Pulling shrubs/small trees

jymbee · Jun 25, 2012

eastexan said:
...I use a 5/16" grade 70 chain and a 2" pipe, and it will pull all my tractor can handle.

Pull AND keep a grip on that smaller stuff?? It's those 1-3 inches that drive me nuts-- especially where with some species they grow in clumps close to the ground and chain or cable slips right off. Definitely will give it a try. Thanks (to both who posted re. pipe technique) for the tip!

Tollster · Jun 25, 2012

I have always used a spare tire and rim, it limits yard damage and pulls em out like a cork,I have done this with the Jeep Cj as well as a tractor.
The trick is to mount the chain below the tire so the force is up,rather than sideways.,keep the tire as close to the trunk as you can, take up the slack and give it a tug. It will pop like a cork from your local winery.
It has always bee the quickest way for me and clean up is less time consuming as the yard damage is limited. When you start yanking sideways,you'll pull and chase the roots rather than breaking them off at the stump.

eastexan · Jun 25, 2012

jymbee said:
Pull AND keep a grip on that smaller stuff??

Yes, the edge of the pipe will dig into the tree and will not slip as bad as chain or cable only.

eastexan · Jun 25, 2012

Tollster said:
I have always used a spare tire and rim, it limits yard damage and pulls em out like a cork,I have done this with the Jeep Cj as well as a tractor.
The trick is to mount the chain below the tire so the force is up,rather than sideways.,keep the tire as close to the trunk as you can, take up the slack and give it a tug. It will pop like a cork from your local winery.
It has always bee the quickest way for me and clean up is less time consuming as the yard damage is limited. When you start yanking sideways,you'll pull and chase the roots rather than breaking them off at the stump.

Good point. Using a fulcrum is the easiest way to pull them out if you don't have a FEL. As Tollster said, a tire on a wheel is a good way. I've also used a board or 4x4 post if the soil isn't too soft. I like to hook the chain/pipe around the base of the tree and then use something as a fulcrum (tire/post/board) to pull the tree up and out.

Technodive · Jun 30, 2012

I've pulled some ash trees down as large as 2+ feet at the base, root ball and all with a 5 sheave pulley block I built and 5/8" polyeythane rope. I use to use the 'Portable Winch' till I got my skid steer to pull. That's over 10,000 lbs of pulling power. I also built a root knife for the skid steer to cut some of the roots that lay out from the tree. I used that for just the stumps. If I am going to use a choker chain on just stumps (tree already cut down) I might cut a small wedge in the stump to prevent chain fromsliding off. A lot depends on how long the stump is.

Jagged1 · Jul 3, 2012

jymbee said:
Anyone have experience with this "grubber" gizmo? I've seen similar approaches from other companies as well.

Seems totally unnecessary for the larger stuff given you can do the same thing with a chain/rope/cable (they show their larger model here) but for that much smaller brush, it's hard (all but impossible in some cases) to get a chain or cable to grab:

I also have the small one I've used it with both my truck and ATV to yank smaller 2" or less saplings and the occasional larger one. It is a great tool and I recommend it, but I have had a few that had massive root systems (into harder soil or big rocks) that needed a tractors pullin power... Which I didn't have at the time. I'm a bit unsure if the smaller grubber I have will take it though! :laughing: Might need a bigger one now.

OHhhhh.... Do NOT use one of these with a strap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It could kill you! I'd be like a weight on the end of a rubber band and if it slips....

Well, you can guess the rest. I use a dedicated chain with mine.

It can yank the smaller ones easily; especially in the woods with the softer topsoil. The soil stays moist with the leaf litter and trees there don't seem to have as much root travel as they don't need to go far for good nutrients. The ones we yanked out in the yard though where a bit more challenging. Hard rocky soil baked like a brick and more roots.

Later, Glen

The worst part about using one is that you have to fix it to each tree or shrub and it's a lot easier with two people. It also means getting close to thorny prickers and such. They do make some type of mounting arm that is supposed to be able to grab and release from an ATV (and maybe a tractor) and I wonder if it would work well with it???

rd_macgregor · Jul 3, 2012

Getting on and off the tractor to pull stumps is one thing, but doing it over and over again for the small stuff really gets old. Having an assistant would work, but is a rare luxury for me. I'd like some sort of device that either grabs the small stuff (eg hydraulic jaws) or that snags the stems like a claw hammer to pull them out (then just slide backwards to eject them)...am I just being lazy not wanting to mount/dismount for each little 1" stem?

BOB

k0ua · Jul 3, 2012

rd_macgregor said:
Getting on and off the tractor to pull stumps is one thing, but doing it over and over again for the small stuff really gets old. Having an assistant would work, but is a rare luxury for me. I'd like some sort of device that either grabs the small stuff (eg hydraulic jaws) or that snags the stems like a claw hammer to pull them out (then just slide backwards to eject them)...am I just being lazy not wanting to mount/dismount for each little 1" stem?

BOB

I have the same problem.. I am too old and fat to get on and off a hundred times.. so if the wife is busy and can't help, it doesnt get done.. I made one of those pipe and chain gizmo's and it works well for the small stuff, cost a buck or two for the small chain, and a couple of minutes on the welder. Anything over 2 inches I just use the 5/16 chain, works well.

James K0UA