“Extractigator” Rips Out Buckthorn And Other Invasive Plants

“Extractigator” Rips Out Buckthorn And Other Invasive Plants FARM HOME Miscellaneous More than 20 years ago Shawn Taylor designed and made the Extractigator to get rid of Scotch broom an invasive plant on his Vancouver Island property Today his hand-operated tree puller is sold throughout the world to eliminate all types of unwanted shrubs and trees - including buckthorn willow honeysuckle and Russian olive - that are up to 2 in in dia Taylor used his mechanical engineering skills in the design to reduce the amount of force needed to pull up a tree or shrub - with the roots - and make it convenient “The pivoting point is close to the plant and gives you a mechanical advantage when you’re beginning to pull With the cam shape as you break the roots free you rotate the handle down and have a fulcrum advantage ” he explains noting that other pullers are straight up and down and require more force in the beginning That’s about 6:1 pulling power compared to the Extractigator’s 12:1 ratio Instead of strength the operator uses body weight Another time-saving feature is that the jaws open when the Extractigator is lifted They can easily grab onto the woody plant trunk One customer uses it to pull up rebar used for staking trees at a nursery Taylor notes But most customers use it on trees and shrubs they want to eliminate from backyards to larger acreages on farms and watersheds as well as for uses by conservation groups and foresters He has personally tested the Extractigator on all types of soil from sand to clay His family business sources local materials and makes the tool with quality and endurance in mind The soft-grip handle on the 48-in hollow steel tube makes it comfortable to use and light but tough It’s assembled with engineered welds and Grade 8 bolts With its ratcheting design the jaw shifts easily to get a second grip to pull up long-rooted trees The Extractigator Classic sells for $160 plus shipping in Canada and about $132 plus shipping to U S customers Taylor also sells a Junior model that works for shrubs up to 1 1/2 in in dia a BigFoot accessory with a bigger footprint to use on soft soils and a Big Daddy with jaws that open to 3 1/4 in Taylor’s website includes pricing as well as videos showing how it works Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Shawn Taylor The Extractigator Vancouver Island ph 855-743-0353; info@extractigator com; www extractigator com

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