BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
Short answer; no... Like using a 3' cheater bar on a 3/8 drive ratchet; there is a good chance the loader or loader bucket could be damaged... You stand far more to lose than gain...
Removing a stump.
- Thread starter Onefastgsx
- Start date
Short answer; no... Like using a 3' cheater bar on a 3/8 drive ratchet; there is a good chance the loader or loader bucket could be damaged... You stand far more to lose than gain...
OP
Onefastgsx
Well-known member
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
Thats what im trying to say. You just said it better. I need to stay of forums when Im in a bad mood I guess
finn
Well-known member
Digging out stumps is tough on loader buckets. I cracked the lower edge of my Deere skidsteer bucket on a couple of large Birch stumps this spring. Ended up having a guy with a fairly large wheel loader do it, and it still took him an hour.
A medium to large backhoe or excavator is the right tool. A mini is too small unless the stump is rotted, but in that case anything will work.
A medium to large backhoe or excavator is the right tool. A mini is too small unless the stump is rotted, but in that case anything will work.
some zilch
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2008
- Messages
- 318
what kind of "farm" has to rent a tractor??
I just had some large maple trees professionally removed. The guys had one of these:
http://www.vermeermidwest.com/new-equipment/landscaping/stump_cutters/sc1152
That thing was a BEAST!
Prior to their arrival I fell a bunch of trees and removed about 5 decent sized stumps (10" tree diameters) by hand using a shovel, axe, pick & pry bar.
Let me tell you... what took me an hour and a half of back breaking work took this machine about 10 minutes to do.
Sometimes you just have to pick your battles.
http://www.vermeermidwest.com/new-equipment/landscaping/stump_cutters/sc1152
That thing was a BEAST!
Prior to their arrival I fell a bunch of trees and removed about 5 decent sized stumps (10" tree diameters) by hand using a shovel, axe, pick & pry bar.
Let me tell you... what took me an hour and a half of back breaking work took this machine about 10 minutes to do.
Sometimes you just have to pick your battles.
Throbbin Rods
Well-known member
When I bought my lot I also bought an old 1965 John Deere 2010 gas powered dozer. If I could get a corner of the blade in under a stump it would come out every time. Also worked great for knocking trees down and pushing them out of the way. If I was going to try a stump these days I would go with an excavator. I dug a few with my Kubota B7500 but it was a lot of work. Hard on the machine too.
volleyball
Well-known member
For the geeks, a "server" farm.
kenfain
Well-known member
I have a tractor that size, and it isn't big enough to do the job. You'll find out fast those buckets aren't for digging, they're for scooping and moving loose dirt. Secondly, the hydraulics aren't strong enough to power a stump out.
If you're working on lawn grass, rent a stump grinder. If not, burn a small fire on it. I've done lots of stumps around here. I always burn em. Grass is free.
If you're working on lawn grass, rent a stump grinder. If not, burn a small fire on it. I've done lots of stumps around here. I always burn em. Grass is free.
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Reviving an old thread here because I have two stumps I want gone. They are walnut stumps about 2 feet high, one is 20" in diameter the other 28".
I cut the trees down 3 years ago and tried to burn the stumps out the following year but couldn't seem to get a fire going. They got scorched but that's about all. I'm wondering if they were still too green at that time? If so would I have a better chance now that they seem completely dried out?
I never thought about the charcoal method. Maybe I should give that a try.
Any other advice? And no I'm not hiring a professional. If that's the only option they'll stay.
galute
Well-known member
I have dug out 10's of thousands of stumps with everything from tractors with loaders to hugh track hoes and small dozers up the D8's. Stumps are decieving. I've had 3 to 4 foot diameter stump pop out and barely know I hit them and I have had 1 footers stop a D8 dead in it's tracks. Way too many variables. Each one is different. However, I have never been defeated by a stump. No matter what anyone says, you won' t know until you try. Have fun and good luck.
ETA: OOPS, Just noticed the date on this thread. LOL
ETA: OOPS, Just noticed the date on this thread. LOL
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Nick Danger
Well-known member
Would a walnut stump that size interest the woodworking community?
gregtwojeeps
Well-known member
When we moved in to this house I had to have a 20" dia. x 70' tall pine tree cut down and the man left a one ft. stump out of the ground. . The yard also had stumps left behind from the p.o..... I started paying $ 65 a stump to get the them ground down. Soon, it was a $100 minimum. Geez....
I stopped bleeding out money as I realized that I have the time ...and tenacity of a pit bull ...when I start a project. So with a plan of action in my one brain cell... I bought a new Stihl MS 170 for $165.00. Got two extra chains and I already had a HF chain motorized chain sharpener to sharpen the chains dulled ...when I accidently hit dirt. ....
So over the passed year I just go out aand pick a stump to saw down. I cut out the last one two days ago. I take my baby Deere tiller and dig out around it to expose the stump base and any large roots branching from it.
I spend about two days taking my time and a lot of cold drinks while cutting the stumps down in pieces. ( I do this while the neighbor's are at work) I get the stump down low enough to put the needed five inches of soil over them, so grass will grow. I realize they will rot and sink, but they do the same even when ground down. .
And to the burning stump plan, I can look out my living room window and see the neighbor's charred 20 in. maple stump where he spent two days trying to burn it down. The stump is still sticking out of the ground about 12 ". Now he cannot even set a flower pot on it and it is just a black, charred mess. .
