pulling up trees, chain on front or back?

[johnrex62]

I have some small trees to get rid of. They are slightly too big to brush hog and too flexible to easily push over with the fel, so I figure it might be easiest to pull them up using a chain. They are mostly scrub brush between 2" and 4" diameter; cedar elm, western soapberry, and maybe a couple smaller mesquites that may be in the thicket if they will pull.

I have a couple heavy 5/16 chains with hooks, a clevis hook and a 2" ball. What is the best way to use what I have? I can use the draw bar on the back or I can leave my 3pt attachment in place and use the front bumber/grill holes to put the ball or hook on and drag in reverse.

I saw the idea of using a piece of pipe to increase the chains grip on the tree.

Any opinions? I know the drawbar is the strongest point, but given my chain strength and the tree size will the front bumper be overloaded? That would be easier to use. Do I get better traction in forward or reverse?

I do not want to hire anybody to do this for me and I have plenty of time, ie. no deadline or schedules involved. What I cannot do with my tractor, chain or fel will have to be done by hand. Those are the parameters I will be working by, so please give your advice and warnings within those parameters also.

We all know a mulcher is the best solution, but it is not in the cards for this job unless you want to volunteer your time and equipment to come out and work between all the other trees I want to keep. Can't tell you in advance where they are, cause I can't see them for all the crap around them right now. It just isn't cost effective given all of my unknowns and lack of big areas to mulch. I just want to get rid of the few dozen trees in between the other dozen or so keeper trees. So, sorry clear cut advocates.

 

[rekees4300]

I would cut them with a chainsaw. However given the choice of front or back of tractor, the back using 3pt would be better. You'll be surprised how difficult it is to pull trees that size.

 

[Redgoatea]

I pull trees constantly around my place. I just wrap the chain twice around them hook it to itself hook onto the back of the tractor and drive off.

I've also seen the pipe contraption. I'm considering having a friend weld one for me but frankly who cares if the chain slips a little?? It's a crap tree if I'm pulling it I just don't get that.??

When I pull trees I start off in 1st gear 1st speed and that usually works just fine. When it doesn't I go up in speed and give the tree a LITTLE tug. IMO that's where people get into the most trouble. You're pulling trees, it's not a drag race so there's no need to punch it and try to jerk the thing out. I've watched a few people floor whatever they were pulling with only to have the chain slip off or snap. Which sends it flying at them and their rig. Or the tree will snap sending it and the chain flying at the operator.

Pay attention go slow and try not to jerk the trees and you and you tractor should be just fine.

 

[carpenter383]

I would cut them with a chainsaw. However given the choice of front or back of tractor, the back using 3pt would be better. You'll be surprised how difficult it is to pull trees that size.

Agreed:thumbsup: even small trees (2"-3") are hard to just rip out of the ground.
The species makes a big difference too.
If you cut them with a chainsaw and keep the area mowed or brush hogged, the stumps should rot in a few yrs.

 

[rdsaustintx]

Use the drawbar and chains to pull. Load the bucket (with anything) and use 4WD for traction action.

Keep the drawbar low! Gets interesting fast if line of pull gets above rear axle.

 

[Baby Grand]

When pulling doesn't work I have had good luck grubbing small trees out with my subsoiler - when I can get good access to the stump. Cut the trunk as low as you can without getting the saw blade in the dirt. Start digging with the subsoiler about 12 - 18" to one side and work around, cutting or pulling up roots and trying to lift the stump out as you go. Yet another use for the low cost subsoiler.

-Jim

 

[k0ua]

Hook to drawbar you want the load as low as possible, the front bumper was not made for pulling at all. But I have never seen any tree in the 2 to 4 inch size I could not push over with the loader. Loader level, strike tree at the middle of the loader at about hood level let the weight of the tractor push the tree over. Go easy, no ramming. Work it from several sides if neccessary, (usually not) just use common sense and dont tear anything up. when it is easy to push back and forth, and the roots are loose, grub it out with the bucket, you can also use bucket to cut the roots, if needed. Using this method and lots of time I have pushed over/dug out trees in the 8" to 10" size. after cutting off the tree at about the 5 to 6 foot level and leaving the tall stump as a lever to work on. I have done lots of cedars with their roots in the rocks we have here, and let me tell you, they are hard to get out when all the roots are in the cracks in the rocks! But I always win, it is just a matter of time.
James K0UA

 

[poldies4]

It was my understanding that the 3pt wasn't supposed to be used for that type of thing? What I've done, and has worked well is to wrap the chain twice around the tree, then hook the other end to the hitch. It is the most central, lowest part of the tractor. Not to mention that it IS made for pulling. My BX will dig a hole even in 4wd, but I have not ever had the front come up with the chain in this spot.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Here are some different options that I have used at various times:

1. Try pushing the trees out using the FEL with the bucket flat, just above ground level. If you get up too high on the trunk on small springy trees they will bend over, at the base you can often push them right out. With a tooth bar you can also carefully dig/rip out some of the roots which will make it easier to get out.

2. Wrap a chain or choker cable around the base of the tree, hook it on you FEL bucket and lift. You might be able to pop them out of the ground that way.

3. The 3pt hitch has more lifting power than the FEL, so use it as described in #2. Buy a 3pt hitch drawbar such as those from TSC, lower it as low as possible, hook the chain or cable around the base of the tree and then snugly around the 3pt drawbar and lift. You can gently rock it back and forth also, but don't try to pull forward too hard, that's how you turn a tractor over backwards.

