People who are thinking about moving trees with a compact tractor often ask the same question in different ways.

How long does it take to move a tree? How many can I do in a day? Is this going to be an all-day project for five trees, or can I actually make a dent?

It’s a fair thing to wonder. And the honest answer is: the Kompact Tree Spade itself is fast. What changes everything is how far you’re moving the trees.

Here’s what actually happens on the clock.

The Machine’s Part Is Quick

When you set up on a tree, the sequence goes like this:

Lower the spade, drive the blades into the ground — that’s one to two minutes. Lifting the blades back out is fast, under a minute. Set the tree in the new hole and pull out — done. Total machine time per tree, not counting travel: roughly three minutes.

That’s not an estimate designed to impress you. That’s just what the equipment does when conditions are reasonable. Compact tractor, hydraulics running normally, decent ground — three minutes is a realistic number.

So why does the answer to “how many trees in a day” vary so much?

The Variable: How Far Are You Travelling?

Everything depends on the distance between where the tree is coming from and where it’s going.

If you’re working in a tight area — trees close together, new holes already dug nearby — a full cycle, travel included, can come in around 10 minutes per tree. At that pace, you’re looking at six trees an hour. Run a solid day and the numbers add up quickly.

But if you’re moving trees across a property — long drives between dig and drop sites — that travel time stacks up. The machine is still doing its part in three minutes. It’s the tractor driving back and forth that changes the math.

This is worth thinking about before you start. If you can pre-dig your destination holes, plan your route, and group your moves logically, you can keep cycle times short and move a lot of trees in a day. If you’re winging it and driving all over the property, the day gets longer even though the spade itself is no slower.

What a Productive Day Actually Looks Like

There’s no single right answer, because every property is different. But here’s a realistic picture:

Trees close together, short travel distances: 6 or more per hour is very achievable. A half day of work can move a meaningful number of trees.

Moderate distances, some driving involved: Plan on roughly 15–20 minutes per full cycle. Still a solid pace compared to doing it any other way.

Long hauls across a property: Factor in your drive time honestly. You’re still moving trees in a fraction of the time hand digging would take — but managing your route matters.

The people who get the most out of a day’s work usually do a bit of planning first. Walk the property. Mark the destination holes. Think about the order of moves before you start the tractor. It sounds obvious, but it makes a real difference.

Why This Matters When You’re Deciding

One of the things people don’t always think about when they’re considering a tree spade is how the speed of the machine changes what’s possible on a property.

When moving trees with a tractor takes three minutes of machine work per tree, you stop thinking about moving a handful of trees as a big project. It becomes something you do on a Tuesday afternoon. The 26″ Kompact handles trees up to 2.75″ in trunk diameter. The 36″ handles up to 3.75″. Both run off your existing hydraulics and mount to standard pallet forks.

If you’ve got trees to move and a compact tractor in the yard, you’re probably already set up for this.

Call us at 519-871-7958 or visit swantechindustries.ca to find out which size fits your machine and your project.