This was 100% user error. It would have been best to get the slack out of the chain so that it would not be so high up on the shaft where its lift capacity is its lowest. It wouldn't have had any issues with its rated 3 tons at a lower position...also you were putting your head between the handle and the jack which was a accident waiting to happen. These jacks have been around for over 100 years. They wouldn't still be around if they didn't work.
The most amazing thing about this video is he is still alive. Using his foot instead of a base plate, head in the wrong place, underestimating the resistance and the chain too high, all whilst trying the impossible. A great training video to show people WHAT NOT TO DO!
all the while watching this i kept thinking why does he have the chain attached so high up on the bar. that not only puts undue strain on the jack but makes it harder to work with. your arms are a good foot over your head at their high point when ideally they should be no more than chest high.
There was no way that jack was going to work no matter how you set it up. Even if it was hefty enough it would have driven that little base into the dirt instead.
Hi Russell, still glad you posted this video, its a learning curve for all who watch. With hyndsight when taken any root out with a highlift jack its important to dig and chop round the root base cutting as much as possible first and as the stump lifts continue choppin and digging around. It takes more work bit saves on the weight and pressure on the jack. Good honest video though.
Aside from that others have mentioned about the starting point being too high, there is also no frontal support to prevent the jack from wanting to tilt forward. This is why it bowed toward the tree, rather than sideways/left to right. If you would have prepared the tree correctly (i.e. cut away some of the surface lateral roots) and put in the proper supports for this jack (two front legs to make a tripod to prevent it from wanting to tilt/bend forward & a support board under the main leg to the increase surface area and give the jack something more solid to push into), this likely never would have happened.
He was lucky he did not get hurt. He warned about the danger of these jacks then puts his head in the path of the handle after his warning. He should play the lottery because he was lucky.
After I fell off a ladder trying to cut a tree limb, I found youtube videos showing exactly what I did wrong. I'm glad that videos like this exist, so that others can learn what not to do.
Thanks for making this video. These videos should exist alongside the ones where everything's hunky dory. Shit happens and it's good to be ready when experience is limited.
Thanks for the vid! I saw people using these on youtube (I have several stumps to remove too) and it does work. Don't know if the tool was faulty or not but if you get another jack, soak the ground around stumps the day before to get the ground wet around the stump and do the 2x4 tripod method. Have not put it into practice yet and I hope I can do it. Thank you for the good tips though about safety!!!
Hi Michelle, I contacted the retailer and they sent me a replacement bar. The manufacturer informed them that the jack is only rated to 500kg on the top of the bar. They said, " When removing three stumps it is important that you lower the jack before it reaches the halfway point, then readjust the chain, doing this means the bottom of the beam is taking all the weight."
I did not have a suitable means of shortening the chain. I mention in a previous video that I should have gone for a long link chain to allow me to place the hooks anywhere on it's length. With the chain I had I could only place the hooks on the end. You may have noticed in the video, that I twist the chain to shorten it.
If you use a farm jack do not use it the way he does just Google farm jack safety and watch a bunch of videos bleepin jeep has a good short one I think. Every thing this guy does is wrong and dangerous from how he stands where he stands pulling down on handle instead of pushing down where his legs and head and arm are in relation to the jack. Jacking to high up on the jack. Farm or highlift Jacks are amazing and versatile tools that can kill you or break bones if you are not careful.
Possibly the Jack is standing on a root of that tree and trying to lift itself, the chain is attached much too high, you make 3 more strokes after you see it bend, and this is not a genuine Hi Lift or equivalent, but a s*** one in iron, not cast steel. If it had broken .... I would not want to be near. Please be more careful and read some advise, it's not that hard, on using such a powerful tool, and buy some quality. You are a dangerous man!
You are shifting the lever close to two meters to shift the jack up about 25 mm. To keep it very modest let us say 1000 /50 = 20 x by your sylph like form say 50 kg = 1 tonne. But more accurately probably 1500 /25 * 100 = 6 tonne. I think that there is every possibility that the 3 tonne limit was exceeded. A fire in a barrel might be cheaper. Sometimes we can all learn when things don't go quite right. Great video. Thanks.
Absolutely, start as low possible then keep adjusting the chain to stay as low as possible. The bending moment force is very high in this situation and way beyond jack capacity. Use a reciprocating saw to cut the roots as they expose themselves.
I’m glad you shared this with the TH-cam community. Many of us have discovered the joys and hazards/limitations of farm jacks. They are great tools, and they can hurt or literally kill you. Watching a video with an unsuccessful outcome is an education, and maybe an opportunity to avoid doing the same thing personally. Your video may prevent similar incidents by informing other users. Isn’t that really the point? I’m glad the only consequences were a bruised arm and a bent Jack. Usually the Jack parts are replaceable at a reasonable cost. You are not replaceable; and certainly older and wiser with more experience now. Good show.
Brave of you to put this video on, not everyone likes to show their failures. To be honest, I wasn't surprised as the set up seemed all wrong. You were jacking to one side. on top of the root system, when ideally you should be over the top using two chains to pull upwards evenly. Maybe a setup using some smaller gauge R.S.J and the jack would do the trick. Of course all this would take a longer set up, but you can't underestimate your opponent. :)
I have a Hi-Lift and I use it frequently for pulling T posts and stumps. I never knew that the rating was lower by 50% as you got higher on the jack. I usually read the manuals and I never caught that, but I will check again. A strong base plate for use under the jack in soft ground helps.
It was not mentioned in the instructions that came with mine and it loses way more than 50%. The retailer said it was rated at 500kg at the top, 3000kg at the bottom. :-)
Interesting. I think the load point was too high because the greatest strength of a jack is when it’s only about 12 inches high but this lift was at almost maximum height. Thanks for sharing
I'm apologizing on behalf of all the people finding it necessary to throw insults. I think you are the bigger man for leaving this video. It's educational - and probably saving a lot of people from making the same mistakes.
I was lucky. I just bought a Farm Jack from Harbor Freight today to remove a bush from my yard. It was a Burning Bush that had been there several years and was pretty thick. Not as thick as the tree in your video but bigger than any bush that I have ever pulled out so far. A neighbor drove by and saw what I was doing. He also had bought a Farm Jack to remove some juniper trees in his back yard. A few minutes later he just showed up with a shovel and starts helping me. First the chain has to have no slack in it and the chain has to be attached to the jack when it is at its lowest position. The next thing he told me is that eventually he gave up using the chain. He dug out under the roots as much as possible. Then he put the part of the jack that was designed to go under the vehicle under the thickest root he could find. Then he simply jacked the tree up. Sometimes the root would break and then he would find another one and work with that. He also cut as many of the smaller roots as he found. This is what he did with my burning bush until we got it pretty loose. Then I wrapped the chain around the stump and connected the other end to my truck and pulled it right out.
Chains 101. A lot of people have NEVER used a chain, so thank you for the information. Always work safely with genuine Hi-Lift jacks!! They are great tools!!
