PDA

View Full Version : pulling bamboo out



neksmerj
25th June 2015, 08:32 PM
I need to clear the fence line of bamboo for a new fence.

Just cutting it off at ground level is no good, the stump might still be in the way, so I'm looking for ideas about jacking it out.

Buggered up my chain saw blade, not a good idea.

My first thought is a star post puller with modified jaws to grip bamboo, or a chain wrapped around the stem kept in place with a pair of snap ons.

I haven't got time to poison it, it needs to be gone now.

Any further ideas would be appreciated.

First time post on the gardening forum so here's hoping I get lucky.

Ken

DavidG
25th June 2015, 08:50 PM
Back hoe

neksmerj
25th June 2015, 09:17 PM
Hi Dave,

Mine is a suburban block. Believe me, if I could get a bobcat in, I would.

My sideway is only one metre wide, so no machinery is possible.

Ken

Michael G
25th June 2015, 09:21 PM
http://www.kennards.com.au/index.php?fuseaction=product.view&productid=631&ctu=0&type=&lvl=1#p1ELJ6YzphDPEVxI.97

Only 780mm wide

Michael

DavidG
25th June 2015, 09:25 PM
Hi Dave,


My sideway is only one metre wide, so no machinery is possible.

Ken
With the fence down??

BobL
25th June 2015, 09:26 PM
Hi Dave,

Mine is a suburban block. Believe me, if I could get a bobcat in, I would.

My sideway is only one metre wide, so no machinery is possible.

Ken

There are many narrow profile stump grinders will get down a 1m spacing and will make really short work of that job, and I mean really short.
The Tree lopper has several including a wireless joystick operated bobbie, It penetrates about 300 mm below the surface and if you clear the soil away you can just keep going
The other option is to hire a Dingo with narrow back hoe on it, they are gutsy little tikes and will easily fit

eskimo
25th June 2015, 09:30 PM
Engineering and gardening....lol
You need 3.14
It is a well known fact that engineers opinions without 3.142 is an onion

KBs PensNmore
25th June 2015, 09:42 PM
Hi Ken, do you have a friend with a 4WD? He might have a high lift jack (they go by a number of names, farm jack etc.) with a short length of chain under/around the stump, looped over the bar of the jack, they should come out quite easily. Warning these jacks can be dangerous, so use with care.
Kryn

simonl
25th June 2015, 09:58 PM
What the hell, I didn't even know we had a gardening forum! I've just been surfing, I like it!!

Hi lift sounds like a plan. I've used mine to do all sorts of things. Do you have a straight line to your driveway? How about a drag chain around the whole shooting match and then attached to your car? Or, if you don't have a straight line to the car, use a re-direct such as a pulley. You can buy them for around $60 from off road recovery places.

Simon

BobL
25th June 2015, 10:21 PM
What the hell, I didn't even know we had a gardening forum! I've just been surfing, I like it!!

Hi lift sounds like a plan. I've used mine to do all sorts of things. Do you have a straight line to your driveway? How about a drag chain around the whole shooting match and then attached to your car? Or, if you don't have a straight line to the car, use a re-direct such as a pulley. You can buy them for around $60 from off road recovery places.

Simon

That will be a good way to bend the car and when the chains slips off to make a hole in your fence, wall, back windscreen. dog or all 4

neksmerj
25th June 2015, 10:45 PM
It is amazing just how many separate forums we have here.

A farmer friend of mine is bringing down a star post lifter tomorrow, for me to try out.

I've got some 1/4" high tensile chain, so if I can't use the star post jaws directly, I'll wrap the chain around the bamboo, add some snap-ons, and see what happens.

I have found so far that if some of the roots are severed at ground level, the stems can be pulled out or at least broken off.

This stuff is so tenacious, worse than pulling teeth. Might be good for building scaffolding!

Wish me luck.

