Big Stump Removal Project Options

[Cityboyfarmer]

I am getting contractor bids to remove 20-25 acres of Loblolly pine stumps. Most are in the 12-16" diamater range with a few 24" or larger. One guy who had committed to do the job on a hourly basis per machine, (loader & excavator) disappeared on me so I am getting several other bids to see what I can come up with.

I did a TBN search and read everything I could find on stump removal, and the thought crossed my mind that maybe I could rent a big 4wd backhoe with a tooth bucket and see what I could do with it. Backhoe rentals here run $255 per day; $725 per week and $1680 per month. I could have a lot of fun...er...do a lot of work with a backhoe for a month /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif or at least I think I could. What do you guys think? What can I reasonably expect to accomplish with a backhoe? How much dirt can I expect to move with the tooth bucket? If I remember correctly the BH rental will be a JD 310G.

Also while searching for stumping info, I found a really cool equipment info site Here

Now one of those machines would do the trick!

 

[PineRidge]

Yes you could do it with a backhoe and lots of time but a good sized excavator could do the same job in just a fraction of the time. When we were putting a pond on our property we cut all the trees ourselves and left the stumps. When the excavator rolled in he popped the stumps out of the ground like a dentist pulls a tooth. He had it done in a matter of hours not days.

The picture shows how easy it is.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I do this kind of work every day and have so for the last 10 years. Id either hire out a contractor with a PC300 Komatsu or 320 sized Cat excavator. or other similar sixed ecavator and maybe a D7 orD8 with a stump blade or both. The excavator would be the fastes and on the larger stumps would leave less of a hole. I cleared 4 acres of24 to 36 inch pinstumps with an old 75 Ford backhoe when i was 17. Took 6 months of spare time.
An excavator has so much more weight and power than a TLB. the 360degree rotation is also great for working in a wide sweep. I helped clear 170 acres of stumps on a cut over. I could dig up 30 to 40 stumps an hour and windrow them and the brush. We burnt some but the rest was put through a portable tubgrinder. In your area theyre maybe someone that will take your stumps with a stump splitter on and excavator. They look like a big pair of pliers and split the stump and pull it out. they have a badkfill blade to fill i nthe hole afterwards. They usually come with a tub grinding company. Ive been on several jobs where they took stumps for no charge to grind for fuel and Turpentine production.

 

[turnkey4099]

All things being equal, I personally would steer clear of an hourly rate for a job like that. Awful easy to build time into that type of a contract.

Harry K

 

[DannyD]

NEVER touch an hourly rate on a job like this. Get a firm and complete cost upfront!

Working in a building a couple of years ago installing the wiring for a computer system. Electrician is there, working also. I get all my wiring in, tested mounted, everything ready for drywall. Come back later that month, he has taken it all out, run conduit, put it all back in with his junk connectors. I was all over him on this, he stated his boss told him to jerk mine out, put in the pipe and rewire it.........they were on time and materials. I not only let his boss know how big a jack **** he was I told the building super about his "indescretion" to cheating.

 

[dynamike]

Maybe you should think about a stump grinder. "Not a small one" I developed a piece of property about 5 years ago. We cut down 225 trees, I sold the saw logs, cut tons of firewood, chipped all the brush. Then I got a clearing company to grind the stumps. They did them all in one day and it cost me about 1200 bucks. They ground them all at least a foot below the surface. They used a large excavator with a stump grinder attachment. It was a real animal. I think if you dig all them out you will be burning for years.

 

[Cityboyfarmer]

By my estimate, there are about 200 stumps per acre, times 25 acres = 5,000 stumps /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

So assuming $1200 for 250 stumps that would be $24,000 /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Nope. Won't be stump grinding.

I'll look into the cost of renting a big excavator on Monday.

Heres a photo of the piled up limbs to give you an idea of the size of this project.

 

[Cityboyfarmer]

In the photo in the post above, for reference, note the power pole and the big oak tree. There is another sizable pile of limbs that you cannot see to the left.

This photo is of the same area as above before all the trees were cut to give you an idea of the root density.

 

[EddieWalker]

The first thing folks told me when I started asking around for loggers is that it will cost as much, or more, to clear up the mess after they leave, then you'll get from the trees you sell.

I don't know if that's true or not, but it sounds like something to be cautious about.

I have a Ford 555E, wich is the same size as a JD 310, just older then what you'll rent. I'm no pro on it, but I'm competent.

A good sized stump will take an hour to get out. That's somewhere from 20 inches across or more. Some stumps have more holding power then others, and it has been known to take even longer. Rarely will I get one out much faster.

The prolem is in the time it takes to dig down around the sides enough to break it free.

When I want a tree out, I dig it out whole. Stump and all so I don't have to take out any stumps. It's much easier with the weight of the tree helping to pull it out.

Eddie

 

[Cityboyfarmer]

I heard that too, Eddie. If you have the stumps removed as opposed to letting them rot, then it probably will cost most, if not all of what you made on the trees. That's what its starting to look like in my case, and that's why I'm looking at several options. At least the tree money is off-setting the project costs. I'd be out a lot more money to have just knocked the trees down. The timber harvesters here have no interest in chain-sawing 5,000 pine tree roots on the ground.

Anyway, I'm sure with all the collective knowledge here, somebody will spur an idea that will work out in the most cost effective way.

Anybody got any stump eating goats for sale? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif