Pulling shrubs/small trees

[flyer]

I'm looking for some clever ideas: how do you guys best pull unwanted shrubs and/or small trees? I've tried the tractor and chain and the chain never fails to slip off and over the darn things, no matter how tight I get it ...

thanks!

 

[BobRip]

I'm looking for some clever ideas: how do you guys best pull unwanted shrubs and/or small trees? I've tried the tractor and chain and the chain never fails to slip off and over the darn things, no matter how tight I get it ...

thanks!

I have used the 4 in 1 bucket to grab small trees. I lift and wiggle in all directions. I also use the teeth on the bucket to dig around the tree and cut through some of the roots. If the ground is damp I can pull up a six inch stump. Also I grap the tree about 2 or 3 feet off of the ground, to give more leverage when wiggling it.

 

[pinemountainman]

Hook the chain on the tree or shrub as low as you can, Then roll a large log up to it, Put chain over the log, Hook to tractor or truck and pull. It will lift and pull it out.

 

[patrick_g]

A good length of rope and the knowledge of how to tie a proper knot will work wonders.

Today I tried an experiment that was quite a success. I adjusted the pallet forks to their narrowest setting. The blades were only an inch or so apart. I then treated the blades like a shovel and proceeded to take out 7-8 locust trees ranging in size from 1/2 inch to 3 1/2 or 4 inches in diameter. Wow, what big roots these things have! Worked pretty good, kinda like a sharpshooter spade. I didn't have to manually handle the darned thorny things as only the pallet forks touched them.

A smaller diameter chain like 1/4 inch is better than say 3/8 or 7/16 for pulling brush (if within the strength of the chain) but I have used the larger stuff with success. The key is in knowing how to take advantage of the "CAPSTAN EFFECT." You need to know how to wrap and tie/connect the chain so that under tension it constricts and grips tighter but when you relax the tension the chain is very easy to remove.

Pat

 

[bigdad]

I like Pinemountainman' way. Though I used an old truck rim. If you have enough power, they'll pop up and out.

Have fun!

BD

 

[shawnrogan]

Simply wrap the chain around the tree or stump starting low to the ground and be sure to get at least a half dozen loops. Then hook the chain back on itself and pull away. The chain will tighten on itself and rarely slip. When I was clearing my property to build a few years back, we pulled hundreds of small tree stumps this way ( up to about 5" diameter) with a 50 hp. Oliver.
Best of luck

 

[Egon]

several forks on the bucket will also work well as another poster has stated.

 

[Timber]

I use my PHD to punch a couple of holes around the Base and either push them over or hook a chain on them and pull them put. A car or truck rim will help a lot too

 

[patrick_g]

BD, You still need the chain to hold and not slip. The rim or whatever just serves as a turning block to give you a more vertical pull instead of a horizontal pull. This increases the efficiency of your pull by directing the force in the right direction. IF the chain slips instead of holding the rim or whatever won't help much.

Shawn stated the best and simplest way to incorporate the capstan effect, multiple wraps (more are better but don't go crazy) with the pull applied at the bottom of the wraps and the top wrap secured back to the chain. It works on friction between the chain and the object to be removed. You will get better contact and more friction with a chain that isn't grossly oversize. It is important to not let there be much slack in the top part of the chain as the slack will work down into the wraps and they will loosen. You want the wraps to tighten up like a python when you pull up on the bottom part.

Pat

 

[CFHartman]

I have always had very good luck by putting a choker around it. You make a loop in the end of the chain then you feed the other end around the tree or bush and through the loop. If it is done right the harder you pull the tighter it will cut into the tree.

 

[skipmarcy]

I've pulled way more trees, shrubs & palmettos & stumps with my boxblade and sometimes the loader bucket than with a chain or rope. It's much easier, I believe, to uproot a tree with your bucket a ways up the tree trunk and use it as leverage. If necessary you can cut a few out-lying roots with your bucket to push over some of the larger ones. My boxblade has ripped out tons & tons of palmettos in Florida - and anyone familiar with palmettos knows they can be tough. I've taken out a few larger semi-decayed stumps with it too. The boxblade, when angled just right with your hyd. toplink can cut small brush clean just dandy, and you're levelling a little at the same time. I've cleared large areas of brush with it and made nice piles to either haul or burn. With the right angle, your boxblade will skim over grass and pick up all kinds of small debris without damaging the turf, given it's reasonably smooth to begin with. I hate having to get on & off the tractor to chain something up, then get off again to unchain it. I'd rather get the most out of my implements and keep my skills honed handling my tractor and keep my seat.

 

[PAexcavator]

Guys, there are two types of chain hooks. Slip hooks and grab hooks. Grab hooks are more common, they are specifically sized for a given chain size and allow the chain link to slide in and lock in place.

Slip hooks have an opening with a nice gentle radius that allows the chain to slide through instead of the narrow "U" shaped opening of the grab hooks. Almost all my chains have a slip hook on one end and a grab hook on the other. The grab hook is used to make a fixed loop of chain (often useful in adjusting chains to length).

The slip hook can be used used on "D" rings but is most useful when pulling stumps, hedges, and brush. After you wrap one loop around the offending vegetation with the slip hook end, when the tractor starts pulling, the slip hook allows the chain to tighten like a noose. This is extremely effective, and sometimes will even generate enough force to sever a dry trunk.

 

[flyer]

My chain has grab hooks on either end ... maybe I'll have better luck with a slip hook! Thanks for all the feedback ... it all is helping!

 

[mtntopper]

I use my Anbo grapple/rake to go under and grab the root ball on smaller trees and snags that are hung up on other trees and slowly back up and let the tree slide down the other tree. The Anbo grapple/rake system works well on brush also and saves time. On bigger trees the backhoe is used to dig around the roots and then I can push it where it needs to go with the hoe or grapple.

 

[MadDogDriver]

These are all good ideas if you don't have a BH, but if you do it's the cat's meow to this job, stump & all at once.

 

[AndyMA]

I use Choker Hooks from Valby Sales on the end of my pull chains. They tighten as you pull on them and doon't fall of logs or trees.

 

[Offy]

Yep, it's all about wraping the chain properly so it "chokes" the trunk as described. However, I sure like having a backhoe now, snatch and haul off to the burn pile, done!

 

[MadDogDriver]

Yep, I agree, especially if you're fortunate enough to have a thumb with it too.

 

[flyer]

I wish I had a backhoe (been looking for one that would work with my 855), but I do not ... a thumb would be awesome!

 

[MadDogDriver]

I wish I had a backhoe (been looking for one that would work with my 855), but I do not ... a thumb would be awesome!

Check out the Woods backhoes: I think the 6500/7500 fits on a subframe kit (#9285) for your 855.

Here's a link to their manuals, Backhoe Sub-Frame Mounting Kits Operator's Manuals.

The BH70-X/80-X include a manual thumb option, not sure if they'd fit on your 855, but you could call Woods and find out.