which tree pulling tools?

[denchen]

I made an inverted `T` frame out of a scaffold pole and some bottom link pin I got off Ebay. I had some hedging to pull up that had been established for 30 years plus. The way my system works with my little Iseki tractor, I lower the draught arms, and reverse to get as close to the base of the hedging as I could. Then I wrap the chain around all the stem trunks, and feed the end of the chain through the `D` shackle, and pull it as tight as I could get it. The chain is then wrapped one turn around the bottom bar of the `T` frame, and a link of the chain locked between the two pins I welded on the bar. Back on the tractor, and lift the arms. This method pulled up about half of my hedging with no problems. To help with the stubborn ones I used to reverse at the same time as lifting. Also by slowly going forward whilst lifting, would make some of the most stubborn critters let go. A word of caution though, some times my front wheels of my tractor would lift off the ground when lifting, even though I have a FEL, and more so if lifting and going forward. Another thing I found was the first chain I had, used to keep breaking when working hard. It got shorter and shorter until I had to go to my shed for another chain. The fresh chain looked exactly the same, same size, but the fresh chain has never looked like breaking. Lesson learnt, some chains are rubbish. My thinking was, that I didn`t want to spend a lot of money on a puller, that might be used for a while and then spend the rest of its life rusting in the shed. Also, my little Iseki only weighs just over half a ton, there would be no point fitting a big unit on it.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

For buckthorn (I used to have a lot) I used an extractagator for up to a couple inches, a Brush Grubber with a chain to the FEL for the next larger ones and my backhoe for the trees. For Mullberry, which I had a lot of as well, the roots are deeper and thicker and much more tenacious, so I am quicker to go to the next step.

NOTE: Run the hose on the tree/bush for a while first. Lots of stuff pops right out when the roots are soggy.

 

[ArlyA]

We put our mid sized puller-bear to work and slightly bent it. May have been by our hefty neighbor we loaned it to. Nonetheless, we got parts being sent to us by the manufacture and a heaver model on ordered. Bigger is better??

 

[Xfaxman]

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Do any of you have good experiences with a clamp design that works well on the small stuff?

Yes, have a clamp design, but use it mostly on big stuff, but the way it comes together it will pull small stuff: Buckthorn Puller - Custom built Skid Steer attachments to fit almost any need you may have.

 

[i7win7]

This style keeps trees closer to lift arm pivot pin (more pulling power). Clamping onto tree and driving forward helps.

 

[Xfaxman]

They make the clamp style that is closer:

 

[brokenhornmw]

I am new to this site and we are looking into a tractor to pull trees and cactus from a piece of land we inherited here in NM. It is mostly juniper (1 to 8ft high ). How do you decide what size of tractor for pulling trees with a clamp style of puller.

 

[CADplans]

How do you decide what size of tractor for pulling trees ,,,,,,,,,,

Get the biggest (heaviest) tractor your checkbook will allow,,
When pulling trees, there is no such thing as too heavy of a tractor.

I tried pulling a 8 inch maple stump with my 10,000 pound 4WD tractor,, after digging entirely around the stump 4 feet deep,,
The tractor would not shake it,,

I ended up connecting my woodsplitter to the stump, and another tree, with chains, and a strap.
The woodsplitter barely had enough tonnage to pull the stump,, with something like 30,000 or 40,000 pounds of pull force,,

 

[mark02tj]

If your primary use is pulling out trees, I'd take a serious look at a skid steer rather than a tractor. The loader arms on a skid steer are much more capable of taking abuse than tractor loader arms. Also, the pulling power on the skid steer loader is generally much higher than a medium sized (35hp-ish) Compact Utility Tractor.

Google "Notch Tree Puller" and take a look at some of their videos of a skid steer pulling out some decent sized trees. I don't know anything about the root structure on junipers nor do I know anything about pulling cactus. We don't have many cactus here in Ohio.

 

[tacboss]

Juniper trees are fairly shallow rooted and usually grow out wild and wide at the base.
The short "clamp" type pullers are difficult to get into the base of the trees.
monster skid steer attachments makes a "cedar puller" that works well on these types of trees.
They also have a "root cutter" that works well on small brush that you want to cut below ground level. You can also selectively cut between other trees that you want to clean around the base.