OT-Making a Sapling Puller

[rws]

Our property/woods was timbered quite a few years ago. Now, there is a lot of small growth everywhere. I would like to clear out all this mess. I have a 753 Bobcat and can literally dig up each sapling,but that is a pain. I've done it many times but the work is overkill for what you're doing. So I had this idea.....

What if I made a clamp powered by a small hydraulic cylinder that was bolted to the bucket, that I could just clamp onto a sapling and pull it out of the ground? Something that would handle about 2" saplings and under. Over 2" I doubt I could just pull them out, but then it getting to where I can push them over and get under the stump.

So what do you think about a gripper/clamp type thing? The hydraulics are there on the machine.

I rather get them out of the ground instead of brush hogging them down where the stob is left behind.

[flylo]

I would rent a decent size dozer with teeth on the bottom of the blade that rips up anything to about 6" below the surface & have it done in no time. Or build an attachment like it for your bobcat. The problem is you may never use it again.














' below the surface & have it done in no time

[lynnl]

Google "T post puller" and study those. Might give you an idea for a somewhat simpler to implement gripping mechanism.

I don't have a T post puller, so I've used chain and a long pry bar for my rare needs to pull one. Though using something like a chain would entail getting down off the Bobcat to engage each sapling. But some other means might be devised.

[wb2vsj]

How about a big cable grip?

[Rustybolt]

Pull straight up. The easiest way to uproot the small stuff.

[tmc_31]

RWS,

Around here, we have to deal with mesquite trees. If we can get to them while they are small, we have been having good luck with the grubber in the picture. I use this on a NH LS170. For mesquite you need to get the cutter plate about 6-8" below grade in order to pull the tree out root and all. Our local New Holland dealer makes these in their shop and sells them for about $1300.00. There is not much too it, I think a fella could build one without too much trouble. Most of the metal is 1.5" mild steel, the mounting plate was purchased from a vendor. I have seen these plates for $150.00 or so on the internet.



Regards,

Tim

[HWooldridge]

A choker made from chain or wire rope would probably work so long as it tightens before slipping.

[Black Forest]

How many acres are we talking?

[tmc_31]

Google "T post puller" and study those. Might give you an idea for a somewhat simpler to implement gripping mechanism.

I have and use a t post puller occasionally, but if I need to pull very many, I just use a choker chain on the end of my pallet forks on the skid loader. It takes two people for it to be very efficient.

If you look at a t post puller and note the way it engages the t post, you may be able to devise a small part that attaches to the front lip of your bucket so that as you tilt the bucket back it engages the sapling in the same way as the t post puller does. Once engaged, it would then be a simple matter of raising the bucket to pull the sapling.

If the saplings are easy to pull, this might work well, otherwise a grubber like I previously posted might be in order.

Tim

[rws]

About an acre or so. I would start working and keep going as time allowed. I agree that pulling straight up would be best, but then again I would have the ability to wiggle it back and forth if it were stubborn.

The idea of a choker, or post puller is the right thing, but getting down and back on for each sapling would wear me out!

I have cleared a fair amount of this stuff just grubbing them out, but chasing those small damn things and all the digging needed to get that one small sapling is a pain.

[rws]

I have and use a t post puller occasionally, but if I need to pull very many, I just use a choker chain on the end of my pallet forks on the skid loader. It takes two people for it to be very efficient.

If you look at a t post puller and note the way it engages the t post, you may be able to devise a small part that attaches to the front lip of your bucket so that as you tilt the bucket back it engages the sapling in the same way as the t post puller does. Once engaged, it would then be a simple matter of raising the bucket to pull the sapling.

If the saplings are easy to pull, this might work well, otherwise a grubber like I previously posted might be in order.

Tim

I think I was typing as you were posting! An interesting idea you have there. A piece of plate steel with the right "hole" cut in just may work! Do you think the sapling would bend and slip through?

Can you explain how the grubber you posted is used?

[Black Forest]

What kind of slopes are you dealing with? Do you have one hundred trees to pull? More or less?

I would put a stump rake on and just start poping them out. I have a stump rake for my excavator. Along with the hydraulic thumb and rake I can make short work of big or small trees. Side benifit is it is lots of fun to attack the forest.

[mikem]

I made some 30" pallet forks for my small skid loader and they work great for digging into the dirt to rip out the tree by the roots w/o digging a big hole. They are about 32" apart.

It also really works well for hauling tree trunks away after felling dead trees. I don't have to get off the skid loader to pick them up like I had to do when lifting them with the bucket. They often fell out of the bucket, also--another reason to use the small forks!

[Boucher]

Throw about 3 hitches around it with good 1/4-5/16 chain. You need two people so you don't have to get on-off the machine. I have chain hooks on each side of the top of the bucket and a trailer ball welded in the top middle. This way you can use the leverage of the bucket tilt to help.

[tmc_31]

RWS,

I think if the saplings are 1" dia or larger, they might pull alright. Much smaller and you are right, they will just bend and slip through. Didn't think about that (tee posts are mostly the same size and they don't give like a sapling would)

With the grubber, I stick the cutting plate in the dirt about a foot prior to getting to the tree so that the cutting plate engages the tree about 6-8 inches or more below the ground. Then (with the loader arms fully lowered) I move the skid loader forward and simultaneously rock the grubber back lifting the tree out of the ground. Most of the time it lifts the roots out of the ground (talking mesquite here) occasionally it just cuts the tree off below grade. Either way if it's rooted out or cut off 6-8" below grade it is not likely to grow back.

By the way, I was able to rent the grubber from a local equipment place for about $40.00/day or $60.00/wk. We rented one for a week, liked it so much that we just bought one. We have about 600 acres to control mesquites on.

Sorry, my description of how I use this thing is probably clear as mud, If you have any questions, please ask.

Tim