I think if you pre-cut some of the roots it might not have happened. I don’t think amazon would replace it because you evidently took a risk of overloading and possibly knew that if used 5 tons chain while using 3 tons jack. Also, it could have snapped into your body, so you have to be thankful it didn’t. It’s a great video, thank you so much!
lol yea I bet that was easily 3tons too. People underestimate how strong these tree roots are. and thats a really big stump. Much of the key to jacking anything up is a level base too. so even if it wasn't 3tons the unlevel base will guarantee failure. Totally not amazons fault lmao
Yeah I was going to say I could chain that stump to my truck and I still probably wouldn’t rip it out of the ground. I’ve seen excavators struggle to rip stumps out.
Please don't take this comment as arm-chair quarter-backing; I am definitely learning from your first hand experience. After seeing this I quickly recall beam design and the importance of un-braced design length. Even though the jack your using as a beam could support several times the load you put on it as long as it stayed perfectly straight (per the ideal conditions). Only way to avoid a bend is to brace it all along the beam in short lengths. Or as I learned from this video, reset the jack before it gets a third of the way up its length. Great Video! Thanks!
My father told me that you learn by your mistakes. After thanking him for those words of encouragement, he said, "By now, you should be the smartest person in the world." Watching someone doing it all wrong is a valid lesson. After seeing the comments that point out the errors, it takes guts to leave the video up. That's something that I wouldn't be able to do. My main concern are the initial viewers plus those that just glance at the video and don't read the comments. "I watched a TH-cam video," is part of our culture and an easy way to create an eyebrow raising moment of distrust in a TV show. In one of Russel's previous videos, I saw it coming and watched it happen. Russell got himself between the jack and it's handle. It was quick, but he suffered the consequence. He took the time to point out and even show the viewers that it was a painful lesson, one that I learned myself. I know this is a 4 years old presentation but Google searches and TH-cam videos are most likely forever. I think that Russell should either change the title or add "How Not To Do It" and point out the errors as he has done before. I checked and I am glad you are still making videos. The range of the subjects is impressive! Russell, you certainly are not a one trick pony.
It’s your fault the jack failed bonehead. You should of had the jack at lowest possible position connected to the chain where the jack shaft would have handled the 3 tons of force. You started with the jack way up near the top exposing too much shaft exerting force beyond the limit of the shaft. EXAMPLE: On a floor/engine lift jack there are three areas of contact. The nearest point from the jack (fulcrum) is rated at 1 ton, the farthest point from the jack (fulcrum) is rated at 1/2 ton. This is common sense/math/physics. I certainly hope Amazon does NOT replace the jack because it was common user error.
Thank you for your comment Robert. The jack was sold as capable of handling 3 tonnes. I have worked in an industry where lifting and rigging accidents have accounted for a large number of injuries and deaths and my job was to ensure that these tasks were carried out safely using a permit to work system. I am well aware of the effects of leverage around a fulcrum point. If I buy equipment capable of lifting 3 tonnes, I expect the weakest point on that equipment to be capable of handling 3 tonnes, not the strongest! SWL's are just that, a load that the unit is safe lifting no matter where the weight is. I appreciate that it does not state SWL on the information page for this product, but I wrongly assumed that they would not be permitted to sell it without stating the maximum load the entire unit could handle! This omission is very dangerous. Nowhere on the instructions is there any mention of the jack being weaker at the top of the post and the only figure mentioned for weight handling is 3000kg! As far as I am concerned, I followed the instructions. The manufacturer informed me when contacted, that the unit can handle 500kg at the top of the post! In my opinion the description should state that it is rated to 500kg, but that is nowhere near as impressive as 3000kg, so this information is omitted. I also think that it should be virtually impossible to overload the jack without extra leverage on the handle, another design flaw in my opinion. All of my added equipment was rated to more than 3000kg as I wanted to be safe at all times regarding SWL's. I do not consider this to be an error caused by common sense or common use, it was caused by a lack of important information supplied by the manufacturer and poor instructions.
i have to agree with robert. if your job was in fact as you stated then you of all people should know attaching the chain as low on the jack as possible is preferred. even should the jack hold up having so much force that high up could cause the jack to tilt and lose its footing which can be quite dangerous. a weight rating means it is designed to lift that much. you have no way of knowing how much force is required to pull a stump and in fact it was likely that a force beyond that which could life a weight the stated amount the jack was rated at was needed.
First of all, the jack is only rated to 500kg at the top of the post - this information was given to me by the manufacturer via the retailer. I have read the instructions from cover to cover and the instructions only mention 3000kg. I quote: Max Load : 3 tonne (3000kg) Max height of lift: 1000mm. No mention anywhere of losing capacity further up the post. No mention anywhere of keeping the load at the bottom of the jack. I am not a rigging expert, we had level 3 riggers on board who would prepare lifting plans for any lifting work to go with the permits, but I do have a reasonable working knowledge of SWL's and rigging practices. Point taken regarding the base, however if you look at the video the base was well and truly routed into the ground. The stump was moving so the jack was in fact capable of doing the job. How is this user error? user error would be correct if the instructions were not followed.
It is very easy to underestimate how strong a root system is I have seen more than one class 3 hitch ripped off of vehicles as well as bumpers and misc other vehicle parts ripped off from people trying to use their pickup to pull out tree roots. Even small shrubs in yards have root systems that can destroy 5000LB capacity towing receivers. That tree was rather large in diameter and I am not surprised at all that it won vs the jack. Dig up the individual roots and cut them off with a chainsaw and never try to pull out more than one root at a time not the whole root system at once!
You can’t expect any Jack to pull a stump of that size if you don’t do the proper prep. As in digging all the way around the stump and cutting the exposed roots. Glad to see that you took the time to get dressed up for the job however. 🤪
Ignore the haters, they're just trolls trying to make themselves feel better by ridiculing others. Us real humans that all mess things up from time to time appreciate you showing us what can happen so we don't make the same mistake.
Best way, even with that lousy jack (before it got bent) would be to dig down to expose one of the roots. Put the chain around that root, pull it up with the jack, then do the next root and so on. That's how im going to do a giant pine stump with my 8000 pound farm jack.
I’ve seen other people cutting the roots around the base whilst lifting to create less pressure on the jack. Also why is it so high???? That’s lowering its potential.
Love your honesty, but let me tell you that there is more than 3t in that stump, i dig these out with a 3t excavator and you could easily hang the digger on a stump that size and never pull it oit
I'm back! I am checking out this video since I need to pull 3 stumps out too. I am picking up a good quality jack on pay day. I sure do miss those lush green hills and farm land I used to see at RAF Mildenhall.
I think you are supposed to use support legs to form a tripod and fastened together at the top with a thick bolt. 4x4 lumbar would work but steel would be even better
The retailer said that the jack could only support 500 kg at the top of the post. Unfortunately this fact is not mentioned in the instructions. The 3 tonne capacity only applies to the lower section of the jack.
Russell Platten Sure, but with support legs that weight would be distributed and should allow greater capacity. (unless I'm missing something) Also, try shortening the chain section between the stump and the jack.
Yes, legs would have made a difference. I made a mistake buying short link chain instead of long link, it had reduced my capacity for shortening the chain considerably. I think I will have to shorten it. We live and learn. Thank you for your good advice. :-)
Nope. Mr Langley is correct. Any jack of that type and length is dual rated with 1) a tested load and 2) a tested load extended (just like cranes). The upper part of the bar will only withstand 50% of maximum rating. Maximum rating means just that sir, what the machine is capable of under optimal circumstances (just like cranes are rated). Your extensive experience with cranes does not make you good at them, it just means the manual meant nothing. User error.
