Stump hoe for x-mas tree stumps

[jeff_jeff]

Here's a picture of the stump hoe I built to get x-mas tree stumps up quickly. As discussed in a prior thread, a track hoe with a thumb is ideal, but expensive to rent every year. I tried a single tooth ripper, which did a good job cutting the roots but had trouble grabbing the stump itself. This hoe works good for me with my small skid steer. I dont have enough power (or weight) to just yank the stump out, so I do a little digging around first. I used a 5" cadplans bucket, modified with most of the back cut out, as well as some of the sides.

Jeff

 

[tree grower]

jeff- that digger looks pretty sharp. I have started building mine, and am taking pictures as I go. Will post when I have something substantial to show.

 

[tlbuser]

Here's a picture of the stump hoe I built to get x-mas tree stumps up quickly.
Jeff

That looks pretty cool. How well does it work? Do you go back later with a bucket to pick up the stumps?

 

[jeff_jeff]

We come back and drag the stumps (by hand) to a burn pile. Quicker and easier than using equipment, especially with the field all torn up and muddy. I think it works pretty good, although I'm still a little too slow as I get used to the controls, I had to cut away a bunch of the bucket to keep my clay dirt from sticking... after my first year/first thousand stumps, I should have it going pretty fast ;-)

 

[AlanB]

Would you mind posting a couple "in action" pic's?

Or explaining the operation a bit more. It is intruiging too me and I have the big peices of that equation in various forms around the house.

Thanks

 

[schmism]

get much traction with those car tires?

i would have thought a least a small set of mud tires would be better....

 

[jeff_jeff]

hey now, lets not be insulting the skid steer - I'll put my homemade skid steer up against most of the others I've seen ;-)

And, my tire set up works pretty good - in the summer and on pavement, the tires work great. In the mud, I put some cheap snow chains on, sometimes just the back, or sometimes front and back, depending..... works for me......

 

[jeff_jeff]

Alan, I use it like a backhoe. I come over the top/back of the stump, usually slightly off to one side or the other. Take a scoop on one side to loosen the roots, take a scoop on the other side to loosen the roots, then try to get a good deep scoop directly under the main stump, work the bucket back and forth to break everything loose, and lift. I cut out the back of the bucket so I don't have to keep emptying it, and I get more force than the normal backhoe because its so narrow, and I went with a larger hydraulic cylinder. My attempts at action shots didn't come out very well, and (fortunatly) I'm out of stumps for the year.....