Titan Tree Puller

[CincyFlyer]

The Titan Tree and post puller is cheap and fun, and is what prompted me to buy a new FEL valve with a grapple spool. I hooked this up temporarily this morning (using the curl/dump valve, I don't have the new valve mounted yet) just to give it a try. It's loads of fun; I ripped out some roots that were sticking out from a stump excavation, and live honeysuckle is dead meat (and I have about an acre of that stuff!), popping right out of the gournd. It's a bit more trouble on a "real" tree, requiring some rocking back and forth, but everything I touched with it ended up in a brush pile. I even moved a couple of logs with it. It will be more usable when I can tilt the thing at right angles to the ground.
I have some t-posts and rebar sticking out of the ground, I imagine this will make short work out of that.
It does come with what I consider very long hoses; and the hoses for my new valve take into account the shortest hoses I've measured for any skid-steer-mounted attachment, so I'll need to figure out a routing to keep them out of harm's way.
Very solidly built, about seven hundred bucks when it's on sale (which was two weeks after I bought it, of course!)

 

[Goose69]

Yup..
I bought one when it was on sale, mainly for clearing saplings out of fences. It works great for the $$

 

[Steave]

I've had the same one you have for a few years now and it's a big part of my arsenal for fighting the woods back from fields and farm roads. I did manage to break the hydraulic fitting off the cylinder and had to take it apart and weld a new fitting on. I broke it off again and had a real welder to TIG a new fitting on. The cylinder took so much abuse it finally gave out and had to be replaced. This wasn't the tools fault as its seen heavy use on 3 larger jobs of several acres cleared with my Skid Steer. When you work in woods you can't even see through tools always take a beating.

It has held up well and like Goose69 said it really shines around fence lines. I've enjoyed working err... playing with mine.

 

[CincyFlyer]

I've enjoyed working err... playing with mine.

I will admit I was dreading pulling hundreds of honeysuckle plants, but now I'm looking forward to it! POP!! Die, honeysuckle, die!!

 

[Steave]

I found a picture showing the steel plate I attached to the cylinder to help protect the fittings against limbs.
So far it's protecting them. You can see in the picture I attached it using U bolts made from 1/2" all thread.
I'm trying to think up another way to build another guard that don't actually attach to the cylinder but to the body of the puller. I have something in mind and if I build it I'll post a picture.

 

[CincyFlyer]

Yeah, that cylinder is right out in the open, and the fittings appear a bit spindly. Perhaps I'll rig something up (I'm thinking overlapping angle iron or half pipe that attach at the cylinder eyes.)

 

[Steave]

That has been an option I was thinking about but I'm leaning toward a few pieces of steel somehow welded to the bottom frame 3x3 with just enough clearance for the cylinder to retract ? I'm still in the thinking process so I'm dangerous right now.

 

[Aquamoose]

This is next on my list... what size is you Mahindra? I have 35hp Branson with a 1,500 lbs FEL capacity. Will it do fine?

 

[Notforhire]

This is next on my list... what size is you Mahindra? I have 35hp Branson with a 1,500 lbs FEL capacity. Will it do fine?

I was thinking about how much lift capacity is needed too.
My tractor is 55HP and will lift around 2800 lbs. I didn't think that it would be adequate, but in this post there are machines smaller than mine.
What is required so that a tree puller isn't a waste of time and money.

 

[whirly]

How much ballast do you have on the back?

 

[Steave]

You have to work at pulling up brush and small trees that are 3-4 inches. Lift up while easing back and forth making the final move a push so the tree moves away from you. 2 or 3 year old bush grown around fences is no match for most any tractor loader rated close to 2000 lb. My New Holland Skid Steer LX 885 is rated for 2000 lb working weight. I don't think they rate the lift capacity which is a good bit more but you don't want to lift what you can't carry safely anyway.

The size tractors most of us on here are using aren't going to be pulling 8" trees but for me it sure has saved a lot of hand work and saved a lot of getting on and off the tractor to hook up a chain and pull brush one or two at a time.

The only advantage of the skid steer would be I can see the jaws of the puller but on the other hand that puts you closer to whatever you're pulling and sometimes things like big fat cedar trees are in your face before the jaws make contact. In that case I just raise it up about 3-4' drive in and drop the puller pushing some of the limbs down.

