Trees are Ok for a hoist - they usually creak a bit before letting go!
I used to use a foreloader on the front of a Ferguson tractor which was fine if you could stand the noise of the engine running. Control was a little dificult as there's very little feel to the hydraulics and it was all too easy to lift the car on a pipe or something - but I did several that way. The refinement was to use a chain block which also enabled the loader arms to be propped with a wooden post and the engine turned off - bliss!