OT-Making a Sapling Puller

[nctox]

Are you thinking about one of these?

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_grounds-maintenance+weed-brush-removal

[digger_doug]

I had a skid loader bucket with a smooth edge, and wanting
to dig more I trimmed it with a torch, to a "semi sawtooth" pattern.

As an afterthought, I found it works great on brush/small sappling's.

Lay the bucket flat, drive in, as you feel resistance, lift, continuing
to push forward (keeping them jammed in the "v"'s).

To unload, back up with the bucket on the ground to unsick.

Works very well to not disturb the soil too much (ripping the
trees out, leaving the nearby grass intact for erosion control)

[jason.weir]

an acre or less - I'd do a hack and squirt herbicide...

Google it - less work then trying to pull each one and they die on their own - year or so later and they decompose completely..


-J

[C - ROSS]

We have over 2000 acres and a problem with cedar trees. I made a V shaped fork from an old grader blade, backed up with mild steel, sharpened the inside edge and mount it on the loader of my 4020. Put it about 6 inches under the ground and then just push and lift at the same time, it will take out a 6-7 inch (diameter) tree with very little effort. Then just pick up with the loader and put them in a blowout.

Ross

[Jim Shaper]

I agree with the chemical treatment option. 75/25 mix of diesel and tree killer (there's several options) applied to the stump and you'll have dead roots rotting in no time.

Cut them, treat the stumps, then come back and brush hog them down level.

Some trees (American plum, poplar, etc) sucker profusely. Ripping the trunks off will give you 50 new stems. You have to kill it first.

[demerrill]

Google Images 'sapling puller'

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gs_nf=1&cp=14&gs_id=2v&xhr=t&q=colonial+stump+puller&pq=colonial+tree+puller&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1323&bih=1073&wrapid=tljp132985138360528&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=BOxDT_iaO4WC2AXz0Jy5CA#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=sapling+puller&oq=sapling+puller&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=12&gs_upl=0l0l4l146889l0l0l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=344d5e3e912aaa2&biw=1323&bih=1045

David Merrill

[demerrill]

Google Images 'stump puller'

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gs_nf=1&cp=14&gs_id=2v&xhr=t&q=colonial+stump+puller&pq=colonial+tree+puller&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1323&bih=1073&wrapid=tljp132985138360528&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=BOxDT_iaO4WC2AXz0Jy5CA#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=stump+puller&oq=stump+puller&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=12&gs_upl=0l0l8l4964l0l0l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=55d08dd5c5b443b4&biw=1323&bih=1045

David Merrll

[HWooldridge]

I agree with the chemical treatment option. 75/25 mix of diesel and tree killer (there's several options) applied to the stump and you'll have dead roots rotting in no time.

Cut them, treat the stumps, then come back and brush hog them down level.

Some trees (American plum, poplar, etc) sucker profusely. Ripping the trunks off will give you 50 new stems. You have to kill it first.

Remedy and diesel will do the trick on most anything that still has smooth bark - I also add a little Roundup to the tank mix for extra punch. Also works on rough bark if you girdle or cut it first and treat the fresh stump.

[lugnut]

I have a brother that used to work for a Christmas tree farm in Montana. They pull the stumps after the trees are cut for market. He mentioned a hydrolic clamp the fit on a Bobcat. Google images shows such a critter in the images of Christmas tree stump pullers.

[justanengineer]

If the ground allows your Bobcat to get a bit of bite and the scrub is decently large diameter, I would simply weld up a small rock bucket out of scrap. Barring that, I would either use a choker and yank them out. If the scrub isnt too large in diameter, a bush hog will make short work of it. Considering youre only doing an acre, it seems almost like a waste of effort to fab anything you might not use otherwise.

[sasquatch]

There is a company up here in Canada that makes a thing called a "Root Rake", Googling that should find it, maybe some ideas there for building your'e own.

[Forestgnome]

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.

Don't forget you'll burn a lot of fuel working on one at a time. I use a string of chokers. That way you only need to get off for every five or so, depending on how many chockers on a line. For light duty I would make my own chokers from small wire rope. Commercial ones wouldn't work well on saplings, too big.

[hardtail]

I once heard a now 17,000 acre forest in WA state was started from 1 poplar tree, anything with a sucker root system can be hard to control. I brushed 50' x 1000' strip clearing my powerline right of way before building and knocked down probably 500 old growth mature poplars, witness 5000 saplings to replace. You can either choose chemical or mechanical. They used to have a rotavator which was basically a heavy rototiller with a detroit diesel powering it pulled by a large dozer for cleaning up the last of the root system before being turned to agricultural land.....don't see them much anymore as most bush is gone.......

Texas and Oz seem to have to deal with a lot of subsurface root systems and a root plow is the cheapest and most effective......here are some pics of different setups geared for multi sized machines......

http://www.google.ca/images?q=root+plow+images&hl=en&gbv=2&gs_sm=13&gs_upl=3453l3453l0l7906l1l1l0l0l0l0l266l266l2-1l1l0&spell=1&sa=X&oq=root+plow+images&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oi=image_result_group&sa=X

[camdigger]

I once heard a now 17,000 acre forest in WA state was started from 1 poplar tree, anything with a sucker root system can be hard to control. I brushed 50' x 1000' strip clearing my powerline right of way before building and knocked down probably 500 old growth mature poplars, witness 5000 saplings to replace. You can either choose chemical or mechanical. They used to have a rotavator which was basically a heavy rototiller with a detroit diesel powering it pulled by a large dozer for cleaning up the last of the root system before being turned to agricultural land.....don't see them much anymore as most bush is gone.......

Texas and Oz seem to have to deal with a lot of subsurface root systems and a root plow is the cheapest and most effective......here are some pics of different setups geared for multi sized machines......

http://www.google.ca/images?q=root+p...ult_group&sa=X

What you see more of now are the rotating "mulchers" used by the power companies for ROW work or in the oilpatch for forestry work. They will grind stumps and trees to mulch and will "till" to a depth of 6" or so if the operator sets it low enough. I've seen them anywhere from 100HP to 450 HP mounted on D7 size crawlers.

FWIW, I think a distant relative still has an 8' rototiller they use to break bush land out by Caroline. A pretty aggressive machine - the only machine they had big enough to control it was their TreeFarmer skidder.

For small saplings, the least expensive option that is still affective in a choker style is to weld a grab hook on the outside of a stub of pipe. Stick the chain sans hook through the pipe, around the sapling and hook onto the welded hook, hook opposite end of chain to towing unit and pull. Repeat. Not quick, but works for sticks over 1" dia.

The other option is some kind of grubbing blade.

[Abner]

Think it through carefully. Many fancy things can be built. I have grubbed small and big trees with a 46 hp JD and a loader. Tipping the sapling a bit breaks a few roots and loosens the soil, use the leverage and a trees inherent strength at the stump to your advantage. Then try to get under it a bit and lift. If you want the stump out then a dull 'L' shaped hook attachment might be better than a shear. Bigger trees up to 15" dia I use cable and 'luff' rigging, choker it 8-10 feet up. Pulls them right over and gets the stump too, at least in our soft soil.
If you have hard stone filled soil I think chemicals.