terkio wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2019 10:13 am
A two tons "come along" is a handy tool.
I have used it to pull out my boat at places with terrible boat launches if any.
Some 1200 pounds with it's trailer to drag out of sand and mud.
For long reaches, I use a steel cable with much care, because in case it breaks it is deadly. A chain is safe.
Chains break too... Lots of experience with towing cars using chains as a young guy, and it can get dramatic if you don't take up slack carefully.
Of course I have a story... Back in the 60s I was walking home from the food market in back bay Boston when I saw some young man in a pickup truck trying to help a pretty girl with a stalled camero (or firebird). He was probably thinking with his wrong head and did not gently take up the slack in his chain, when it suddenly pulled tight, the chain snapped and flew straight back through the girl's windshield.
I wasn't close enough to warn him to slow down and watched the drama play out from a safe distance. I hope he ended up marrying that girl, but if it was her husband's/boyfriend's car that probably didn't end well.
Other hard pulling I have done is vehicles stuck in soft sand.
I used nothing but a chain for safety reason. A trick I learned is to rock the stuck vehicle by assistants while gently pulling.
With two guys each side rolling hard the vehicle on its suspension, the wheels raise out from the sand like magic.
A great trick, no digging, no sand plate, no hard work and with a chain perfectly safe.
I would never use the steel cable and come along to persuade a tree to fall some way. We recently cut down a cherry tree that was close enough to may be hit a building. We took no chance. Climbing to cut high branches was the way to go.
Using a harness and a safety rope.
At my age I don't even like to climb ladders, let alone climb a tree with a chain saw. I may leave the come along in place for another week and if I see no change perhaps remove it. At some point I expect the tree to come down by itself eventually, with some luck I can nudge it in a better direction, or not.
A few months ago I cut a much smaller tree, but still tall enough to hit my neighbors house in one direction, and his garage in the other. It was a live tree and I was able to drop it safely between both buildings. Using conventional steering techniques with notches cut in the trunk to direct the fall. Much larger, dead trees are not as reliable.
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I have been able to drive my way out of soft mud by shoveling out a clear unobstructed path behind the front wheels, and absolutely NOT rocking the mower forward and back, but only backing out in the clear path direction so the front wheels don't dig in again. This can take multiple attempts but has worked before. Since buying the come along, I haven't been stuck (knock on wood).
JR
PS: another perhaps amusing anecdote about towing cars, I was once the driver of the second car being towed. I grew up in a small town, me and my brothers had a somewhat contrary relationship with the local Barney's (mostly for speeding and driving loud cars). We had to tow this car from the other side of town through the main intersection in the middle of town and past the police station. My brother decided to make the pull during the rush hour when an officer was directing traffic at that main intersection. As I pulled up next to and past the officer directing traffic he saw that I was being towed and motioned for me to stop... I just shrugged my shoulders like what could I do, and kept going.
We made it home with no additional drama.
Cancel the "cancel culture", do not support mob hatred.