Anyone have experience with a "Brush Grubber" for pulling saplings?

[winchman]

Like this:


Would that be any better than wrapping a choker chain around the sapling?

[LKeithR]

...Would that be any better than wrapping a choker chain around the sapling?

Can't imagine how it would be any better--more likely to slip, in fact. Just another "gadget" designed to "lighten" your wallet...

[gambler]

Ive tried doing it with chains, they start to ride up under load as the tree bends. I think it might work better.

[C_lazy_F_Guns]

Properly rigged chain works well. Not a choker but go around at least twice and dead hook it short so none of the loops can get bigger. I’m sure this would be a lot faster and being similar to a plate clamp for lifting steel I bet will hold better than you’d think.

[Black Forest]

Pulling saplings is difficult because your chain doesn't have a lot of place to grip the trunk. I haven't used the device in the picture but I can see it might have a lot of benefit because of the teeth on the jaws. We use chains that are specially made for gripping the tree trunk. The chain links are made from square material instead of round. Helps for sure but not ideal.

[WhatTheFlux!]

What is the advantage of this as opposed to just chainsaw-murdering it?

[lakeside53]

You get the roots. Many trees will grow back with vengeance from a flush cut stump.

[mike4]

get an excavator with a ripper tyne on the boom it will take about five minutes per sapling and can even tear up the roots .

If you cut them off with a chainsaw apply some strong glyphosphate directly on to the stump , may have to repeat several times but they will die.

Michael

[Rosco-P]

What diameter are the saplings? A weed wrench works well on scrubby growth up to about 2" Easy to make/copy once you've seen one and entirely man powered.

[firbikrhd1]

You get the roots. Many trees will grow back with vengeance from a flush cut stump.

Tordon will solve that problem.

[Abner]

I think a cable choker or a chain with a grab hook will work fine. The problem(s) come once you get the tree to lay over.

It doesn't show how long the spikes are.
We don't know how thick the bark is.
We don't know how big of trees and species.
My experience pulling 15" 50-60' Alders including the stumps - pulling it over is easier than pulling it out, but it can be done.

What are you going to pull it with?

[Ian B]

You're planning pulling the trees out with the drawbar of a tractor, or a winch? If that device slips off under load, it would give you an awfully hard smack in the back of the head! At least loop a safety chain around the tree, hooked to the 2 handles.

I use a chain with a steel ring on one end. Wrap the chain 2 or 3 times around the tree, run the end through the ring and it tightens up without slipping. I either use a tractor, or pull it with the arm of my Atlas excavator (16 tons) - even 12" diameter trees just pop out.

Ian

[lwalker]

Yeah, I googled Weed Wrench. That guy is seriously pissed off about something

What diameter are the saplings? A weed wrench works well on scrubby growth up to about 2" Easy to make/copy once you've seen one and entirely man powered.

[928gene928]

I think the best solution is using a wire rope sling, using two wraps and a choker.

[Rosco-P]

Looking a the device in the original post, it seems to be little more than a pallet puller. Greater success would probably be achieved if you pulled the trees up and over using a truck rim.