Tree/Post Puller

[dsb5610]

I have numerous thorny honey locust coming up in CRP ground and some multiflora rose in the pasture areas. I've tried cutting the honey locust off at the ground only to find out it grows back, sometimes multiple trees from the same root. So I fabricated a puller to remove them, roots and all. I've also used it to pull some fence posts. Works pretty good.

Have about $300 invested in the quick tach plate, cylinder and hoses. The rest of the steel I chopped up from various pieces laying around.

I use the puller on a Bobcat Toolcat but it could be used on any later model skidsteer.

dsb

 

[dsb5610]

Another pic

 

[dsb5610]

Let's try that second pic again

 

[wushaw]

I hate Honey Locus /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
Any method of getting rid of them successfully is a good one. I spent alot of time with a chainsaw ridding them off my place.
Great job /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[srjones]

Hey, very cool /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Could you post a picture from the side (or in action?)

also, a closeup of the 'gripping' part?

 

[dsb5610]

I'll get some better pics up soon so you get a better view of it.

When I first tried it out I had not finished all the bracing, wanted to see if everything functioned how I planned before I welded too much. That was a mistake. It worked so well on the small trees that I quickly graduated to large fence posts and bent the stationary arm. Now you can see a gusset added to that arm. Moral of the story is don't under estimate the power of a hydraulic cylinder I guess.

I put up a post a while back on 'steel teeth' looking to get ideas for the grip on the arms. It dawned on me one day to use sections of steel 'T' fence post. I staggered the pieces on opposite sides so the nubs fit together almost like teeth. Works good on all but the very small stuff. It will grip tight enough that I've slid the back end of the Toolcat around when pulling on an incline, quite a bit of pull considering this unit can pickup a round bale of hay and put it in the feeder.

I have another support arm cut for the stationary arm and am planning on welding a piece of chain to add support to the pivot arm. Also considering adding a 2" receiver to the end of the stationary arm so I can move a trailer around when I am in the field without getting out to hook it up to the back.

dsb

 

[dsb5610]

Finally got back to pulling trees.... Attached is a pic of a thorny honey locust I pulled. There are a number of these on the property that I will get too.

dsb

 

[dsb5610]

Here is a closer view of the pincher....

dsb

 

[dsb5610]

Unfortunately, the tree in the pic is not my main use. Over the years we have mowed off the trees growing in the CRP. Little did I know that mowing them off does not does not stop the root from growing and each year new sprouts come up. Instead of having one or two main trunks to grip and pull there are many small sprouts growing from a 4 or 5" root and the sprouts are not strong enough to pull the root out. So I end up having to point the puller down and drive it into the ground to get hold of the root to pull it. Many of the roots are big enough that when I closed the puller it slides the front end of the toolcat. If I do not get a clean pull on the root I often have to re-position to get the puller to straddle the root again.

Attached is a pic of the puller ready to go in after a root.

dsb

 

[jmc]

Nice job.

Years ago I had 20 acres of honey locust so I mounted a sharpened 12 inch wide channel iron on the 3ph to back in under the tree and pop them out. Those things continued to sprout for a year or two until I sold the place. But at least you could mow it afterward. Moving the downed trees required getting off the tractor and dragging them to a pile. One of the nice things about yours is not having to do that.

Have you found any trees too big to pull out and, if so, how big were they? Also, will it grab a clump of multifora rose and pull it up en masse?

Thanks for the post.

John

 

[Farwell]

The new shoots growing off of an old root treated with a brush killer for a few seasons should eliminate most of the problem. I have similar problems with wild black berry and bramble. I have been after them for about 3 years and have yet to completely eradicate them but it gets better each year.
Great puller, wish I had one for my JD.
Farwell

 

[dsb5610]

John, I haven't picked on a regular tree or fencepost too big for it to pull yet. The one in the first pic is the biggest one I recall pulling so far. I do run into cutoff trees that are growing back that it won't pull out in one try. The ground swells up all around it but the Toolcat doesn't have enough butt to make it happen. For those I push the pinchers along side of the new growth to get a hold on one of the side roots. Once I get one of those started I can get the rest of it.

I tried multiflora rose right after the frost came out and was able to pull it right out. Will be pulling more of those soon so I will have a better feel for how it does on them.

dsb

 

[DocHeb]

Nice project - I've considered something similiar for my NH TC40D to pull out the multitudes of ash saplings on my property.

What is the lift capacity of your ToolCat?

 

[dsb5610]

The manual shows 1500lbs to full height (84"). I've been told 2000lbs at 48" but have not seen that in the owners manual.

I've fed round bales of hay with it. The medium sized ones are no problem. The big ones will have the rear wheels bouncing off the ground unless your put some ballast in the dump bed (rated for 2000lbs.)

dsb