I bolted a bracket on the side to mount a hydraulic saw. Just remove it when not needed.

It's a handy tool and I think most would be happy with one.

 

[Steave]

This is next on my list... what size is you Mahindra? I have 35hp Branson with a 1,500 lbs FEL capacity. Will it do fine?

When pulling brush and small trees you can grab the tree and pull back then forward while lifting slightly. When you see it giving around the roots then apply more lift. I don't just drive up and snatch it out of the ground unless it's small stuff. It seems like that would put more pressure on the loader than I care to. I would guess you could do a lot of work with your 1500 lb FEL capacity. Most stuff I do with mine it's not loading to the max of the lift. If its too big chain saw time.

 

[Notforhire]

My New Holland Skid Steer LX 885 is rated for 2000 lb working weight. I don't think they rate the lift capacity which is a good bit more but you don't want to lift what you can't carry safely anyway.

I used to own a Bobcat skidsteer. The max lift capacity (tipping load) was twice the rated lift capacity. It also had much higher break out force than an agricultural loader. I can see how a skid steer/tree puller combo would work great.
I'm encouraged that using a puller on a tractor wouldn't be a total waste of time. I was apprehensive about spending $1,000 on something that I could only pull weeds with.:laughing:
Thank you all for your input.

 

[CincyFlyer]

I used to own a Bobcat skidsteer. The max lift capacity (tipping load) was twice the rated lift capacity. It also had much higher break out force than an agricultural loader. I can see how a skid steer/tree puller combo would work great.
I'm encouraged that using a puller on a tractor wouldn't be a total waste of time. I was apprehensive about spending $1,000 on something that I could only pull weeds with.:laughing:
Thank you all for your input.

I have a Mahindra 2540, which has a basic weight of ~3,500 lbs, and 40 hp. Lift is just over a ton, and "transport weight" (what you can drive around with) is about 1,100. I have a 700 lb. (approx.) weight box on the back (also have 1,100 lbs. of backhoe, but that makes it a bit tight in the woods.) Honeysuckle and small saplings come right out, as others have mentioned, larger trees require a little working. It pull exposed roots nicely, as well (see my first post) and moves logs and unwanted visitors.
Note that I can get the rear wheels off the ground with just the weight box, if the tree I'm lifting isn't moving. With the backhoe, I hit the hydraulic pressure limiter.

 

[CincyFlyer]

I removed a bunch of posts for a neighbor who was removing a large above-ground pool deck. The one in the video popped right out, about half did, the others required a little rocking. All came out, however! Saved him many hours of hand work.

 

[cre10]

Anyone compared the Titan to CID? I own a lot of CID and am very satisfied with the quality but this Titan unit is a bit cheaper.

 

[madhouse]

I'm not sure what brand of puller I have - but I love it!

For those wondering if their tractor is big enough - my 30hp with a breakout force of 1900# - with a bit of work was able to pull out this 8" tree.

a couple key tips when pulling out something more than brush. Cut the top off so you are just pulling out the roots and not wasting effort lifting the tree. Clamp on and drive forward - when attempting to back you will lift the rear off the ground creating both a dangerous condition and limiting your lifting affect.

 

[AWSubie]

I thought I had all the implements I needed. Now I want another toy!

 

[shooterdon]

I am resurrecting this thread instead of starting a new one. Looking at getting a 35-40 HP cab tractor this year and one of the projects is removing thousands of small trees (less than 3" dia) interspersed with trees I want to keep. I have been using this on the JD855: It works but is slow and makes it a two person job.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200365512_200365512

I thought about getting a Piranha Bar but I will wind up taking out a lot of trees I want to keep with a 66-72" FEL. A tree puller looks a bit more "surgical". Is there anything else that will work?

Any other tree pullers I should consider?

 

[madhouse]

The tree puller is by far my most fun attachment - ripping trees out just gets the testosterone flowing! It can be a one person job, but if you are doing a lot of little trees, having a second person to grab and stack really speeds things up.

When you are done pulling, then it's time to get the most useful attachment - a grapple! Drive in, pick up the pile and dump on a raging fire!

Thin it's time to "tend to the fire" with a nice cold beverage... and you didn't even work up a sweat.