I was so relieved to see you back away safely from that oncoming SHWAAAKK to the ol' willy. .. Saw it approaching.. Had me cringing . Phheeeeuuwwwww !!
I’m glad you shared this with the TH-cam community. Many of us have discovered the joys and hazards/limitations of farm jacks. They are great tools, and they can hurt or literally kill you. Watching a video with an unsuccessful outcome is an education, and maybe an opportunity to avoid doing the same thing personally. Your video may prevent similar incidents by informing other users. Isn’t that really the point? I’m glad the only consequences were a bruised arm and a bent Jack. Usually the Jack parts are replaceable at a reasonable cost. You are not replaceable; and certainly older and wiser with more experience now. Good show.
I've never used one of these but every successful video showing how to use these jacks the chain is attached at the bottom of the stump by the ground. This guy has the chain attached way up high. Also, in the beginning this guy was cranking the handle while he was using one hand on the jack handle . That looked dangerous to me as the handle could slip from his hands. In addition, his face and head were in the path of the handles path. I am glad he did not get hurt. I think you’re supposed to dig these stumps out somewhat and cut some roots before you start to crank the jack up Good luck buddy. I was thinking about buying a 60 inch high Farm Jack maybe I should get a 48 inch Farm Jack as I am a newbie.
As much as this was a failed experiment I too failed with the high lift jack yesterday. I just could not get the bloody chain choke or no choke to grip the post. Ended up digging the 10 posts 900mm deep out by hand 🥵. Glad to see somebody else failed but at least I still have my jack😂
Just cut it as close to the ground as you can with a reciprocating saw and a tree pruning blade. Then pile about a 20 pound sack of charcoal on top of the stump and light it. The next morning your stump will be gone.
I would agree. You will find the Hi-Lift to be of better quality. I obviously can't speak about all other brands but most if not all are lesser quality copies.
Absolutely peter, the maximum load is only for the bottom of the jack. the instructions with this jack did not mention that anywhere. The retailer told me after this happened!! :-)
I’ve been using a farm Jack to pull out wooden fence post. I had a few stubborn post that would not break from the ground but I would never keep jacking once it was higher then my hips. That just felt dangerous. Had to reset the chain a few times. I have 4 post left that just won’t come out of the ground. The jack sinks bc the ground is extra soft. I have a Jack plate but that doesn’t help with this problem. I was thinking of using a steel plate under the Jack plate. Will that help? Or does anyone have a better solution? Please and Thank You!
You need to be careful using a steel plate, the jack could slide off under tension and injure you Nicholas. I would try making a tripod using 4x2" wood. There are videos on YT showing this set up. :-)
@@RussellPlatten Thanks got the reply. I would still use my Jack plate on top of the steel plate but if I do go this route I will add more safety measures.
Need to shorten the chain. An example of farm jack specification is something like this: Maximum Jacking Load 500mm Lift: 1600kg Minimum Height: 115mm Maximum Height: 1030mm Minimum Lowering Load: 50kg Maximum Pull Load: 2250kg
From my understanding of farm jacks (not very much lol) the higher up the jack you go that 3 ton lifting number decreases the higher you go maybe if he had added stabalizers to keep the angle of the jack reasonably straight it may not have bent like that...Maybe.
You were trying to use the jack at the top of the throw. The jack is much stronger near the bottom, because there is less leverage applied to the shaft.
Thank you for putting this on here and leaving yourself wide open to all the clever bastards who know better,which begs the question, if they know so much about this,why were they on here in the first place.anyway I got your point if they didn’t so thank you for showing ME what could happen if if I don’t get the set up right, this was just as educational in its failure as your other tree pulling tutorial which was successful
@@RussellPlatten The crowd was way too hard on you here. You might have been a little wrong here or there, but far and away- the main problem was the metaluragy of beam. That was barely any stiffer than mild steel. I remember seeing a comparison of the various brands of tractor jacks out there where the conclusion was to pay the long dollar for the hi lift because the others just didnt measure up. Also, a super hand tool for chain work is what we call a choker. Its a really short chain- like 3 to 7 links with a grab hook on each end. These can be hooked into any place on a chain so as to bypass any number of links in the main chain. Get a few made up, and chain a stick to each one so their harder to loose. Once youve used them, youll never be without.
You might be getting criticised in the comments for having the chain too high, but I learned from this video so I can know that rule for myself. Thank you for keeping the vid up for posterity, my friend. God bless!
_"I have worked in an industry where lifting and rigging accidents have accounted for a large number of injuries and deaths and my job was to ensure that these tasks were carried out safely using a permit to work system."_ Translation: "I was the guy who made sure everyone had their visi-vests velcrod together properly, their hard-hats on the right way round and had ticked all the boxes on form 338666B! ; -)
People saying they didn’t know it would be weaker at the top. Come on guys. You don’t need an engineering degree to figure that the leverage of a tree pulling sideways on an I beam is gone be greater at 1.5m high than 0.5m I assumed the Jack was gonna fail by losing grab, but as soon as I saw he was jacking at the top of the Jack beam it was obvious what was gonna happen on that slender I beam.
this happed to us the exact same way, same size stump takes 10nton or more to pull out without digging stump out and chopping stump roots. also wouldn't have buckled if your chain was rapped around using the grab side and lifting right from the bottom of the jack at start.
I think that if I had kept the weight on the bottom half of the jack it would have worked. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the loss of lifting capacity along the length of the bar. I thought the jack would support the weight in the product description at its weakest point. The jack was definitely pulling up the roots before it bent and I reckon it could have done the job. In most cases with any sort of lifting or load bearing equipment it will tell you the maximum weight that it will take anywhere on it. Not the maximum weight it will take at it's strongest point. As far as I can see, this could lead to a serious accident as there is no mention anywhere of the jack only being capable of supporting 500kg at the end of the bar.
He has no mechanical understanding. I use these jack's every now and again and how he is abusing this is unbelievable. To record and publish your failings is one thing but this unforgivable.
before attempting to remove any tree stump, dig around the stump's perimeter and know what the root system looks like. Sometimes there's more underground that what was above.
I always use a tripod made with 2x4's when doing this kind of thing because the jack can get pulled into the stump which will bend it unnaturally.....it looks like this is what happened here. But I may not be able to see from the best perspective.
Predictable outcome with that size of a stump/root system. Not to mention you could see the jack beginning to buckle several cranks before it finally bent. It would work fine for a stump about half that size or smaller. It would work on a rotted stump where the roots snap off easily, but not an intact unrotten stump.
Bow did you remove the brambles to begin with? Our property is very similar in having a lot of rambles covering the land and the tree stumps to deal with after. I appreciate you sharing how to remove some of these pesky stumps...but I would be grateful for o sights onto how you removed those awful brambles as well. Thank you!
Hi Russel, great video. What did Amazon say to you in the end? Also can you provide a link to the exact chain and 2 hooks. Struggling with finding the right one on ebay
russell platten, a responsible manufacturer would have made the variability of the load ratings known to the user at the time of purchase and at the most convenient location during use - written on the vertical component of the jack. you deserved your money back. by the way, i could have made good use of that jack 2 days ago. i used a trewhella super wallaby jack to do a similar job but it was a fail - too heavy and awkward. i ended up getting the job done successfully using a high lift hydraulic jack. fun video, i should add.
