Grubbing Tongs

MChalkley · Apr 14, 2000

Does anyone have any info or experience with a gadget known as grubbing tongs. I think Cumberland General Store has them, but I loaned my catalog to someone and don't remember who. I can't remember how much they cost, either, but if I recall correctly, they are designed to grab brush and small trees up to 6 inches or so in diameter so you can pull the smaller stuff out of the ground or just drag the larger stuff. I know a choker chain is better for dragging, but I was wondering if anyone has used one of these to pull small trees out of the ground.

Kevin_mc · Apr 18, 2000

Mark,
I've used something similar to grubbing tongs to pull material off a truck I couldn't get a forklift up into and they work real well on round material or wood that they can bite into. I saw the ones in the Cumberland catalog on page 172. One is for trees 1-1/2" to 8" in diameter part number 8476, $100.20 each. The other is for 1-1/2" to 5" diameter trees part number 8475, $91.25 each. Hope you find your catalog.
Kevin

MChalkley · Apr 18, 2000

Kevin, thanks for the info! I haven't found the catalog - I think I'll just have to go buy another one. I think I will call Cumberland and order the larger tongs; maybe they'll throw in a catalog for free. Thanks for looking it up. What did you use? Were they pallet tongs or something else?

Mark

Anonymous Poster · Apr 19, 2000

I just called Cumberland on their toll free number, and they are sending me a xerox picture with the info on their tongs. They didn't volunteer to send a free catalog. They have an online website that lists all of their products, but not all have pictures, or descriptions. The catalog costs $4.00

Thomas · Apr 19, 2000

Hello Kevin.
I'm very interested in the grubbing tong idea for I have a tree farm.
You mention you saw it in Cumberland catalog,how does one go about getting a Cumbeland catalog etc...
Thank you.

Kevin_mc · Apr 19, 2000

Mark,
They could have been called pallet tongs, we had a pet name for them (you understand I won't use it on this board though). They were designed very similar to the grubbing tongs. Where the wire is on the grubbing tongs this was replaced with an 8"-10" piece of 3/8" chain. Also, at the end of each tong there was a 1"X 3" inch serated steel head that would grip very tightly on whatever you were pulling. After the tongs were hooked to the piece I wanted to move then I would hook a chain from my tow-moter to the chain on the tongs and pull the piece to the back of the truck where I could get the forks under it. They were real champs for certain situations.

Kevin

MChalkley · Apr 19, 2000

Kevin, check out http://www.cumberlandgeneral.com. There's a number there you can call. A lot of big bookstores carry them in the magazine section, too.

Kevin_mc · Apr 19, 2000

Thomas,
I found out about the Cumberland General Store from someone on this board last year. A couple of months ago I received one of the little packs of coupons in the mail with all type of catalogs to send for and one of them was for Cumberland General Store. Only problem was they wanted $4.00 and I wont pay for a catalog, so I put the card in a stack of bills at home and the wife thought it was something she wanted and sent for it. It's one of those catalogs that you may only want to get every 5 years and just use it for a reference (sort of like the Grainger and McMaster-Carr encyclopedias)

Cumberland has a web page WWW.cumberlandgeneral.com. You can get your $4.00 back in the form of coupons to use with your orders.

I've been considering a tool called a root jack that pulls up small trees as I am clearing some areas in the woods for planting ginseng Fall 2000. I realize all jobs should be planned around the tractor but my ginseng crop is going to start small so much of the work I am doing by hand in a confined area where the tractor wont fit. I've found the root jack in the catalog from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, www.groworganic.com. It sells for $95.?? in the 1999 catalog.

Kevin

MChalkley · Apr 19, 2000

Would you mind posting any additional details when you get them?

MChalkley · Apr 19, 2000

Um, yes, I think I've heard them referred to by that name. I've seen them in use, too. They look like they would be very handy, but they don't look quite the same as the "grubbing" tongs I've seen in catalogs.

Thomas · Apr 20, 2000

Re: Grubbing Tongs..Kevin

Thank you for the information about Cumberland also the other companies.
Take care and have fun.

