Renting BH Any Tips?

[coffeeman]

I know this is stupid, but......Does anyone believe cutting the tree flush or an inch or two below grade would work. Though, I don't know what a dove field is. If the stumps were cut down a couple inches one could stuff them with salt and spread a little dirt over them. Easily run a BH over them and if flush a finish mower would work. Of course the trees can be burnt.

Always looking for an easy out........Coffeeman

 

[coffeeman]

I know this is stupid, but......Does anyone believe cutting the tree flush or an inch or two below grade would work. Though, I don't know what a dove field is. If the stumps were cut down a couple inches one could stuff them with salt and spread a little dirt over them. Easily run a BH over them and if flush a finish mower would work. Of course the trees can be burnt.

Always looking for an easy out........Coffeeman

 

[brandon07]

Nah I definately want them up. I am just going to try and get an excavator because I want something that will just pop them up no digging or anything.

 

[brandon07]

Nah I definately want them up. I am just going to try and get an excavator because I want something that will just pop them up no digging or anything.

 

[JohninCT]

I would also highly recommend an excavator. You can basically just drive around to and pop out stumps as you go. Positioning the BH for each stump by comparision will probably be too time consuming. Attached is a pic of the machine I recently rented (JD 160, 35,000 lb) for a week to pull stumps on a little over 1.5 acres. It took 4 good days with myself and another guy operating the machine to get them all out and buried. Get one with a thumb if possible. The place I rented from did not have any large machines with thumbs. This made picking up and transporting the stumps to my pile more difficult, but if you have a helper that can use your tractor to move the stumps that might save you some time. But something that might hamper tractor use is that the root ball even on pretty small stumps makes them very awkward to handle (may have to chain into loader bucket). Also they can be very HEAVY! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Another thing that may be helpful is to go around and use some fluorecent marking paint on any stumps that are cut close to ground that might otherwise be hard to see. This was my first time using a full sized excavator and it was an absolute blast to run /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I was sad to see it go back to the rental yard.

John

 

[JohninCT]

I would also highly recommend an excavator. You can basically just drive around to and pop out stumps as you go. Positioning the BH for each stump by comparision will probably be too time consuming. Attached is a pic of the machine I recently rented (JD 160, 35,000 lb) for a week to pull stumps on a little over 1.5 acres. It took 4 good days with myself and another guy operating the machine to get them all out and buried. Get one with a thumb if possible. The place I rented from did not have any large machines with thumbs. This made picking up and transporting the stumps to my pile more difficult, but if you have a helper that can use your tractor to move the stumps that might save you some time. But something that might hamper tractor use is that the root ball even on pretty small stumps makes them very awkward to handle (may have to chain into loader bucket). Also they can be very HEAVY! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Another thing that may be helpful is to go around and use some fluorecent marking paint on any stumps that are cut close to ground that might otherwise be hard to see. This was my first time using a full sized excavator and it was an absolute blast to run /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I was sad to see it go back to the rental yard.

John

 

[3RRL]

If the excavator becomes "iffy" consider a large bulldozer with rippers. Do the stumps stick up enough for the blade to catch? You could bulldoze one after the other...rows and rows out with ease and within your time frame. Really tuff ones can be "ripped" out if needed. I watched my road builder knock over some giant Oak trees on my property like they were matchsticks. Seemed like he just "tapped" them and over they went. On my homesite, he had me leave stumps 2' to 4' tall to knock over and pop them out.

 

[3RRL]

If the excavator becomes "iffy" consider a large bulldozer with rippers. Do the stumps stick up enough for the blade to catch? You could bulldoze one after the other...rows and rows out with ease and within your time frame. Really tuff ones can be "ripped" out if needed. I watched my road builder knock over some giant Oak trees on my property like they were matchsticks. Seemed like he just "tapped" them and over they went. On my homesite, he had me leave stumps 2' to 4' tall to knock over and pop them out.

 

[brandon07]

No they do not stick up very high the contract stated that the most the could leave above the ground was 4" and they didn't hardly leave any above the ground. I will get out there this week and take a few pictures and try and figure out how to attach them to give you guys an idea of what im up against.

 

[brandon07]

No they do not stick up very high the contract stated that the most the could leave above the ground was 4" and they didn't hardly leave any above the ground. I will get out there this week and take a few pictures and try and figure out how to attach them to give you guys an idea of what im up against.

 

[KentT]

Brandon,

As you check on renting an excavator, try to find one with a thumb on it. A mechanical thumb is good, and a hydraulic thumb even better.

With a thumb, you can pinch the smaller pine stumps enough to wiggle them a little, then just pop them out of the ground.

Here's an example of removing one without digging

And, up it comes

 

[KentT]

Brandon,

As you check on renting an excavator, try to find one with a thumb on it. A mechanical thumb is good, and a hydraulic thumb even better.

With a thumb, you can pinch the smaller pine stumps enough to wiggle them a little, then just pop them out of the ground.

Here's an example of removing one without digging

And, up it comes

 

[cmuncy]

OK I have to ask:

How much to rent one of these bad boys?

 

[cmuncy]

OK I have to ask:

How much to rent one of these bad boys?

 

[KentT]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( OK I have to ask:

How much to rent one of these bad boys? )</font>

I didn't rent it -- I paid $75 an hour for the machine and the operator... money well spent!

 

[KentT]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( OK I have to ask:

How much to rent one of these bad boys? )</font>

I didn't rent it -- I paid $75 an hour for the machine and the operator... money well spent!

 

[brandon07]

I have a guy that will do it for $65 an hour, he's old and does things his way, but I want to operate it myself because you have that vision in your head of what you want it to look like /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif and thats how I will make it look. I to hope to get some kind of estimate on what a Deere 120 or 160 would cost for a week or even a similar machine doesn't have to be a deere. Anyways I appreciate everyones help I will take some pictures tomorrow because im going up there to half-way mark off where I want it so I have some kind of line while im doing it.
Thanks,
Brandon

 

[brandon07]

I have a guy that will do it for $65 an hour, he's old and does things his way, but I want to operate it myself because you have that vision in your head of what you want it to look like /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif and thats how I will make it look. I to hope to get some kind of estimate on what a Deere 120 or 160 would cost for a week or even a similar machine doesn't have to be a deere. Anyways I appreciate everyones help I will take some pictures tomorrow because im going up there to half-way mark off where I want it so I have some kind of line while im doing it.
Thanks,
Brandon

 

[brandon07]

Okay I talked with a friend today about renting one, he tried renting one about 3 weeks ago and NO one had one. Hopefully I will have better luck trying to locate one tomorrow and get everything lined up. If not then I will have to rent a large backhoe and work day and night /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[brandon07]

Okay I talked with a friend today about renting one, he tried renting one about 3 weeks ago and NO one had one. Hopefully I will have better luck trying to locate one tomorrow and get everything lined up. If not then I will have to rent a large backhoe and work day and night /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif