The NW Quik Pull Debuts As A Grapevine Puller
NW Quik Pull recently made it’s debut in a brand new environment! Out tool was purchased by two different California Vineyards as a grapevine puller tool to pull old or damaged grapevines. Because the feedback from both of these customers was so positive, I decided a visit to this new environment was a must. So, off I went to learn about how NW Quik Pull is solving problems in California Vineyards.
DaVero Farms & Winery Test Out The NW Quik Pull As A Grapevine Puller
My first stop was in Healdsburg California at DaVero Farms & Winery. Rea Prince is the vineyard manager and he was on hand to show me around the vineyard. He even had the NW Quik Pull set up to pull a couple of vines while I was there. The reason he had purchased our tool was to test it out as a grapevine puller to remove old and damaged vines. Some of the vines in his vineyard are 20 years old or older. When the vines reach a certain age, they no longer produce the best grapes and therefore need to be removed.
While Rea had already watched a couple of instructional videos on the basic operation of the NW Quik Pull, he was wanting some in person demonstration also. He said that he was having trouble pulling a certain twenty year old vine and would appreciate my input. He showed me how he had the tool set up, and how he had been pulling without much success. I suggested that he move the tool around and pull the vine from the other side. Sometimes it takes moving the tool to different positions to work the vine loose. I also shared with him that sometimes a digging bar is needed to dig down into the roots and break them loose, or to pry up on the roots to assist the puller. The digging bar can also be inserted down inside the handle in order to give more length to the handle there by giving more leverage if needed.
Once these methods were introduced, he made quick work of pulling that 20 year old vine. He said that the tool doesn’t always seem to pull all of the roots; some break off and stay in the ground. He explained that this is not a problem for him because his vineyard is Biodynamic. What that basically means is that all components of the vineyard are treated as one whole entity, eliminating the use of chemicals and using natural materials and composts. So, the small amounts of roots that don’t come out with the tool will decompose and therefore give nutrients back to the vines.
Another reason Rea Prince likes NW Quik Pull is that it doesn’t compact the soil when pulling vines, like a tractor would. And our tool being portable as it is, goes where the tractor doesn’t. On his biodynamic farm and vineyard tractors are not used because of the compaction they cause. So NW Quik Pull is the perfect tool to support their Biodynamic methods!
Next Stop Juslyn Vineyards
After visiting DaVero, my next stop was at Juslyn Vineyards on Spring Mountain in Saint Helena California. This vineyard is owned by Perry Butler and he had quite a story to tell me! As we walked around his property, he told me about his experience with the Glass Fire. That fire started in late September 2020 and was active for 23 days. It burned over 67,000 acres and the cause of it is still undetermined. The fire surrounded Perry’s home, did damage to his Vineyard, and caused him and his family to be evacuated for many days. He showed me where the fire came right up to his front door, but stated that it did not damage his house. It damaged the area surrounding his house, and much of his Vineyard.
Tight Spaces And Uneven Terrain, Can The NW Quik Pull Be An Effective Grapevine Puller In The Toughest Of Situations?
It was a few months ago when Perry was doing some research online looking for a grapevine puller tool when he came across the NW Quik Pull. He didn’t see any specific advertising that it would work as a grapevine puller, so he sent an email asking if it would pull vines, and specifically vines on a hill. He shared in his email that the vines were also in close spacing so a tractor could not be used. I responded with a definite yes; it would work on vines, on a hill, and it’s very portable! With all of that information, he decided to take a chance and make the purchase.
When he received the tool, he said he brought his workers in to watch the suggested instructional video. They all agreed that it seemed easy to use, so they got to work. They were all quite pleased with the simple operation of NW Quik Pull. Perry said that they were able to remove 1100 vines in just 4 weeks when it would have taken them 8 to 12 weeks to remove them if they had to dig them out. Our tool worked well on the hills, and in the close spaces of his vineyard.
At the end of my tour of his Vineyard, Perry showed me the stack of removed vines of which he was quite proud! He said that the stack of old vines will be put through a wood chipper and then used in different parts of his vineyard in order to minimize waste.
In summary, both Rea Prince and Perry Butler are quite excited about having found such a great grapevine puller solution for their vine removal needs. They stand ready to tell others about their experiences with the NW Quik Pull as a Grapevine Removal Tool for Vineyards!
The NW Quik Pull is becoming know as not just a post puller but a versatile farm, ranch and vineyard tool as well. You can get your NW Quik Pull tool today from our web store! Don’t forget to like Us On Facebook and Follow Us On Instagram and YouTube you can also now find us on TikTok and LinkedIn!
