Fun with Stumps

[David_Kb7uns]

A dozer this size with that kind of set up is a good option but a grapple skidder is not far behind and given a choice of either or I'd go with grapple skidder all day long and twice on Sunday. I know I know, no one here on TBN knows what a skidder is or even heard of a grapple skidder........

A Grapple Skidder is no where near that capable. The guy that did the logging has a John Deere 480 and he uses a SK250 logging shovel. The next thing down the line is the Cat 235 Excavator that is there. or if you really wanted fun the John Deere 750 excavator would do it easy, just walking it around is the problem and it has a narrow rock bucket with no thumb. These are Douglas Fir stumps ,most trees were over 3 logs high(40 feet per log) they have a very large root system.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

I stopped counting at 150 plus ring probably over 200 on this one . Top was dead and starting to rot. The first log was 23,500 pounds when placed on the truck. The logging shovel only could lift one end at a time

 

[Oldpath05]

A Grapple Skidder is no where near that capable. The guy that did the logging has a John Deere 480 and he uses a SK250 logging shovel. The next thing down the line is the Cat 235 Excavator that is there. or if you really wanted fun the John Deere 750 excavator would do it easy, just walking it around is the problem and it has a narrow rock bucket with no thumb. These are Douglas Fir stumps ,most trees were over 3 logs high(40 feet per log) they have a very large root system.

What have you been smoking..........Back in the early 80s for 5 years I used a JD 540 grapple a lot of times ripping out stumps, those grapple have tremendous amount of ripping power, I ripped out a 3' stump with one, 2' is nothing, I been there done that. If I had to choose between dozer and grapple skidder, the grapple skidder is a good choice...

 

[Oldpath05]

It痴 the better attachment on a poor tool. Tractor are terrible at removing stumps any way you go about it. Again it痴 a loader not a digger or pryer. Now put your stump bucket on a skid steer and have at it.

Not so fast there hydro man, the right size tractor is an excellent tool for removing stumps.

 

[4570Man]

Not so fast there hydro man, the right size tractor is an excellent tool for removing stumps.

Like a 200 hp one pulling a subsoiler? A tractor loader is under no circumstances designed for digging stumps. You know I’m right.

 

[powersrp]

just use a chainsaw and cut the stump into as many pieces as you can below the dirt then cover it over, when your done playing in the dirt, toss the chain, there can be 2 or 3 tap roots up to 10’ deep in there,you will not budge it, ive hooked chains and straps to a ford superdutuy and didnt even wiggle the stump. Dont fight it and damage your machine

 

[TractorGuy]

Here I was thinking I was just being too gentle with my new machine and tomorrow I could give it a little more oomph. But now I am getting a clear message that it likely isnt a good plan to try. Thanks.

The key to getting stumps out with a backhoe is to dig them out. DO NOT TRY TO PULL IT OUT. Backhoes are made for digging. Dig around it till it falls over in the hole. You will have to pull on the roots some to break them but do not try to pull a stump that isn't loose already. It's okay to tug on the top a little every now and then to see if it's getting loose. Then get all the dirt you can out of the roots. If your hoe will not roll or lift it out you can try a chain and pull it.

 

[4570Man]

Backhoes can handle pulling just fine. Don’t pull on the sides of the bucket especially a wide one but the hydraulics have reliefs for a reason.

 

[Diggin It]

The key to getting stumps out with a backhoe is to dig them out. DO NOT TRY TO PULL IT OUT. Backhoes are made for digging. Dig around it till it falls over in the hole. You will have to pull on the roots some to break them but do not try to pull a stump that isn't loose already. It's okay to tug on the top a little every now and then to see if it's getting loose. Then get all the dirt you can out of the roots. If your hoe will not roll or lift it out you can try a chain and pull it.

Is that really something people need to be taught? I'd never used a BH of any size at all before I got mine, but those steps were intuitive on the first five or six small stumps I dug out. Dig some, tug some, dig some more, tug some more. Never even occured to me to try anything else.

 

[TractorGuy]

The key to getting stumps out with a backhoe is to dig them out. DO NOT TRY TO PULL IT OUT. Backhoes are made for digging. Dig around it till it falls over in the hole. You will have to pull on the roots some to break them but do not try to pull a stump that isn't loose already. It's okay to tug on the top a little every now and then to see if it's getting loose. Then get all the dirt you can out of the roots. If your hoe will not roll or lift it out you can try a chain and pull it.

