Tree popper for l3400

[davedrosen]

I added two hooks to my bucket--first mod. Then I got some chain to reach across. Another piece and a quick link for the middle. The second piece of chain was welded to vice grips. I added a few pic's of the device in action and the mods. You can just clamp the vice grips on the tree (or other thing) you want removed. Roll back the bucket and lift.... pop goes the cedar tree.

 

[Tooljunkie]

I remember seeing a brush grubber, was a scissor sort of thing, harder you pulled tighter it got. I could see this being handy for many purposes.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Dave,
I know you mean well, But I'm going to have to call a big "boooooo" on your setup.
What you have done is that you have made a great steel chain driven catapult design thingy!
The first time you grab a sapling that puts up a fight and it breaks the link or the weld on the vice grips it's possibly going to send that chain either over and on to the hood, threw the headlights, grill, radiator, or any number of other bad locations!
NEVER use a chain like a rubber band!

 

[davedrosen]

I've been using this for some time now and have removed hundreds of little trees (and other things). It usually pulls them out easily or just slides a bit. Never had it just pop off and act like a rubber band. The chain I use is also very heavy duty.

 

[OldeEnglish]

Dave, I agree with Wolfman, that's a good way to do some damage to your fine machine. Vice grips are handy, used them in many different ways but pulling on them with a force as great as your tractor is not a good idea.

Try using a smaller Choker chain, better yet one with some Gnarly barbs for extra grip. A regular smaller gauge chain works just fine just do this on one end.... . Wrap it around the sapling in twice in a X pattern and hook it in hand snug pulling it tight in the direction you want it to pull from. Hook the other one up to your machine and it will work like a charm.

A little safety tip.... When using a chain, cable, or winch in a heavy duity situation..... Lay a blanket or a beach towel over the chain/cable mid way between you and what ever your pulling. If the chain/cable snaps, the blanket may save your life or a whole lot of pain

 

[Diydave]

google tree puller or pallet puller. I agree with the others, when those vice grips come apart, that shrapnel is gonna fly back at you. You could put your eye out...

 

[Corney]

Dave,
I know you mean well, But I'm going to have to call a big "boooooo" on your setup.
What you have done is that you have made a great steel chain driven catapult design thingy!
The first time you grab a sapling that puts up a fight and it breaks the link or the weld on the vice grips it's possibly going to send that chain either over and on to the hood, threw the headlights, grill, radiator, or any number of other bad locations!
NEVER use a chain like a rubber band!

I will second that!

Plus the chain is riding on a cuttin edge without a softner. The chain appears to be about grade one quality.

There is a safer way to this task!

 

[aeblank]

Put a hook in the middle of your bucket.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Woody Martin]

Yes Dave. One hook in the middle or just listen to Wolfman and the others. I started reading this post thinking you came up with something to pull out a real tree. If you're pulling out things with vise grips, then put your tractor up and get a shovel before someone gets hurt.

 

[MagKarl]

The way you have the chain rigged puts tremendous load into the upper section running between the hooks. This is a case where the side loads on the hooks is actually much greater than the tensile load in the single chain your vise grips are hooked to. Run it on one hook or a long loose bridle. Don't side load the chain. I know you're only pulling weeds right now, but the rigging can be easily improved.

 

[sawmill]

I agree with Wolfman. I've seen chains and cables break or slip off the load when under a lot of pressure. It's not a pretty sight.

 

[skeets]

I found,,,coff coff ,,, a pallet puller and that worked fairly well how ever we had to weld on some more aggressive teeth to the jaws,, and now it wont pull off but bites in and sticks

 

[ShaunRH]

Chains tend to drop when they break (unless they are of poor quality and stretch), the problem is the tree stores plenty of energy and can propel the chain if something odd goes wrong.

Yes, a better device is a brush puller. These get tighter the more they are pulled on. They can also tow logs. http://www.grainger.com/product/8YLD1?cm_mmc=PPC:BingPLA-_-Outdoor%20Equipment-_-Forestry-_-8YLD1&ci_src=18492716&ci_sku=8YLD1&ef_id=UjsONQAAAfjbWjWh:20150122161621:s

To fix your setup so it's more safe, run the center chain around the back of the bucket and UNDER it but it would be better to mount an eye or something in the bucket just back from the cutting edge. This will let you shorten your chain up dramatically, and if it does come back on you, it would have to clear the top edge of the bucket and even then it wouldn't be long enough to come back to your grill guard.

Keep inventing and coming up with ideas, folks here will help point out safety or practicality issues. By the way, I've used a similar setup on a larger tractor to tow vehicles out of messes, even broke a tow hook and it just dropped the chain, not much energy stored there, but always with a hard, high quality chain. Any chain made from wire - avoid like the plague!

 

[MPope03]

I bought one of the Brush Grubbers off of Amazon - pretty reasonable price. I have pulled 5" diameter oak and pepper trees out of the ground, roots and all with it, using my truck (2500HD Duramax) and my tractors. It is a really stout piece of gear and has a spring to hold it clamped onto the tree until you apply to pulling force to cause it to clamp into the wood. My wife loves using it.

 

[Diydave]

Easy way to pull small trees out by the roots is to take a log chain, and hook one end to the drawbar, not the 3 point. Drape the chain over the biggest diameter tractor rim you can find, near to the tree, and hook the chain, or grabber attachment to the tree. Pull forward slowly and the rim will roll as the chain pulls. It acts as a fulcrum, to apply upward force, as the tree is being pulled. To be safe, drape an old coat or blanket over any pulling chain. It will absorb the energy of a chain break, should one happen...