Vibrator for pulling out bush honeysuckle?

[DJ54]

I pulled literally thousands of honeysuckle, willow whips, and many other small trees/scrub using either a backhoe, or larger excavator. But, not by raking them out, rather by sticking the teeth back through a gob of that stuff, slightly side swinging, then curl the bucket enough to wrap said plants around the teeth, then pull the stick back, pulling out whatever. Just imagine pushing your fingers back through some weeds/grass, partly closing your fingers wrapping them around your fingers, then pulling out. Same thing, only different. There is little damage to the surrounding ground surface, just where the major roots are. The best part, hardly any dirt to contend with, if you're making a burn pile. You're mainly limited by your bucket width, reach, and operating speed. Takes a bit of practice for the right amount of side swing, and curl, but usually full curl after it breaks lose to hold on to it. Most times, uncurling the bucket, it drops off. Works best in the Spring when the ground is soft, and dirt is more mellow.

 

[jmc]

I'm looking forward to trying that, DJ54.

 

[DJ54]

I'm looking forward to trying that, DJ54.

It's a pretty darn slick way to do it, if the ground conditions are right.

 

[two_bit_score]

We had some of that invasive honeysuckle on our place. I found the best way to get rid of mine was to cut it off at the base then paint the cut stumps with straight 2 4-D amine. It has never come back from this. The stumps rot out pretty quick.

Not as sexy as buying and using an "Intimidator" but as effective if you want to kill the roots. Unless you kill roots you have to make sure you get all the roots out with whatever you use to pull the bush up with. I've had good luck with it overtime but you have to paint it on almost as soon as it's cut.


TBS

 

[Richard]

I'm looking forward to trying that, DJ54.

I agree with what DJ54 said. For anyone who's owned or operated a backhoe, I have got to think they have done this.

I was digging something and a sapling was in my way. It was about as thick as your thumb. Every time I would take the bucket over to dig whatever I was digging, this stupid little annoyance was in the way. So, I gingerly took the teeth of the bucket down to it.... "wove" the sapling between the teeth of the bucket and simply plucked it out of the ground. dropped it over to the side & continued on whatever my project was.

I don't recall exactly what I was digging (but I've plucked many things like this over the years). It is easier to pluck & toss it than to dig it out (I have a 2' bucket which is over kill for a 1" sapling)

 

[Smokeydog]

The piranha bar sure is a cost effective way to clear brush. Faster than a grapple. Right weather pulls out all the roots with minimum ground disturbance. Not as good at carrying debris. Then spray. 2-4-D is good as it kills broadleaf but not grass.

Receiver hitch carrier secures the tank. Tried using bucket with blocks or tire but could never really secure the tank enough with straps. Two wire QD for 12V power. Hose and wand to seat. Now feel safer spraying road side ditch/fence line than using 4-wheeler in traffic.

 

[TreeDreamer]

Well I bought a Fransgard logging winch with 10,500# pulling force and it did a fine job of pulling honeysuckle, it was just slow and labor intensive. Then I bought a Danuser Intimidator tree puller and it does a fine job of pulling them that is much faster for the growth along roads, fencerows and field boundaries. But I still have to use the winch to get further into the woods without damaging the trees I want to keep or the soil. Based on past cutting with a chainsaw but not using pesticides, it will regrow but easier to control small sprouts than the interconnected canopies of large honeysuckle. One exception to pulling, I cut off honeysuckle on creek banks to have a few more years of holding the soil together until I get new growth of more desirable trees.

Mark

 

[two_bit_score]

Well I bought a Fransgard logging winch with 10,500# pulling force and it did a fine job of pulling honeysuckle, it was just slow and labor intensive. Then I bought a Danuser Intimidator tree puller and it does a fine job of pulling them that is much faster for the growth along roads, fencerows and field boundaries. But I still have to use the winch to get further into the woods without damaging the trees I want to keep or the soil. Based on past cutting with a chainsaw but not using pesticides, it will regrow but easier to control small sprouts than the interconnected canopies of large honeysuckle. One exception to pulling, I cut off honeysuckle on creek banks to have a few more years of holding the soil together until I get new growth of more desirable trees.

Mark

What pesticides were you using?