chain-attached grubbing "plow"?

miles2go · Feb 14, 2006

chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

Last week we took delivery on our first tractor, a 34hp Kubota L3400HST 4WD.

One of the chores it does quite well is pulling out manzanita brush with a chain. This works well for larger brush which is 4-8 ft tall and 10-20 years old -- and which is near level ground for the tractor.

In other cases there is shorter (1-2 ft tall, < 5 yrs old) manzanita brush in denser stands on slopes too steep for the tractor to get near.

Is there some sort of grubbing "plow" that could be manipulated by an operator on foot on the steep hillside and which would be dragged by a chain attached to the tractor on level ground 40-50 feet away? This would be very handy for uprooting the smaller stuff. I can do it with a grubbing mattock by hand, but putting tractor power into would make the work easier I think.

More info about my situation here .

tillerkiller · Feb 14, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

I see in my mind a day when your "grubbing plow" chases you down the hill to your tractor, and pops a tire (or maybe pops you!) /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I would however think that anything that was heavy enough to do the job would be too heavy to carry up the hill. I have never seen manzanita so I may be way off base here.

I wonder if a choker cable would 'choke' around a stand of manzanita?

All you would need is a slip hook and some cable (chain will probably not choke if it gets clogged up by weeds) to try it out.

Iplayfarmer · Feb 14, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

What are you going to do with a slope that is "too steep for the tractor to get near?"

Is it even necessary to remove the brush?

miles2go · Feb 14, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

I envisioned this as a two-person job: one on the tractor; one manning the grubbing plow.

I also imagined that the tractor would be *above* the manzanita that was being grubbed.

The attached photo shows two stands of 2-foot tall manzanita on a 25% slope near my house. Each stand probably has 2 dozen plants in it, which is why grubbing rather than choking seemed most appropriate. (Maybe choking would work; I haven't tried yet.)

If I were using a device such as I describe, the tractor and tractor operator would be uphill, beyond the right edge of the photo.

RalphVa · Feb 14, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

Nearest thing to a tractor-operated grubbing hoe is a back hoe.

Ralph

Highbeam · Feb 14, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

Those look mowable with a brush hog. They'll just disappear without having to get off the machine.

miles2go · Feb 14, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

To address some questions that have come up:

Slope is too steep for brush-hogging. If you do brush-hog manzanita of this size, you end up with dozens of short, sharp stumps. Very unpleasant to step on. Manzanita is a very hard wood.

Nearest level ground for tractor is 30-40 feet away in this example -- too far for a backhoe to reach. And ... I don't have a backhoe.

My goal is to dislodge and uproot the plants. I can do this by hand with a grubbing mattock, but it would be nice to use tractor power. The tractor cannot come closer than 30-40 feet to the manzanita in question due to steep slopes.

The photo in my earlier post is just one example. There are other comparable areas where this would be helpful.

In theory I could hook a chain onto each tiny plant individually in every stand of these small manzanita, but I'm looking for a method to uproot at least several at one go.

I wish to remove them as part of fuel-reduction in firebreaks near my house and along my drive.

tillerkiller · Feb 14, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

Do they have farm auctions in your area? It sounds to me like you may stumble upon some piece of machinery that could do what you want with some modification. What about one of those circular bladed gasoline trimmers? The kind that are like weed-whackers except they swing a circular saw blade?

miles2go · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

( What about one of those circular bladed gasoline trimmers? The kind that are like weed-whackers except they swing a circular saw blade?)

That's a DR Trimmer-Mower with Beaver Blade. We have one of those and have done much previous clearing with it. They leave behind short stumps, which then impede the travel of the DR, especially on slopes. Pulling the manzanita from the ground, roots and all, is preferable -- in our experience.

I'm going to explore the choker idea. Anyone know the correct materials to use for one suitable for small brush (as opposed to timber)?

BamaRob · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

I have a similar situation with Chinese Privet hedge. A choker cable would probably work better, but all I have is a chain. I hitch the chain to my drawbar and wrap it around the base of the privet hedge (at least twice around the base of the trunk). I keep the tractor in low range, 1st gear and at around 1700 RPM. It pulls them out rather easily. I don't know how privet compares to what you're dealing with, though. Privet has a very shallow root system (you can pull small ones by hand). Even the biggest ones that are 3+ inches at the base and 15' tall are no problem for my 2615 4WD.

