@timeWaster76]

A choker arrangement works best.

[@brainhomestead6]

Thanks, I finally figured that out around video #8 or so. But since I changed it’s been much better.

[@williepelzer384]

1-2" cable choker with nubin + bell, and a eye on one end 6 -8 ft long will last a lifetime,and work better than any nylon strap. Never slip, much safer.

[@brainhomestead6]

In subsequent Videos after this one I’ve gotten my procedure refined a little more. I like the straps because they’re long and cheap so I can pull from 50’ away pretty easily.

[@williepelzer384]

@@brainhomestead6 that's what the eye in the cables for, snatch block or shackle to stretch out .

[@brainhomestead6]

@@williepelzer384 I was just looking for choker cables and I remember why I went with straps. Higher break strength and cheaper. However, I’ll bet my straps won’t last nearly as long. Another issue I just thought about is I’m going to start pulling down trees whole and if the tree falls on the straps it will probably screw them up. I may pick some of those cables up after my straps get worn.

[@ronhanish]

oh just light it on fire bon fire:)

[@brainhomestead6]

My buddy in TN does the stump burning method.

[@terrye6196]

Any stump that tough, just mount an anvil on it, then build a shop around it.

[@brainhomestead6]

I actually have one of those right by my shop and it seems that’s why they built the shop where they did… too much work to extract the stump!

[@samsien9105]

single chain dabble wrap is whole better than flat strap .

[@brainhomestead6]

I had problems with breaking chains. I changed to multiple straps and haven’t had any issues since.

[@thetigerstripes]

I dug them out by hand - 37 total stumps from ranging from 8” dia to 30” dia.😊 Dig a circular trench around the stump. When you hit a root radiating away from the stump, cut the root at the farthest point from the stump. I used a double-bit axe. Then cut the root at the side of the trench closest to the stump. Continue digging in a circle and cutting roots until all the remains is the main tap root. The stump will fall over on it’s side exposing tohemain root. Cut the main root, drill and install an eye-bolt into the stump and drag it out of the hole with whatever by attaching chain to the eye-bolt you installed. BTW - remove eye-bolt and save it for the next stump. Fill in the hole. Yes, it’s a lot of work. Yes it does a good job. No, nothing grows back later. This technique is not recommended for those who fear hard work. 😂 The vehicle I used for dragging the stumps out of-the hole was a 1980 Ford Galaxie station wagon w/ 460 CID and Holley 750 CFM 4 bbl.; dual exhaust + 4 degrees advance on cam. You will need something with torque, not revs. It took me a few week-ends but I was in remote northern MI on a beautiful lake with great fishing + a nearby trout stream. So it was a win-win for me.

[@brainhomestead6]

That definitely sounds like more work than I’m interested to do. The tractor has been working pretty well, but tractors are just torque factories so I’ve never had an issue there. I didn’t spend much time in the UP when I lived in MI. Just a couple of trips to Sault Ste. Marie.

[@getl0st]

You could probably use a Mini Trench Cutter to do it this way

[@brainhomestead6]

@@getl0st I didn’t think about that, but I’ll bet you’re right. It worries me when he said “I dug them out by hand”.

[@happyhome41]

How to replicate your rig, please ? 🤷‍♂

[@brainhomestead6]

I think you found it in my other videos.

[@williepelzer384]

You can move a mountain with enough rigging.

[@brainhomestead6]

That’s the plan! I know I get diminished returns because of drag, friction, etc. but so far everything has been pretty easy.

[@earldowney8211]

rap the strap a round the stump

[@brainhomestead6]

Yeah, I finally figured out the correct way starting in video #8 or so.

[@FrancoisTCS]

Why won’t you just grind them down instead?

[@brainhomestead6]

I did that a few years ago and it has created more problems. Grinding leaves a lot of roots in the ground and termites moved into the remnants two years ago. Also, every year the roots rot underground and causes the ground to sink in. So every year I have to dig back into the ground and remove the rotting roots and fill back in with dirt. Grinding adds way more work in the future.