Tree puller question

[houser52]

I have trees growing in 1/2 mile long fence line and Im going to clean it up. I want to cut them down with the chainsaw but the fence runs along the highway. I can't let them fall in the road and can't let them fall back across the fence. The trees range in size from saplings to 8" in diameter.

Can a Titan tree puller be used to hold the trees up vertical while I saw them off level with the fence posts then move them to a pile? After that I can remove the bottom of the tree without them falling in the road.
Does that sound like it would safely work?

I'll use the tree puller attached to my Kubota M7060.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Titan? Never heard of her! :laughing:

Maybe this will liven things up a bit and get you some responses..
Travis

 

[Hozzie]

Depends on your budget I suppose, but I highly recommend the Notch Tree Puller.

 

[Hozzie]

Titan? Never heard of her! :laughing:

Maybe this will liven things up a bit and get you some responses..
Travis

View attachment 652000

View attachment 652001

Looks impressive. My only concern with it would be how wide it is where you actually grab a tree. In many cases, I am trying to thread the needle between two close tree bases and I think it would be nearly impossible to do so without damaging the other tree in your current design, even with the jaws together. Doesn't look like you could hardly get between two trees that are 18" apart. It looks like it will pull a house out, but I use mine for some more detailed work which the tree bases may only be 8" apart or less. Granted they may only be 3" bases, but if someone wants to really strategically pick things out, you may consider an option with a thinner profile at the tip similar to the Notch. Just trying to be constructive with feedback since I have quite a bit of time using mine. Everyone's use will probably be a little different.

I also assume that is more for a Skid Steer only. Looks awful heavy to use on a tractor without taking up a vast majority of the lift capacity.

 

[unbidden]

How tall is the fence?

 

[houser52]

How tall is the fence?

48" tall

 

[Hozzie]

I suspect you could use the titan, but a lot would have to do with how tall many of the larger trees are. My concern would be the tree falling back on me using the titan. There is nothing to help keep the tree leveraged against. For smaller things (3" or less) probably no issue, but I wouldn't use it on anything bigger expecting it to have enough force to not let it topple over once cut if the trees are very tall.

I would have no issue doing it with mine and there is still not guarantee one of the trees couldn't topple over, but it would at least go away from the tractor and not on it even if that means taking out part of the fence.

 

[i7win7]

this is what I use. With 26hp I max out at 3-4" trees. Bought this because the Intimidator was too much weight for a small tractor.
Intimidator | Tree & Post Puller | Danuser

you may decide a tree shear or tree saw the better option.
Tree Shear Attachments for Tractors | Spartan Equipment
Tree Shears | Tree Removal | Shears | Forestry Equipment | Skid Steer Attachments | Erskine Attachments LLC
Dougherty 3 Point, Tractor Mounted LT3200 Tree, Turbo Saw
tractor mounted tree cutter, tractor mounted tree cutter Suppliers and Manufacturers at Alibaba.com

 

[jjp8182]

I'm going to go with a maybe, but I'm not sure I'd try it. .... at least not with the cutting and trying to hold the tree.

I've used a Danuser Intimidator on my L3560 (very similar to the EA attachment above) to remove smaller trees (<4 inches) and can from experience say they work much better to grab a tree/pole and push/pull while lifting to remove a tree than just holding it. Even small trees may shift in the grapple once free of the ground - or other support.

So personally, I'm not sure I'd want to be working under/near the loader when it's holding some of the larger/heavier size trees you've mentioned. With larger trees when using a chainsaw and a grapple (of any type) it's been a two-person operation: one cutting the tree like the tractor wasn't there, and the tractor just providing assistance to help push the tree where it's aimed. ..... which is still a relatively high risk proposition.

If it's not possible to drop the trees (roughly) parallel to the fence line it may be worth checking to seek if you can rent a boom lift and cut the larger trees down in sections. I say that as depending on the height of the 8" trees not only would the loader be having to lift/hold the weight of the tree, but resist any motion being imparted by the wind on what can effectively be a long-levered sail..... (while the M7060 is a larger tractor than a L3560, it's not that much larger despite having ~2x the HP).

...to be honest though just the thought of cutting down a 8" diameter upright live (or dead) tree while holding with my L3560 is almost a brown-shorts moment itself (at least if it's a tall/slow growing species) -- which is saying something since there's been more than a few times I've lifted long (>25-30ft long) & larger diameter trees from a horizontal --- and have been guilty of lifting the rear tires more times than I can -or care to- count (it's been often enough that I've almost gotten used to it happening as much as I push the limits, it's to the point I keep my right hand on the loader controls in order to be able to react faster should the backend start feeling a little "too light" when dealing with large/heavy loads). However, the smaller trees should be easily handled and could likely be pulled out like over-sized weeds with the grab, push (or pull) and lift technique....

anyway just my :2cents:

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Depends on your budget I suppose, but I highly recommend the Notch Tree Puller.