I used a Trewhella winch to finish the job on this stump, they are very heavy and awkward to setup. I have published a few videos of this winch. As for the jack, I agree with you the information should be printed on it and included in the instructions. :-)
@@RussellPlatten , yeah, saw that one about the winch. i'd never seen them before. those things were made in victoria, aust. judging by your accent and the plants in the scenery it seems their stuff is exported too.
No, I am from the UK. The Trewhella brothers began making the winches in Cornwall, UK. They moved down under and began to manufacture them in Australia. They are a truly amazing tool. :-)
@@RussellPlatten , their stuff earned a good reputation over here too. about 10 years ago i knew someone who still used a variety of trewhella jack (not a wallaby type) to relocate houses.
Must've been Chinese knockoff with poor quality steel. Usually you have to drive over these to bend them. I have had them fail with the engagement holes shear from too much load tho. We were changing a tire on a swather and suddenly bang, the thing came crashing down ripping out the holes out of the upright and it wasn't very high. Went and got another one. Things happen.
Actually, many products have been made overseas for decades. People just didn't become aware of that until the government required the "made in" statement.
@@dwightstewart7181 yes Dwight , but we actually really did make the high quality, best products right here at home at one time. More people were happy and our families aspired ..... I rest my case. Is it really so clouded with distraction, that we don't perceive the obvious ?.. or an excuse to take a handout...
@@joshuam.2685 .. Yes, and we also hacked together overpriced crap often not worth having. The Japanese took over whole markets (better, cheaper, etc) as a result. Just look at 1970's Sylvania versus Sony televisions as an example. Today, American companies are buying cheap Chinese products, just like they once made cheap products here. It's what consumers want. You're sitting in front of an Asian made computer, for example.
It is possible that you actually exceeded 3 tons. I think the only kind of jack that would do it is a couple of 20 ton jacks with a heavy H-beam across them. Then attach multiple chains around the perimeter, each attached with at least a couple of 5/16" x 6" lag screws. These would all need to go over the H-beam. The tricky part is attaching the H-beam to the jacks but there are ways to do it. I would buy some stump remover but my neighbor owns a log skidder and can winch it out for a 12-pack of good beer.
I think it is a bit of a lottery as to whether something is well made unless it is from a well known manufacturer with a reputation for quality. There are some good cheap tools out there though! :-)
@@RussellPlatten Hand tools in general have improved a lot. There was a time when if you didn't buy Craftsman, you were at high risk of getting today's Dollar Tree quality. Metallurgy and processes have improved a lot since then. But you're still partly right about the lottery aspect. The thing is with something like a farm jack that most people seldom even come across, what would we know about any reputable brands? Sometimes with relatively uncommon items we just have to take a chance with what we can put our hands on.
@@joewoodchuck3824 The farm jack was OK for the money and the manufacturer replaced the beam for free, so I can't complain. I was not impressed by the instructions as there was no technical information on how to use it properly. I had to learn the hard way! :-)
@@RussellPlatten Instructions are lacking for many things these days. I just had to figure out a Chinese thermoelectric cooling kit. Not that hard, but I did need to guess at some things. Sigh.
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This was 100% user error. It would have been best to get the slack out of the chain so that it would not be so high up on the shaft where its lift capacity is its lowest. It wouldn't have had any issues with its rated 3 tons at a lower position...also you were putting your head between the handle and the jack which was a accident waiting to happen. These jacks have been around for over 100 years. They wouldn't still be around if they didn't work.
This guy has been around for 110 years, or he is a smoker.
You can't blame the tool if you don't know how to use it. Thank god he didn't get hurt.
I don’t think the jack has any brains!! You ether.
The most amazing thing about this video is he is still alive.
Using his foot instead of a base plate, head in the wrong place, underestimating the resistance and the chain too high, all whilst trying the impossible.
A great training video to show people WHAT NOT TO DO!
Absolutely! :-)
all the while watching this i kept thinking why does he have the chain attached so high up on the bar. that not only puts undue strain on the jack but makes it harder to work with. your arms are a good foot over your head at their high point when ideally they should be no more than chest high.
Over and over I kept saying to myself ! to bad.
There was no way that jack was going to work no matter how you set it up. Even if it was hefty enough it would have driven that little base into the dirt instead.
- WORD
It was a classic loss of stability due to long unbraced length of the bar/post/member. AISC-360 specification was right again!
William Hagler it’s pretty common to use a farm jack for stump/root removal. That’s the largest one I’ve seen it attempted on though.
Hi Russell, still glad you posted this video, its a learning curve for all who watch. With hyndsight when taken any root out with a highlift jack its important to dig and chop round the root base cutting as much as possible first and as the stump lifts continue choppin and digging around. It takes more work bit saves on the weight and pressure on the jack. Good honest video though.
Cheers Brian. :-)
Aside from that others have mentioned about the starting point being too high, there is also no frontal support to prevent the jack from wanting to tilt forward. This is why it bowed toward the tree, rather than sideways/left to right.
If you would have prepared the tree correctly (i.e. cut away some of the surface lateral roots) and put in the proper supports for this jack (two front legs to make a tripod to prevent it from wanting to tilt/bend forward & a support board under the main leg to the increase surface area and give the jack something more solid to push into), this likely never would have happened.
All true, I have learnt from my mistakes. :-)
Why on Earth does he keep putting his head between the lever and the jack body? Jesus...
He was lucky he did not get hurt. He warned about the danger of these jacks then puts his head in the path of the handle after his warning. He should play the lottery because he was lucky.
There’s an upside down tree under the ground... rather predictable outcome.
That's what I was thinking, the base of the jack was on the stump.
This was a good video because it illustrates how things can go wrong.
Yes, I have learned a few things after posting this video Jeff. :-)
After I fell off a ladder trying to cut a tree limb, I found youtube videos showing exactly what I did wrong. I'm glad that videos like this exist, so that others can learn what not to do.
:-)
Yes, thank you Russell for putting up the video. We are all learning as we go.
So true. If we study others' mistakes, we can recognize those pitfalls when we come to them. Great video!
Thanks for making this video. These videos should exist alongside the ones where everything's hunky dory. Shit happens and it's good to be ready when experience is limited.
Agreed Jared, I posted this video to show what could happen and learned a lot in the process. :-)
A tip: you can watch movies on kaldrostream. I've been using them for watching a lot of movies recently.
@Abdullah Daniel yea, been using Kaldrostream for since december myself =)
@Abdullah Daniel yup, been watching on kaldrostream for since november myself =)
@Abdullah Daniel yea, I've been watching on Kaldrostream for since november myself :D
The base of the jack was sitting on a big root , so essentially the jack was lifting and pushing on itself . That’s where the failure happened!
:-)
Both times you were lifting at the top of the jack really not very bright ! the chain should be a LOT lower when it starts to pull
especially the first stage of pulling the roots.
Thanks for the vid! I saw people using these on youtube (I have several stumps to remove too) and it does work. Don't know if the tool was faulty or not but if you get another jack, soak the ground around stumps the day before to get the ground wet around the stump and do the 2x4 tripod method. Have not put it into practice yet and I hope I can do it. Thank you for the good tips though about safety!!!
