I need to pull saplings and small trees. help!

[westcoastkevin]

Hello,
I bought a place that I am moving to. It has a great 30 x 72 barn that I will need lots of ideas for but that is for later.

It was unoccupied for a couple of years and there are many ... hundreds of saplings, tree starts that I need to remove. They are all around the barn, and the house and in cases are getting under the concrete. Cutting them will not kill the roots. I want to pull them. They are all less than 1.5" diameter at ground level with most of them 1" or less in diameter.

A web search for tools to do this leads me to these tools.

Extractigator Broom, Buckthorn, Weed and Tree Puller

This easy to use Tree Puller, Broom Puller, Buckthorn Puller, Brush Puller, Shrub Puller, Honeysuckle Puller, and Sapling Puller removes most Invasive and unwanted Plants

extractigator.com

UPROOTER - Successive Weed Wrench, Plant Extracting Tool, Scotch Broom / Buckthorn / Privet Puller, Brush & Tree Uprooting Tool

The USA made plant extracting wrench tool, Uprooter removes Scotch Broom, Buckthorn, Privet, and uproots invasive woody plants. Chemical free removal!

www.theuprooter.com

Pullerbear Tree and Weed Puller

Pullerbear Manual Tree, Weed and Root Puller .

pullerbear.com

https://www.roottalon.com/the-root-talon.html

Do any of you have any input on these or on other ways to solve my problem?
Thanks
Kevin

 

[Jim1932]

What are you doing after pulling them? If you are going to mow, I would cut with loppers, the roots can't grow with out the leaf part.

 

[BillK]

I agree with Jim. Are you going to plant grass where the saplings are now ? I would just put a sacrificial chain on my small electric chainsaw and go around and cut them all off at ground level. If they do start to come back the lawn mower will keep them under control. I think you will drive yourself batty trying to pull them up.

 

[Posi]

No experience with those but I've had a lot of experience with these. They work as advertised. Once the tree/sapling gets smaller than ~1" it's kind of hit or miss but larger they work well using a tractor, ATV, riding mower, truck etc.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200342822_200342822

and larger stuff

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200381505_200381505

 

[bassJAM]

I wouldn't pull those either. Either hack them at ground level with a cheap hatchet/ax, or put one of these on a straight shaft trimmer. It's possible some of them could have some suckers pop up, but most will die.

 

[Gutman]

I've use a tow chain. A couple wraps of a tow chain around the base, attach the other end to your truck and back up slowly. Don' yank. It will take time so helps to have 2 folks.

 

[Bighead38]

I've use a tow chain. A couple wraps of a tow chain around the base, attach the other end to your truck and back up slowly. Don' yank. It will take time so helps to have 2 folks.

A chain for a 1” sapling?

 

[Bogie1632]

Got a small tractor? Brush Grubbers work well and have many options available for the situation.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/brush%20grubber?cm_mmc=SEM-_-Google-_-LawnGarden-_-BrushGrubbersExtAd&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6NmHBhD2ARIsAI3hrM1A1a1lnKKSbeaPyycCqGB-7T_0tHzLvQ1NQvHQH7wGvuVS1R_FzaAaAvtuEALw_wcB

V/R
Bogie

 

[ace10]

I have a Puller Bear. It's great for up to maybe 1-1.25". But it really depends on the species. Anything with a tap root is going to give a fight.

Some species will not go away with mowing... black locust comes immediately to mind.

EDIT: I have the Puller Bear Grip XL model. 2.25" capacity, but no friggin way are you going to rip out that size woody plant with that tool.

 

[nutjob]

It will take time so helps to have 2 folks.

If you decide to pull with whatever method, this is best advise! Getting on/off tractor for each one *****. One person driving, one hooking up.

Kevin

 

[rlitman]

...
Do any of you have any input on these or on other ways to solve my problem?
Thanks
Kevin

I've seen all of those and seriously considered buying one, except they're pretty spendy. So one day I made my own. Here's a post I made elsewhere on it:

Hand weed dandelions

www.lawnsite.com

 

[jmdirk]

Might be overkill, but you could always just rent a compact tractor and scrape off the top layer. A lot of those saplings will tear out fairly easily. Even easy if the tractor has a tooth bar on it. I had to clear an area earlier this year for my shop and had a fair number of mostly maple and birch sapling. Most came out fairly easily

 

[metschers]

Several years ago, I used an engine hoist and pulled out 4 or 5 shrubs. I laid out some 2x6s and rolled the engine hoist on them so the wheels wouldn’t sink. Wrap a chain around the base of the shrubs and then to the hook on the hoist. Five or six pumps and they popped right out with about a 3 foot root ball. Worked great.
I know you have more than 4 or 5, but this might help getting in areas where a truck or tractor can’t reach.

 

[gnpenning]

I had a similar situation, I sprayed a herbicide first. Killed them so I didn't have to worry about anything coming back. You can then cut them off at ground level or pull. I don't like doing things over and over again.

 

[snickers muncher]

I know you said that you didn't want to cut them, but a cheap reciprocating saw and 9 inch blade worked for me. Cut them down and then mow over them. Near the structure the weed wacker will take care of any sprouts or just use a pump sprayer with a generic round up product.

A good machete is the fastest option for the small stuff---just make sure to not leave any pungi sticks.

 

[ripperd]

Poster above I think has the best answer. cordless sawzall with a long wood blade. get it a little below the surface and you will be golden. Any shoots the root puts up will eventually die as your mowings will not allow them to grow enough to sustain the roots.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Lots of weed trees will grow back after they've been cut down to a stump, I have proof in my back yard. I'd try to pull or dig up as many as possible.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Lots of weed trees will grow back after they've been cut down to a stump, I have proof in my back yard. I'd try to pull or dig up as many as possible.

