Rant: That $1,200 tree puller sounded great until the ground froze

Bought a hydraulic puller last fall to speed up stump removal jobs in Vermont. First two weeks it was a dream, then the frost hit and it just spun in the mud, wasted a full Saturday on one maple. Anyone else had luck with a different setup for winter work, or should I just go back to the winch and patience?

2 comments

2 Comments

joel_jones1mo ago

Stare at that frozen ground and wonder why I ever thought hydraulics could beat New England winters. Bought a similar rig back in '09 and learned the same hard lesson, except my maple decided to take the puller with it when the chain finally bit. These days I keep a pair of old tire chains in the truck and just swap them onto the puller's wheels, helps some but not enough to call it a fix. Winch and patience might be boring, but at least it doesn't make me feel like I'm teaching a pig to dance on ice.

avery2191mo ago

Yeah @joel_jones, that pig on ice bit hit too close to home, feel for you man.