WHICH ROOT RAKE/GRAPPLE ?

[hks003]

What about a landscape rake for the 3 ph? Back in, push in the Holly bushes, drop the rake on the vines, pull out. By far your cheapest option.
LR16 Series Landscape Rakes* | Land Pride

 

[fried1765]

What about a landscape rake for the 3 ph? Back in, push in the Holly bushes, drop the rake on the vines, pull out. By far your cheapest option.
LR16 Series Landscape Rakes* | Land Pride

That might seem like a good idea, but it really is not.
The best way to snag the multiple bittersweet vines is about 6'-8' above the ground where they are usually in a twisted mass, almost like a giant bird nest at times.
At ground level they are many individual small vines, that grow mostly vertical for several feet.
The vines would slip between the landscape rake tines at ground level.

Something like a landscape rake on the end of my 11' backhoe could work great, but that something would need to be custom made.
A grapple with the right teeth seems like the next best idea to me.

 

[goeduck]

That might seem like a good idea, but it really is not.
The best way to snag the multiple bittersweet vines is about 6'-8' above the ground where they are usually in a twisted mass, almost like a giant bird nest at times.
At ground level they are many individual small vines, that grow mostly vertical for several feet..

That sounds like you could go in with a deep tine (no cross members up front) L bottom Grapple, get the bottom teeth to the twisted mass, then lift up to pull them out. The taller tractor with higher lift, the better. See 4570Man post #47 for deep tine grapple.

Or even a set of forks. Or a Silage/Manure Rake Grapple

218 Titan Implement Compact Tractor Manure Fork Grapple for sale in Denham Springs, LA. 4-H Equipment, LLC Denham Springs, LA (225) 664-436

 

[fried1765]

That sounds like you could go in with a deep tine (no cross members up front) L bottom Grapple, get the bottom teeth to the twisted mass, then lift up to pull them out. The taller tractor with higher lift, the better. See 4570Man post #47 for deep tine grapple.

Or even a set of forks. Or a Silage/Manure Rake Grapple

Yup..... a deep tine grapple with no cross members in front is exactly what I am thinking I need.
The "Faver" grapple recommended by 4570Man is the style I think will work best for me, and there are several manufacturers of that grapple design.
Regular forks (I have EA forks) will not do a satisfactory job, because there are only two forks.

 

[Notforhire]

HKS003 may have hit upon something here.
I built a SSQA to 3 point hitch converter several years ago. This allows me (among other things) to attach my york rake to my FEL. I haven't used it for vines in a tree, but I have raked out shrubbery and such from stream banks and cleaned out ditches.
Because of the curve of the teeth I can see how it may work. Once the vines are dragged to the ground they could be picked up for disposal with about any grapple. If this would be the only use for the rake, It could simply be welded directly to a SSQA plate and the 3PH converter would be unnecessary. You wouldn't need a high quality rake for this application and teeth could be removed if desired to increase the spaces between them. Reach would be about 14ft, I'd guess.

Thoughts?

OP,if you want to see what it looks like, I would be happy to connect it together and submit a photo.

What about a landscape rake for the 3 ph? Back in, push in the Holly bushes, drop the rake on the vines, pull out. By far your cheapest option.
LR16 Series Landscape Rakes* | Land Pride

 

[fried1765]

HKS003 may have hit upon something here.
I built a SSQA to 3 point hitch converter several years ago. This allows me (among other things) to attach my york rake to my FEL. I haven't used it for vines in a tree, but I have raked out shrubbery and such from stream banks and cleaned out ditches.
Because of the curve of the teeth I can see how it may work. Once the vines are dragged to the ground they could be picked up for disposal with about any grapple. If this would be the only use for the rake, It could simply be welded directly to a SSQA plate and the 3PH converter would be unnecessary. You wouldn't need a high quality rake for this application and teeth could be removed if desired to increase the spaces between them. Reach would be about 14ft, I'd guess.

Thoughts?

OP,if you want to see what it looks like, I would be happy to connect it together and submit a photo.

If you have time, I would love to see a photo of that setup.

 

[Notforhire]

I'll take care of that, weather permitting.:thumbsup:

If you have time, I would love to see a photo of that setup.

 

[Xfaxman]

------------- I would love to see a photo of that setup.

Lots of photos here: ssqa 3 point adapter - Image Search

This is mine. It has extra rollback built in: 3 point implement hitch adapter Heavy Duty

With the 6' box blade on the adapter:

 

[Xfaxman]

------------------------ I would love to see a photo of that setup.

Found the photos of my 6' landscape rake on the 3 point adapter:

 

[fried1765]

Found the photos of my 6' landscape rake on the 3 point adapter:

View attachment 631014 View attachment 631015

Interesting use of a rake, but that would surely take my holly branches out as well as the daxx bittersweet.
I still think it's gotta be a long/wide open tooth grapple of some sort for me.