Best way for clearing HUNDREDS of stumps?

[NYCheese]

I've got 120acres of former farmland. On one end of the property I've got 2 former hay fields that are approx 300ft wide, and a quarter mile long. There was a hedgerow dividing these 2 fields, consisting of a single row of trees (mostly maple and ash), however, over the past 30 years of neglected maintenance, the hedgerow has grown to 100ft wide in places. I started clearing at one end last year...my goal is to completely eliminate the hedgerow and combine the 2 fields, for a big open spot to safely launch and land my paramotor. (it can be a bit sketchy using the long narrow current fields, lined with trees on both sides).

The majority of the stumps are smaller sized, maybe 3"-8", and a mix of many different species, but the original trees are all 24"+. I have a Kioti ck3510 with a backhoe....and while I can dig the smaller stumps with it, it's far from ideal, and a very slow process. My machine is useless on the larger stumps. What options should I be looking at when I get more of the trees down? Would a 3pt stump grinder be worth the investment, or would that be a slow method too? Renting a large excavator? I'm not worried about disposing of stumps, I've got plenty places I can just leave piles to rot. Not worried about holes in the ground, as I'll likely be renting a small dozer when it's all done, to grade out the area nice and flat. Just trying to do some early research to find the easiest/cheapest/fastest way to remove a lot of stumps.

 

[dodge man]

A stump grinder is going to pretty slow also. If you just had a few it would be fine. I think you are looking a construction grade equipment, a larger excavator or larger bull dozer.

 

[MossRoad]

Large excavator with a thumb sounds like a good choice. Investigate rental prices near you to see if it makes $$ sense.

 

[Fallon]

Big excavator hands down. Personally I'd rent even if contracting it out was cheaper. I'm also the kind of guy would go to to Home - Dig This Vegas in Las Vagas rather than gamble or hit shows. So my judgment is likely different than some others.

Grinders work but aren't that fast & have rot issues. When you grind, you leave roots & sawdust in the hole & nearby ground. As that wood rots it compacts & takes up less space. You end up with divots that keep showing up for years or decades. It's really bad if they do it under foundations. Still not great for any places you have much plans for the land like farming or a nice lawn. We ground a number if stumps at my parents place. But the holes were spanned by a deck or in areas that divots were just fine as the back yard was mostly wild.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Rent a tracked loader and forestry mulcher. Things are evened out in one operation.

I had a big hoe start to rip out stumps. What a mess. The holes are still there.

Do you have stones?

I had a vermeer stump grinder that could do a six foot stump. Getting it into position was more of a job than grinding the stumps. A tracked self propelled one might be better. Also, every stump had stones around the perimeter. Hard on teeth.

 

[Jchonline]

If you grind them down, just remember the wood decays over the years, still leaving a hole. If you plan to travel over it, or have livestock on it, or build on it, then unfortunately you need to REMOVE these big stumps and backfill. For that task I would contract it out for a large excavator. You can of course rent but if you havent used one before you will waste a bunch of machine hours learning it. Your choice!

 

[ch1ch2]

Large excavator with a thumb sounds like a good choice. Investigate rental prices near you to see if it makes $$ sense.

x2 .....

 

[Fallon]

If you grind them down, just remember the wood decays over the years, still leaving a hole. If you plan to travel over it, or have livestock on it, or build on it, then unfortunately you need to REMOVE these big stumps and backfill. For that task I would contract it out for a large excavator. You can of course rent but if you havent used one before you will waste a bunch of machine hours learning it. Your choice!

If he has a small backhoe now it shouldn't be that big of a learning curve. Most excavators have a selectable pattern so go between the 2 control types & match whatever you are use to.

 

[1010]

A root rake on a dozer is fastest and more efficient. D5, JD550 and up size dozer.

 

[jeff9366]

Rent or contract for a large excavator to remove stumps.

Use your tractor FEL with a digging toothbar installed + rear/angle blade with offset potential to fill the one to two cubic yard volume holes where the large stumps came out.

I speculate you need a smooth landing ground to avoid crashing your plane

 

[Jstpssng]

I agree on the large excavator. I had a 2 acre field reclaimed about 10 years ago. It took him 2 days and when he got done I put the seeder on my ATV and planted winter rye... which the wild turkeys soon discovered and vacuumed them up.
Rather than stump dumping consider piling them up so that you can reclaim the soil after the roots die.

 

[Jerry/MT]

I've got 120acres of former farmland. On one end of the property I've got 2 former hay fields that are approx 300ft wide, and a quarter mile long. There was a hedgerow dividing these 2 fields, consisting of a single row of trees (mostly maple and ash), however, over the past 30 years of neglected maintenance, the hedgerow has grown to 100ft wide in places. I started clearing at one end last year...my goal is to completely eliminate the hedgerow and combine the 2 fields, for a big open spot to safely launch and land my paramotor. (it can be a bit sketchy using the long narrow current fields, lined with trees on both sides).

