Removing a stump.

[Onefastgsx]

I have a stump on the farm thats about 1.5 feet diameter. I am renting a John Deere with a bucket on the front to move some dirt. It is a 36 HP modle. Would this tractor have enough power to remove the stump? I dont want to break anything, of coarse.

Thanks
Craig

Sorry. I meant to put this in the tool section.

 

[Kevin54]

It all depends on what type of tree it is, and how long the trees been there. If it's a pine, it will have a lot of hair roots. If it is a hardwood like an Oak, it will have a long taproot, and will be a ***** to get out. Other trees like Silver Maple, Willow, Mulberry, will have long feeder roots.

The tractor you are renting, is it a skidsteer, or just like a regular tractor with a front end loader?

We took out an ornamental Weeping Mulberry that was planted at the corner of our house when we bought it. It was maybe 6' tall, 7' tall, and had a trunk about a foot or a little less in diameter. A friend I hired to do some dirt work around here, I asked him if he could pop it out. He had a 953 BobCat Skidsteer. It would not pop the tree out. we chained it up all around the trunk and limbs so the chains would not slip. He pulled, pushed, raised, lowered, and finally got it loose. The feeder roots were growing along the foundation, maybe a little larger than a golf ball in size, a half dozen roots, not counting the hair roots, and the feeders were almost 30' long.

So depending on your ground, the type of tree, the type of tractor, and the type of roots, you may have an easy time, or it bmay be a real bear.

Good luck, and pics!!!! We need pics of this undertaking.

 

[jake00]

I've got some stump removal experience. if that tractor can do it, you'll need to do a lot of hand digging at the roots.

 

[Zeke]

Good idea to have a chain saw with a near dead (or about to be) chain on hand.

 

[mark18mwm]

I pull stumps around my place with my old bobcat 600, small machine. What works for me is to take the forks, if you have access to some, and poke them in the ground around the tree first. digging up/ loosening the dirt and roots around the tree first to weaken the roots. It will help if you have not yet cut the tree down or at least leave the stump high. pushing higher up will give you leverage to push it over, once you push it over it will be a piece of cake to finish pulling it out. If you just hook on and pull or push without weakening the roots, I doubt you will be successful.

 

[ctb]

Well, you're not going to just run into it and knock it over with that machine.

Dig around it, and under, then work it back and forth, then take the bucket and nudge it out.

 

[DekeT]

I have a stump on the farm thats about 1.5 feet diameter. I am renting a John Deere with a bucket on the front to move some dirt. It is a 36 HP modle. Would this tractor have enough power to remove the stump? I dont want to break anything, of coarse.

Thanks
Craig

Sorry. I meant to put this in the tool section.

It seems evident that from the question you have no experience with compact tractors and loader use. Aside from the safety issues you will encounter I will bet you will beat the **** out of that machine and take a lot longer than you expect. Lifting on a root can easily tip a small compact like you are using. How will you handle that?

 

[larry_g]

I would not consider a FEL to be the correct tool for the job. If your renting for just this job then a back hoe would be a better choice, Stump grinder or burn it out. Fel's are good for scooping up loose materials but are not designed for digging and you are going to have to dig to get roots released, and that is where a backhoe is better.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[southalabama]

Ctb nailed it

Dig around it knock it back and forth.

Had some huge pines on land. Track hoe guy dug hole. Pushed it over.

 

[DekeT]

There is no way you are going to be able to "dig around" with a loader bucket if the tree has any kind of root system at all.

 

[KRB52]

If you want it out sooner, it may be better to rent a stump grinder or find someone local that does tree work and find out how much they charge. If you have time (think, maybe done this time next year), look into some of the "stump rotting" stuff that is available. One that we used to carry in the hardware store said to bore a bunch of holes (I'm thinking 1 inch or so diameter) down 10-12 inches, add "X" amount of the chemical and then fill with diesel fuel. Then, sit back and let it work. If you don't like that approach, if you get freezes in the winter, bore the same type holes in the stump and fill them with water just before a freeze. Keep them full of water each time there is a freeze. Let the frozen water expand and break up the stump. Come spring, start in on it with a splitting maul.

