Tree Getter--Bye Bye Honey Locust

Guidster · Jan 18, 2006

Jinman
Given that you are "next door" in wise county, you can use it whenever you want--just send me a PM. I love your rock bucket and am toying with the idea of a grapple like yours for the tree popper--it would certainly come in handy for all of the trees that I am ripping out around here!

Guidster · Jan 18, 2006

Thanks for the feedback. I toyed with this idea, but I figured that with the down angle used to get at the roots of the tree, such a structure would hit the trees that I am trying to get at. The key is to keep the teeth down low and push the trees AWAY from you. For those that actually go into the teeth and are plucked out, the teeth grab it good and with a little caution and keeping the getter angled down, the tree will fall away from you if it decides to topple over.

Guidster · Jan 18, 2006

As I mentioned in the original post, the ground is hard as nails around here--no rain and clay that could pass as concrete. The Honey Locust trees have shallow roots, so I can get even pretty large ones by working them up. However, I have found that mesquite and scruffy oaks, etc. with a deep tap root are more of a challenge to get. I have found that I tend to break them off right at the surface instead of pulling them for the most part--with some exceptions. However, when I do pull them (up to about 3" so far) the whole root comes out with little surface disruption. Unfortunately, the Honey Locust trees make up for their lack of a solid tap with some nasty roots that tear up the ground more than I would like--but the grass will always come back--and without THORNS! I think that I will do much better on these harder to get trees when we get some moisture around here to soften things up a bit. Given softer ground, I think that these trees will be no match for the hydraulics and pushing power of the tractor.
You mention that you do not have a tractor that can handle this contraption--It would be a very easy thing to adapt the contraption to the 3 point hitch. That could be an option for you.

KennethBrown · Jan 18, 2006

Are you in the Richland/Wortham area? That land sure looks familiar.

Guidster · Jan 18, 2006

( how long did you make the teeth ? Jeeper )

If memory serves, the teeth are 13 1/2" and go all the way back to the rear of the square tubing, which is 2 1/2"--meaning that the teeth are about 11 1/2" long from the front of the tubing.

Guidster · Jan 18, 2006

( Are you in the Richland/Wortham area? That land sure looks familiar. )

Just a tad further north--North of Corsicana.

kossetx · Jan 19, 2006

Guidster,
It's plenty dry around my place too. One thing good about the honey locust is it doesn't withstand too dry a weather, but being that it's winter they may go longer since they're dorment anyway. Right now, I'd take rain over dead locust, hands down. I was kinda wondering if you had tried it on mequite or yupon. They're my 2 biggest offenders. I've controled the mesquite with poison. Yupon is just a pest.

The search has been on for a bigger tractor for a while. It may intensify now since I just signed an oil lease for my place. I just hope it isn't as dry underground. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif If I get a new tractor, that will be one of the first projects for me.

Jeeper · Jan 20, 2006

Guidster thank you for the numbers I'll have to get the metals rounded up to make one Jeeper

Jeeper · Jan 20, 2006

Guidster thanks for the numbers I'll have to get the metal to make one I need it bad Jeeper

wushaw · Jan 22, 2006

Guidster,

Saplings will grow from the roots that are left behind. Roundup poision ivy/shrub killer works well. You will have to stay on top of it all summer long, as you are well aware that Honey Locus grows very fast.
If you don't get the "nut" as some call it of the Mesquite stump then it will just com back as well. Roundup also works ok for what comes up but it takes a long time for the stump to eventually die.