When Arvin De Cook got tired of using conventional methods to fight brush in his cattle pastures, he decided there had to be a better way. So he designed a brush fork that mounts in place of the bucket on his skidsteer loader. The brush fork operates just like a loader bucket, except that it doesn't disturb as much soil.

"It removes bushes and small trees without destroying large areas of pasture, which would then have to be reseeded," says De Cook. "After a few weeks the dug-out spot is barely visible."

The brush fork is made from 1 1/2-in. dia. steel shafts spaced 8 in. apart. Thin strips of steel plate welded on between the shafts form a cutting edge. The back ends of the shafts are welded to a solid steel plate that serves as a brush guard.

To remove bushes, De Cook drives forward with the shafts positioned a few inches under ground. The shafts rip the roots out and the soil falls between them.