Backhoe vs Stump Grinder

[NewbieUgh]

My name is accurate. I'm a city kitty who moved to rural GA on 30 acres, but with the help of this forum I'M GETTING IT DONE! With your guidance, when I got hit by pine beetles bad--got rid of the New Holland 33 and bought an LS 55 with new 6 foot bush hog, Carolina attachment grapple and FEL. I wasn't able to carry anything in the NH fel, and the change has been dramatic and love my blue mule! Now here's the question you almost need to get a second mortgage (!) to get rid of the stumps after tree removal of the dead pines. I'm tired of it--2 years in a row I've had close to $7000 in stump grinding. Not paying it anymore. (my house is in between 2 large former horse pastures) where all the stumps are that I care about. I live in a community and you can see them from the street--POA stuff etc. The ones in the woods, don't care.

So here's question: should I get a backhoe to try to remove them (and what's involved in putting that on the back), or something else since I had tractor fitted for button to work grapple effectively on the front? or stump grinder. . . .but everything I read on these pages says grinder will tear up tractor at some point. does that hold true for backhoe?l

Newbie grateful for your thoughts . . .

 

[CincyFlyer]

I bought a tractor with backhoe and a Woodland Mills stump grinder (with a straight PTO shaft to the disk, requiring tractor motion to cut), and a tree puller, as I was paying a fortune for tree work. This is what I've learned: it's much quicker to use a stump grinder to get things out of the way. Yeah, in a few years you'll have a little sinking where the rest of the stump rots, but it's nothing—if you have an FEL.
Still, there are some I dig out, especially on property lines where I am grading; there, it's worth the time.
Even though I have a shuttle shift, I have no real issues with my grinder, as I usually have a slight slope for the tractor to coast down, and I control the speed with the brake. Otherwise, I "roll" the bucket to move the tractor. It would be easier with a hydrostat, of course.
If you are grading (we've removed some dead pines and ashes along a property line, where we're making a two foot drop off into a gentle slope) you'll have to bite the bullet and dig 'em out. I figure that for 12" stumps, I can grind up to ten in the time it takes to properly did out a stump.
And those are my thoughts!

 

[Code54]

I am guessing they are pines (pine beetles?) so how big are they? How many? Want to do 100's at a time or just one here and there?
If you have a lot you maybe better served to rent something like a 30T excavator and just drive along and pull them out. A backhoe will get them out but tractor mounted hoes are not great for taking out a lot of stumps and it is hard on the tractor.

 

[NewbieUgh]

Cool on the grinder. Talk to me about the woodland mills grinder! What is the exact model? would it work on my 55 hp? I'm so tickled you like it---that's what I prefer the stump grinder and then fill in holes later. Has it torn up your PTO at all since using it. I have about 40 stumps to deal with this time, and they range from 8 inches to 18 inches all pines and one large oak stump. The LS is hydrostatic. Do I go back to the dealer to find the attachment or do I look for it used to save money?
Newbie

 

[NewbieUgh]

so backhoes are hard on the tractor AND stump grinders are hard (been reading on this forum) doggone. guess I have to go with which are harder? any suggestions on brand or size for either? I can start some researching?
you guys rock for getting back to me so quickly! this forum is amazing.
Newbie (aka Terri)

 

[NewbieUgh]

my tractor is the XR4155H

 

[TSO]

I have a Worksaver SG-26 3pt grinder... I've done several hundred stumps with it. Works fantastic. More refined than the Woodland Mills grinder, but more expensive too. There are a handful of companies now that make 3pt grinders, so you'll have your choice. I drove out to Iowa to get mine, they sell on eBay. Your XR4156 has the same HP as my machine, you'll handle it well.

 

[Richard]

Could you buy/rent some industrial equipment, get it done, then sell/return it?

When I did my first stump ever, it took me somewhere around four hours to dig it out. I was using a Kubota L-35 and was trying to not break anything. I also had no clue on best way to attack the stump.

Later, I bought an industrial backhoe/loader that will run circles around the L35. Same stump today would probably take 20/30 minutes. (again, part of reason first time took so long is it was in fact, my first time.....learned a lot since then)

Anyway, I bought the backhoe for around $13K and it will dig to a depth of 15.5 feet.... front bucket will do something around 6,000 pounds.

If I sold it today for $1.00 (single dollar) I would have made the money back for all the work I've done (over about 14 years)

So my point is....could you buy a machine.....use it for 2-3 years, then sell it, keeping your tractor for tractor work?

BTW, hello from someone who grew up in Hamilton.

Been debating a trip back up there so I could go by Chesters (Route 4) and grab a pizza.

 

[kthompson]

I use a 5 ton excavator (mid size) I have use to remove many stumps. Pines stumps are deep, slow to dig and slow to rot (if you use grinder). If you are able to dig the stump before the tree is cut much easier, but you need to do so before the tree is dangerous to be under. The tree will help pop the stump out the ground. As has been ask do you remove them one at the time or have many different suggestion. Removing one or two is not bad if not say over two feet in diameter but if say twenty long slow work with my size machine. My suggestion would be to hire a large machine to remove them. Unless you have a friend who is experienced with excavator to run it then rent the machine. Rental per week or month is not bad when you compare the long term cost owning one in repairs.

 

[4570Man]

I don’t think a subframe backhoe is going to hurt your tractor. The problem is they’re weak and painfully slow to dig stumps. The second problem is they’re expensive. I came out ok on mine but I only had 4K in it. We need a little more information on your plan. I sold my tractor in favor of buying a full sized backhoe.