Removing Stumps

[MXBX]

Any of you guys with a BX2360 or similar have any ideas on the best way to remove stumps? I'm beginning to think I could use a BH.

The shovel attachments for the bucket look like a good way to waste a bucket. I have maybe a dozen stumps to remove mostly 10" of less.

As usual thanks for taking the time to help out a beginner.

 

[Bearcreek]

What kind of stumps are they? In most cases your best bet will be to hire someone with a stump grinder or if you're competent with machinery you could rent one and do it yourself. If you go the rental route do yourself a favor and make sure you get a decent size one and not one of the walk behind units. I own and run a tree service for a living so I speak from extensive experience. Taking them out with a backhoe will take longer and make more mess to deal with. An exception to this is some kinds of pine that have a very shallow root system and aren't too bad to take out with a backhoe, at least in smaller sizes like you're dealing with.

 

[MXBX]

I cleared out some brush and just want to be able to mow over it but the stumps will certainly destroy my MMM. The stumps are not pine, not sure what they are, just some kind of garbage deciduous trees.

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate your take on it.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

MXBX,
Yes use the BH and dig them out, you bought it for a reason, that's what it's for.

Bearcreek,
Shallow Pine roots , HAHAHA, maybe where you are, mine are 5' + deep, I dug out stumps the size of VW bugs last year with my tractor.

 

[cabu]

Hello, last time I rented a stump grinder. It is really worse the money.
After I brought it back, I found three other stumps. I digged around with the front 3ph and a bucket and then ripped one root after the other. And finally used a thick steel wire and pulled the stump out.
I guess the best way with a tractor would be with a ripper that goes into the ground and rip roots.

That ripper will be my next project for my front 3ph.

BR carl

 

[Diydave]

If you have the luxury of time, try this: first cut stumps off as close to the ground, as low as you can, then drill 4-6 holes per stump, about 1" diameter, fill the holes halfway up, with saltpeter, AKA, revenge stump destroyer. Wait a year, soak the stump with used motor oil, then take a top and bottomless 55 gallon steel drum, and sit it over the stump, using 3 bricks under it, to allow some air circulation, fill the barrel with sticks, firewood, most anything that will burn, and light it off. The venturi effect of the barrel will get the stump burning, sometimes takes a coupla days to burn completely. Otherwise, rent a stumpgrinder, or hire the job out. Around here, 10 10" stumps would cost you about $250-300...

 

[Tooljunkie]

Rented a stump grinder a couple years ago, walk behind. 50 small stumps. Three of us switching off all day. Was brutal. End result was least amount of mess with most amount of effort.
Made a ripper tooth for a backhoe a while back,3 1/4" plates tooth shaped sandwiched together. Middle one was bigger and welded together and ground it sharp. The little hoe rips the roots, but is slow.

Shallow root-cut tree leaving a tall stump. Sawzall works great for cutting roots,i usa a demolition blade. Plunge in dirt and hack away. Big strap and a hard yank and stump is gone.

 

[volp]

Rented a stump grinder a couple years ago, walk behind. 50 small stumps. Three of us switching off all day. Was brutal. End result was least amount of mess with most amount of effort.
Made a ripper tooth for a backhoe a while back,3 1/4" plates tooth shaped sandwiched together. Middle one was bigger and welded together and ground it sharp. The little hoe rips the roots, but is slow.

Shallow root-cut tree leaving a tall stump. Sawzall works great for cutting roots,i usa a demolition blade. Plunge in dirt and hack away. Big strap and a hard yank and stump is gone.

Like Tooljunkie I made a ripper tooth for my backhoe and it worked fine for removing roots that are not to big. Like removing a hedge.
Single small to medium root I pull up with a chain and tractor.

Anders

 

[85Hokie]

Any of you guys with a BX2360 or similar have any ideas on the best way to remove stumps? I'm beginning to think I could use a BH.

The shovel attachments for the bucket look like a good way to waste a bucket. I have maybe a dozen stumps to remove mostly 10" of less.

