Carl,
I have been getting quite a few stumps out of the ground with my 4700, JD 48 backhoe and a 4n1 FEL.
I'm getting out hardwood and pine stumps that are from inch to 36 inches. One large pine stump, without a taproot took well over eight hours, mainly since I was learning how to dig large stumps. 36 inch oak stumps take me about 2 to 3 hours. I have red and white oak trees/stumps. I've noticed that one type has very large buttress roots and the other does not. This makes a big difference on hard it is to remove the stump. Last weekend I got out a 36 inch stump with the large roots and it all but exceeded the ability of the tractor and implements. I COULD NOT move stump and ball out of its hole after it had been dug out with the backhoe. Pulling with chains or pushing and lifting with the FEL would not get it out. I had to move it 12 inches at a time with the back hoe, move the tractor, and repeat until it the stump was positioned so I could push it into a burn pile.
I'm hoping you don't have 36inch stumps because you ain't gonna be able to move them with a 4100.
Trees and their stumps are amazing. Some stumps like cedars I can just pop out of the ground with the FEL since they have shallow root systems. Pines with tap roots I can pull out like teeth with the 4n1 bucket up to 4 inches or so. If I push over saplings, 3-4 inch pine trees maybe 10 feet tall, I can sometime get the stump out. Sometimes the tree breaks off and I have to use the 4n1. Some hardwoods have tap roots that are just as big as the pine tap roots. The hardwood stumps with a tap root I have to dig out with th back hoe.
Most stumps of my stumps are cut low to the ground. If I hit them with the FEL the tractor just sits and the tires spin. Little 3-4 inch stumps will do this. If you have low stumps like this you will have to dig them out somehow preferably with a backhoe.
I have talked with a couple of people about blowing stumps out of the ground including the owner of a explosives company and one of his employees I saw working a project. I have been told that it is possible for someone to walk in off the street and buy dynamite. I'm still skeptical but I have been told that by people who should know. The problem is finding a company that will do it. The company I mentioned above does NOT sell to the public becase the Insurance policy does not permit such as sale. There is a local company that I have heard that MIGHT make such a sale. The owner of the explosives company does NOT blow out stumps for liability reasons. I could see this if the stumps were in a subdivision but I'm a good 600 feet to the nearest structure.
Even if you can get the stuff that goes boom you need to know what you are doing. I found some training manuals and I know a couple of people who have done this so I gave it some consideration. But so far my equipment is doing what I need it to do so I'm staying away from The Stuff That Goes Boom.
Stump removal is a pain. It will either take a little bit of money to get the equipment you need to get them out AND a lot of YOUR time. Or just alot of YOU money to hire someone to do the job.
Take your pick which you wish to spend, time or money.
I made my choice and I should be on the tractor instead of talking about working the tractor!
But I have all weekend to work.
If you don't have a backhoe I think the chances of removing stumps that are cut low to the ground and medium sized, say 10-18 inches are going to be impossible for a 4100 to remove. If you get out a shovel and spend alot of time and energy you might be able to get it done but it wont be fun. If you have the option of cutting the trees off three or four feet off the ground then you have a chance of pulling them out with a chain and your 3PH or pushing them over. By pulling with a 3ph I don't mean moving the tractor forward to get the stump out THAT IS DANGEROUS AND CAN FLIP THE TRACTOR. If you have enough trunk left on the stump you can wrap a chain around the trunk and lift with the 3PH it might pull the stump out. I have pulled many a fence post this way. But I have not tried this with a stump.
I'm off to work on the property. I need to get some more firewood, we burnt half a cord in the last week warming the house! I may go after some stumps as well today. So much to do and not enough time!
Good Luck and be safe...
Dan OffToWorkTheTractor McCarty
