Pulling shrubs/small trees

[skipmarcy]

I've pulled way more trees, shrubs & palmettos & stumps with my boxblade and sometimes the loader bucket than with a chain or rope. It's much easier, I believe, to uproot a tree with your bucket a ways up the tree trunk and use it as leverage. If necessary you can cut a few out-lying roots with your bucket to push over some of the larger ones. My boxblade has ripped out tons & tons of palmettos in Florida - and anyone familiar with palmettos knows they can be tough. I've taken out a few larger semi-decayed stumps with it too. The boxblade, when angled just right with your hyd. toplink can cut small brush clean just dandy, and you're levelling a little at the same time. I've cleared large areas of brush with it and made nice piles to either haul or burn. With the right angle, your boxblade will skim over grass and pick up all kinds of small debris without damaging the turf, given it's reasonably smooth to begin with. I hate having to get on & off the tractor to chain something up, then get off again to unchain it. I'd rather get the most out of my implements and keep my skills honed handling my tractor and keep my seat.

[PAexcavator]

Guys, there are two types of chain hooks. Slip hooks and grab hooks. Grab hooks are more common, they are specifically sized for a given chain size and allow the chain link to slide in and lock in place.

Slip hooks have an opening with a nice gentle radius that allows the chain to slide through instead of the narrow "U" shaped opening of the grab hooks. Almost all my chains have a slip hook on one end and a grab hook on the other. The grab hook is used to make a fixed loop of chain (often useful in adjusting chains to length).

The slip hook can be used used on "D" rings but is most useful when pulling stumps, hedges, and brush. After you wrap one loop around the offending vegetation with the slip hook end, when the tractor starts pulling, the slip hook allows the chain to tighten like a noose. This is extremely effective, and sometimes will even generate enough force to sever a dry trunk.

[flyer]

My chain has grab hooks on either end ... maybe I'll have better luck with a slip hook! Thanks for all the feedback ... it all is helping!

[mtntopper]

I use my Anbo grapple/rake to go under and grab the root ball on smaller trees and snags that are hung up on other trees and slowly back up and let the tree slide down the other tree. The Anbo grapple/rake system works well on brush also and saves time. On bigger trees the backhoe is used to dig around the roots and then I can push it where it needs to go with the hoe or grapple.
Pulling Tree Down With Grapple.JPG

[MadDogDriver]

These are all good ideas if you don't have a BH, but if you do it's the cat's meow to this job, stump & all at once.

[AndyMA]

I use Choker Hooks from Valby Sales on the end of my pull chains. They tighten as you pull on them and doon't fall of logs or trees.

[Offy]

Yep, it's all about wraping the chain properly so it "chokes" the trunk as described. However, I sure like having a backhoe now, snatch and haul off to the burn pile, done!

[MadDogDriver]

Yep, I agree, especially if you're fortunate enough to have a thumb with it too.

[flyer]

I wish I had a backhoe (been looking for one that would work with my 855), but I do not ... a thumb would be awesome!

[MadDogDriver]

I wish I had a backhoe (been looking for one that would work with my 855), but I do not ... a thumb would be awesome!

Check out the Woods backhoes: I think the 6500/7500 fits on a subframe kit (#9285) for your 855.

Here's a link to their manuals, Backhoe Sub-Frame Mounting Kits Operator's Manuals.

The BH70-X/80-X include a manual thumb option, not sure if they'd fit on your 855, but you could call Woods and find out.