big hook for busting roots?

[ohbehave]

As I mess around with my tractor....and attempt to clear my weed-tree forest....

It has occured to me that if I had a heavy duty hook.... like single prong claw.... that I could attach to my 3-point and lower into the ground to drag behind me, I could really get through some of the biggest roots.

I've heard of people using a backhoe to dig around the base of their tree before pulling the tree over. That way, they do not need to grind the stump when it's done. The tree basically falls out of the ground.

I'm wondering is thick, heavy duty sharp claw could do the digging around that same tree.

In any case, sometimes I need something to just bust things up in the earth so that I can turn around and begin digging into it with the front bucket.... and getting the earth prepared smooth it over.

Does this heavy, sharp talon type thing exist?

Thanks
(and aw heck, maybe I should just get the darn backhoe!)

 

[jeff9366]

I think you are looking for a sub-soiler:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/272619-3-pt-single-shank-sub.html

Fred Cain Tractor Subsoiler, 3 point hitch

 

[Burtonbr]

Do you have a box blade?
I removed a few 8" stumps like you talk about, I used a shank dropped on my box blade and it tilted far right then went around the tree a few times ripping out the roots. Worked pretty well. The scarifiers can dig too deep when dragging all of them but the will break up some dirt..

 

[newbury]

Check out
https://heavyhitch.com/store/heavy-hitch-accessories/heavy-hitch-ripper/

 

[ohbehave]

Ok... I'll take a look at the ripper stuff.

Interesting that they are designed with that blunt, flat face that goes through the soil.

I was thinking something closer to a sharp face that "cuts" through the earth (and whatever is in it's way).... picture the face of a maul (for splitting wood)...only the entire maul head would be maybe 10" tall.

 

[rshrimp]

I just ordered on of these (heavy Hitch) and got the "it shipped today" notice today. Looks heavy duty. I also ordered the John Deere 3 point receiver hitch from the dealer. Should have it all working this weekend

 

[compact]

Stumps are tough, I have a single shank subsoiler that I bent the draft pins and frame foreward with a 54HP tractor, loader, loaded tires and skidder chains, 4,000 lb lift and pull at the same time. Never even wiggled the 10" maple stump.

 

[remington270]

Stumps are tough, I have a single shank subsoiler that I bent the draft pins and frame foreward with a 54HP tractor, loader, loaded tires and skidder chains, 4,000 lb lift and pull at the same time. Never even wiggled the 10" maple stump.

I would second this. Tractors are never as strong as you think they are.

But if your trees are just weed trees as you say, you could make some progress without disaster.

I might recommend a heavy duty bushhog if you can drive over the trees. In my experience, if my tractor can tip the tree, it's history. Cleared out some fields I thought were "gone" this way.

 

[dusty3030]

When I was a teenager I saw a unknown buried cypress stump rip the whole three point assembly out of the *** end of a big old JD 8630 pulling a 6 or 8 shank subsoiler.

That ground had been worked for probably 50 years or more and that old cypress wad hiding in the earth got that tractor good. They parted it out versus fixing.