 

[IOWNJUNK]

Bonfire sounds pretty cheap. "On the farm" sounds to be outside any city limits. Just burn it out and dump a load of dirt in the hole later.

 

[ctb]

There is no way you are going to be able to "dig around" with a loader bucket if the tree has any kind of root system at all.

The bigger the stump, the wider the hole.
So what if you make a mess. The machine can fill the hole back in later.

 

[bad_idea]

I was told by an old timer to drop a tire around the stump and light it on fire. Got a couple old tires laying around?

 

[dadsEH]

'c4' !

 

[volleyball]

A backhoe on the back of that tractor will be able to do it. And depending on the species and how long its been dead will determine how hard it is.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Bonfire sounds pretty cheap. "On the farm" sounds to be outside any city limits. Just burn it out and dump a load of dirt in the hole later.

Put a 55 gallon barrel (with both ends removed) over the stump and burn it out. Use the rest of the wood from the tree to get it going.

 

[DekeT]

The bigger the stump, the wider the hole.
So what if you make a mess. The machine can fill the hole back in later.

Just making a bad choice worse.

 

[bulletpruf]

It all depends on what type of tree it is, and how long the trees been there. If it's a pine, it will have a lot of hair roots. If it is a hardwood like an Oak, it will have a long taproot, and will be a ***** to get out. Other trees like Silver Maple, Willow, Mulberry, will have long feeder roots.

Kevin -

You sure you don't have that backwards? Where I'm from, the pine trees have a deep tap root and the oak has roots that run along the surface.

Got to see lots of evidence of this after Hurricane Katrina -- the pines snapped in half and left the roots intact. The oaks toppled over, and no tap roots. Lost about 50 very large trees on our 5 acre lot.

Scott

 

[slip knot]

Burn it out. 36hp aint touching an 18in stump unless its really rotten

 

[BJ42LX]

Prior to about 1960 one could buy dynamite at the hardware store...

 

[A_Pmech]

Burn it or hire it done.

I had a maple stump 5' across ground out last weekend for $150. It's not worth the trouble to mess with it for that!

 

[kerrynzl]

Burn it or hire it done.

I had a maple stump 5' across ground out last weekend for $150. It's not worth the trouble to mess with it for that!

That is too sensible
this is the "Fabrication & Techniques" section, he wants to do it the hard way

 

[truckone176]

My father and I ran a long running tree service here in my hometown and have YEARS of experience with this subject. I have seen many home owners try to dig out and remove stumps to avoid the cost of having one professionally removed using a dedicated stump removal machine. In the end, the person ends up spending way too much time and energy trying to do something that a professional can do in about an hour. My advice, save your time, body and equipment and hire a pro to take care of the job.

 

[Onefastgsx]

We rented the tractor to move some dirt around. I was just curious if this machine was capable.

And I realize I dont have much experience with these tractors. But to those of you who cant just give advice like I was looking for and just want to **** on my thread, you can go find somewhere else. I forgot I was talking to people that were experienced pros the first time they got on a tractor.

 

[Spareparts]

Cut it close to the ground and dump a large bag of charcoal on it and lite it up, might take a day or so but it works. I had a 4' plus stump from an old Elm cut from my front yard and did this over 3 days and it burnd't down about 18", thought it was all gone, wrong, I fill that hole every year for about 5 yrs. before it quit sinking.

 

[scratchedup]

Before you start practice all the curse words you will be shouting.....

 

[Zeke]

We rented the tractor to move some dirt around. I was just curious if this machine was capable.

And I realize I dont have much experience with these tractors. But to those of you who cant just give advice like I was looking for and just want to **** on my thread, you can go find somewhere else. I forgot I was talking to people that were experienced pros the first time they got on a tractor.

I didn't see anyone crapping on your thread. I did see some sensible answers. I've had my go at a few stumps and they are some of the worst jobs you can attempt when underpowered. It has as little to do with your skill on the machine unless you're a stone fool.

