Pics of first stump removal with a BX24

[RayCo]

Frank....I must disagree with you here about the BX24. Now I will say its a small tractor, it just takes more time and thought when tackling a big stump.

Proof is in the pictures........

Those are great pictures, Craig. In fact, if I remember right, those pictures played a big part in getting my wife to sell her car to help with the purchase of our BX24 when I started spamming her with all the "look what it can do" pictures. So, thanks for these. That's really one heck of a stump.
</div>

 

[Egon]

Very nice pictures.

 

[Eagleview]

Just a point about burying stumps is that it attracts Termites and they use the old root system to build super highways to buildings . Also when using chains or wire rope , throw a piece of carpet or similar over the center of the span as it absorbes the recoil energy if it breaks .

50,003 registered members WOW .

 

[jaybrad]

In fact, if I remember right, those pictures played a big part in getting my wife to sell her car to help with the purchase of our BX24 when I started spamming her with all the "look what it can do" pictures.
</div>

My wife was supportive when I first started mentioning getting a new tractor, but I would never go so far as to ask her to sell her car to fund the purchase. In fact, now that it's here, her car still has a spot in the garage, while mine sits outdoors to make room for the tractor.

As many have said, pulling stumps is great sport. I've had the experience of pulling several pine trees and a few beech and maples, too. Interesting to see how differently the root systems grow. So far, the maples have provided the biggest challenge (and biggest tap root).

The next best thing to the sound of the stump finally giving way, is using the thumb to lift it up and haul it away - taking enough time for someone (who still parks her car in the garage) to admire how much work this little tractor can do.

Jay

 

[RayCo]

My wife was supportive when I first started mentioning getting a new tractor, but I would never go so far as to ask her to sell her car to fund the purchase. In fact, now that it's here, her car still has a spot in the garage, while mine sits outdoors to make room for the tractor.

I didn't ask her; it was her idea. Although I guess by saying "getting my wife to sell her car" doesn't really sound like that. Once I showed my wife some of the things it could do, she was just as excited as I was to get it and went on a mission to make it possible. The real deciding factor was probably when we started getting rough estimates of what it was going to cost to pay someone to do all the hardscaping we wanted to do. $15,000 for a walkway or $16,000 for a BX and do it ourselves. Easy decision for both of us.

 

[RayCo]

Another issue with burying stumps is the rotting that happens underground and the sinkholes that are created. My house was built five years ago, and about two years after we moved in, I discovered what they did with all the stumps when I was driving around my backyard. See pictures. I was driving, and the ground just gave out beneath me. Kinda caught me offguard! No damage was done, but I did not to get a wrecker out to my house to pull me back out.




I have no idea how many stumps are down there. I'd estimate that about 300 trees were taken down when our house was built though. I just keep filling the area with dirt as it sinks down. To dig it all up and pull out all the rotting stumps is not a job for a BX, so I've just avoided the area since I discovered it.

 

[thavil]

Another issue with burying stumps is the rotting that happens underground and the sinkholes that are created.

Thanks RayCo for your follow-up post. This is another part of the job I didn't think about, the sinkholes a few years down the road. The stumps I am pulling out are in my horse sacrafice area, so I sure don't want a horse finding the sinkhole before I do. The wife will have me sleeping in the hay loft!

Thanks to everyone that has responded and also for the ones that sent their own pics. The intent for my post turned out just as I hoped (except for Frank_Miller getting banned). I got great responses for all aspects of the job, from pulling the stump out safely to what to do the stump after success has been achieved.

 

[RayCo]

The stumps I am pulling out are in my horse sacrafice area

You sacrifice horses?

 

[thavil]

You sacrifice horses?

I'm glad the wife doesn't read TBN! She has informed me that this is the term used around here for the horse area around the barn that you don't care if grass grows or not. Their hangout area. It sounds odd to me but I'm not really a horse person, just the hired hand for her farm.

 

[RayCo]

Alright, good. I was picturing black candles and things. I'm not too up to date on my horse lingo, so thanks for teaching me something today!

 

[ejnichol]

I used to do this...until it cost me a mower spindle assy. Apparently freeze/thaw lifted an older stump. I didn't see it during first cut of season. Buried blade about an inch below top of stump. Bent blade and spindle, and broke belt...sigh...

Trying to flush cut is not the best option, just a useful compormise. I find it neccesary to raise deck in such an area. Wish stump removal were faster/easier to affect.

 

[Shmudda]

Those are great pictures, Craig. In fact, if I remember right, those pictures played a big part in getting my wife to sell her car to help with the purchase of our BX24 when I started spamming her with all the "look what it can do" pictures. So, thanks for these. That's really one heck of a stump.
</div>

Ray,

I'm glad the pics were of good use for you! My wife gives me he!! all the time about buying my BX, but I know what it saves me in time and a sore back.

Again, the proof is in the pics!!!

Craig

 

[megaboz]

Nice pictures, and good job.

One thing to note with chain, if it breaks or slips free, it won't come flying at you it should just drop to the ground.

Putting it simply you can think of chain like a hundred little straps, if one of the links break it will loss all its stored energy in a much smaller space, since each link can only stretch a few inches before it fails vs when a 27ft strap stretched out to 37ft breaks and has 10ft worth of stored energy to release. Same theory applies if it was to slip free.

(These are not exact numbers but used for demonstration purposes)

Good Job,
Jim

I just had a chain break that I had hooked to the back of my Chevy Duramax, it went sailling about 50 yards past my truck. Glad it didn't hit my baby, it was only a month old.

Trying to flush cut is not the best option, just a useful compormise. I find it neccesary to raise deck in such an area. Wish stump removal were faster/easier to affect.

Renting a stump grinder is prety much the easiest thing to do. Just have to get some fill dirt to replace the mulch. The small stumps only take a few minutes, and the bigger ones are just fun to watch them shred.

 

[RayCo]

I just had a chain break that I had hooked to the back of my Chevy Duramax, it went sailling about 50 yards past my truck. Glad it didn't hit my baby, it was only a month old.

Was there anything else between your truck and whatever you were pulling? Was it just chain and nothing else? This wasn't one of those joke rubber chains that people use on Halloween, was it?

 

[megaboz]

No fortunately there was nothing else. It was a 30 ft log chain 5000 lb break point. Sadly it broke at the hook on the far end so of course it came snapping back towards the truck.

In hind sight I definietly should have had something on it to absorb the shock of a chain snap. I had never had it break when using it with my old truck (Chevy Colorado). I should've also known that when the half up-rooted stump only moved two inches and basically was dragging my 7000lb truck around something was going to give. I just never thought it would be the stump first.

Oh well, lesson learned, and fortunately nothing was hurt but my pride.