Best way to pull up cedar??

[Ruark]

Here in central Texas, cedar is spreading like a plague. Ask anybody who lives around here. I'm talking about that bush-type cedar that branches out into a dozen trunks a couple of inches off the ground, and gets up to the size of a house. It's horrible stuff, spreading like wildfire and sucking every molecule of moisture from the ground. I have two major enemies in life: fire ants and cedar.

Anyway, I have some that are smallish, and can probably be pulled out with my tractor. It's a Mahindra 4025. 41HP. The FEL lifts 2800-3000 lbs. Not sure about the 3-point, but at least that much. Question: what is the best way to use a tractor to pull up cedar:

1. Connect one end of the chain to the tow bar, the other end to the cedar, and pull it.
2. Wrap the chain around the FEL bucket, and the other around the cedar's base, and pull it upwards with the FEL.
3. Same as #2, but use the 3-point instead of the FEL.

-Thanks

 

[_RaT_]

I can't really relate to this bush you call a cedar but I have always had the best luck pulling with a cable or chain from the rear end of my tractors and with the plant in wet ground. I do use the loader as well but just be aware that it can present hazards that if you are not aware of can be hazardous to your health and the tractor.

Here in central Texas, cedar is spreading like a plague. Ask anybody who lives around here. I'm talking about that bush-type cedar that branches out into a dozen trunks a couple of inches off the ground, and gets up to the size of a house. It's horrible stuff, spreading like wildfire and sucking every molecule of moisture from the ground. I have two major enemies in life: fire ants and cedar.

Anyway, I have some that are smallish, and can probably be pulled out with my tractor. It's a Mahindra 4025. 41HP. The FEL lifts 2800-3000 lbs. Not sure about the 3-point, but at least that much. Question: what is the best way to use a tractor to pull up cedar:

1. Connect one end of the chain to the tow bar, the other end to the cedar, and pull it.
2. Wrap the chain around the FEL bucket, and the other around the cedar's base, and pull it upwards with the FEL.
3. Same as #2, but use the 3-point instead of the FEL.

-Thanks

 

[kebo]

What kind of root structure do these "cedars" have? Never seen cedars that would have a dozen trees growing out of the same stump. Around here, two is somewhat common but three or more is just not that common. Got any pic's of them, just out of curiosity? As with most trees/bushes, the quicker you get to them the better. As they grow, the roots usually spread out wider and deeper.


If the root structure is not real extensive, then they shouldn't be too hard to hook a chain to one and do a straight pull from the drawbar. I think trial and error will tell you which way is the most effective so I would just try all three ways and see which works best for you.

 

[SandburRanch]

Cut them off about a foot above the ground. Using a quarter inch grade 70 chain, drop a clove hitch over the stump and pull it using the (as suggested) drawbar. Your bucket would work well to make brush piles to burn when dry if you had some forks.

 

[blueriver]

We pulled about 35 today with 43 hp from the drawbar. The biggest was about 8" diameter ... I hook about 16" up the trunk and pull forward ... they come out pretty easy.

 

[beenthere]

I'd use my forks to pop the upper roots off, then pop the stump out with the forks. Works the best for my 30' tall spruce trees that I am removing.

But give a few things a try that are at your disposal. Only warning I'd offer is to not hook a chain to them and get a run at it trying to jerk them out. That is where things get busted and start flying around. Worst scenario is it is your head, second is a casting in the tractor breaks.

 

[Ruark]

What kind of root structure do these "cedars" have? Never seen cedars that would have a dozen trees growing out of the same stump. Around here, two is somewhat common but three or more is just not that common. Got any pic's of them, just out of curiosity?

Talking about this stuff here:

Cedar trees native pasture hunting land | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Williamson-Branson Real Estate - 426+/- Acres in Stonewall County, TX

Sounds like pulling it with the draw bar is the way to go. I'll carefully give it a shot.

 

[Yota_85]

I use one of these attached to a chain.

Amazon.com: BAC Industries BG-01 Original Brush Grubber: Patio, Lawn & Garden

For smaller stumps 1-3" I attach the chain to my bucket hooks and pull up. Can remove a 1/2 dozen before moving the tractor.
For larger stumps 2-4" I attach to the drawbar and pull 'em out.

