What works best for moving limbs etc?

[ronjhall]

GarageSmoker
<font color=blue>I tried pushing them with the FEL but they kept slipping under it. Would a tooth bar help? Forks? Any other ideas?</font color=blue>
I built a Grapple for my 2910 for the very reason you stated.
Check this <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/1-90101-grapple.jpg>Link</A>.
I tired to use my forks for moving limbs. But the grapple works much better.
Do a search on Grapple. There is a lot of information on this attachment. The biggest concern with Compact Tractor is the weight. That's why I made my own.

 

[Hawkflyer]

Like some others I vote for a grapple. I have one on my B2410 and it works great. It reduces the lift capacity a bit but I find it's worth it.

 

[Hendog]

Hey all , This is the best I found, we use to do it on the farm and it still saves me time. I use a long sinch chain, you can us a long tow chain with a large slip hook or loop on one end. Lay it out flat on the ground by the brush and push, pull the brush over the chain. Pull the chain over the top and make a loop and use the bucket to pick it up. This hold it tight and you drop nothing. It sounds like a lot of work but it isn't. on an off the tractor a few times. Try it!! I have killer bon fires so I think that it work fine.

lato!!

 

[Rowski]

I know this does directly answer your question. Have you considered a chipper? They are expensive but if you do a lot of clearing it will save you time by not having to burn. It will pull in a 10' tall or taller tree. The chips aren't much of a problem just spread them around or keep them for errosion control.

Just a thought.

 

[Alan L.]

I struggled with the problem of moving limbs and brush, and I am extremely happy with my clamp-on bucket forks. I cut limbs and scoop them up without ever getting off the tractor (most of the time). If there are trailing branches that the tractor tends to run over while going forward, I just back the load to the pile before finally dumping it. The bucket forks make the tractor about 500% more useful in the brush clearing activity.

What I have found is that if I push the short pieces in with the longer branches, the smaller ones will tend to become entangled in the bigger ones, so you can pick the whole thing up without getting off the tractor. Or throw it all into one pile while you are off the tractor using the chain saw, then ever so often pick up the whole pile and move it to the burning location.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

WIFE- 1945 model. She's real good at pickin em, loadin em in the trailer, and haulin em to the road.

 

[cstocks]

I can't afford any new implements at this time so I have forced myself to learn how to make my FEL to get the job done. This past weekend I worked on clearing old fencerows and I managed to pile up two big burnpiles using my FEL. It has taken a few weekends and a lot of trial and error to learn how to move limbs from point A to point B without losing half of them along the way. However, with practice I have gotten somewhat proficient at it.

One big downside of using the FEL was that after my first pile was burned up that I discovered I had dragged up a lot of topsoil along with the limbs. Even so, I am contented to use my FEL until I can find/afford a better solution.

In time I will also want to find a better way to move limbs. From reading what others have suggested it sounds to me like a toothbar might be a good option. I have tried the stack 'em in the loader by hand method and that was way too much work for me. I wonder if a rake would work for this or would limbs be to much for a rake to handle?

Good luck on finding the best solution.

Chris

 

[BB_TX]

Do a search for threads on forks. There have been several examples of home-made forks on here. I pile branches, small trees, large logs, cedars, etc. on mine to the point I can barely see where I am going, take it to the burn pile, and dump it. The grapple is a great idea, but I carry far more per load with the forks than I could with a grapple.
I also tried the pushing technique at first, but like someone else said, I sometimes ended up with a pile of dirt under the brush.

 

[jtn]

After you cut a tree down drag it to a central location and limb it there. Then use FEL to push limbs into a pile. This way you never have to handle limbs, and you can move them effeciently. Even if the lot you are clearing is small this is the best way I have found to deal with the limb problem and it only requires a drawbar. If the trees are very tall cut the top from the trunk and drag the top to the limb pile.

JT

 

[Ozarker]

I saw a post somewhere here a few weeks ago where someone had rigged up a pretty nifty set of hooks on his FEL to grab brush. I can't find it now but maybe someone else will remember it and provide a link.