Non-Tractor tree puller

We have had some strips in CRP now for 15 years and for some reason the last couple of years trees are finally coming up bad in places. I could pull them with a tractor, mow them or spray them. Or I thought of building a tree puller for my Deere loader. My son took over the tillable land and rents a farm that has strips and he has trees and strips on his farm also. So he has a 1845C Case skid loader so I bought us a tree puller. I looked around and compared and bought this Titian one out of Tenn. off of E-Bay. $799.00 We will see how they work. I had thought about building one but I have enough projects. Ordered it right before Christmas and it came yesterday--free shipping! I was out in the shop all day welding on the trailer and sat down to take a break and saw this sticker I had put on my welder----TEE

Looks good, how many inch tree does it say it will pull? One thing I thought of right away is it would be nice to have a spike welded pointing out of the center of the stationary holder to loosen soil around some bigger stups. Don't know if it would help , it was just a initial thought looking it over. Might bend the life out of it though. All things mechanical with hydraulics get used beyond their capacity. Especially in a bobcat. Hope it works as you expect.

Big Tee, we have some strips of Arborvitae trees that are 25 years old. Starting to have one die off here and there. With all the minimum tillage done now trees are not needed for wind protection. I swore to my boys I would take em all out before I am dead and gone. That grabber would be good on my fel. Them arbs knock out easy.

Looks good, they work real well and get the root out pretty deep if the ground is not too dry. I have a shop built one almost exactly like yours but I think the closing cylinder on yours will work better as it is smaller, mine will snap trees off where clamped if not careful so I put a 3/16'' hose on the closing side of the cylinder and that pretty much prevents it happening.

smaller line just reduces the flow and not pressure

Mine is a little more stout, but basically the same. I use it on a 323D track skid steer. It's the cat's meow. Right now I'm getting a new pasture ready and have probably put 15 hours on the puller alone this week getting fence lines ready. With the ground a little damp I can pull a tree six inches in diameter with a combination of the hydraulics and movement. I will tell you that the hoses are a weakness. They will end up pinched if you aren't careful (and even if you are). I just had to put a new hose on mine today. Also, watch your glass. I don't have a guard either and going in to pull something like a cedar really puts that door glass in jeopardy. I haven't broken any glass but you have to be careful with some of the roots that come springing up. You will wonder how you ever did without it.

bought mine last spring a farm show, squizer cylinder is in the main frame out of the way behind a shield, has large saw teeth on top of each side to chew thru roots and each grabber is tapered to the front to dig under stump. itll make you want a 100hp skidloader

"All things mechanical with hydraulics get used beyond their capacity." How is that possible? Can you fill a jug with more than it will hold? TDF

They work well if you have a good skid steer.

Recently I've noticed a few farmers are bringing in large track-hoes and cleaning out tree rows along the edge of their property after the crops were harvested. I'm guessing the tree rows were once fence rows.

I can see how your tree puller might work on brush and small trees, but the large ones the farmers are removing will require a bigger gun.

The boss wants brush removed from gravel pit so she can plant flowers. The small stuff, Asian honeysuckle, mulberry, other small trees, I can dig out with terramite. The bigger stuff gets cut with chainsaw, stumps remain. Now she wants hillsides cleared. Places that a backhoe can't reach. I use log chains, climb the hill and attach chain as high up as possible on tree. The higher you pull, the more leverage. Tree roots pull out or snap off. One tree had large roots, one side came out the other side I had to remove dirt with water hose and then cut them with chainsaw.

So if you tree puller can't get it done, try using a chain attached as high as you can on tree.

I've been thinking of using straps instead of G70 chains. It's a workout pulling 100 ft of chain up a hillside. Using chains works better if someone is on tractor and the other is climbing the hill.

Please post pics of you tree puller working.
Geo

Thanks-Like I said. it is going on a 1845C. We have a Case 580C for the bigger ones. Like using any kind of machinery-a little common sense goes a long ways. We are going to build a brush guard for it but will wait until we put it on so we get the dimensions right. For the price I thought we couldn't go wrong. I think it will really work good for pulling those lone trees that always come up in fence rows. Thanks to all of you for the NICE comments.----Tee

I never said it reduced the pressure but you are not entirely correct because anytime you reduce the line size you increase the friction loss and thereby decrease the actual pressure applied at the end of the flow path. The point is that with less flow I am much less likely to close the cylinder more than it needs to be in order to get a good grip because I will not hold the valve in closed position that long, I have cut the flow by more than half, there's always more than one way to skin a cat.

No I guess I couldnt. But I could fill it with lead or Mercury and it would weigh more than water. Same with a truck, boss used to yell at us for loading it so full. We said if they put the bed on it we should be able to load it full. He said they didn't know if we were hauling feathers or lead. My point was, it is easy to push, pull rip and tear with a bocat and not understand the forces being exerted. Not you personally but just in general. I see it all the time when people don't own the equipment and don't have to pay for repairs.