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"Tree Jack" Lets You Fell Trees Right Where You Want Them
Getting a tree to fall down right where you want it isn't always easy. Arlan Lothe, Adams, Wis., solved the problem by building a "tree jack" that lets him precisely control which way a tree drops.
The 76-in. long "tree jack" consists of a heavy duty screw jack attached to pieces of square tubing. A four-fingere
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"Tree Jack" Lets You Fell Trees Right Where You Want Them WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 26-2-42 Getting a tree to fall down right where you want it isn't always easy. Arlan Lothe, Adams, Wis., solved the problem by building a "tree jack" that lets him precisely control which way a tree drops.
The 76-in. long "tree jack" consists of a heavy duty screw jack attached to pieces of square tubing. A four-fingered steel "claw" is welded to the top and a 24-in. length of channel iron is welded to the bottom to serve as a base. A handle attached to the top piece keeps the jack from turning when cranking the jack.
To fell a tree, Lothe cuts a notch in it on the side where he wants it to fall. Then he sets the jack against the other side of the tree at about a 45 degree angle. Then he cuts into the tree opposite the notch, leaving about a 1 to 1 1/2-in. wide "hinge". He then extends the screw jack to push the tree over.
"It lets me fell a tree on a dime and saves a lot of time and hassle," says Lothe. "I came up with the idea when we were cutting down large pine trees for use in building a log cabin. The pines constantly got hung up as they fell in the surrounding woods. If a tree was growing off center or was loaded with branches on one side, that's the way it fell. I tried using my loader tractor to push the trees over in the direction I wanted, but in most cases I couldn't get to the tree. I needed something more mobile. I tried using several types of hydraulic and mechanical jacks, but nothing worked.
"The jack has up to 8 in. of travel. However, in most cases I only have to extend the jack about one inch - which is about the same as making three arm movements - before the tree starts to fall over. The jack exerts about 10,000 lbs. of force. I've used it to push over trees up to 30 in. in diameter."
Lothe is looking for a manufacturer. In the meantime, he says he's willing to build units for sale at a price of $275 FOB.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, A.D. Lothe & Associates, Inc., 1451 Dyke Dr., Adams, Wis. 53910 (ph 608 339-9761; fax 9937; E-mail: arlan@maqs.net).
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