The majority of the stumps are smaller sized, maybe 3"-8", and a mix of many different species, but the original trees are all 24"+. I have a Kioti ck3510 with a backhoe....and while I can dig the smaller stumps with it, it's far from ideal, and a very slow process. My machine is useless on the larger stumps. What options should I be looking at when I get more of the trees down? Would a 3pt stump grinder be worth the investment, or would that be a slow method too? Renting a large excavator? I'm not worried about disposing of stumps, I've got plenty places I can just leave piles to rot. Not worried about holes in the ground, as I'll likely be renting a small dozer when it's all done, to grade out the area nice and flat. Just trying to do some early research to find the easiest/cheapest/fastest way to remove a lot of stumps.

A cat with a stump splitter and clearing forks. And regrade the stump holes.

 

[bcp]

Large excavator with a thumb sounds like a good choice. Investigate rental prices near you to see if it makes $$ sense.

Large excavator with a claw/ripper and thumb. I watched one taking out fir stumps to about 2' diameter in less than one minute each.

Here's one:

Solesbees Equipment The Leading Manufacturer of Quality Attachments

Bruce

 

[hayden]

I'd use an excavator, but don't go too big or you will find it harder to pull the 3" to 8" stumps. I think a dozer would be good for moving teh stumps once pulled. It will be a really big pile of them, and I don't know how far you need to push them to get them out of the way. You could use the dozer to scrape the surface and rip out all but the biggest stumps, and that would probably go pretty quick. probably quicker than the excavator. But you would end up with a giant mixed pile of stump and dirt, where with the excavator you can much better separate out the stumps and leave the dirt behind. For this reason, I'd go excavator. A series of fires may be the best way to get rid of the stumps. I think it's going to be a really big pile if you just leave them to rot.

 

[Big Barn]

x2 .....

X3 or whatever we’re up to now. It is the ONLY option I would consider.

 

[fried1765]

I've got 120acres of former farmland. On one end of the property I've got 2 former hay fields that are approx 300ft wide, and a quarter mile long. There was a hedgerow dividing these 2 fields, consisting of a single row of trees (mostly maple and ash), however, over the past 30 years of neglected maintenance, the hedgerow has grown to 100ft wide in places. I started clearing at one end last year...my goal is to completely eliminate the hedgerow and combine the 2 fields, for a big open spot to safely launch and land my paramotor. (it can be a bit sketchy using the long narrow current fields, lined with trees on both sides).

The majority of the stumps are smaller sized, maybe 3"-8", and a mix of many different species, but the original trees are all 24"+. I have a Kioti ck3510 with a backhoe....and while I can dig the smaller stumps with it, it's far from ideal, and a very slow process. My machine is useless on the larger stumps. What options should I be looking at when I get more of the trees down? Would a 3pt stump grinder be worth the investment, or would that be a slow method too? Renting a large excavator? I'm not worried about disposing of stumps, I've got plenty places I can just leave piles to rot. Not worried about holes in the ground, as I'll likely be renting a small dozer when it's all done, to grade out the area nice and flat. Just trying to do some early research to find the easiest/cheapest/fastest way to remove a lot of stumps.

Contract the stump removal job to a guy with an excavator, that has a THUMB.

 

[geblackwell]

There is a person that has youtube videos that does this type of work. His site is " letsdig 18 "

 

[RalphVa]

Our Arboristry Associates tree outfit came out last week and did about a 30" OD red cedar stump in less than 30 minutes, probably closer to 15 once he got backed into the right spot. The thing was on a trailer behind his 4wd truck. It, of course, went to/from on a circular pattern but also had a hydraulic cylinder to run it back and forth. Had a big (probably 4 cylinder) engine driving the circular wheel with cup-shaped grinders. I'd probably show they what you need done and hire them to do it. They'd probably do it in way less time than if you used a 3ph one or any other kind. He said they had a smaller one for getting into small places, too.

Ralph

 

[Thomas]

Large excavator with a thumb you'll be surprise how fast job will be done,maybe dozer push stump to spot tho.

 

[NYCheese]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I figured a big excavator would probably be the smartest way to go. I've run mini's before, but never a big one. I'll likely make some calls and see what it would cost to hire someone vs renting one. Part of me likes the idea of a 3pt stump grinder....even though it would be massively slower, it would allow me to work when I can, and not be pressured to get everything done on a rental. But I also have rocks in the ground here, which would dull a grinder in a hurry.

I'm not trying to make a perfectly smooth flat lawn here (it's a paramotor, not an airplane), and holes settling and needing to be filled in doesn't bother me either. My primary goals are just to get rid of the overgrown hedgerow, and the stumps...then let it grow in with wild grasses and weeds and keep it mowed with my brush hog. I fully expect it to take me all spring and summer to get the trees down, cut and split into firewood, tops run thru the chipper, so I'm in no hurry here, just doing some preliminary research during some downtime this week.

Thanks again.