Bush Pulling

Lucid · Jul 12, 2012

Got some large cedar? bushes I need to remove. Was thinking about using my Farmall 200 to pull them out. Id estimate the trunks to be 4-5" diameter and are about 6' tall.

Hook chain to drawbar and slowly pull, or pull in reverse? Have no ROPS and don't want to get squished. Have read to put a spare tire/rim next to trunk to help pull up/out.

Any suggestions appreciated.

thatguy · Jul 12, 2012

wow.. those are big trees to be pulling.. IMHO you MAY be able to pull them out since you have sandy soil, but not sure.. You may need something bigger to push them over with..

they is a company that makes 'brush grabber' Northern Tool - Brush Grubber Brush Grubber Xtreme, Model# BG-11 customer reviews - product reviews - read top consumer ratings that may work IF you have enough tractor and traction

Good luck

Brian

farmeratheart · Jul 12, 2012

I remember firsthand what a Farmall 200 is capable of pulling. Spent a good deal of my youth and young adulthood on one of those. You sure don't want to be pulling in reverse- much less grip on those R1's when the tread is pointed in the wrong direction! Those cedars are pretty good size- use a stout chain hooked to the drawbar and give it a try. Good luck and let us know how you make out!

Frank

rekees4300 · Jul 12, 2012

Lucid said:
Any suggestions appreciated.

I don't know what a Cedar bush is but if you mean Cedar tree then it's going to take something with more power and weight than a Farmall 200. If you have many to do then hiring a dozer might be the best bet. If just a few then hiring or renting a backhoe might be the way to go?

creekbend · Jul 12, 2012

A cedar tree 4-5 inches in diameter will prove to be more difficult to remove than you may realize. It isn't my intention to contradict the other member's suggestion in regards to using The Brush Grubber, but I don't think that would be the appropriate choice. Usually where cedar trees are found, underground rocks are not far behind. A Brush Grubber might be more successful if you had a FEL equipped with a toothbar to loosen the root ball first. Best wishes. If you have many to remove, rest assured that you will have some work ahead of you.

boggen · Jul 12, 2012

pictures are worth a 1000 words! any pictures of tree/bushes you are trying to remove? picture of tractor?

what are you wanting overall? just remove so you can mow? just to kill them and get rid of them?
how many are you wanting to remove? other?

it burred clear down at the bottom of list of forums "land clearing" forum
Land Clearing lots of posts on dealing with trees and stumps.

some deal with old tire rim. others deal with a A frame. to help create a pulling up force vs pulling over force.

others deal with leaving 5 to 6 feet tall stump left on bigger trees, and push with FEL (front end loader) or pulling over with chain near top of the stump that is left (uses the stump extra height as a lever to pull root bulb out)

others deal with renting a mini excavator.

others deal with renting a SCUT (small compact utitly tractor with backhoe) and digging trees out with backhoe, and using the FEL on a SCUT to fill holes back in.

some deal with a sub soiler, and driving around the tree to cut the roots up.

others use a stump bucket for a FEL or skidsteer.

=============
be careful regardless if you use chain, or cable, both can and will break. and can be deadly. when they do whip back.

if using chain, you can weave a smaller size rope through the loops. and leave rope loose. so if chain breaks. the rope should help hold the chain in place vs whipping back at you.

using heavy blankets over chain can also help.

but regardless try and keep chains and/or cable as short as possible within reason. and have second person around for just in case something does happen.

Lucid · Jul 12, 2012

Thanks for the advice. May try one if the smaller bushes and see how it goes. Can always saw them down low to the ground and grind.

Not sure type of bushes, but the leaves look like cedar trees. Dad & I pulled them out year ago infront of the house. We replanted them in the backyard. They got huge over the years.

k0ua · Jul 12, 2012

I suppose the Farmall is the one we see in your avatar. A high Wheel 2wd tractor.. But this is what confuses me..A cedar tree with a 4 to 5 inch trunk is about 25 to 30 ft high here at least. I dont understand the 6 ft tall... and with its roots intertwined with rock. I have pushed or pulled over many of them with my 4000 to 6000 lb 4wd cut tractors. But I did not say it was always easy.. Sometime I had to dig quite a bit around them with a Front End Loader. I alway like to wait 2 days after a big rain, Then the top is dry enough to drive on and down where the roots live, it is still mushy. Sometime you can just push on them gently with a FEL, and the go right over. It just depends how those roots have grabbed onto the cracks in the rock. Much safer is to get a long chain or 2, and get off 50 feet and put the chain up 5 or 6 feet on the trunk.. Hook to your fixed draw-bar and pull them over gently with ever increasing pressure, No jerking. If you go too high they break off, go too low and you may not pull them.. I have heard a lot about using A frames and other devices to give upward motion, but I have never used one, but I know others have had good success with them. Pushing can be done with FEL if the trees are in good shape, NO dead branches or widow-makers of any kind. Push very slowly with ever increasing pressure, preferably with a hydrostat equipped tractor, absolutely do not get the tree to rocking back and forth, that is when a branch breaks off and hits you in the head..if it starts to lean away, keep going, if it stops, give up and try pulling it with the long chain, if that don't work, start digging. NEVER push on a dead tree. If your trees/bushes are really 6 foot tall, get a chain, hook on to the fixed draw-bar get 20 foot away, and pull gently and see what happens after a good rain. Good luck

James K0UA