What to to about small trees

[Sherweld]

If you do decide to remove, here is an old thread showing a technique to both multiply your mechanical advantage to pull up the tree, as well as put yourself a reasonable distance from the falling tree.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/129506-tree-puller-hard-get-trees.html

 

[gladehound]

just push them over with the fell. It is really easy (see video in link). On smaller trees you have to be lower with the bucket than I am in this video. You don't want to break the tree without getting the roots (as others have mentioned). But I've found this method works and is very fast on any small tree. I've done this with cedars and a variety of hardwoods up to about 1 foot in diameter at the base and 60 feet tall. If the tree is only 3 or so inches in diameter I might start with the bucket about 18 inches from the ground and move it up if needed so that I don't break the trunk off without getting the roots.

YouTube - Kioti LB1914 pushing a over a tree that was topped by a storm

 

[Gordon Gould]

Nice video and it looked like easy work for you and your tractor.
But be awful careful doing that. More than one guy right around here, and I am serious, has gotten killed by stuff falling from above or the root ball turning up under the tractor and flipping it. With your bucket way up in the air it doesnt take much under one front wheel to put you over. When a tree that size starts going down it has lots of leverage.

 

[gladehound]

Nice video and it looked like easy work for you and your tractor.
But be awful careful doing that. More than one guy right around here, and I am serious, has gotten killed by stuff falling from above or the root ball turning up under the tractor and flipping it. When a tree that size starts going down it has lots of leverage.

These are excellent points and I should have mentioned them.

I've had some close calls in the woods with falling debris and also once had the front of the tractor lifted and hung up by the root ball while doing this. These experiences are the reason why I had a custom FOPS made for the tractor. Seeing what I've seen, I would not mess with trees without a good FOPS / ROPS.

Regarding easy work, we had a drenching rain the day before. It is amazing how big a tree a small tractor can push over when the ground is soaked.

 

[Ruark]

Just chainsaw them off flush with the ground, low enough that your shredder won't hit the stumps. Pour a little gasoline over the stump so it won't regrow. It will die and dry out and gradually disintegrate. Of course, everybody will scream about using gasoline, but just ignore them.

 

[Baby Grand]

JDRandyC-

For trees under 6" diameter at chest height I have had really good luck with cutting them off an inch or two above the ground - process as you wish - cut for fire wood, grind for chips, etc.

Once you have cleared a suitable area, mount up a subsoiler and rip the stumps out. It takes a little time, but works great. Don't need a lot of traction or a backhoe, just good 3pt lift power, which I think your tractor has in spades.

A decent subsoiler can be had for about $160 at TSC and has lots of other uses - running tubes & cable underground, pop off the chisel & add a broad blade and it's a potato plow, and, yes, even subsoiling.

-Jim

 

[Glen Watkins]

Leave them full length and push them over weight of the tree helps or cut them off first but leave the stump high so you have some leverage to push the stump and roots over and out of the ground.

 

[RoyJackson]

If you don't mind doing this thinning over a few months, use a locally applied herbicide to kill the tree, then push them over. It won't matter how big the root system is at that point. The tree just goes over.
BTW, this works good for smaller trees as described in the first post (I did it on trees on a powerline right of way...their crew applied the herbicide, I knocked the trees down with my old 790 (pretty light tractor).
I'd be leary about using this method on any bigger trees.

 

[Baby Grand]

Dr. Smith "There's more than one way to skin a cat."
Robot "There are exactly 32 ways to skin a cat. "
Dr. Smith "Yes, and I've done every one of them."

 

[General Lee]

Leave them full length and push them over weight of the tree helps or cut them off first but leave the stump high so you have some leverage to push the stump and roots over and out of the ground.

This is what I do also. I cut them down leaving about a 3 or 4 foot trunk. Then push the trunk over and pluck the root ball out with the FEL. If it won't pluck out, attach a chain and pull it out. This way you don't have to worry about a tree whipping back on you or breaking off 15 feet in the air and have the top fall back on you.