Combo stump bucket and tree puller?

[4570Man]

View attachment 820641

Have used a chain to pull trees or brush out over the decades. This is much easier. One of the best employees I’ve got. Have used it reach up and tear off cab slapper branches. Use FEL hydraulic pole saw for the bigger stuff. Welcome to the jungle.

I ran one of those for a few hours on a 95 Kubota skid steer. That’s an impressive tool no doubt but the price is kinda steep especially for a tractor that can’t use it to its best potential.

 

[2manyrocks]

Even if a tree weighs 500 lbs, what would is the resistance force in lbs against being able to uproot it?

 

[Smokeydog]

While it is built to handle skidsteers and really terrorize trees it can also be gentle and precise. Often overlooked or tried on smaller machines. Plucking up evasive woody tree/brush is what I needed on this 300+ year old homestead. Privet, Russian olive, multiflora rose, those damn Bradford pears. Hardwood trees growing in the wrong place. The reach with a tractor FEL and less damaging to the landscape than a skidsteer is appreciated. It’s like a game of “Operation” pulling out trees and briars out of the blueberry patch, orchard, borders, fences and along roads. A tool that multiplies man hours can easily pay for itself while providing hours of tractor therapy.

Innovative, multi purpose tool. 6-7 years ago was $2.050. A lot then but now after using a wise investment. Don’t think it’s lost any value and has paid high dividends. Finding our own best path forward is part of the journey.

 

[BnRidge]

Grabbing something higher up, say 4-5ft, push and curl it forward to bend it over and break half the roots, then pull curl back and break the other half, seems to work better than just simply lifting.

 

[2manyrocks]

I can see a tree puller being super handy for pulling out smaller vegetation without leaving the comfort of the OP's air conditioned cab. But my experience using a backhoe, not a tree puller (I've never used one), is that when tree trunks start getting up around 3-4," they are hard to dig out around here.

 

[2manyrocks]

Previous thread on TBN discussing this question: Help me manage my expectations for this tree puller, please

Stump grapple (looks like stump bucket + grapple): 72" Piranha Tooth Bar Install and Review!

Stump grapple 470lbs for tractor: MTL 2020 Model HD Tractor Stump Grapple — MTL Attachments

Tree puller: MTL X-Series Tree Post puller - John Deere loader Mount or Euro — MTL Attachments

But....not that I pretend to know for certain, but I'm wondering if a tree puller might tend to slip off the tree and not bend the tractor's loader cylinders where a stump bucket would get stuck in tree roots so the loader cylinders might be the first thing to get bent.

 

[Smokeydog]

The beauty of Danuser Intimdator is a couple of quick stabs at the rootball to break roots and ground really helps with getting trees out. Gripping and pushing low uses the tree’s weight to help roll the rootball out. This position has cylinders retracted and loader is in position best for strength and safety.
Have a live pressure gauge on the M59 loader lift cylinders. Can lift to relief of about 2850psi. Curl it goes up. Push forward can go over 5000psi. Unlike a backhoe, a loader can use the tractor’s traction for digging strength. Like any tool you can bend or break if not used correctly. Got to know the limits of what you use.

 

[2manyrocks]

Much depends on the tree size, species, soil conditions, implement used, tractor FEL strength and the operator.

One other consideration is I would think it more difficult to see a stump bucket from the cab of a tractor unless one mounted a camera to see over the hood.

 

[Rich_Z]

Well, I wound up ordering a Notch tree puller.

Notch Manufacturing Inc.

I guess I'll see how it works out when I get it and get a chance to play with it.

 

[2manyrocks]

The tree service I use owns a Kubota compact track loader that I think is the same size as the one in the Notch demonstration video. The loader arms are something like 10-12" deep on that CTL as I recall. Really stout machine.