Tom Hoffmann's video: Flying Stump

This video is dramatic and amusing. Enjoy. But I'm posting this as a PSA for range safety when working with systems that can store serious energy in the cordage. Shown is my stump pulling system. It is a 42:1 compound block and tackle sized to deliver 20T to the stump using a modest size pulling vehicle. I've done about a dozen stumps with this rig and, in all prior cases, the stump tips over slowly, inch by inch, and grudgingly crawls out of its crater carrying a dirtball about the size of Montana. This time the combination of tree rot and ground condition produced a dramatic fracture. The stump flew fifteen feet in less than an eye blink. That weight at that speed would certainly deliver lethal force to anyone standing downrange. Keep the range clear and take the time to cover or enclose cordage that could let go. And one more thing if you're thinking about a rig like this: It's fun to focus on the force side of the MA system but remember that 42:1 cuts both ways. To move the stump top five or six feet, you're going to need enough cordage to drive into the next town ... !