Tree "Fork" Digs Out Trees, Bushes

Tree "Fork" Digs Out Trees, Bushes TRACTORS Loaders 32-1-20 Paul Ezra made a heavy duty tree "fork" for his loader tractor that makes it easy to pull out problem trees or bushes. The Winamac, Indiana, farmer got the idea after he lost more than 100 windbreak arborvitae because of a fire and needed to dig out the dead trees and burn them. He mounted five old chisel plow tines on a rectangular metal frame that quick-taches to the loader on his Deere front wheel assist tractor. "Since the trees were growing on sandy ground, I'm able to use downpressure on the loader and curve the tines under the tree roots until I can lift out the tree. I usually dig about 12 to 14 in. deep with the tines. A few shakes with the loader and most of the sand falls out of the roots. Then I carry the tree to a burn pile," says Ezra. "American arborvitae don't have a tap root, just a big mass of hairy roots so even a 16 to 18-ft. tall tree can be pulled out of the ground relatively easily. I don't think the same idea would work as well in heavy soil because the dirt wouldn't shake out. In heavy clay you might not even be able to work the tines into the ground, although it might help if you used fewer tines. I think the same idea would also work to dig out rocks." He bought the chisel plow tines at an auction for $5 apiece. Each tine measures 1 1/2 in. by 2 1/2 in. and has a digging length of about 3 ft. He unbolted the points but otherwise didn't modify the tines in any way. He used 1 by 4-in. steel plate to make the mounting frame and mounted the tines on it, spacing them about 10 in. apart. "I used scrap metal to build the mounting frame so my total cost was less than $30," notes Ezra. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paul Ezra, 9341 S. State Road 39, Winamac, Ind. 46996 (ph 574 278-7219).

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