grubbing with mini excavator

[RJG]

I have just purchased a Cat 303.5C CR mini excavator. I really enjoy it and the time just flys when I'm in it. One of my applications is grubbing 1"-4" thorn bush and other similar sized trees. I have tried using both my 24" digging bucket and my 36" tilting trenching bucket. I find that when I use the digging bucket, I end up pulling up lots of earth. I find that the trenching bucket works well when I tilt it and use just the edge to cut then pull up the roots. Problem with the tilt is that the thumb doesn't work with it and I also wonder if digging with the edge of the tilt will eventually damage it.

Any advice from the experienced 'grubbers' as to what is the best work tool for the job? Also, any usage techinques / tips would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[ClearViewGroup]

its a soft touch thing to do...its hard to grub little stuff like that..but if you keep after it you will get the hang of it...its all about knowing when to roll the bucket and close the thumb...try to time it so that you arent putting more than just the teeth in the ground..you could buy a root grapple for it..but its not that hard to learn...just takes time

 

[RJG]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll spend some quality time on it
I have been looking at something called a root rake but I wondered if the longer teeth would actually be able to pull up the brush effeciently. I guess patience and practise is the key as you suggest.

 

[Eagleview]

I made a rake for my 3.5 tonner for that exact purpose . I used Caterpillar 12E grader scarifier tynes and an old set of ears from a quick hitch . It worked perfectly , if i put it into the middle of a bush and made a small swirl with it . The plant would wrap around the tynes like spagetti on a fork and would just pull out of the ground with little soil on the roots .

 

[Taylortractornut]

What Iron horse said with the swirl works greats grubbing. just swirl and curl with the bucket. Its not good to use the corners of you grading bucket like that, I just fixed one from an old Case the county used like that. I use this with my PC50Komatsu alot. I have a rake i built but its rented out right now. Iron Horse I just traded for an old Austin Western grader that was a Military surplus. It was a parts machine I have a fella on Heavy equipment board that wants to look at the circle motor. I may make another rake with its scarifier. I like the straight tines on yours, I made mine curve from 3/4 plate I cut out on my pattern burner. I sift rock with it to. What brand is that hoe good looking rig.

 

[AKfish]

I made a rake for my 3.5 tonner for that exact purpose . I used Caterpillar 12E grader scarifier tynes and an old set of ears from a quick hitch . It worked perfectly , if i put it into the middle of a bush and made a small swirl with it . The plant would wrap around the tynes like spagetti on a fork and would just pull out of the ground with little soil on the roots .

Good job on your fabrication work! Looks like the "right tool for the job".

AKfish

 

[RJG]

That looks like a great tool Iron Horse.
The problem with my brush is that it is not as vine-like as yours seems to be and because of that, I don't think I can twirl them without them all just snapping. I have included a couple of shots of what I am dealing with - along with a shameless picture of my machine...
Do you think your type of work tool would also do the job in this kind of brush and if so, what technique would your suggest be best?
AMI sells a root rake that I can get through my CAT dealer.(AMI Attachments | MINI EXCAVATOR > Specialty > Rippers).

Thanks!

 

[Taylortractornut]

It works well on saplings like oak and hickory and other things. With the swirl I just put the bucket teeth o nthe base of the sapling and bend it over then ease to the side at the same time and hang it in the other teeth kind of binding the woody stem. It works wonders. Ijust cleared a 20 foot strip of mimossoa trees 100 feet long like this.

 

[RJG]

O.K. I think I get it - sounds like you are kind of weaving the sapling in the teeth.
Were you doing this with a regular digging bucket or a rake?

I tried what sounds like your technique today with my 24" digging bucket with very limited success. I had one pass that neatly pulled up 2 or 3 saplings at once - roots and all. I felt pretty smug about it. Then I spent the next several minutes trying to reproduce that success - but mostly resulted in either snapping the saplings about 2' off the ground or having them slide out!

Thanks

 

[AKfish]

Nearly made me "homesick" looking at your pictures - until I remembered I am home...!!

Looks like a mess of poplar/aspen trees. They all look small enough to be mowed with a bush hog type rotary cutter (I KNOW you want to use your excavator!)

Then a tractor with a shank ripper (scarifier) to start the cleanup of all the staubs and rootwads. (Meri-crusher).

Or a hydraulic rotary cutter off your dipper. Like the power companies and oil companies use to clean up right of way lines, etc. But you'll still have to deal with the stumps (staubs), roots, etc. Tractor with a ripper and a big, disc harrow.

Best of luck.

AKfish