Mechanical winch
A winch is used primarily where extremely safe felling is demanded. Examples include felling a tree near buildings, overhead power lines and roads, as well as other confined spaces. A winch is also used to great advantage if the tree is difficult to assess in terms of lean, branch overhang, damage/decay, etc.
Before using mechanical winches, make sure that you and your team have the proper training and experience in advanced felling situations so that you know how and when to use them. Safety first – always!
There are many different types of winches and winching techniques on the market. The range includes everything from manual hand-powered winches to petrol engine and battery powered winches.
Additional equipment needed to execute safe and effective winching, include: a winch, attaching rope/wire, pulley, straps, ladder or throwline with weight, and felling tongs with telescopic handle to attach the rope at the desired height. Often, a long, rigid pole is sufficient to place the rope at the desired height.
Make sure the rope and the slip knot are mounted in line with the direction of pulling, so that the tree does not twist when applying force with the winch. Do not apply force in the attaching rope until the felling cuts are fully complete, since this might lead to severe tree splitting (barber chair) or force the tree 90 degrees off the desired felling direction. Ideally, you should first finish the cuts, support the tree with wedge(s), make sure the chainsaw operator is out of the immediate risk area, and then apply force in the attaching rope/wire.