Hi Michelle, I contacted the retailer and they sent me a replacement bar. The manufacturer informed them that the jack is only rated to 500kg on the top of the bar. They said, " When removing three stumps it is important that you lower the jack before it reaches the halfway point, then readjust the chain, doing this means the bottom of the beam is taking all the weight."
Russell, the bottom of the frame is also where you get your maximum leverage point. Why you started at the top is beyond me.
I did not have a suitable means of shortening the chain. I mention in a previous video that I should have gone for a long link chain to allow me to place the hooks anywhere on it's length. With the chain I had I could only place the hooks on the end. You may have noticed in the video, that I twist the chain to shorten it.
If you use a farm jack do not use it the way he does just Google farm jack safety and watch a bunch of videos bleepin jeep has a good short one I think. Every thing this guy does is wrong and dangerous from how he stands where he stands pulling down on handle instead of pushing down where his legs and head and arm are in relation to the jack. Jacking to high up on the jack. Farm or highlift Jacks are amazing and versatile tools that can kill you or break bones if you are not careful.
Possibly the Jack is standing on a root of that tree and trying to lift itself, the chain is attached much too high, you make 3 more strokes after you see it bend, and this is not a genuine Hi Lift or equivalent, but a s*** one in iron, not cast steel. If it had broken .... I would not want to be near. Please be more careful and read some advise, it's not that hard, on using such a powerful tool, and buy some quality. You are a dangerous man!
You are shifting the lever close to two meters to shift the jack up about 25 mm. To keep it very modest let us say 1000 /50 = 20 x by your sylph like form say 50 kg = 1 tonne. But more accurately probably 1500 /25 * 100 = 6 tonne. I think that there is every possibility that the 3 tonne limit was exceeded. A fire in a barrel might be cheaper. Sometimes we can all learn when things don't go quite right. Great video. Thanks.
Probably better with a 2.5 Webb strap which would go before the jack breaks at 3t max.
Shorten the chain! Start lower! Geez!
Absolutely, start as low possible then keep adjusting the chain to stay as low as possible.
The bending moment force is very high in this situation and way beyond jack capacity.
Use a reciprocating saw to cut the roots as they expose themselves.
Good on ya Russell. Your sacrifice has probably saved most from making the same error. Courage for posting. It's a big like from me!!
Thank you! :-)
was not the jack's fault. It was the twisting angle you had on it. you have to keep the load squarely parallel with that jack rail.
I saw it was twisting when I edited the video. I never noticed it at the time. :-)
I’m glad you shared this with the TH-cam community. Many of us have discovered the joys and hazards/limitations of farm jacks. They are great tools, and they can hurt or literally kill you. Watching a video with an unsuccessful outcome is an education, and maybe an opportunity to avoid doing the same thing personally. Your video may prevent similar incidents by informing other users. Isn’t that really the point? I’m glad the only consequences were a bruised arm and a bent Jack. Usually the Jack parts are replaceable at a reasonable cost. You are not replaceable; and certainly older and wiser with more experience now. Good show.
Brave of you to put this video on, not everyone likes to show their failures. To be honest, I wasn't surprised as the set up seemed all wrong. You were jacking to one side. on top of the root system, when ideally you should be over the top using two chains to pull upwards evenly. Maybe a setup using some smaller gauge R.S.J and the jack would do the trick. Of course all this would take a longer set up, but you can't underestimate your opponent. :)
I made a few mistakes Gary. I learnt a lot from them! :-)
You should put a link up of this jack to make sure we know the quality
I have a Hi-Lift and I use it frequently for pulling T posts and stumps. I never knew that the rating was lower by 50% as you got higher on the jack. I usually read the manuals and I never caught that, but I will check again.
A strong base plate for use under the jack in soft ground helps.
It was not mentioned in the instructions that came with mine and it loses way more than 50%. The retailer said it was rated at 500kg at the top, 3000kg at the bottom. :-)
Interesting. I think the load point was too high because the greatest strength of a jack is when it’s only about 12 inches high but this lift was at almost maximum height. Thanks for sharing
Yes, a basic error on my part. I have learned from this mistake! :-)
I'm apologizing on behalf of all the people finding it necessary to throw insults. I think you are the bigger man for leaving this video. It's educational - and probably saving a lot of people from making the same mistakes.
:-)
I was lucky. I just bought a Farm Jack from Harbor Freight today to remove a bush from my yard. It was a Burning Bush that had been there several years and was pretty thick. Not as thick as the tree in your video but bigger than any bush that I have ever pulled out so far.
A neighbor drove by and saw what I was doing. He also had bought a Farm Jack to remove some juniper trees in his back yard. A few minutes later he just showed up with a shovel and starts helping me.
First the chain has to have no slack in it and the chain has to be attached to the jack when it is at its lowest position.
The next thing he told me is that eventually he gave up using the chain. He dug out under the roots as much as possible. Then he put the part of the jack that was designed to go under the vehicle under the thickest root he could find. Then he simply jacked the tree up. Sometimes the root would break and then he would find another one and work with that. He also cut as many of the smaller roots as he found.
This is what he did with my burning bush until we got it pretty loose. Then I wrapped the chain around the stump and connected the other end to my truck and pulled it right out.
:-)
This video should be called...how not to remove a stump. Every mistake you can make.
Cut some of the roots first.
example of "if i can make a video, i'm basicly the expert!" WRONG! lucky you didn't catch a handle to the face
What could’ve helped better is that if you cut the roots with a reciprocating saw first that would make it easier to remove the stump
:-)
Chains 101.
A lot of people have NEVER used a chain, so thank you for the information.
Always work safely with genuine Hi-Lift jacks!! They are great tools!!
Cheers Willie! :-)
I think if you pre-cut some of the roots it might not have happened. I don’t think amazon would replace it because you evidently took a risk of overloading and possibly knew that if used 5 tons chain while using 3 tons jack. Also, it could have snapped into your body, so you have to be thankful it didn’t. It’s a great video, thank you so much!
:-)
Awesome information. Thanks for posting your mistakes. I learned more from this video than a successful video!
Thank you Douglas, I learned a lot from the process too! :-)
3ton Banana Jack.
LOL
I like your videos allot more 65. Row well and live 65.
Definitely not a Hi-Lift.
I bet you were easily at your 3t
lol yea I bet that was easily 3tons too. People underestimate how strong these tree roots are. and thats a really big stump. Much of the key to jacking anything up is a level base too. so even if it wasn't 3tons the unlevel base will guarantee failure. Totally not amazons fault lmao
Yeah I was going to say I could chain that stump to my truck and I still probably wouldn’t rip it out of the ground. I’ve seen excavators struggle to rip stumps out.
@ Shane Von Harten
: ".. Definitely not a Hi-Lift... "
True that! This is one tool you don't want to go cheap on.. especially the long one.
Most of these farm jacks are designed with the top of the jack to be braced against the load, which probably explains why it failed here.
It certainly would have helped Joshua! :-)
I’m glad you explained about differences in the hooks.
🙂
I’m impressed you actually do this kind of work, didn’t think there were any of us left
Please don't take this comment as arm-chair quarter-backing; I am definitely learning from your first hand experience. After seeing this I quickly recall beam design and the importance of un-braced design length. Even though the jack your using as a beam could support several times the load you put on it as long as it stayed perfectly straight (per the ideal conditions). Only way to avoid a bend is to brace it all along the beam in short lengths. Or as I learned from this video, reset the jack before it gets a third of the way up its length. Great Video! Thanks!
