How to Grub With a Farm Tractor

Power Rake

• 1

  Attach a power rake to your tractor to remove shallow roots, small rocks or thin brush. The 3-point hitch can attach at all three points for a more fixed position, or just attach the lower two if you want the rake to float.

• 2

  Adjust the skirt on the rake for a finer or coarser grade of debris. Pull out the locking pin, select the grade and re-insert the pin. Move the cutter bar to the appropriate angle, either manually or using the tractor controls if your power rake has hydraulic coupling.

• 3

  Set the height of the implement at its tail wheels. This will determine how deep the tines of the rake will penetrate into the soil.

• 4

  Drive the tractor slowly over the soil. Change the cutter's angle with the hydraulic controls if the rake is so designed. Watch for any debris collection under the attachment.

Root Grapple or Power Grubber

• 5

  Attach a root grapple -- for thicker brush, larger rocks, small stumps or deep roots -- to the front end loader of the tractor. Place the safety door on the loader's hinge pins and slowly move the tractor into place to connect with the grapple. Activate the lock-down levers and connect the hydraulic hoses to the couplers. Restrict the implement to 2 feet above ground when attaching the lift limit chain.

• 6

  Tilt the grapple so that the rear of the attachment is about 5 to 6 inches off the ground. Keep the tractor at a low speed to allow the root grapple to cut efficiently and reduce any damage to the tractor.

• 7

  Make any adjustments necessary to preserve your full view of what the grapple is cutting through. Land that has not been broken in a while may hold demolition debris, car parts and such. Never make assumptions about what is beneath the surface.

Anchor Chain

• 8

  Attach anchor chain or similarly heavy tether to remove deeply-rooted stumps or full-grown trees. Wrap the chain tightly around the tree and attach the other end to the tractor frame.

• 9

  Move slowly in a low gear to avoid flipping or otherwise disturbing the tractor's balance. Confirm that the tree is incrementally giving way before increasing power. Place an observer at a safe distance to provide this input.

• 10

  Move the tree several feet from its position to verify that it is completely uprooted.