beppington
Elite Member
How about ripping roots with a single shank on a box blade down?
Traction Tree pulling traction: loaded tires or ballast?
- Thread starter johnrex62
- Start date
- Views: 5389
J_J
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2003
- Messages
- 18,952
- Location
- JACKSONVILLE, FL
- Tractor
- Power-Trac 1445, KUBOTA B-9200HST
That might work for smaller trees, but mid to large, the roots are deeper, and if the shank can get down to the root, it might bend the housing for the shank. A single large root getter will concentrate all the power in a small space.
VitaBene
Silver Member
Agreed, especially on the widowmakers- they earned the name for a reason!
Chilly807
Elite Member
You'll have better success wrapping the chain around the tree higher up, say 5 or 6 feet high. It gives you a lot more leverage on the stump. As far as filling the tires, that's a good idea for stability anyway, irregardless of any advantage in pulling ability.
Sean
Sean
You will break your teeth, I know. And with a box blade slow and steady is the proper pace no running start. You want the BB to stall you before you twist or break something.
doall
Platinum Member
How about just cutting down some of the more stubborn trees. Then pull em
Redgoatea
Gold Member
Personally I still don't get the loaded tire thing. Perhaps it's best on R4's. I run unloaded R1's and have very hilly wet clay terrain and I don't have any traction issues pulling trees, box blading, or like today pulling the 1 ton truck out of the mud.
IMO ramming a tree with your tractor is like poking a sleeping bear. You're just asking for trouble. Chain them a few feet up, or push them over gently both work well just remember not to pull them down on yourself. Yeah I did that it sucks got a longer chain.
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IMO ramming a tree with your tractor is like poking a sleeping bear. You're just asking for trouble. Chain them a few feet up, or push them over gently both work well just remember not to pull them down on yourself. Yeah I did that it sucks got a longer chain.
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Arky217
Silver Member
I used my Kubota 45 hp L4200 to clear my house site.
It has R4 tires and 3 sets of wheel weights.
Even so, the rear tires slipped a lot until I loaded them; it made a huge difference, especially since the L4200 is not a particularly heavy tractor anyway.
I have uprooted and removed hickory, elm, and oak as large as 16" at the base, and this in dry and rocky ground.
The secret is to chain to the tree as high as you can; this gives you a tremendous leverage advantage.
I used an extension ladder to get up nearly 20' sometimes.
If it's a larger tree and it doesn't pull over the first try, then keep pressure on it and go cut some of the roots you have exposed on the back side. Then pull again, and if necessary repeat the operation from a different direction.
You can take out some large trees this way with a relatively small tractor. Just be sure you use a long enough chain so that the tree doesn't come down on you. And also make sure you hook the chain low, to the drawbar, and not to somewhere above the axle.
It has R4 tires and 3 sets of wheel weights.
Even so, the rear tires slipped a lot until I loaded them; it made a huge difference, especially since the L4200 is not a particularly heavy tractor anyway.
I have uprooted and removed hickory, elm, and oak as large as 16" at the base, and this in dry and rocky ground.
The secret is to chain to the tree as high as you can; this gives you a tremendous leverage advantage.
I used an extension ladder to get up nearly 20' sometimes.
If it's a larger tree and it doesn't pull over the first try, then keep pressure on it and go cut some of the roots you have exposed on the back side. Then pull again, and if necessary repeat the operation from a different direction.
You can take out some large trees this way with a relatively small tractor. Just be sure you use a long enough chain so that the tree doesn't come down on you. And also make sure you hook the chain low, to the drawbar, and not to somewhere above the axle.
OP
johnrex62
Platinum Member
Just want to clarify something about the trees I am dealing with. Trees in Central Texas don't rate as real trees in areas of the country that can grow a forest.
A tree here, with a 4-6 inch trunk, are still under 20 feet tall and are often supple enough to bend over to the ground by hand. Putting a bucket on the tree even 4 feet off the ground simply bends the tree in half and puts very little tension on the trunk at ground level. It is not the same as pushing over a 30 foot hardwood.
A 4 inch Mesquite acts very different than a 4 inch Cedar Elm, and the 4 inch Soapberry is still another class. Most of what I am pulling is either Mesquite or Soapberry, I am trying to keep as many Cedar Elm as I can as they are the most desirable of my natives.
Since I don't have much height in these trees, there is not much advantage to sawing them down to pull the stump. Chaining too high and I just exchange chain for wood in my pull attachment. I want to try putting the wheel under the chain to deliver a little upward pull on the roots, but haven't located a junk wheel to use yet.
A tree here, with a 4-6 inch trunk, are still under 20 feet tall and are often supple enough to bend over to the ground by hand. Putting a bucket on the tree even 4 feet off the ground simply bends the tree in half and puts very little tension on the trunk at ground level. It is not the same as pushing over a 30 foot hardwood.
A 4 inch Mesquite acts very different than a 4 inch Cedar Elm, and the 4 inch Soapberry is still another class. Most of what I am pulling is either Mesquite or Soapberry, I am trying to keep as many Cedar Elm as I can as they are the most desirable of my natives.
Since I don't have much height in these trees, there is not much advantage to sawing them down to pull the stump. Chaining too high and I just exchange chain for wood in my pull attachment. I want to try putting the wheel under the chain to deliver a little upward pull on the roots, but haven't located a junk wheel to use yet.
Redgoatea
Gold Member
johnrex62 said:
I've seen that trick with fence posts I wonder if it works with trees or if the root system would interfere too much? please post back and let us know if it works for ya. Good luck.
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