As usual thanks for taking the time to help out a beginner.

AS others have said, WHAT kind of stump is it, and how much time to you have?

I first got my BX and started right on the stump, the stump laughed at me.....
for a while, then I went off and did other things.....came back to the stump.
It was an old sycamore stump, it had about 4 or 5 large roots shooting out @ 90 degrees. Having got better on the BH , it was about a 4 hours job, lots of moving around, which means you on on and off the machine moving. After a while it became a task that I had to COMPLETE! AND I did!

 

[pendoreille]

In my youth you could buy dynamite, caps and fuse at the local Western Auto store. Oh what fun....better than a tractor. still had to dig

 

[85Hokie]

In my youth you could buy dynamite, caps and fuse at the local Western Auto store. Oh what fun....better than a tractor. still had to dig

yeah, you had to dig ! But you had a blast doing it !!!!!

 

[Kiwi]

I am in Victoria, Australia and brought my L3800 specifically to remove gum tree stumps. (Graduated from hiring a Bobcat every other weekend). I use the Back Hoe to dig around, get the chainsaw into any monster roots and normally lift them out with the 4 in 1 Loader. In the month I have had it, it works a treat for me. Watched a few locals use stump humpers and blow crap everywhere, mind you a D9 would fix the property up in one pass (but thats one big mother of a toy and I'd have to sell the house to rent one).

 

[Kiwi]

Re: Removing Stumps and filling in dam ...

...... 70 hrs up now in 4 months. Also moved some 500 cubic Metres of clay to fill old dam. Started off fussing over tractor like it was a new car, then got into the serious earth moving mode with it. Been lifting ridiculous weights in stumps also and to date am happy I got hydrostatic drive. The 4 in 1 has been seriously tested as I have become more proficient with it.

Now hunting for more attachments and happy I went l3800.

 

[koja]

Stumps? BX25D , yes you can . I have pics of bigger too.

 

[DocGP]

One idea I read and am going to try was to get big, aggressive blades for your sawz-all (like 12") and cut the roots down as deep as you can before you start digging. Then it will be easier to get everything loose.

Doc

 

[MXBX]

The solution to my stump problem was to hire my neighbor with his L4400 to attack the big stuff with his BH. Worked like a charm, plus having another set of eyes, shovel and chainsaw really helped. I then cleaned up the area and leveled it for grass seeding.

 

[bearskinner]

Find someone with an excavator. I had a guy come in with a monster on tracks to remove about 70 huge trees, off my place in Alaska, all about 50-70' tall. He worked for two days removing trees, and pulling the stumps as he went. We cleared a circle drive way, and had 37 loads of gravel hauled in and the stumps hauled off. He stacked the big logs for firewood to dry. BIG tools make short work!

 

[nav0239]

I have a lot of small trees to remove too. My plan is to not cut it first. Instead, i am thinking to use a winch to pull down the the trees and then cut. There will be no stumps to dig. I hope this will save me some time.

 

[koja]

I have a lot of small trees to remove too. My plan is to not cut it first. Instead, i am thinking to use a winch to pull down the the trees and then cut. There will be no stumps to dig. I hope this will save me some time.

Honestly what works the best and is the easiest is to dig around the stumps with the backhoe and then push the tree over with the backhoe . Try a couple smaller ones first and you'll see how much easier it is . Be careful , take your time , and just like when cutting trees with a chainsaw be mindful of the way the tree wants to fall .

 

[nav0239]

I have read somewhere mature trees around 50-60' high will be pulled over by ~25 ton-meter torque. 90% will be uprooted and 10% will break. So it just might be that for smaller threes a winch will do the job faster without dgging. That is, achor the winch on the lower trunk of one tree or trees and pull the top of the other. A 10000lb winch should do the job. For some trees or hard soil digging around the root first is necessary, I think.

It certainly depend on soil type etc. and I have not tried it myself yet.