:-)
My father told me that you learn by your mistakes. After thanking him for those words of encouragement, he said, "By now, you should be the smartest person in the world." Watching someone doing it all wrong is a valid lesson. After seeing the comments that point out the errors, it takes guts to leave the video up. That's something that I wouldn't be able to do. My main concern are the initial viewers plus those that just glance at the video and don't read the comments. "I watched a TH-cam video," is part of our culture and an easy way to create an eyebrow raising moment of distrust in a TV show. In one of Russel's previous videos, I saw it coming and watched it happen. Russell got himself between the jack and it's handle. It was quick, but he suffered the consequence. He took the time to point out and even show the viewers that it was a painful lesson, one that I learned myself. I know this is a 4 years old presentation but Google searches and TH-cam videos are most likely forever. I think that Russell should either change the title or add "How Not To Do It" and point out the errors as he has done before. I checked and I am glad you are still making videos. The range of the subjects is impressive! Russell, you certainly are not a one trick pony.
I have amended the title and description with a reason. It never crossed my mind to do this at the time. Glad you decided to comment! :-)
It’s your fault the jack failed bonehead. You should of had the jack at lowest possible position connected to the chain where the jack shaft would have handled the 3 tons of force. You started with the jack way up near the top exposing too much shaft exerting force beyond the limit of the shaft. EXAMPLE: On a floor/engine lift jack there are three areas of contact. The nearest point from the jack (fulcrum) is rated at 1 ton, the farthest point from the jack (fulcrum) is rated at 1/2 ton. This is common sense/math/physics. I certainly hope Amazon does NOT replace the jack because it was common user error.
Thank you for your comment Robert. The jack was sold as capable of handling 3 tonnes. I have worked in an industry where lifting and rigging accidents have accounted for a large number of injuries and deaths and my job was to ensure that these tasks were carried out safely using a permit to work system. I am well aware of the effects of leverage around a fulcrum point. If I buy equipment capable of lifting 3 tonnes, I expect the weakest point on that equipment to be capable of handling 3 tonnes, not the strongest! SWL's are just that, a load that the unit is safe lifting no matter where the weight is. I appreciate that it does not state SWL on the information page for this product, but I wrongly assumed that they would not be permitted to sell it without stating the maximum load the entire unit could handle! This omission is very dangerous. Nowhere on the instructions is there any mention of the jack being weaker at the top of the post and the only figure mentioned for weight handling is 3000kg! As far as I am concerned, I followed the instructions. The manufacturer informed me when contacted, that the unit can handle 500kg at the top of the post! In my opinion the description should state that it is rated to 500kg, but that is nowhere near as impressive as 3000kg, so this information is omitted. I also think that it should be virtually impossible to overload the jack without extra leverage on the handle, another design flaw in my opinion. All of my added equipment was rated to more than 3000kg as I wanted to be safe at all times regarding SWL's. I do not consider this to be an error caused by common sense or common use, it was caused by a lack of important information supplied by the manufacturer and poor instructions.
i have to agree with robert.
if your job was in fact as you stated then you of all people should know attaching the chain as low on the jack as possible is preferred. even should the jack hold up having so much force that high up could cause the jack to tilt and lose its footing which can be quite dangerous.
a weight rating means it is designed to lift that much. you have no way of knowing how much force is required to pull a stump and in fact it was likely that a force beyond that which could life a weight the stated amount the jack was rated at was needed.
First of all, the jack is only rated to 500kg at the top of the post - this information was given to me by the manufacturer via the retailer. I have read the instructions from cover to cover and the instructions only mention 3000kg. I quote: Max Load : 3 tonne (3000kg) Max height of lift: 1000mm. No mention anywhere of losing capacity further up the post. No mention anywhere of keeping the load at the bottom of the jack. I am not a rigging expert, we had level 3 riggers on board who would prepare lifting plans for any lifting work to go with the permits, but I do have a reasonable working knowledge of SWL's and rigging practices. Point taken regarding the base, however if you look at the video the base was well and truly routed into the ground. The stump was moving so the jack was in fact capable of doing the job. How is this user error? user error would be correct if the instructions were not followed.
LJG So hardcore. Many threats. Zero scare.
As opposed, I suppose, to YOUR "LJG" screen, you gutless piece of shit.
It is very easy to underestimate how strong a root system is I have seen more than one class 3 hitch ripped off of vehicles as well as bumpers and misc other vehicle parts ripped off from people trying to use their pickup to pull out tree roots. Even small shrubs in yards have root systems that can destroy 5000LB capacity towing receivers. That tree was rather large in diameter and I am not surprised at all that it won vs the jack. Dig up the individual roots and cut them off with a chainsaw and never try to pull out more than one root at a time not the whole root system at once!
You can’t expect any Jack to pull a stump of that size if you don’t do the proper prep. As in digging all the way around the stump and cutting the exposed roots. Glad to see that you took the time to get dressed up for the job however. 🤪
It bent because the jack was not completely vertical, so the force exerted bent the jack at the point where it was touching the trunk.
:-)
Ignore the haters, they're just trolls trying to make themselves feel better by ridiculing others. Us real humans that all mess things up from time to time appreciate you showing us what can happen so we don't make the same mistake.
Thank you! :-)
It's beam theory folks. Double the distance and the bending moment goes up by eight - yes eight - times. Keep it short, as everyone else is saying.
...and use some 2x4s to support the top of the jack
Not what she said.😬
I would like to see a jack that is properly designed and rated for such a stump.
:-)
What brand this jack please
Forest Master. :-)
Best way, even with that lousy jack (before it got bent) would be to dig down to expose one of the roots. Put the chain around that root, pull it up with the jack, then do the next root and so on. That's how im going to do a giant pine stump with my 8000 pound farm jack.
:-)
I’ve seen other people cutting the roots around the base whilst lifting to create less pressure on the jack. Also why is it so high???? That’s lowering its potential.
I made mistakes! :-)
Thanks for this video mate, we can learn the hard way and we can do things differently 👍
Very true! :-)
Love your honesty, but let me tell you that there is more than 3t in that stump, i dig these out with a 3t excavator and you could easily hang the digger on a stump that size and never pull it oit
:-)
I'm back! I am checking out this video since I need to pull 3 stumps out too. I am picking up a good quality
jack on pay day. I sure do miss those lush green hills and farm land I used to see at RAF Mildenhall.
Keep the load down low on the jack Mike. My mistake was to have it too high! :-)
Advice from. Experience with the farm jack and stumps. Don't always use a chain.work each side of the stump as u go u will get better results
Thank you Billy, I will take that on board. :-)
I think you are supposed to use support legs to form a tripod and fastened together at the top with a thick bolt. 4x4 lumbar would work but steel would be even better
The retailer said that the jack could only support 500 kg at the top of the post. Unfortunately this fact is not mentioned in the instructions. The 3 tonne capacity only applies to the lower section of the jack.
Russell Platten Sure, but with support legs that weight would be distributed and should allow greater capacity. (unless I'm missing something) Also, try shortening the chain section between the stump and the jack.
