Large Grapple & Yaupons

[tstex]

Hello to all,

My land renter bought a pretty large 2021 JD w 120-140 HP, and a huge grapple. I have multiple 200-300 yr old live oaks w a solid mass of Yaupons that have grown up from the trees 3-5ft diameter trunks to drip lines. Can a huge grapple w enough HP pull up these yaupons. Some prob have 2” diameters.

We just got a 5-6” rain (thank you Lord), so the soil is finally pliable. I’ve never used a grapple but can you grab the top to mid portion of yaupons, then pull up on them, w out the grapple cutting in half the gripping points. I do not want to have a bull dozer remove them bc they’ll damage a lot of the roots.

Thoughts? Do you need pics of the areas in question ?

Thank you in advance

 

[Xfaxman]

Try the grapple and let us know how it does.

I recommend using a tree puller.

The Danuser Intimidator is highly praised here on TBN: Product Line Detail Page: Tree & Post Puller (Intimidator) | Danuser

Mine is a little different:

 

[DaBear3428]

Hello to all,

My land renter bought a pretty large 2021 JD w 120-140 HP, and a huge grapple. I have multiple 200-300 yr old live oaks w a solid mass of Yaupons that have grown up from the trees 3-5ft diameter trunks to drip lines. Can a huge grapple w enough HP pull up these yaupons. Some prob have 2” diameters.

We just got a 5-6” rain (thank you Lord), so the soil is finally pliable. I’ve never used a grapple but can you grab the top to mid portion of yaupons, then pull up on them, w out the grapple cutting in half the gripping points. I do not want to have a bull dozer remove them bc they’ll damage a lot of the roots.

Thoughts? Do you need pics of the areas in question ?

Thank you in advance

I have successfully pulled 4" huisache in dry ground, and the yaupons that i have here are a lot easier than the huisache that have a huge taproot. go for it! BTW this is with a 45 hp 7k# tractor with a cheap 60" grapple so what you are describing will be a cake walk.

 

[DaBear3428]

Drop the open grapple down on top of the brush close it and curl the grapple back to you (down or under) so that you are pulling against the hinge, not pulling against the lid then back up, most of that stuff will pull right out. I did this to my grapple by pulling against the side of the lid on a 6"+ tree.

keep in mind the tractor FEL is not a bulldozer blade and cannot be used as one, also never use momentum with an FEL.

it took me a couple of hours with a porta power to fix the grapple, fixing a tweaked FEL is a whole other thing.

 

[DaBear3428]

Try the grapple and let us know how it does.

I recommend using a tree puller.

The Danuser Intimidator is highly praised here on TBN: Product Line Detail Page: Tree & Post Puller (Intimidator) | Danuser
View attachment 759788

Mine is a little different:
View attachment 759789
View attachment 759790

A dedicated tree/post puller is not a bad option if you have the budget for another attachment, but the grapple will do what you want. keep in mind using a tree/post puller on a skid steer is a lot easier than on a tractor. It is a lot harder to see over the hood of the tractor where with the grapple you just grab everything.

anyway good luck, i grew up out close to lake houston so i know what you are dealing with, those things just grow like weeds.

 

[tstex]

Thank you xfax & bear…really appreciate it…

the sq ft under these Lg live oaks is
quite large so I’m going to hopefully be able to grab multiple Yaupons per pull.

I’m actually in country now so i can take a few pics to show what I’m doing. He has a really tall cab on his tractor so i hope i can get under the outside edges of the monstrosity branches

Thanks again guys

 

[DaBear3428]

Thank you xfax & bear…really appreciate it…

the sq ft under these Lg live oaks is
quite large so I’m going to hopefully be able to grab multiple Yaupons per pull.

I’m actually in country now so i can take a few pics to show what I’m doing. He has a really tall cab on his tractor so i hope i can get under the outside edges of the monstrosity branches

Thanks again guys

yea you might find that the tractor is too big for this.

 

[Smokeydog]

Danuser Intimdator is a better tree puller than a root grapple. Highly maneuverable, precision and visible. Option to excavate and break roots for less ground damage from the root ball an advantage. Grab low, lift and dive forward to pull bigger stuff. Easily pulls up small stuff with little ground disturbance. Try to plan clearing in the spring where trees slip out of the ground much easier.

Don’t need a big grapple but one tough enough for your tractor. 30 year old skidsteer grapple still working well. Pull/push with tines not with the lids.

Root/rock grapples get used a lot too move brush and trees.

Big tractor around trees sounds expensive.

 

[2manyrocks]

I wonder about damaging the live oak roots while doing this if the root systems have grown together.

 

[oosik]

I have a 60" heavy duty Land Pride grapple on my Kubota M6040. It works very well pulling Buck brush. Buck brush - 3/8" butt by two feet high - thick as the hair on a hound dog.

I prefer to cut them down/chop them up with my old riding lawn mower. This way - nothing requires further handling. They tend to not grow back when I use the lawn mower.