Brush removal project -tree puller attachment?

[Hay Dude]

I bid on and was awarded a decent size brush removal project. It's not an ordinary project, though.
What makes it a little different is the brush is located along about 800' of stream and a 200' long pond in swaths about 10-20' deep. The brush was allowed to flourish along the pond and stream for 5+ years while I farmed hay just beyond the brush.
The property is very delicate. It's a historical farm and is a National Historic Landmark site. The project is very visible and "neatness" counts big time. I cannot go wild with a skid loader and brush cutter and make a big mess.
The brush consists of many autumn olive trees, mostly 2-3" in diameter and many other species of stickers and invasive brush.
The ground is semi-damp. Customer (a local land conservancy) wants me to wait until winter to reduce ground compaction and disruption of animal species. Their hope is the ground may be frozen. That's about a 50-50 chance.
I have 3 farm tractors, 2 with loaders and hydraulic circuits out at loader ends.
I was thinking of approaching the stream/pond perpendicularly with tractor/loader and grasping the olive trees and "plucking" them out of the ground with a "tree puller", then cutting the rest with brush cutter & saw blade, keeping tire ruts to a minimum.

I also have a 15' Deere CX-15 bush hog, but it may not be able to be utilized in many places along the stream and it will throw a lot of flying debris into the pond.

I would have to invest ~$1,500 in the tree puller.
I welcome any suggestions and one question I have is the tree puller really effective? Would it also grasp brush and pull it, or would the brush "slip through" the jaws?

 

[4570Man]

I’ve got a decent amount of experience with a Danuser puller in front of a 95-2 Kubota CTL. It’s a mean machine and would do a neat job. But it’s $3,000 and I think it would be close to useless on a tractor. Cutting the brush with weed wacker blades is the worst of pretty much any option. You can’t mow over it for all the tire popping stobs and they’ll grow back quick.

 

[Hay Dude]

Thanks for the reply. Why would a puller be useless on a tractor?

 

[4570Man]

Because you don’t have nearly indestructible loader arms, 7500 pounds breakout force or anything close to as good visibility.

 

[CobyRupert]

Do they want you to just cut it or remove it?
Not sure about your specific situation, and I can only speak about the tools in my shed, so on that note, I use my 3 point hitch skidding winch to remove a lot of trees, bushes, and brush, ....from remote distances too. Handy for not ripping/rutting up where you don't want things rutted up.
Just a few weeks ago we wanted to remove four bushes from in front of my apartments but I didn't want to drive on lawn. Took 4 choker chains, wrapped one around each bush, and with one pull gone, roots and all, while tractor stayed parked on driveway. Granted, this is different than a 1000' x (10'-20')' area, but have used same technique and one big chain with a slip hook around clusters of bushes.

 

[Kingsqueak]

I don稚 think a puller is a good idea on a tractor unless you have a giant 100+ HP class ag tractor. You need the low center and power of either a large commercial loader or a track steer. You risk twisting up your loader arms. Look at people on YouTube trying to use a stump bucket on smaller tractors, it痴 too much strain on them IMO. A stump bucket on a track steer is another way to do it too. Use a grapple on a tractor to pick them up while someone uproots them with the skid.

A mini ex with a small bucket and thumb would do the job well too. Use the tractor to level it all out and clean up after.

 

[rob in ore]

I have a Brush Grubber purchased from Northern Tool for about $80 and I'm very happy with it. I use it to pull 1" to 3" trees with 10' or 20' of 5/16" chain hooked to either the drawbar or the FEL, depending on the terrain and situation. The tractor is a Kubota B2320. They sell larger sizes that might suit your project for a lot less than $1500. It makes a world of difference if someone is on the ground hooking the tree and someone else is on the tractor. Hooking, unhooking and moving the chain takes a few minutes per pull.

 

[bikerdib]

How do you plan to smooth the land back out after removing the trees? There will be holes and rough ground after the roots are pulled out of the ground.

 

[joeu235]

Is chemical removal out of the question? Spray, wait a year, and shred...minimal impact.

 

[Diggin It]

Personally, I think I would have had all this worked out before bidding the job.