A tree puller is a jaw attachment on the skid steer's loader arms that grips a small trunk near the ground and lifts the whole plant out, roots included, so nothing is left to grind or to sprout again. The attachment adds roughly $60 to $150 a day on top of the machine, and the practical limit on most rental jaws is a trunk of about 2 to 6 inches. Past that, the roots win.
Pulling beats cutting for regrowth
A stump cut at ground level regrows on many species, and a ground stump leaves the root plate in the soil. A puller lifts the root ball out whole, which is why it is the tool of choice for cedar, mesquite, buckthorn, sapling brush and hedgerow clearance, where the same stems return every year after mowing.
What decides whether it comes out
Trunk diameter is only half the question. Wet ground releases roots that dry clay will not, tap rooted species hold far harder than shallow rooted ones, and a tree grown through rock or an old fence line may not move at all. Rock the stem with the jaws before pulling, and take the smaller ones first.
The machine underneath matters
Pulling loads the front of the skid steer hard and lifts the rear, so operating weight and hydraulic breakout force set the real limit rather than the attachment's rating. A large frame machine on tracks pulls what a small wheeled one cannot, and tracks do far less damage to the ground being cleared.
Where the trees go afterwards
A pulled tree comes out with a root ball full of soil and stones: heavy, awkward to load, and unwelcome at a green waste site until it has been shaken clean. Plan the pile and the haul before starting, and consider hiring a grapple bucket the same day so clearing and loading run together.
Questions people ask about skid steer tree puller
What size tree will a skid steer puller take?
Most rental jaws are rated for stems up to about 4 to 6 inches, and in heavy or dry soil the honest working range is nearer 2 to 4. Above that, the sensible sequence is an excavator with a thumb or grapple, or cutting the stem and grinding the stump.
Is a tree puller better than a grinder?
For brush and saplings, yes, because the root leaves with the stem and the ground is clear afterwards. For one mature stump beside a driveway a grinder is tidier and does not tear up the surrounding lawn. They are different jobs that share a word.
Can I hire the attachment on its own?
Yes, if you have a machine with the right mounting plate and hydraulics, and the yard will check the fit against your model. Most people hire both together, since the attachment is a small share of the day's cost and the machine is the part that must suit the ground.