Yes, legs would have made a difference. I made a mistake buying short link chain instead of long link, it had reduced my capacity for shortening the chain considerably. I think I will have to shorten it. We live and learn. Thank you for your good advice. :-)
Russell Platten I just ordered a HI-LIFT jack myself. I have about 10 stumps to remove. Good luck! 😀
:-)
Nope. Mr Langley is correct. Any jack of that type and length is dual rated with 1) a tested load and 2) a tested load extended (just like cranes). The upper part of the bar will only withstand 50% of maximum rating. Maximum rating means just that sir, what the machine is capable of under optimal circumstances (just like cranes are rated). Your extensive experience with cranes does not make you good at them, it just means the manual meant nothing. User error.
Thank you for that Michael. :-)
I was so relieved to see you back away safely from that oncoming SHWAAAKK to the ol' willy. .. Saw it approaching.. Had me cringing . Phheeeeuuwwwww !!
I learned a few lessons from this experience! :-)
@@RussellPlatten well then, it is a success !
*bending lift jack* "love it when you get that noise of ripping routes"
*Jack snaps* "so much for a three tonne jack"
:-)
Once upon a time, old people were respected for being the wisest and most knowledgeable. How times have changed.
How times hve changed! :-)
I’m glad you shared this with the TH-cam community. Many of us have discovered the joys and hazards/limitations of farm jacks. They are great tools, and they can hurt or literally kill you. Watching a video with an unsuccessful outcome is an education, and maybe an opportunity to avoid doing the same thing personally. Your video may prevent similar incidents by informing other users. Isn’t that really the point? I’m glad the only consequences were a bruised arm and a bent Jack. Usually the Jack parts are replaceable at a reasonable cost. You are not replaceable; and certainly older and wiser with more experience now. Good show.
I've never used one of these but every
successful video showing how to use these jacks the chain is attached at the
bottom of the stump by the ground. This guy has the chain attached way up high.
Also, in the beginning this guy was cranking the handle while he was using one hand
on the jack handle . That looked dangerous to me as the handle could slip from
his hands. In addition, his face and head were in the path of the handles path.
I am glad he did not get hurt. I think you’re supposed to dig these stumps out
somewhat and cut some roots before you start to crank the jack up Good luck
buddy. I was thinking about buying a 60 inch high Farm Jack maybe I should get
a 48 inch Farm Jack as I am a newbie.
I definitely made mistakes using the jack and you are right about having the load at the bottom. :-)
THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US THE RISK, AND FOR ME NOT MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE.
:-)
As much as this was a failed experiment I too failed with the high lift jack yesterday. I just could not get the bloody chain choke or no choke to grip the post. Ended up digging the 10 posts 900mm deep out by hand 🥵. Glad to see somebody else failed but at least I still have my jack😂
Glad you got something out of the video Eric. :-)
Russell Platten it was kinda after the fact but wanted to see you succeed
@@ericmaher2316 I succeeded in the next video with a different winch! :-)
Russell Platten I’ll check it out
Put a lag screw in the post with only an inch sticking out for the chain to grab on.
Just cut it as close to the ground as you can with a reciprocating saw and a tree pruning blade. Then pile about a 20 pound sack of charcoal on top of the stump and light it. The next morning your stump will be gone.
The USA made Hi-lift Jack is better quality. I don't know about availability in your country, but you would like it.
I have seen a few of the online videos. It looks pretty good. :-)
I would agree. You will find the Hi-Lift to be of better quality. I obviously can't speak about all other brands but most if not all are lesser quality copies.
I got same problem with $33 harbor freight farm jack yesterday. Floor jack 3 tons made the job.
They may replace the bar if you contact them. :-)
One manufacturer states 3 ton maximum at 30 cm. for
anything higher a working load is not quoted. This makes sense.
Absolutely peter, the maximum load is only for the bottom of the jack. the instructions with this jack did not mention that anywhere. The retailer told me after this happened!! :-)
Your problem is you haven't cut the surrounding ground & as many have said it should kepted as short as possible
I’ve been using a farm Jack to pull out wooden fence post. I had a few stubborn post that would not break from the ground but I would never keep jacking once it was higher then my hips. That just felt dangerous. Had to reset the chain a few times.
I have 4 post left that just won’t come out of the ground. The jack sinks bc the ground is extra soft. I have a Jack plate but that doesn’t help with this problem. I was thinking of using a steel plate under the Jack plate. Will that help? Or does anyone have a better solution? Please and Thank You!
You need to be careful using a steel plate, the jack could slide off under tension and injure you Nicholas. I would try making a tripod using 4x2" wood. There are videos on YT showing this set up. :-)
@@RussellPlatten Thanks got the reply. I would still use my Jack plate on top of the steel plate but if I do go this route I will add more safety measures.
Need to shorten the chain.
An example of farm jack specification is something like this:
Maximum Jacking Load 500mm Lift: 1600kg
Minimum Height: 115mm
Maximum Height: 1030mm
Minimum Lowering Load: 50kg
Maximum Pull Load: 2250kg
From my understanding of farm jacks (not very much lol) the higher up the jack you go that 3 ton lifting number decreases the higher you go maybe if he had added stabalizers to keep the angle of the jack reasonably straight it may not have bent like that...Maybe.
Yes, I made a few mistakes! :-)
You were trying to use the jack at the top of the throw. The jack is much stronger near the bottom, because there is less leverage applied to the shaft.
Yes. I made mistakes! :-)
Thank you for putting this on here and leaving yourself wide open to all the clever bastards who know better,which begs the question, if they know so much about this,why were they on here in the first place.anyway I got your point if they didn’t so thank you for showing ME what could happen if if I don’t get the set up right, this was just as educational in its failure as your other tree pulling tutorial which was successful
Thanks for the support Mo. Appreciated! :-)
Haha. Very well said.
Glad to see someone not piling on.
@@RussellPlatten
The crowd was way too hard on you here. You might have been a little wrong here or there, but far and away- the main problem was the metaluragy of beam. That was barely any stiffer than mild steel.
I remember seeing a comparison of the various brands of tractor jacks out there where the conclusion was to pay the long dollar for the hi lift because the others just didnt measure up.
Also, a super hand tool for chain work is what we call a choker. Its a really short chain- like 3 to 7 links with a grab hook on each end. These can be hooked into any place on a chain so as to bypass any number of links in the main chain. Get a few made up, and chain a stick to each one so their harder to loose. Once youve used them, youll never be without.
How much did you pay for that Farm Jack 3 pound and four
3 and 6. LOL
Did you put wd40 on the chain, maybe that will help out strening the jack and improve your leverage 1x40
LOL
Another plan ? Blow it up.
Cheers Rory
:-)
You might be getting criticised in the comments for having the chain too high, but I learned from this video so I can know that rule for myself. Thank you for keeping the vid up for posterity, my friend. God bless!
I learned a few things too! :-)
_"I have worked in an industry where lifting and rigging accidents have accounted for a large number of injuries and deaths and my job was to ensure that these tasks were carried out safely using a permit to work system."_ Translation: "I was the guy who made sure everyone had their visi-vests velcrod together properly, their hard-hats on the right way round and had ticked all the boxes on form 338666B! ; -)
Yes, kind of! LOL
Stump wars...la la la stump wars... May the force be with you...
