Stump bucket on 4610

[1falcondriver]

Need some opinions/experience with stump and sapling removal. I have a JD 4610 with a 460 FEL. I recently had a 10 acre pine plantation thinned. It was the second thinning. The trees are about 22 years old. Sizes vary from 10" to 24" stumps. There are also a lot of saplings that were bent or broken during the cut by the loggers. My goal is to creat a "park affect" where the remaing timber can grow and we can still have an aesthetic appeal to the land. In order to do that I need to remove stumps so I can bushog between the trees (As soon as the light reaches the ground the brush is going to take over). Also the damaged saplings are not going to recover, many of them are laying flat with the root ball still intact.
So...1.) how well will a stump bucket (on a 43 horse tractor) work for taking up pine stumps? I know it will take out the saplings as I do that often with the corner of my bucket.
2.) How well will a grapple bucket do with taking out the saplings?
3.) rent a backhoe, and save wear n tear on my tractor?
4.) stick with JDQA or convert to SSQA to take advantage of used attachment market....?
If I convert then my bucket will need to be converted to skid steer type or then I'll have to remove the adapter to put the bucket on because my bucket is factory JDQA.
5.) finally, how sturdy are the quick attach adapters? Will that become the weak link? I've found my JD quick attach system to be solid, but I've only used it with the bucket. When I go pushing on stumps will the QA adapter bend or break more easily?
Thanks...

 

[countrybumpkin]

For stumps that size and the area I would rent a mini excavator to dig them all up, or have a small dozer come in to push them all out. Then take a root grapple to gather them and Haul to a burn pit or pile. One thing about a stump bucket on a loader is it's hard to see what your doing.

 

[whis]

rent a mini x, stump bucket will be hard on your loader

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

For stumps that size and the area I would rent a mini excavator to dig them all up, or have a small dozer come in to push them all out. Then take a root grapple to gather them and Haul to a burn pit or pile. One thing about a stump bucket on a loader is it's hard to see what your doing.

+1. Everything he said is 100% correct.

I have a stump grapple and it works ok to take down cedar trees. But cedars don't have nearly the size or root structure of pines. Using a stump bucket on pines would be a exercise in futility, frustration and patience.

Even with my stump grapple, I decided to buy a BX23 backhoe so I could dig up the roots to make the trees easier to push over. I can't see the front of the stump grapple when I'm using it, so I'm operating by feel alone. The backhoe lets me see what I'm doing.

The best solution would be to hire a dozer. Next best would be to rent a mini-ex.

Oh, and a Piranha Tooth Bar will work great on saplings. I was using mine today and was really giving some cedar saplings the blues.

 

[Deerherd]

Need some opinions/experience with stump and sapling removal. I have a JD 4610 with a 460 FEL. I recently had a 10 acre pine plantation thinned. It was the second thinning. The trees are about 22 years old. Sizes vary from 10" to 24" stumps. There are also a lot of saplings that were bent or broken during the cut by the loggers. My goal is to creat a "park affect" where the remaing timber can grow and we can still have an aesthetic appeal to the land. In order to do that I need to remove stumps so I can bushog between the trees (As soon as the light reaches the ground the brush is going to take over). Also the damaged saplings are not going to recover, many of them are laying flat with the root ball still intact.
So...1.) how well will a stump bucket (on a 43 horse tractor) work for taking up pine stumps? I know it will take out the saplings as I do that often with the corner of my bucket.
2.) How well will a grapple bucket do with taking out the saplings?
3.) rent a backhoe, and save wear n tear on my tractor?
4.) stick with JDQA or convert to SSQA to take advantage of used attachment market....?
If I convert then my bucket will need to be converted to skid steer type or then I'll have to remove the adapter to put the bucket on because my bucket is factory JDQA.
5.) finally, how sturdy are the quick attach adapters? Will that become the weak link? I've found my JD quick attach system to be solid, but I've only used it with the bucket. When I go pushing on stumps will the QA adapter bend or break more easily?
Thanks...

1) I have the Titan stump bucket and if you search on here I posted a video of digging up a 12" pine stump and I like it a lot. And yes I just installed a front camera because without it I couldn't see anything. It's proved real handy for digging out all sorts of things, even holes for new trees!

That said I think it would be a little much for your tractor/loader combo for what you described. I have a 88 hp, 10,000 lb tractor with a 3500 lb lift and could dig out a 24" stump but wouldn't want to do a lot of them. IMHO on your size tractor you would be much further ahead renting the backhoe for those larger trees. (If you see a good deal on one you might grab it up, they are good thing to have. Remember this is advice from a guy who wants to own one of every attachment before he dies!)



2) For uprooting saplings, brush, briars etc I don't think you can beat the root grapple with spade type lowers with replaceable teeth. They have the widest cutting/shearing/digging area and you can replace/change tooth design. I have the WR Long but there are LOTS of people who like their grapple the best.



3) yes!

4) I would think it would be handy to have, heaven knows I would hate to be limited to which attachments I could buy!


5) Not sure, maybe somebody could recommend a good one.

Good luck!

 

[1gr8bldr]

I have a loflin stunp bucket. It is a true stump bucket. 60+ inches long and curved like a curve hammer claw to leverage out stumps. It is an awesome tool however is rough on equipment. I use it on a s250 skidsteer. It would put an extreme amount of pressure on the front of the tractor. I had to learn how to use it smoothly. As you leverage up, the back of the machine comes off the ground. I had to learn not to let it get but a couple inches up because when the roots break, it goes down hard. But this is the design. So once the weight of the machine has been leveraged, no need in going any further. It is hard work even then. Not something I would let anyone use my machine for. But way better than a small backhoe. I have dug out 36 inch oak stumps. Some of the harder ones have not been as large but rather have lots of side roots.

 

[1gr8bldr]

Here is a video. It is not this easy. This tree is dead. He uses mostly the power of the lift. The curve is designed to use the weight of the machine to lift like a cuve claw hammer pulling a nail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyvgVBgY7wo

 

[1gr8bldr]

You need to be able to see what your doing. You may not be able to see on a tractor

 

[andrehoude123]

I am working on a similar project and ripping out stumps with a excavator might seem all nice but it's not you end up with a bunch of stumps and the worst part is you are doing root damage...,more dead trees I just cut them flush with the chain saw and chipper/burn the branches











The excavator does to much damage the best way is hand labour or a forestry mulcher

 

[smitesmash]

I am working on a similar project and ripping out stumps with a excavator might seem all nice but it's not you end up with a bunch of stumps and the worst part is you are doing root damage...,more dead trees I just cut them flush with the chain saw and chipper/burn the branches

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The excavator does to much damage the best way is hand labour or a forestry mulcher

That looks somewhat familiar. Where are you located?