 

[MScott]

 

[MDSPHOTO]

I didn't see anyone crapping on your thread. I did see some sensible answers. I've had my go at a few stumps and they are some of the worst jobs you can attempt when underpowered. It has as little to do with your skill on the machine unless you're a stone fool.

This^^. We tried to dig one out with pick axe, a chainsaw and long pry bar, then we tried one of those cellulose products that is supposed to eat the stump away only to call a grinder who was done in 15 minutes.

 

[ctb]

Here'e a guy using a small loader

And another. Guys an amateur and still got it out in like 10 minutes. Not pretty but shows it can be done if it's the only tool you have.

 

[steel 35]

The only way I will remove a stump. If some one else cuts it down they can figure it out I have done a few, never again.

 

[DekeT]

We rented the tractor to move some dirt around. I was just curious if this machine was capable.

And I realize I dont have much experience with these tractors. But to those of you who cant just give advice like I was looking for and just want to **** on my thread, you can go find somewhere else. I forgot I was talking to people that were experienced pros the first time they got on a tractor.

No one has crapped on your thread. You put a question out there on the interwebs and got answers that did not suit you. All but a few were wise words trying to save you time and energy and perhaps to save you from harming yourself or equipment. How you extrapolate those experienced answers to what you categorize as **** says you are not really serious about getting a good answer, just answers you want to hear. Here is my final response - I don't GAF what you do.

 

[Joe384]

I borrowed a Kubota L3130 (31 hp) to excavate my garage. I thought it would make short work of the manitoba maple i had in the way, which was about 1 foot diameter at the base. I spent at least 2-3 hours with the backhoe to clear all around, then I tried to lift it with the bucket, but the tree stayed there and the tractor almost flipped. I could not even drag it with chains once the stump was loose. I had to make a ramp and drag it with the backhoe repositioning several times. My guess is that the earth filing the roots was heavier than the stump itself.

 

[truckone176]

I for one was not trying to **** on your thread, I was just trying to give a little advice about removing a stump. I have experience in this field as this is what I did professionally for 20 plus years before selling off the business. My father ran the company for more than 40 years and we have seen many people in your position do the same thing and most of the time it it cheaper and quicker to have it done by someone that has the appropriate machine. I am not saying that it can not be done with a tractor such as yours, all I am saying is that a dedicated stump grinding machine is quicker and will create less of a mess for you to deal with. Again, not trying to **** on your thread just offering some real world advice. This is a rare time on this board that I am not asking for assistance and I am glad to offer my expertise.

 

[whyNick?]

We rented the tractor to move some dirt around. I was just curious if this machine was capable.

And I realize I dont have much experience with these tractors. But to those of you who cant just give advice like I was looking for and just want to **** on my thread, you can go find somewhere else. I forgot I was talking to people that were experienced pros the first time they got on a tractor.

Somebody told me once that a tree is as big below ground as it is above ground. I don't know if that's true but it sure seems like it when you are trying to dig a stump out. My advise is to pay somebody to grind it out but if you're set on using the loader tractor at least get the extra insurance on the machine when you rent it.

 

[ctb]

I think if most people would have read the op's opening thread, the question was not IF he should use a loader, but rather would the loader have enough power to take the stump out.

The answer is yes, but with a bit of work. And since he has the loader already, why not try it before rushing off to get the stump ground, or burning it out, or whatever.

And for those suggesting that he has no experience on a small loader and might hurt himself, learning to drive a car in traffic was probably a lot more dangerous, yet we all lived through it

 

[jkwilson]

Many people have died trying to pull stumps out with a tractor, so please don't do that no matter what.

You might dig it out with that tractor, but it will take a long time and you'll probably not get the roots unless the tree has been dead a long time. A backhoe or a bonfire are by far the best way to get rid of the stump, but you need to be careful with a fire because it can travel amazing distances underground via the root system of the tree.

I own a much bigger tractor and a bobcat, and if I had a large stump I'd hire a backhoe or burn the stump out before I messed with either of them trying to get it out.

 

[volleyball]

many more have died during *** but that doesn't seem to stop the rest of us.

 

[saceone]

many more have died during *** but that doesn't seem to stop the rest of us.