:-)
People saying they didn’t know it would be weaker at the top. Come on guys.
You don’t need an engineering degree to figure that the leverage of a tree pulling sideways on an I beam is gone be greater at 1.5m high than 0.5m
I assumed the Jack was gonna fail by losing grab, but as soon as I saw he was jacking at the top of the Jack beam it was obvious what was gonna happen on that slender I beam.
:-)
this happed to us the exact same way, same size stump takes 10nton or more to pull out without digging stump out and chopping stump roots. also wouldn't have buckled if your chain was rapped around using the grab side and lifting right from the bottom of the jack at start.
I think that if I had kept the weight on the bottom half of the jack it would have worked. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the loss of lifting capacity along the length of the bar. I thought the jack would support the weight in the product description at its weakest point. The jack was definitely pulling up the roots before it bent and I reckon it could have done the job. In most cases with any sort of lifting or load bearing equipment it will tell you the maximum weight that it will take anywhere on it. Not the maximum weight it will take at it's strongest point. As far as I can see, this could lead to a serious accident as there is no mention anywhere of the jack only being capable of supporting 500kg at the end of the bar.
He has no mechanical understanding. I use these jack's every now and again and how he is abusing this is unbelievable. To record and publish your failings is one thing but this unforgivable.
thanks for sharing I have one but I have small stumps so maybe ok take care
before attempting to remove any tree stump, dig around the stump's perimeter and know what the root system looks like. Sometimes there's more underground that what was above.
:-)
I always use a tripod made with 2x4's when doing this kind of thing because the jack can get pulled into the stump which will bend it unnaturally.....it looks like this is what happened here. But I may not be able to see from the best perspective.
Predictable outcome with that size of a stump/root system. Not to mention you could see the jack beginning to buckle several cranks before it finally bent. It would work fine for a stump about half that size or smaller. It would work on a rotted stump where the roots snap off easily, but not an intact unrotten stump.
:-)
Seems like the jack foot should be on some kind of a bridge so that it won't push down on a root you're trying to pull up.
I made a few mistakes Joe! :-)
@@RussellPlatten We all learn as we go. You don't know until you try.
@@joewoodchuck3824 Agreed! :-)
Bow did you remove the brambles to begin with? Our property is very similar in having a lot of rambles covering the land and the tree stumps to deal with after. I appreciate you sharing how to remove some of these pesky stumps...but I would be grateful for o sights onto how you removed those awful brambles as well. Thank you!
Hi Linda, look for my video on the Oregon brush cutter, I have two different videos showing the two brush cutter heads I use. :-)
Even a medium size excavator , will be not able to pull that size of stump, let alone that small farm jack.
i think that if I had kept the weight towards the bottom of the jack it would have lifted it. It had already began to lift it on the video. :-)
thats mean the root actualy held at 6ton..
try doubling the jack and the job done
So the hook can sing? Like Slipknot?
He almost sounded surprised when the jack failed.., how did that happen .... what a plank
:-)
Hi Russel, great video. What did Amazon say to you in the end? Also can you provide a link to the exact chain and 2 hooks. Struggling with finding the right one on ebay
You can buy the hooks separately from the chain.
russell platten, a responsible manufacturer would have made the variability of the load ratings known to the user at the time of purchase and at the most convenient location during use - written on the vertical component of the jack. you deserved your money back. by the way, i could have made good use of that jack 2 days ago. i used a trewhella super wallaby jack to do a similar job but it was a fail - too heavy and awkward. i ended up getting the job done successfully using a high lift hydraulic jack. fun video, i should add.
I used a Trewhella winch to finish the job on this stump, they are very heavy and awkward to setup. I have published a few videos of this winch. As for the jack, I agree with you the information should be printed on it and included in the instructions. :-)
@@RussellPlatten , yeah, saw that one about the winch. i'd never seen them before. those things were made in victoria, aust. judging by your accent and the plants in the scenery it seems their stuff is exported too.
No, I am from the UK. The Trewhella brothers began making the winches in Cornwall, UK. They moved down under and began to manufacture them in Australia. They are a truly amazing tool. :-)
@@RussellPlatten , their stuff earned a good reputation over here too. about 10 years ago i knew someone who still used a variety of trewhella jack (not a wallaby type) to relocate houses.
Where did you get the chain? :)
eBay. :-)
Must've been Chinese knockoff with poor quality steel. Usually you have to drive over these to bend them. I have had them fail with the engagement holes shear from too much load tho. We were changing a tire on a swather and suddenly bang, the thing came crashing down ripping out the holes out of the upright and it wasn't very high. Went and got another one. Things happen.
Actually, many products have been made overseas for decades. People just didn't become aware of that until the government required the "made in" statement.
@@dwightstewart7181 yes Dwight , but we actually really did make the high quality, best products right here at home at one time. More people were happy and our families aspired ..... I rest my case. Is it really so clouded with distraction, that we don't perceive the obvious ?.. or an excuse to take a handout...
@@joshuam.2685 .. Yes, and we also hacked together overpriced crap often not worth having. The Japanese took over whole markets (better, cheaper, etc) as a result. Just look at 1970's Sylvania versus Sony televisions as an example. Today, American companies are buying cheap Chinese products, just like they once made cheap products here. It's what consumers want. You're sitting in front of an Asian made computer, for example.
@@dwightstewart7181 sadly.. you are absolutely right. Consumerism breeds quick, easy , temporary and disposable
Don't worry about hate comments, thanks for showing your mistake for us to learn from. Stay safe my friend.
Thank you for such a kind comment. Stay safe too my friend! :-)
Seems like a large stump for that jack. I don't know how freshly cut it was - but I would wait a year or two for those deep roots to lose their grip.
:-)
It is possible that you actually exceeded 3 tons. I think the only kind of jack that would do it is a couple of 20 ton jacks with a heavy H-beam across them. Then attach multiple chains around the perimeter, each attached with at least a couple of 5/16" x 6" lag screws. These would all need to go over the H-beam. The tricky part is attaching the H-beam to the jacks but there are ways to do it. I would buy some stump remover but my neighbor owns a log skidder and can winch it out for a 12-pack of good beer.
Hi ! Which one should I choose Original (Hi life )or China (farm jack ) ?
Not sure. :-)
I wonder if a tractor supply jack is any better quality.
I think it is a bit of a lottery as to whether something is well made unless it is from a well known manufacturer with a reputation for quality. There are some good cheap tools out there though! :-)
@@RussellPlatten Hand tools in general have improved a lot. There was a time when if you didn't buy Craftsman, you were at high risk of getting today's Dollar Tree quality. Metallurgy and processes have improved a lot since then. But you're still partly right about the lottery aspect. The thing is with something like a farm jack that most people seldom even come across, what would we know about any reputable brands? Sometimes with relatively uncommon items we just have to take a chance with what we can put our hands on.
@@joewoodchuck3824 The farm jack was OK for the money and the manufacturer replaced the beam for free, so I can't complain. I was not impressed by the instructions as there was no technical information on how to use it properly. I had to learn the hard way! :-)
@@RussellPlatten Instructions are lacking for many things these days. I just had to figure out a Chinese thermoelectric cooling kit. Not that hard, but I did need to guess at some things. Sigh.