Ken

ian
26th June 2015, 12:15 AM
Engineering and gardening....lol
You need 3.14
It is a well known fact that engineers opinions without 3.142 is an onionit's pie plus beer

eskimo
26th June 2015, 09:00 AM
it's pie plus beer


:2tsup:

Opelblues2
26th June 2015, 01:26 PM
the old heavy hoe is the go, or the way we removed stumps on the property, never knew which they went as we were hiding behind the landcruser :)

KBs PensNmore
26th June 2015, 08:14 PM
it's pie plus beer
That's a 2 course meal, if you've a 6 pack it's a 7 course.:D DO NOT operate machinery after eating.
Kryn

RustyArc
26th June 2015, 08:18 PM
I've removed two major infestations of bamboo - one very dense clump was about 18ft wide by 8ft deep - took half a day with a little 1.8 tonne excavator - nothing else would have done the job (except a bigger excavator) the benefit being you can go down as deep as needed to make sure you've got all the rhizomes. I think you can hire even smaller excavators which will fit through pretty narrow gaps.

That said, if you've never operated one before, it does take a while to become remotely coordinated, and even with these small machines, you can do a *lot* of damage very easily.

neksmerj
27th June 2015, 05:16 PM
Another good idea shot down in flames.

Borrowed a mate's star post puller with the idea I could just pull the bamboo up, nah, no way.

Wrapped HT chain around the stem backed up with a pair of vice grips and went for it. The bloody bamboo just crushed where it was gripped.

If there was some other way of gripping the bamboo without it crushing, it might have worked.

It's looking like dynamite.

One other thought I had was to hire an electric Kanga, and try and chistle the stuff just below ground level.

Any more ideas are most welcome.

Ken

ian
28th June 2015, 03:57 PM
Any more ideas are most welcome.
one of these
http://www.kennards.com.au/product_pic/lpictures/170019.jpg


Main Features
Easy to use and ideal in tight access areas.
Weighs only 835 kg and has rubber tracks to protect surfaces and ensures quiet travel.
Will fit through most gates. Fitted with backfill blade for user convenience.
Can be towed behind most commercial vehicles - trailers available.

Length - 2710mm
Width - 740mm
Height - 2100mm
Maximum Dig - 1530mm
Bucket Width - 225, 300, 680mm

neksmerj
28th June 2015, 07:12 PM
OMG, that's what I want, better send a note to Santa and leave a dozen bottles under the Christmas tree.

Unforunately up my side way are air conditioning units and a gas heater that narrow the gap to about 600mm in places.

Ken

ian
28th June 2015, 09:59 PM
Hi Ken

the new fence you want to build is on the property boundary?
or close enough to it to qualify as a boundary fence?

If so access might be available through the neighbouring property.
alternatively, you may need to negotiate with one of your neighbours

last resort before looking at craning one in would be to "bridge" the air con units and gas heater using garden sleepers.

RustyArc
29th June 2015, 07:38 PM
access might be available through the neighbouring property.

And if it's not, you could use that little excavator to "make" some access.

Xcruiser
29th June 2015, 08:55 PM
Can you post pics of extent / size / type of bamboo ?

looks like a ' bamboo digging bbq ' may be the only option.

neksmerj
30th June 2015, 05:35 PM
Xcruiser,

Sorry, no pics. It's just normal spreading type bamboo ranging from 20mm dia to 35mm dia at the base, approx 3m in height.

Have finally worked out a way to pull it out, mostly roots and all.

I'm using a lever operated cable winch, one end securely tied the other with a hook around the base of the bamboo as close to ground level as possible.

The only drawback with this winch is that it requires two latches to be lifted lifted, there goes two hands, while my third hand pulls the cable off the reel when pulling out the hook.

With a screw driver strategically inserted in the mechanism, I can disable one latch leaving two hands to do the other.

The bamboo just winches straight out with little effort. It's time consuming and back breaking work, so many smokos for a rest.

An electric cable winch would be perfect.

Ken

Chesand
30th June 2015, 07:57 PM
Bamboo is a bit like Oxalis and the only way to get rid of it completely is to move house. :D:D

eskimo
1st July 2015, 08:57 AM
Bamboo is a bit like Oxalis and the only way to get rid of it completely is to move house. :D:D

bugga...wish I hadnt read that ...have creeping oxalis in my couch and cant seem to get rid of it,....and appears to be getting worse...even tho its winter:((