I finally found the trick for moving big oaks with a mini skid

Last month I had a 14 inch red oak come down in a tight backyard in Columbus. I kept fighting with the grapple, constantly picking up dirt and losing the root ball. A guy on another crew told me to wet the ground first and use a chain sling instead, loop it low and pull from two angles. Took me about 45 minutes less on the next three removals after I switched. Has anyone else dumped the grapple for chains on wet or muddy sites, or am I just late to this?

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kellyj231d agoMost Upvoted

The 45 minute savings sounds about right once you stop fighting the grapple on wet ground. I started carrying a couple of short chains on the truck just for that exact setup, and it's been a game changer for tight spots with any kind of slope.