They also make a HD one for larger stumps:
Amazon.com: BAC Industries BG-11 Brush Grubber Xtreme: Patio, Lawn & Garden


The small one has always worked well for me on small pine/hemlock/spuce/birches.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Looks more like Juniper or arbor vitae. My neighbor seems to have success with sawing them off close to the ground and putting a few holes in the stump then dumping a bit of diesel on them which he claims kills the stump.

Another thought is if you can clear fire lines around patches and have a controlled burn?

 

[zene55]

I have a chain I used called a Grubber. It grabs the victim really well and my tractor yanks them out.

 

[rcrcomputing]

My handy dandy tpost puller works good for pulling small ceders with the bucket.
I like it over a chain because sometimes a chain tries to slide up the tree etc.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/149267-whats-you-most-useful-cheap.html

 

[chicken991]

I don't know about your cedar but here if you cut below lowes limb they don't grow back. I cut them off, wait about a year and go back with bucket and they push out pretty easy.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

I'm talking about that bush-type cedar that branches out into a dozen trunks a couple of inches off the ground, and gets up to the size of a house. It's horrible stuff, spreading like wildfire and sucking every molecule of moisture from the ground. I have two major enemies in life: fire ants and cedar.

The actual name of that stuff is Juniperus ashei, also know as Ashe Juniper or Mountain Cedar. Here's a good discussion about the various ways to get rid of it: Clearing & Removing Ashe Juniper. We have lots on our property in Burnet County, and we cleared about 5 acres by hiring a neighbor with a shear mounted on his skid steer. Worked great, but it's a never-ending battle.

 

[rcrcomputing]

Think I'll back right out of this thread. Those look like "weed-ceders".
Much different than our ceder trees!

 

[The Dougster]

There are two types of cedar in Texas, red berry and blue berry... if you have the red berry and mow them off, they will sprout back as a bush... the blue berry will die... Here in Lampasas County, I simply push over as many as I can. I have an L2800 so I have to pick my battles... for cedars that are too big, I cut them off at ground level.. Good luck.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Drawbar pull works good. Just keep it below the level of your rear axle to keep from flipping your tractor.

 

[RPW]

Yep, dealing with a lot them on our new property. In he past I've used a combination of tactics. I've used the towbar to yank, used a chain with a 3pt drawbar to lift, used the FEL to dig/bump and now the new project which is almost finished is a stump bucket build for my skid steer. Main reason is that in all the number of junipers (cedars) that I've pulled expecially with the FEL is now I've go a minor leak in one of the lift cylinders so I'll have to rebuild it and my tractor is only 3 years old.

BTW; Howdy dougster. I've moved to my new property in Topsey.

[edit] I would liken a stump bucket to a FEL as a garden shovel is to a snow shovel.

 

[The Dougster]

Hidy Ho RPW..... I wondered what happened to you... I've been saving my mesquite for ya.. <grin> .. Where the heck is Topsey?

 

[boggen]

it is more about for tree stumps. but i do not see why it would not work for the bushes.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/b...get-trees.html

one thing i dislike trying to get up, under a bush, and wrapping a chain around them. ya end up looking like you been in a cat fight, and the cat won.

a warning though. do not use nylon rope or any rope for that matter. ropes will stretches, and if the rope snaps. it could deadly or very pain full if it snaps back and nails you.

chains, and metal cable. yes they can stretch. but there is much less rubber band effect to them. so if they do snap, more than likely they won't go flying and nail you or the tractor. they can, but much less likely to.

if the bushes are fairly small. i might do a baby crawl first. but if that is no good. i will put just a little bit of slack in the chain. lower the hitch as much as possible without rubbing on ground, and then let off the clutch with some gas. and the bushes / small trees come right on out. ((problem with this last statement is, you will be more prone to roll the tractor, so be ready with pressing the clutch in.)) and with the last method, it can yank you pretty good, if the bush doesn't come out.

though i tend to find that i need to wrap the chain around most bushes a couple times maybe up to 3 times. in order to get majority of the roots out. resulting in me having to have a couple chains. it would be nice to have a "bush grabber" vs having to redo some chains because the chains slipped up and over the branches or broke all the branches off.

i haven't tried what others have done in the one link. and next time i need to go pull some bushes / small tree stumps. i will be doing the old leaver trick to see how it works. i would think being able to not have the tractor almost right on top of me, while hooking the chain up on bush. but just a small A stand pipe or old wheel rim. to deal with. would save me some good cuts on my face and arms.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Having used a hand puller Weed Wrench, you learn to make repeated pulls to break the small roots first instead of one big yank. Each pull breaks additional small roots until it comes out.