4. If none of the aforementioned methods work, your probably dealing with a tree that's too big for your tractor to handle, either use a backhoe, larger equipment, or just cut it off flush with the ground.

 

[beppington]

If you pull the trees toward you, whether from the front or back, make sure your chain is long enough that the top of the tree doesn't land on you! May or may not hurt, but you also never know what hornets/ wasps/ ticks/ chiggers/ other creatures might comin' down on ya.

I wrap the chain twice, & only twice around the tree, & pull using the draw bar. If you do any more than 2 or 3 wraps sometimes the chain can sorta tighten on itself, rather than the tree, & then slip. May not matter if the tree still has branches, but I tend to cut the tree off first, leaving 2-5 feet to grab (5 feet for bigger ones where leverage might be needed), then pull it out.

 

[Arky217]

I have a Kubota L4200 and have pulled up hickory, elm, and oak trees as large as 16" at the base. My method is as follows:

Using an extension ladder, double wrap a chain up as far in the tree as you can get. Use enough chains so that the tree doesn't come down on you ! Hook the chain to the DRAWBAR of the tractor. Using the lowest gear and 4wd, put as much tension on the chain as you can.
Apply brakes on tractor and go to the roots that you have exposed on the opposite side of the pull. Using a bow saw and/or axe, cut the exposed roots (may have to dig a little sometimes). Apply more tension on the chain and then repeat the root cutting.
When you have done all you can do in that direction, reposition the tractor and pull in another direction. Repeat the root cutting.
When you have pulled the tree out, double wrap the chain on the cut roots and pull them out. Works for me.

The key is getting the chain high in the tree and keep cutting the exposed roots. You will be surprised how big a tree you can take out using this method.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Wait until the ground is saturated. Your tractor's maximum lifting ability is with the 3-point, so try the 3-point drawbar idea. It should pull small trees right out of the ground, particularly if the ground is very wet.

Tractor tires have maximum pull in the forward direction. Ag tires have the most preferred rotation, turf tires have none at all.

 

[brandoro]

For smaller trees I cut them off about chest high, don't like to use the chainsaw higher than that, then two turns around near the top of the stump and onto a drawbar inserted in the hitch receiver on my ballast box. Leave the ballast box down low and drive slowly away. So far the trees have come out with no drama at all.
Not fast, lots of climbing on and off the tractor but will get the job done with time.
Cell phone photo, sorry for the poor quality.

 

[buck12]

Here are some different options that I have used at various times:

1. Try pushing the trees out using the FEL with the bucket flat, just above ground level. If you get up too high on the trunk on small springy trees they will bend over, at the base you can often push them right out. With a tooth bar you can also carefully dig/rip out some of the roots which will make it easier to get out.

2. Wrap a chain or choker cable around the base of the tree, hook it on you FEL bucket and lift. You might be able to pop them out of the ground that way.

3. The 3pt hitch has more lifting power than the FEL, so use it as described in #2. Buy a 3pt hitch drawbar such as those from TSC, lower it as low as possible, hook the chain or cable around the base of the tree and then snugly around the 3pt drawbar and lift. You can gently rock it back and forth also, but don't try to pull forward too hard, that's how you turn a tractor over backwards.

4. If none of the aforementioned methods work, your probably dealing with a tree that's too big for your tractor to handle, either use a backhoe, larger equipment, or just cut it off flush with the ground.

I have used #2 with good success on small trees. Wait until soil is very wet.

 

[texasjohn]

Is your land fenced such that it will hold goats...if so, you can get goats and they will eat the brush up as high as they can reach, allowing you, over time, to see what is there and to work on it.

Pulling mesquite will prove to be impossible...and cutting it off will be frustrating since it will grow back and sprangle out, even if cut multiple times a year it will never die. You will have to remove roots some way, or kill it chemically...and for this you MUST use herbicide specific for mesquite, it is impervious to anything but such herbicide.

I recommend a tow strap to wrap around the trunk/base of what you want to pull....it will grip better than chain, which will often simply cut the stuff in two. You can gain length as needed by attaching a chain to the tow strap.

Use drawbar to keep pull at proper elevation for safety. Use trick of running strap over a large diameter tire/roller such that pull is verticalish on the tree/brush but yet is horizontal for the tractor.

Your terrain will be key as will soil type and moisture in ground... good luck, let us know what works for you.... and

GO SLOW.....

 

[Egon]

If the front of the tractor starts to raise, you will have time to stop it!

You may have time to stop it! Them things happen rather quickly.

Consider doing a little digging with the FEL and cutting some roots. Might make it easier to push them over or pull them out.

 

[beppington]

For larger trees, how about using just one shank on a box blade to rip thru the roots.

 

[TWD]

2-4" is not really a "Tree", and it depends on the species of trees to determine how tough it really will be.

Out here we get some 2-6" bush like trees that grow rapidly, and I can simply wrap a chain around them, hookup on the FEL then pull them out. If they don't come first pull I`ll dig around a bit and then pull them out or push them back and forth with the FEL to loosen up the roots then lift them right out.

We also have Pine here to deal with which can be very stubborn or very easy it seems! Some yank right out, some I have to wiggle around then they come right up!

If it were me I'd try with the FEL, and if that doesn't work switch to the rear hookups. A 2-4" tree/brush shouldn't have an elaborate root system so loosening up the dirt if you can will make it even easier.