How to remove invasive willows?

[rekees4300]

My neighbor has a large area of invasive willows, right up to his/my property line. He doesn't remove or control them as they provide privacy.

Along my side of the property line, I have surface irrigation ditch water. It's an ideal breeding ground for expansion of willows into my property, which is exactly what it has been doing.

In the narrow strip of land between the fence and the ditch water, I have been cutting the willows back to ground level using pruning shears. Several times per year as they grow rapidly. On the other side of the ditch I have been brush hogging them, well into my property -- probably forty feet. Cutting isn't working as I think they are just growing back-- with the root system already well established to fuel even faster growth.

The stems are often small- maybe 1/2 inch. But they are also very rugged. I think I need to pull them by the roots to get this invasion under control, but there is not much stem to grab onto. Would a brush grubber like this one be the best thing to try?

BrushGrubber | Shrub/Clump Grubber

I have a similar problem with Buckthorn and 40 acres. First I tried to kill them with chainsaw cutting then spraying stump with Roundup Pro. That works but is labor intensive. Next tired a Grubber but that was also labor intensive getting on/off the tractor. If you go that route get somebody to help you, which would be much quicker. Finally just decided to brush hog them in the Spring and Fall. That doesn't kill them but it does keep them under control. Suspect my experience with Buckthorn would also apply to Willow? Here's a TBN link from 5 years ago that may be helpful.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/247832-whats-best-approach-removing-willows.html