Does Grubbing Mesquite Work?

[texasjohn]

Use the Brush Busters formula, you'l be happy.

Only solution for keeping small trees going during drought is to add water. Labor intensive way is to stake down a 5 gallon bucket adjacent to tree, fill and let small hole do drip irrigation for you. fill daily

 

[tmc_31]

C4Ranch, I have done several land clearing projects (mesquite clearing mostly) over the last several years for customers. I live and work just west of you around the Abilene area so I am familiar with what you are dealing with. I use a skid loader with a sheepsfoot grubber similar to the one shown on the Brown Brothers web site. This works very well for what it is. As long as the diameter of the Mesquite is less than 2" or so and the soil conditions are right, they will come out pretty readily. If the soil is dry they can be a real pain to get out. The sheepsfoot grubber seems to work best within a week after a 1"-2" rain in our area. When the soil conditions are right, I can take out a Mesquite in this size range in one swipe and usually get it tap root and all. That is the ideal method of removal. Even if you don't get the tap root, as long as you get the basal nut (usually about 6"-8" below the surface) the tree will die and not come back. My sheepsfoot grubber usually contacts the plant 12"-16" below the surface. You can take out a much larger Mesquite with this tool by using it to dig around the tree on at least three sides, then getting under the tree and lifting it out. This can take a good bit more time. Another issue that affects how well the grubber works is whether the plant is new growth or regrowth from a root that was not killed. A lot of times a land owner will just mow his mesquites. In that case the trees will come back with a vengeance. Usually, if a tree just has one trunk, it will be new growth. If it has multiple trunks growing from a single point (more like a bush) it can indicate that there may be a big root down there. Again, you can still get that out, it just takes more time.

The grubber that I use actually belongs to a friend of mine that bought it for use on a small tractor with a front end loader. After he bought it, his tractor dealer warned him not to use the grubber on a tractor fel for fear of putting too much strain on and breaking the fel. He said that they were designed to be used on a skid steer where at initial plant contact the loader arms were down against the loader frame and well supported (not so much with a tractor). I can attest that you will put a lot of stress on the loader frame using a grubber like this.

Grubbing is an effective way to get rid of Mesquite. It is not fool proof. You will have some regrowth and you miss some trees while grubbing. It can be expensive and or time consuming and it is a never ending battle. I tend to agree with Texasjohn in that the best use for grubbing is for land that you want to put into production, such as the food plots that you want to clear. Most of the grubbing I've done has been to land that was going into production with one notable exception. That was a 34 acre pasture that I grubbed for a fellow that wanted the Mesquite out to improve the grazing on his pasture. Mesquites consume an inordinate amount of water, robbing more beneficial plants of needed moisture.

I have a grubber like the one shown on the Jones Machine Shop site for my tractor. It works pretty good if you knock the tree down and break it off at ground level with the fel first then get the root with the grubber. I quit using mine when I bent the top link on my tractor (it puts the top link in compression). I thought about trying a solid top link but decided I would rather sacrifice a top link as opposed to tearing up the axle housing on my tractor. I have found that the sheepsfoot grubber on the skid works better and faster than the one that goes on the 3pt on the tractor.

Tim

 

[texasjohn]

Wow, tmc, you did a superb write up of your experiences. Very complete and accurate. The OP now has a very complete understanding of what his options are for grubbing mesquite and pros and cons of using a grubber, either front or rear.

Great job!! Never seen better. It can't get any better.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[tmc_31]

Ha texasjohn, I can go a little overboard sometimes. Probably way more information than C4ranch wanted to know. He really probably wanted to know if C4 will take out Mesquites (it will).

Tim

 

[texasjohn]

tmc, no, no, no....you're keeping it real....the answer to almost any question can be yes, but....there are some things you need to know...

and, it's the things you need to know that determine the ultimate understanding and decision criteria...at least if one is going to be satisfied in the long run.

Otherwise, one can just purchase stuff, try it out, and learn for your self.

"experience is a hard school, but some fools will learn in no other."

Well, I MUCH prefer to benefit from the experience of others, stand on their shoulders, and make my own new mistakes!!

Hmm...I have been told that, on occasion, I get carried away....could this be true??:anyone:

 

[joeu235]

I have 30 acres of neglected range land that is full of 10 year old mesquite bushes. I use my skid steer and root bucket shown in the picture. I can clear about an acre in 2 - 3 hours. Pulling the bushes out is almost fun, smoothing out all the ruts and stacking the pulled bushes is less fun. That grubbing attachment link above would take one **** of a tractor, at least on my clay land.

 

[C4Ranch]

Tim and Joe, great detail! Thank you!

Tim, still digesting it all and I love your real world experience.

What size tractor were you using when u bent the top link?

I can't imagine using a sheeps foot on FEL unless it was offset, I'd never be able to see it. Don't see how it could damage it though since the FEL would go into relief first wouldn't it?

Do they make a 3pt sheeps foot? Wondering if I could achieve similar results as a SS with my hydraulic top link to angle down then do a vertical lift with 3 pt? Even better if there was a hydraulic clamp to hang on to it after ripping out so I could drop off in a burn pile.

I like the idea of using my own equipment since that's why I have it but don't want to be bending over dollars to pick up dimes either...

 

[yellowdogsvc]

get a land plane.. You won't regret it. The JD LP78 works great to smooth out the ruts/dirt and even has hydraulic rippers for those few roots you miss.

 

[tmc_31]

C4ranch,

The tractor I was using when I bent my top link was my TN70D New Holland, 70hp(58hp pto), Class II hitch.

You are right, The sheepsfoot grubber was designed for use on a skid. You can see exactly where you are putting the grubber, not so easy on a tractor. I sure don't don't think I would want to offset the grubber an put an asymmetric load on the FEL on a tractor.

I have never seen a 3pt sheepsfoot grubber but I don't see why you couldn't have one built. It might pull through the ground easier than the standard 3pt grubber.

Talking about adding a hyd grabber so you can carry the tree to the burn pile, check out the root-n-all
Home Page

Imagine a 3pt version of that