Well, at least ya have good taste in box blades. :laughing: I kid, I kid.

This first one is full blown big daddy puller, so, at 850+ pounds, it'll be to big for many tractors. My pic makes the jaws look wider than they really are, I think.
This tri layered AR450 Hardox Wear Plate is Nasty!

Plans for the near future will be for a 600ish pound model for larger compact and utility tractors and a 350ish pound model for compact tractors.
Gonna be good.
Travis

 

[houser52]

Thanks for all of the replies and suggestions.

I knew that some of the bigger trees would not be safe but wanted to ask anyway. A shear would work well and I had already looked at them but I can't justify spending that much money.

As was said, A puller should be fine for the smaller trees, saplings and bushes. I also can use a puller to pull up old fences posts and I have over 100 old posts to remove.

 

[4570Man]

My prediction for anything from Titan working would be no. As to the idea working safely also no. The grip strength is satisfactory but it’s too easy to put the tree in a bind and it’ll hit you when you cut it.

 

[houser52]

The last couple of days I was looking at all of the old fence posts that will have to be pulled when I replace the fences which will be in the hundreds. Since I work by myself most of the time I was dreading getting on and off the tractor that many times to hook and unhook a chain not to mention the amount of non productive time that will be lost.

Well, I ordered a MTL tree/ post puller today. It seems to be better made than the Titan. No China/ Titan steel and made here in the USA. It has a protected larger cylinder and a guard to keep the tree/ limb/ post from coming back on the tractor. Another good thing is that the price was not much more than the Titan.


Thanks to your comments I will not be trying to hold any bigger trees while I saw them off but I will use the puller to keep any limbs from falling into the highway or on me when I saw them off with my Echo pole saw. With the bigger trees, I'll just have to close the gates to keep the cows out of that pasture, drop the fence then cut the trees down and put the fence back. There are a lot of other small trees and bushes in other fences that needs to be taken out so the puller will see a good bit of use.

 

[lostcreekranch]

The last couple of days I was looking at all of the old fence posts that will have to be pulled when I replace the fences which will be in the hundreds. Since I work by myself most of the time I was dreading getting on and off the tractor that many times to hook and unhook a chain not to mention the amount of non productive time that will be lost.

Well, I ordered a MTL tree/ post puller today. It seems to be better made than the Titan. No China/ Titan steel and made here in the USA. It has a protected larger cylinder and a guard to keep the tree/ limb/ post from coming back on the tractor. Another good thing is that the price was not much more than the Titan.


Thanks to your comments I will not be trying to hold any bigger trees while I saw them off but I will use the puller to keep any limbs from falling into the highway or on me when I saw them off with my Echo pole saw. With the bigger trees, I'll just have to close the gates to keep the cows out of that pasture, drop the fence then cut the trees down and put the fence back. There are a lot of other small trees and bushes in other fences that needs to be taken out so the puller will see a good bit of use.

You'll find that, when pulling fence posts, you can grab them higher and see them easier from your seat.





One of my neighbors was replacing a bit over 600' of fence line a few months ago. Once he had the old wire removed, it took me less than an hour to remove about 60 posts, including a few set in concrete.

 

[houser52]

You'll find that, when pulling fence posts, you can grab them higher and see them easier from your seat.

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One of my neighbors was replacing a bit over 600' of fence line a few months ago. Once he had the old wire removed, it took me less than an hour to remove about 60 posts, including a few set in concrete.

Thanks for the info, good to know.

I'm gradually replacing the fences on the place as I get to them. So far I've replaced about 2500 ft just around the barn and house. At first I was removing the wire and pulling up the posts but it was so slow I started pulling up the posts with the wire attached and rolling the whole mess up a section at a time'.
The old fence is a combination of rusty woven and barbed, rotten locust and bent t-posts. The stretch of fence I'm working on now is about 800'.

 

[jmc]

My prediction for anything from Titan working would be no.

I think it was a Messick's video that pointed out there are two unrelated tractor accessory businesses that use the name "Titan". If I were this company, I'd change my name:

About Titan Implement

 

[houser52]

I think it was a Messick's video that pointed out there are two unrelated tractor accessory businesses that use the name "Titan". If I were this company, I'd change my name:

About Titan Implement

I agree. I have their 10' rotary cutter and it's a solid piece of equipment.

 

[radios1]

rent a feller/buncher, that's safest for what you want to do. it grabs the tree, then cuts it off, then it moves the tree to wherever you want!..

 

[ns_in_tex]

Wonder if you could put a little push on the tree as high as the loader will reach, then cut the tree with a chain saw, just above the fence, and make it fall to the inside.

 

[aczlan]

Wonder if you could put a little push on the tree as high as the loader will reach, then cut the tree with a chain saw, just above the fence, and make it fall to the inside.

Sometimes that works, other times it doesn't (not my tractor)...

Aaron Z