New Stump Bucket and First Thoughts

[aerojunkie]

Well after I searched for quite a while I finally got me me a stump bucket. Went with Mid Sate Attachments, and I think they used to be Wildkat Attachments. I must say that think will never bend from what my tractor can put it through, very well made unit and I got a good deal I think at $400 for it. After using it I can see where people buy grapples for cleanup, you can make a mess in a hurry with it on 5" or smaller trees. Only thing I have found to be a little lacking is the loader on my tractor, the curl kinda sucks as some have found out on them. But I have seen a few people really do some work with them on larger stuff with this tractor so Im anxious to hear a few pointers in using it (hope you read this Snowback). So far ive only figured out to just drive through the roots a few places, push the tree over, then push the tree and root ball out. Any thought? It does make me want a skid steer for this bucket and then a grapple on my 2538 for the cleanup......maybe when I get this thing payed for.

#35 Stump Bucket | MS Attachments

 

[nybirdman]

Sold mine in short order to a fellow that had a skid steer!

 

[N80]

I've never used one but I have removed probably hundreds of pine trees just using my toothless bucket. The key is ground conditions. If soil is hard and dry, I had to wait. Technique was also critical and probably applies to your stump bucket too. My technique for pines: approach tree and shove bucket in ground about 2-3 feet in front of tree to cut through roots. Then, raise bucket and push tree over as far as I safely can. Back up, insert bucket under exposed root ball then curl and lift and push (takes some coordination on a geared tractor like mine. But, it works and I've done _young_ pines up to 10" diameter.

Other trees are another story. Gums are too flexible. Larger oaks have a wide spread of roots and as you say you'd probably have to dig all the way around the tree to sever the roots. Very time consuming compared to pines in my experience.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Dig your first pass to the side and just past the tree trunk, then scoot back a bit and dig in again toward the hole you made, digging toward a hole is much easier than digging into solid ground each time with the hole behind your teeth. Do this several times on both sides of the tree. Then move around if you can to the side and push it over. Large trees will require you to dig all 4 sides. Hope this makes sense. If not personal mail me and i send a video or drawing.
You can use the stump bucket to knock down the limbs on the trunk as you work your way around on cedar type trees. This saves time. No extra limbs to pick up, they are all still attached to the tree. You can dig up just the stump if the tree has been cut off low, just takes more time.
I took a grinder and sharpened the sides of the teeth. Left side on one, right side on the next one then left etc etc. kind of like a saw blade. Added a few more notches closer to the teeth so as to cut roots easier.
Be careful about keeping all 4 tires on the ground.
Be careful about stabbing it in the ground at a steep angle and then trying to use it as a pry bar so to speak. Could be easy to over stress your front end loaders torque tubes or hydraulic cylinders / hoses.
Keep in mind your tractor is not and dozer and your not going to be as fast as a track hoe.

 

[hd5]

I've used mine a lot. Works pretty good at digging ditches also.
I accidentally discovered the ditch part, I needed to put a 16 ' culvert in and tried the stump bucket. Bet it didn't take me twenty minutes.

Also as previously mentioned he careful about putting too much stress on loader, stump buckets are actually intended for skidsteers.

 

[aerojunkie]

Thank you for the tips. Sounds like it will work better once I get more practice with a few more trees in the eviction process. I do like using this thing for clearing brush and bushes in the woods letting it ride the ground and just pushing at the base, the teeth and cutting edge do a great job of grabbing and removing the whole thing. I figure just pushing slow in low range and not ramming into things my loader should hold up just fine. I learned real quick why grapples are popular.......you can make a pile of trash very fast. I want to add a ratchet rake to clean up after the removal with means even more stuff for the burn pile.