It might take a while but they will die off. No leaves to sprout, no photosynthesis and it'll die off.

 

[Plump]

If you cut them, apply a heavy mix of glyphosate (RoundUp) to the cut ends. It's what any park or land manager does to get rid of buckthorn and the like. It will translocate into the roots, kill them, and you're done. It quickly dissipates so you can replant quite quickly.

 

[65ranchero]

Farm jack

 

[XJSuperman]

DR Towable Backhoe
















.

 

[rlitman]

If you cut them, apply a heavy mix of glyphosate (RoundUp) to the cut ends. It's what any park or land manager does to get rid of buckthorn and the like. It will translocate into the roots, kill them, and you're done. It quickly dissipates so you can replant quite quickly.

Don't mix. Just dispense the 41% glyphosate straight from a dropper bottle onto the cut cambium.

 

[Ralf11]

just scrape the small stuff up with a dozer

 

[rburke65]

Rent a brush hog and cot them down. If you can drive over them you can cut em down

 

[Shiftless]

I’ve used a weed wrench to pull up pretty big clumps of pampas grass bushes with stems at least an inch in diameter. Easy!

 

[Bert_]

Cut them and put tordon on the stumps.

 

[no704]

I’ve heard of folks using an old wheel to transfer the horizontal pull from a choker to vertical on the offending tree.

 

[dshop]

your buddy with a pickup or a jeep with a winch? give him a call.

 

[555]

How much time do you have? I let a one acre pasture grow up for a couple of years. By the time I got around to doing something it also had hundreds of saplings about 1.25-1.5 in diameter. This along with blackberry vines, poison oak and ivy, ticks, snakes and a bunch of undergrowth that impeded movement. Three of my friends and I cut and pulled for two weeks straight. We were under a burn ban so we chipped up all the debris with a commercial chipper. You have to do something with the debris or it gets in your way. At the end of our labor I could turn my short wheelbase pickup around in the area we cleared. The next week I contracted with an equipment operator. He cleared the entire acre in about 2 hours.

 

[Red 17]

Cat or blade with teeth. After a few passes, gather them and roast hot dogs.....

 

[Ralf11]

yup, no need to pull - scrape

 

[tros]

I used my harbor freight trencher just dug them up .I have done about 100 of them .to make our back yard bigger.

 

[cvairwerks]

Dozer would be the first choice, second would be a bobcat with a root bucket.

Pulling them, you are probably going to average about 1 tree every 5-6 minutes.... Maybe 100 trees a day....

 

[Jim1932]

Seems the first question to answer is what do you anticipate this area being like afterward. The area I did, I keep mowed with the Lawn mower. If this is not your plan then monthly weed wacking with blades will keep it at bay. No matter how you do it the trees will come back if not maintained. Even if you pull them, seedlings will grow

 

[Jim1932]

Also, what do you have access too? Some of us have access to heavy equip and know how to use it. What you pay for a puller will probably rent you a walk behind brush mower for a day.

 

[Gutman]

A chain for a 1” sapling?

Yep.
A couple wraps to grip at ground level, and with long enough chain, you can pull multiples. Depends on spacing. Usually pulls the root ball.
I've done wildly overgrown shrubs, pine, cedar, oak, and maple, up to a couple inches. I've cleared plenty of overgrown blackberry and briar bushes too, it's just a pia to lash them up.
Getting the root is important to prevent regrowth.
Dependent upon the tree, you may create some holes that'll need fill from root removal.

 

[Showkey]

Cut a one buck Thorn or other weed trees ( even maples) off at ground level with no treatment to the stump……..one year later you will have 5 trees instead of one.

These pictures are maple stumps coming back ………buck thron are 10 times more aggressive. I lived in IL where buck thorn could have been the state “tree”. Huge issue where in 5 years you would have an impassable thicket of buck thorn. If you cut buck thorn 100% straight round up on the stump was absolutely required. Those tree pullers exist for a reason….pull and burn. Buck thorns reseed from berries as well.

 

[rossddvm]

Cut them and put tordon on the stumps.

Tordon works great cut a dozen then squirt tordon on the stumps, blue dye tells which ones are done. pulling 1.5 inch sapplings would really tear the area up. Go back every few months and hit any new growth with Round-up or a tree and brush killer.

 

[ace10]

Dozer would be the first choice, second would be a bobcat with a root bucket.

Pulling them, you are probably going to average about 1 tree every 5-6 minutes.... Maybe 100 trees a day....

Huh?

If the sapling are the appropriate size for the puller, it takes maybe 60 seconds to set the jaws, rock it back and then move to the next one.

The only way it's taking 5 or 6 minutes per sapling is it they're too large to be pulled. Or the puller is checking his/her phone every time it buzzes.


The OP never stated what type of tree(s) he's dealing with. Virtually everything that has been posted is mere guessing at the appropriate solution.


I have machinery to do the job on larger stuff. Anything that has shallow roots like maples or birch might be easier to rip with a tooth bar, but if there's a tap root and it's something that is an aggressive grower, they're gonna come back. Spraying with a heavy herbicide might not be to everyone's taste and certainly would offset any time savings by cutting.

 

[glentre]

I agree with cutting them off below ground level with a sawsall. Fast and effective. I cut a 15 x 20 ft stand of invasive bamboo in a few hours and it never came back. These sapling pullers require too many movements which are slow and tiresome for a large number of trees.

Glen