Is that really something people need to be taught? I'd never used a BH of any size at all before I got mine, but those steps were intuitive on the first five or six small stumps I dug out. Dig some, tug some, dig some more, tug some more. Never even occured to me to try anything else.

It's information I thought might benefit a NEW backhoe owner.

 

[Oldpath05]

Like a 200 hp one pulling a subsoiler? A tractor loader is under no circumstances designed for digging stumps. You know I’m right.

That was fun we need to argue again sometime...:drink:

 

[John Skull]

The Woodland Mills stump grinder is good bang for the buck and saved me $$$$ over hiring it out, since I have/had 100's of those buggers left by previous owner

 

[kenmbz]

I have a SCUT and have pulled out stumps up to 24" using the BH and a Sawzall. BH to dig out and cut smaller roots. Sawall to get through the bigger stuff.
Took me 3 tries for an 18" cherry, heavy enough that I dragged it out since I could not lift it.
I am probably 20 or so stumps on and have 2 stump graveyards,
Patience works in this case, my BH still looks perfect as I don't over stress it too much and try not to go at an angle, seen too many people bend their rods try to lift at an angle, or worse, torque the boom.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

What have you been smoking..........Back in the early 80s for 5 years I used a JD 540 grapple a lot of times ripping out stumps, those grapple have tremendous amount of ripping power, I ripped out a 3' stump with one, 2' is nothing, I been there done that. If I had to choose between dozer and grapple skidder, the grapple skidder is a good choice...

Smoke nothing CAT with ripper or splitter and rip the roots and turn around and hook with blade, or Excavator with Thumb. Grapple skidder is worthless on a Douglas Fir root system.

 

[Haff]

So I ignored the stump for a while and went back to it today. It took some patience and care but I got it popped out. I dont think I put any excessive stress on anything in the process. I also think I could do it faster in the future now that I know some tricks and technique. I dont know how much it weighs, but I know I cant lift it, only drag it. Now to figure out if I'm going to push it over the hill down towards the stream, or burn it in the yard.

 

[Frankenkubota]

It痴 that don稚 get cocky part that gets me every time. Early onset over confidence.

 

[Frankenkubota]

I do a lot of waiting. Between the rain every other day and the sub contractors overwhelmed and catching up with their real customers, I wait. I planned on the contractors delays, my brother is a builder, didn’t plan on the rain.

While waiting I dig stumps. I get the little ones with my ratchet rake, thanks to the member who suggested that! I get the bigger ones with my bh. I’ve dug maybe 50 in the last few months and sorry to report the first one finally beat me yesterday. Not worth breaking tractor.

I have a big ol stihl so I can cut him off below grade but I’d much rather blow it up. Can you do that,,,,legally? I’d love to try it, with someone who knew what they were doing. U tube full of diy explosives.

Another way to look at it is.....I live in the middle of a 55 acre rain forest, who’s gonna stop me?

Stumps are like icebergs, 90% is out of site!

 

[Haff]

I have a big ol stihl so I can cut him off below grade but I’d much rather blow it up. Can you do that,,,,legally?

nope. neighbors and even my own house are too close. In this town if you want to use any explosives you need licensing, a plan submitted and approved, and usually you need to hire a survey crew to check out the houses of everyone nearby for damage before and after so you can prove there was no additional damage done by your explosive... now that could be just for the larger stuff like rock blasting, but even small explosions would be frowned on.

 

[Frankenkubota]

No diy blasting is the general consensus. I would have found someone who knew what they were doing but, it might have been fun.

As kids growing up in WI, once in a great while one of the neighborhood kids would ....go down south...and bring back M80 firecrackers. The urban myth was, they were 1/8th of a stick of dynamite. Maybe a few of those would take out that stump.......just kidding.

Lots of stories about M80s, some of them true!

 

[Frankenkubota]

STUMPTOWN. Ever here of that?

I lived in the people’s republic of Portland Oregon for 7-8 years. When you move in someone send this welcome to the area package. In it was the history of Portland Oregon.

Portland OR was called STUMPTOWN and a number of businesses including a micro brew still use the name, STUMPTOWN.

I read the following so don’t please, shoot the messenger.

It was called STUMPTOWN because when they initially cleared the trees, and brother they got big trees in the Pacific NW, they were too lazy to remove the stumps....for years and years. Because of that the roads are as squirrelly as Boston’s.

Side note. The 2 main muckymucks in the area at the time wanted to name the city, one was from Boston, one from Portland....the other Portland. Flipped a coin. Could have been called Boston.

Now, when you watch the news, think of STUMPTOWN, not Portland.