)

Anonymous Poster · Apr 27, 2000

Received the xerox page from Cumberland. They can be reached at 1 800 334 4640. Their grubbing tongs are $102.45, and come with a "swing aside" brush plate. The ad states " Clear land of brush and trees--roots and all. Guaranteed not to break. Eliminates costly bulldozing. Trees can be pulled from any direction and tongs will not slide or bend. No slipping--the harder you pull, the tighter the tongs grip. Complete with high strength hookup cable. For trees 1 1/2" to 8" in diameter. Weighs 18 pounds. High strength alloy steel construction.....There is a smaller model for 1 1/2' to 5' trees for $93.50. As best as I can describe what the tongs look like would be to say the would look similar to ice tongs, where the tongs would encircle the tree. The cable runs from one handle to the other, and by pulling up on the cable, it closes the tongs around the tree. For a 8" tree, I feel I can remove it with my 4310, so I don't think they would be any use to me. Contact Cumberland, if anyone is interested.

MChalkley · Apr 27, 2000

Thanks for the info!

I'm not sure I understand your next-to-last sentance, though. What do you mean by "For a 8" tree, I feel I can remove it with my L4310"?

Mark

Anonymous Poster · Apr 28, 2000

Mark,
I have cleared 3-4 acres already, including some scrub brush, small and large trees. I found that I can remove the smaller trees with the bucket on my 4310, and when I come up against larger trees, I bring out a Cat 977H, that will remove anything else, stump and all.

MChalkley · Jun 5, 2000

Well, I ordered and received the grubbing tongs from Cumberland. My only complaint is that I waited until most of the trees I had to pull up on my latest project were already done. This thing is incredibly well constructed. And it works great. I pulled up a 7" diameter sugar maple with it. It's sure a lot easier to use for pulling out trees, saplings, and brush than a choker chain, too.

Thanks for the lead on where to find it!

Mark

MChalkley · Jun 10, 2000

Well, here I am talking, er, replying to myself again. I just spent another two long days putting 5 hours on my L4310HST, but I found another job the grubbing tongs are great at (besides pulling down trees big enough to break my canopy). I was trying to get up a stump and didn't have the backhoe with me, but it was too big to pull up with either the 4-in-1 or the choker chain (10" gum cut only 2" off the ground), so I scratched around it with the bucket teeth, and put the grubbing tongs on a couple of the larger roots. It ripped them right out, then the stump came out with the choker chain.

Mark

gordon · Jun 10, 2000

Mark I just did a post under the tractor roll picture but here it is again just so you don't feel like your the only one---http://www.madsens1.com/1stdayon.htm I have a few dents in mine from trees jumping out as well.

Sounds like those tongs are pretty tough--they haven't bent yet? How much did they run you? Thanks for any info
Gordon

richh · Jun 10, 2000

Its ok Mark we understand. Hey I remove alot of trees around here and a 6-8" maple tree is a snoot full!!! At least in our soil. I don't even try to use the tractor for the larger trees. Get out the 350 case, I know that everyone dosn't have one of these sitting around, and sometimes I mite forget to being it with so these grub tong have got my intrest. Do they some how give you a addtional advanage over just a chain??? HOW?
RICH

MChalkley · Jun 10, 2000

Cumberland General Store has two versions, the big one (which I bought, of course) is about $105, and a somewhat smaller one that's a little cheaper. They're guaranteed not to bend or break or they'll replace them free. I can tell you there's no chance anything under 100 hp is going to bend them. There's a 3/8" cable on them that you pull with that looks like the weakest point, but I'm not sure what the breaking strength of it would be.

Mark

MChalkley · Jun 10, 2000

Rich - That size maple is a snoot-full anywhere. No, I don't think they really give you any kind of mechanical advantage or anything like that, but they're a lot easier to use. Instead of having to wrap the chain around two or three times on the smaller stuff, you just put the clamp around it and pull. They do grip better than a chain, though.

Mark