Tree Spades
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BKColeman
Gold Member
Turfman,
That is very interesting information on the weight of the root ball. I just purchased a tree from a local nursery about two weeks ago. It had a 4" trunk and the root ball seemed to be about 36-42" in diameter (I didn't think to measure it). The owner of the nursery told me he expected it weighed around 1300 lbs, I almost didn't believe him. He was worried I wouldn't be able to unload it when I got home. I unloaded it w/ my TC 40D and forks just fine. But from reading your post it sounds like he must have known what he was talking about.
Thanks for the info.
--Brad
That is very interesting information on the weight of the root ball. I just purchased a tree from a local nursery about two weeks ago. It had a 4" trunk and the root ball seemed to be about 36-42" in diameter (I didn't think to measure it). The owner of the nursery told me he expected it weighed around 1300 lbs, I almost didn't believe him. He was worried I wouldn't be able to unload it when I got home. I unloaded it w/ my TC 40D and forks just fine. But from reading your post it sounds like he must have known what he was talking about.
Thanks for the info.
--Brad
I've condensed some of the information from a spreadsheet I have put together.
Caretree 20" $7100, has downforce, price includes remote, from NH dealer
Vermeer 20" $5500, just the spade, no remote
Tree Equipment Design 20" $7200, FEL mounted
Tree Equipment Design 24" $8200, FEL mounted
Tree Toad 20" $1795, manually operated, 3PH mounted
Tree Toad 24" $2245, manually operated, 3PH mounted
Caretree 20" $7100, has downforce, price includes remote, from NH dealer
Vermeer 20" $5500, just the spade, no remote
Tree Equipment Design 20" $7200, FEL mounted
Tree Equipment Design 24" $8200, FEL mounted
Tree Toad 20" $1795, manually operated, 3PH mounted
Tree Toad 24" $2245, manually operated, 3PH mounted
Darren,
If your soil is very rocky I wouldn't suggest the tree toad. Small rocks will get pushed to a point and some medium ones you can break. It does have the advantage that it doesn't go extremely deep. I think they use a 25 degree truncated ball. They have a website and you can get a video of it in use but they skip all the boring pounding /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. It takes some work to pound in and you wouldn't want to do a lot of trees quick, then you want the hydraulics.
General rule of thumb is 10" of root ball per inch of tree trunk measured a foot off the ground. If you go much smaller your chances of success drop significantly. Also consider the root ball weight.
Dutchman makes a nice spade which you can get as an internal or external frame. The Vermeers as good too and we've used their self contained trailer models which are truck/tractor towable.
You'll also want to look at the ball angle depending on if you're transplanting or balling. And keep in mind the area where you're going to get/put the trees. Depending on terrain, tree density and access, as well as size you could use a truck mount, trailer, skidsteer, or 3pt spade.
If you need to move a few small trees around the yard the tree toad will save you a lot of money. Of course you can always move them the old fashioned way /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif.
There are many more manufactures and I can did up the info if you like, let me know.
Michael
If your soil is very rocky I wouldn't suggest the tree toad. Small rocks will get pushed to a point and some medium ones you can break. It does have the advantage that it doesn't go extremely deep. I think they use a 25 degree truncated ball. They have a website and you can get a video of it in use but they skip all the boring pounding /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. It takes some work to pound in and you wouldn't want to do a lot of trees quick, then you want the hydraulics.
General rule of thumb is 10" of root ball per inch of tree trunk measured a foot off the ground. If you go much smaller your chances of success drop significantly. Also consider the root ball weight.
Dutchman makes a nice spade which you can get as an internal or external frame. The Vermeers as good too and we've used their self contained trailer models which are truck/tractor towable.
You'll also want to look at the ball angle depending on if you're transplanting or balling. And keep in mind the area where you're going to get/put the trees. Depending on terrain, tree density and access, as well as size you could use a truck mount, trailer, skidsteer, or 3pt spade.
If you need to move a few small trees around the yard the tree toad will save you a lot of money. Of course you can always move them the old fashioned way /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif.
There are many more manufactures and I can did up the info if you like, let me know.
Michael
Darren
Veteran Member
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I looked at the Tree Toads last year. It wasn't in the budget with the other toys I had to have. I guess boring pounding still beats boring digging and then the boring grunting trying to shift a root ball. I wonder if you could adapt the Tree Toad to use a small (35 lb.) air hammer to drive the points.
jrlichina
Platinum Member
If you are handy at fabrication you'd be better off just adding hydraulics to the treetoad. One section valve for each spade run off the tractor hydraulics. My estimate would be about $150 fro the valve, about $30/per cylinder, and another $ 50 for hoses.
MarkV
Super Member
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- Apr 7, 2000
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- Cedartown, Ga and N. Ga mountains
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- 1998 Kubota B21, 2005 Kubota L39
I hesitate to bring this up because I don’t know what it is called. A landscaper that I met on a trip one year had a Kubota with a loader attachment made to transplant trees. It was “U” shaped without a back and the leading edge came to a point allowing it to penetrate the soil. I watched her move some pretty good size trees by cutting in on one side and curling the attachment, which created a root ball. She was putting these in burlap to be transplanted at another location but she said she could also dig a hole with the unit. This was in Florida so I don’t know if it would work as well in other soils. Maybe one of the landscapers on the site will know what I am talking about.
MarkV
MarkV
Darren
Veteran Member
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- WVa
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- Kubota L3710, Ford 5600, Case MB4/94, Kubota B6200
I guess you could add hydraulic cylinders to the Tree Toad, but you'd need some steel to hang the cylinders on and possibly reinforce the existing framework. I already have the hammer so that would be easier for me. Worse case it might need an adapter for the hammer ends of the spades.
jrlichina,
You'd need to add a little more than that /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. W/o the mass to provide the weight it would lift off the ground unless you're fortunate enough to have a 3pt with down force /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
Worth considering though,
Michael
You'd need to add a little more than that /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. W/o the mass to provide the weight it would lift off the ground unless you're fortunate enough to have a 3pt with down force /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
Worth considering though,
Michael
