chain-attached grubbing "plow"?

[miles2go]

chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

Last week we took delivery on our first tractor, a 34hp Kubota L3400HST 4WD.

One of the chores it does quite well is pulling out manzanita brush with a chain. This works well for larger brush which is 4-8 ft tall and 10-20 years old -- and which is near level ground for the tractor.

In other cases there is shorter (1-2 ft tall, < 5 yrs old) manzanita brush in denser stands on slopes too steep for the tractor to get near.

Is there some sort of grubbing "plow" that could be manipulated by an operator on foot on the steep hillside and which would be dragged by a chain attached to the tractor on level ground 40-50 feet away? This would be very handy for uprooting the smaller stuff. I can do it with a grubbing mattock by hand, but putting tractor power into would make the work easier I think.

More info about my situation here .

 

[tillerkiller]

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

I see in my mind a day when your "grubbing plow" chases you down the hill to your tractor, and pops a tire (or maybe pops you!) /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I would however think that anything that was heavy enough to do the job would be too heavy to carry up the hill. I have never seen manzanita so I may be way off base here.

I wonder if a choker cable would 'choke' around a stand of manzanita?

All you would need is a slip hook and some cable (chain will probably not choke if it gets clogged up by weeds) to try it out.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

What are you going to do with a slope that is "too steep for the tractor to get near?"

Is it even necessary to remove the brush?

 

[miles2go]

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

I envisioned this as a two-person job: one on the tractor; one manning the grubbing plow.

I also imagined that the tractor would be *above* the manzanita that was being grubbed.

The attached photo shows two stands of 2-foot tall manzanita on a 25% slope near my house. Each stand probably has 2 dozen plants in it, which is why grubbing rather than choking seemed most appropriate. (Maybe choking would work; I haven't tried yet.)

If I were using a device such as I describe, the tractor and tractor operator would be uphill, beyond the right edge of the photo.

 

[RalphVa]

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

Nearest thing to a tractor-operated grubbing hoe is a back hoe.

Ralph

 

[Highbeam]

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

Those look mowable with a brush hog. They'll just disappear without having to get off the machine.

 

[miles2go]

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

To address some questions that have come up:

Slope is too steep for brush-hogging. If you do brush-hog manzanita of this size, you end up with dozens of short, sharp stumps. Very unpleasant to step on. Manzanita is a very hard wood.

Nearest level ground for tractor is 30-40 feet away in this example -- too far for a backhoe to reach. And ... I don't have a backhoe.

My goal is to dislodge and uproot the plants. I can do this by hand with a grubbing mattock, but it would be nice to use tractor power. The tractor cannot come closer than 30-40 feet to the manzanita in question due to steep slopes.

The photo in my earlier post is just one example. There are other comparable areas where this would be helpful.

In theory I could hook a chain onto each tiny plant individually in every stand of these small manzanita, but I'm looking for a method to uproot at least several at one go.

I wish to remove them as part of fuel-reduction in firebreaks near my house and along my drive.

 

[tillerkiller]

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

Do they have farm auctions in your area? It sounds to me like you may stumble upon some piece of machinery that could do what you want with some modification. What about one of those circular bladed gasoline trimmers? The kind that are like weed-whackers except they swing a circular saw blade?

 

[miles2go]

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What about one of those circular bladed gasoline trimmers? The kind that are like weed-whackers except they swing a circular saw blade?)</font>

That's a DR Trimmer-Mower with Beaver Blade. We have one of those and have done much previous clearing with it. They leave behind short stumps, which then impede the travel of the DR, especially on slopes. Pulling the manzanita from the ground, roots and all, is preferable -- in our experience.

I'm going to explore the choker idea. Anyone know the correct materials to use for one suitable for small brush (as opposed to timber)?

 

[BamaRob]

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

I have a similar situation with Chinese Privet hedge. A choker cable would probably work better, but all I have is a chain. I hitch the chain to my drawbar and wrap it around the base of the privet hedge (at least twice around the base of the trunk). I keep the tractor in low range, 1st gear and at around 1700 RPM. It pulls them out rather easily. I don't know how privet compares to what you're dealing with, though. Privet has a very shallow root system (you can pull small ones by hand). Even the biggest ones that are 3+ inches at the base and 15' tall are no problem for my 2615 4WD.

Good luck.

BamaRob