Good luck.

BamaRob

HomeBrew2 · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

I just have to ask ... you said the slope was ~25%, and the pic seems to support that and the area seems to be free of boulders, stumps, etc. I don't think anybody really considers 25% to be too bad of a slope when working in the direction of the slope. Across the slope, yes, too steep. I know I'd try driving down the slope and try popping them with the bucket. A toothbar would probably be a big help.

As far as the choker: I use a 4" nylon truck load strap. Mine were discarded due to being freyed in the middle. One end had a sewn loop. The other end I folded in half, back about 2', than tied a bowline in it.

Cheers!

PILOON · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

As mentioned a straight line downhill run is quite safe.

What could work also is a 'root ripper'.

Essentially the bars that are on boxblades, but without the blade.

I made one using 3 box blade rippers and a 2 ft length of 3" x 3" square tubbing.
Cat 1 pins at both ends and a 16" vertical to accept the top 3 point adjustable link.
The tubing has square slots to accept the boxblade shafts and a nut and bolt locking arrangement.
Works good for roots and bush stumps.
Also pops under 12" rocks nicely.
Operator simply backs the tractor and drops the 3point beyond the rock/stump/roots and drives off.
Not unsimilar to a bulldozer ripper but limited to the tractors pulling ability.

For a picture I'd have to remouve about 5ft of snow which is not about to happen until the sun does it for me.

tillerkiller · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

I'm just gonna make a general comment here, in light of the ( we took delivery on our first tractor ) statement. Working around hills is generally _not_ safe, I can speak from experience here, I cannot count how many times I have slid down a hill with my rears locked up. I am getting quite good at it frankly. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

When you are pointed down a hill then almost all of your weight is on the fronts so if you are not in 4 wheel drive you are about to have a real experience. It is not fun the first few times, I garontee that you will not be able to figure out what to do next the first time that it happens. If you get your rear implement off of the ground sometimes you will get enough traction to slow down, other times you are just gonna have to ride it out. I have also slid down wet grass (that I thought was dry) so look out for that too. Not trying to scare you here, just don't want to read about how you got to sliding down a hill and then got crossed up and rolled your tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

slowzuki · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

I do have exactly what you are talking about. We call it a alder ripper but it was built for pulling small brush stumps with a horse.

Esentially it looks like a big fishing treble hook with one hook replaced with a shovel handle to lift and drag the thing back after a pull.

So you hook the root with one or the other tine and pull. I hope to set it up with the logging winch to get a little more control.

miles2go · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

I have to agree with Tillerkiller: we aren't taking the tractor onto the slopes I have been talking about. Heck, I don't even like running the DR Trimmer Mower on those slopes. Any solution for these particular slopes is going to involve a chain running from the tractor (on level ground) down to the brush in question.

(In the picture I posted earlier, downhill to the left of the picture, the slope increases to 40%. Not going anywhere near there on the tractor.)

miles2go · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

Slowzuki has hit the jackpot: the alder ripper sounds exactly like what I was envisioning. I even figured the technology would go back to horse-drawn days.

Do you have a picture of the alder ripper? Is it home-brew, or can most of the unit be purchased somewhere? Thanks!

Panache · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

What about chemicals?

miles2go · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

( What about chemicals? )

If I catch the manzanita with Roundup when it's only a year or two old, that would work. But by the time it is 5 years old and taller than a foot, killing it just makes it a worse fire-hazard. I need to remove it.

Small manzanita that is dead can be pulled from the ground by hand after it has had 5 years to rot. But I don't want to wait that long.

LarryD · Feb 15, 2006

Re: chain-attached grubbing \"plow\"?

 Nearest level ground for tractor is 30-40 feet away in this example 

Well that's not too much chain to have around. Several smaller lengths for what-ever can quickly make a long chain with quick links.

I'm not sure what the device in the attachment was originally intended for but it sure makes a nice choker for exactly what your're doing. I wrap the chain around base of Huckleberry stands and feed it through the ring. I get it as tight as I can by hand then hook it to the tractor. It gets a good bite on the brush and only occasionally slides up over the plant. Sometimes I add a 2' 6x6 near the plant to provide a little upward leverage as I tug.

You have my sympathy though. My FIL just moved away from Grants Pass and he used to cuss the Manzanita he removed from the property. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif