Help me manage my expectations for this tree puller, please

[Coyote machine]

Dude, you've got to stop with the blue font. It's impossible to read on the app and it hurts the eyes!

Try asking nicely, or PMing me about your concerns instead of demanding what I should do to make your life easier! I haven't used the blue font in forever, and it's perfectly legible. Maybe you need to get your eyes checked! Are you trying to read the post from a cell phone or tablet?

 

[Oldoak]

I would do as Coyote Machine suggests in post #49. Accept, after cutting or breaking as much roots as possible, I wouldn't cut the trees until after trying to push them over. That way you can push higher up on the trunk of the tree with the bucket and use the leverage and weight of the whole tree to help uproot and topple them.

Edited to correct spelling.

 

[Coyote machine]

I would do as Coyote Machine suggests in post #49. Accept, after cutting or breaking as much roots as possible, I wouldn't cut the trees until after trying to push them over. That way you can push higher up on the trunk of the tree with the bucket and use the leverage and weight of the hole tree to help uproot and topple them.

Certainly a variation of my theme. I hesitated to recommend this particular method because it increases the risk factors of dropping branches/leaders and other things that can go wrong, especially if a first time use scenario. It does work well, especially if done with a tracked mini-ex.

I suppose if the OP showed us pics of his stand of trees it would make it WAY easier to figure out a best practices method to safely remove them...

How about it OP? Some pics from different views would help us and you solve this issue for you...

 

[Dave M7040]

I would do as Coyote Machine suggests in post #49. Accept, after cutting or breaking as much roots as possible, I wouldn't cut the trees until after trying to push them over. That way you can push higher up on the trunk of the tree with the bucket and use the leverage and weight of the hole tree to help uproot and topple them.

A word of caution on pushing trees over.

I have a brand new (in 2012) Kubota M7040, Deluxe cab, FEL, my first new tractor, my baby.

I pushed over several pine trees about 20' high using the FEL and my very heavy blower on the 3 pt. Very proud of myself and my tractor

Then I pushed one over and had a hard time backing up.

The stump and root ball came up under my tractor as I pushed. It snagged the guard for the fuel tank which had an angle arm bracket as the leading edge of the guard.

The angle arm was ripped off the aluminum under-pan for the fuel tank.

6 years later I still see the bend angle piece under my tractor and leave it as a visible reminder.

Now, I use a ladder and get as high up in the tree as I can and attached a very strong nylon tow strap for larger trucks.

I use the strap as it is much easier to lift than my 50 ton rated chain.

Now I assemble enough chain so that I am far back from the tree and cannot be hit as it comes down.

If needed, I can move around the tree leaving the strap in place and dragging the chains.

This is why I am a strong advocate for the puller with the additional hydraulic cylinder. Someday I hope to buy one.

Dave M7040

 

[TSO]

Try asking nicely, or PMing me about your concerns instead of demanding what I should do to make your life easier! I haven't used the blue font in forever, and it's perfectly legible. Maybe you need to get your eyes checked! Are you trying to read the post from a cell phone or tablet?

Didn't realize you would be so sensitive about it ... but know that it was said in a half joking manner which of course didn't translate thru the keyboard. I'm reading it from a phone, android app.

 

[JHurt]

I have one that is similar to this one, built by a local machine shop. I wouldn't be without one now! My property is 20 acres of overgrown fence lines, and pasture, Mostly evergreen trees in the 6-12 inch range. I have cleaned up around my pond with it last year which was mostly locust trees. Any of those getting close to 6" where just to much for my tractor to pull easily. I'm super diligent about not pulling backward once I have a hold of a stubborn tree, afraid that I would damage the loader. And I can tell you from experience that you want to make sure what level is as well! Couple of scary moments on the backside of the pond dam when I was still new to using it, and to a tractor with a loader on it. My wife was NOT impressed! She left me to fend for myself, stating I was making her nauseous from watching.

 

[JohnnyMX]

I had an issue with old pasture that was let go and it resulted in hundreds/thousands of sumac, multi-flora rose and large bushes. I ended up getting a Land Pride STP-25 which is basically the same thing that you are looking at. I think that the STP-15 is the tractor or lighter duty variety. I just cleared out one field in about 8 hours total by using the tree puller to uproot them and make piles and then went back and moved the piles with the grapple. Some of the bushes are 6-8" clumps, the biggest tree I pulled was probably a 5" sumac. I am hitting them while the ground is a bit loose but most of them are just coming up with lifting them straight out. Some required using the curl, driving forward, lift and repeat. My puller has root cutters (not as pronounced as those on the Danuser Intimidator) to go around and cut under the roots. I haven't tried that yet so can't comment. I basically just found that pulling up with the tool tipped down let me lift most of my trees out and kept the tree pointed away from me and the tractor.

I was going to just cut them flush but then realized that my rototiller would hate me. My loader is the LA1065 on an MX5200 with loaded rears and a 5' box blade if that gives any sort of frame of reference.

 

[DeereHunt]

I had an issue with old pasture that was let go and it resulted in hundreds/thousands of sumac, multi-flora rose and large bushes. I ended up getting a Land Pride STP-25 which is basically the same thing that you are looking at. I think that the STP-15 is the tractor or lighter duty variety. I just cleared out one field in about 8 hours total by using the tree puller to uproot them and make piles and then went back and moved the piles with the grapple. Some of the bushes are 6-8" clumps, the biggest tree I pulled was probably a 5" sumac. I am hitting them while the ground is a bit loose but most of them are just coming up with lifting them straight out. Some required using the curl, driving forward, lift and repeat. My puller has root cutters (not as pronounced as those on the Danuser Intimidator) to go around and cut under the roots. I haven't tried that yet so can't comment. I basically just found that pulling up with the tool tipped down let me lift most of my trees out and kept the tree pointed away from me and the tractor.

I was going to just cut them flush but then realized that my rototiller would hate me. My loader is the LA1065 on an MX5200 with loaded rears and a 5' box blade if that gives any sort of frame of reference.

JohnnyMX
- Its now 2021. I am looking at the landpride stp-25 for my John Deere 5303 with 512 loader. Wondering what you are thinking of it now?

 

[Aquamoose]

Ah, I remember this thread! I ended up building my own puller from scratch to suit my specific needs in my densely packed forest of pine, fir saplings. At first it was just the puller with a guard to prevent the tall saplings from falling back on the tractor but quickly realized that if I were to pluck & move it to a pile close by, it would snag up above and cause the sapling to snap at the top of the jaw (first pic) so I made “pincers” to hold it upright while transporting it (second pic). It worked like a charm!

 

[buck12]

Ah, I remember this thread! I ended up building my own puller from scratch to suit my specific needs in my densely packed forest of pine, fir saplings. At first it was just the puller with a guard to prevent the tall saplings from falling back on the tractor but quickly realized that if I were to pluck & move it to a pile close by, it would snag up above and cause the sapling to snap at the top of the jaw (first pic) so I made “pincers” to hold it upright while transporting it (second pic). It worked like a charm!

View attachment 681939

View attachment 681940

Nice setup!