Jess
Well-known member
I have had a number of stumps removed and several other done with a stump grinder. The grinder was faster and left a lot less mess other than cleaning up the chips. For the OP question, a small tractor with a front end loader only will not do what you are hoping. A backhoe could be used to dig a trench around the stump, breaking the roots and then it could be worked out. Loaders will rack and twist trying to dig or push roots and you might find that unintentional damages will cost more than hiring it out. On a farm, you could arrange for a large machine to break it out of the ground and then burn it in place.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Charcoal will help but it is NOT the best way to burn a stump. Lot's of video on YouTube.
The most effective way to burn out a stump requires 3 tools. A heavy duty drill (like plumber use to make hole on joists) and 1" x 12" auger and a cheap electric leaf blower.
With the drill and auger, drill a couple of holes straight down into the stump. Then drill a horizontal hole, as low as possible, in from the side. It MUST meet at least one of the central holes !
Pour some gas down the vertical hole. Use a fireplace match or a long stick to light it from the horizontal hole. Once it is burning, setup up the blower to blow in the horizontal hole. Large stumps will take a day or 2, but the leaf blower is the key !
The most effective way to burn out a stump requires 3 tools. A heavy duty drill (like plumber use to make hole on joists) and 1" x 12" auger and a cheap electric leaf blower.
With the drill and auger, drill a couple of holes straight down into the stump. Then drill a horizontal hole, as low as possible, in from the side. It MUST meet at least one of the central holes !
Pour some gas down the vertical hole. Use a fireplace match or a long stick to light it from the horizontal hole. Once it is burning, setup up the blower to blow in the horizontal hole. Large stumps will take a day or 2, but the leaf blower is the key !
Ruthless53
Well-known member
Get an auger bit of some sort and drill. Drill a bunch of holes in it. Go to the local airport and get a gallon of diesel (i prefer jet fuel which you can get at the local airport most likely). Soak it over night, soak it again in the morning. and light it up. Will burn very slow but if you let it soak good enough it will burn most of the way. Once your down to the last bit cover it in a bag of charcoal and light it up again. Rake some dirt over it and your done.
Don't do this if your trees are close to a structure. I took care of 10 stumps in an afternoon and barely broke a sweat!!!
Don't do this if your trees are close to a structure. I took care of 10 stumps in an afternoon and barely broke a sweat!!!
Yes I know that method would work but I guess I'm getting old and lazy because I'm looking for something less labor intensive.
I just talked to my neighbor who gave me about the same advice. He said use the chainsaw to make 4-5 deep cuts into the top of the stump but don't go all the way to the edge. Make some gullies that will hold the diesel and fill 'em up. Let it soak in then refill. Do that a few times till it no longer wants to soak in, then use the charcoal treatment.
No structures are close enough to be in danger so I think I'll give this a try.
I'd guess not since I had a hard time getting anybody to take the logs from those trees when I offered them for free to anyone who would come and get them. They also had to take the smaller stuff. No takers so I finally cut them down into pieces I could handle by myself and gave them to a co-worker who had a woodburner. He said that stuff burns great. Another reason I should be able to burn out those stumps!
gazza
Well-known member
gregtwojeeps
Well-known member
Quote: Yes I know that method would work but I guess I'm getting old and lazy because I'm looking for something less labor intensive.
Aw come on MMB, think of the dirt on your hands and britches, the smell of the blue oil smoke in your nostrils, the sore back and arms that take a whole bottle of Tylenol to calm down before you can even bend well enough to get in the shower. How manly can a man get ????
Aw come on MMB, think of the dirt on your hands and britches, the smell of the blue oil smoke in your nostrils, the sore back and arms that take a whole bottle of Tylenol to calm down before you can even bend well enough to get in the shower. How manly can a man get ????
c39er
Well-known member
Little tractor worthless for a stump that big... way too hard on the machine.
TractorJeff
Well-known member
Those fancy shotgun stocks come out of the stump part of a Black Walnut. Most Sawyers will not touch Yard trees no matter how valuable. I have pulled chain, rods, bolts and nails out of wood that came from yard trees. One of my favorite customers dropped off a load of firewood logs for me last year. Moving them around I noticed a funny spot (piece of rope) on one log. Cut it out, ran it through the splitter. Rope tied to 6 inches of chain attached to a screw hook all buried in the tree! Yes only a bit of rope stuck out! Apparently the Dog had been tied to that tree for a LONG time!
Now if the trunk of your tree was perfect, no defects, straight as an arrow with little or no taper for at LEAST 8 feet 6 inches, this would have been the valuable wood that could be sawn.
The top becomes firewood and Yes it burns Great!
Now if the trunk of your tree was perfect, no defects, straight as an arrow with little or no taper for at LEAST 8 feet 6 inches, this would have been the valuable wood that could be sawn.
The top becomes firewood and Yes it burns Great!
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Bigbandguy
Well-known member
OK - No one has suggested this one. I read it in an old book and have always wanted to try it. What you do is bore several holes down into the stump 1 inch by as long a bit as you can find. A spade bit with an extension bar would be ideal . THEN if you can get a chemical supply house to sell you saltpeter, dissolve a pound of it in water and pour it into the holes in the stump. Repeat until you can't get any more into the stump. Cork the holes and wait several days and then pour the same solution in again corking the holes. wait a few days and then light the stump on fire. The Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) creates oxygen and the stump will burn right down through the roots. The only problem I can see is that you might get on the feds watch list for buying saltpeter since it is a component of gunpowder. If you try it please report. I have always wondered how well it works.
With a nice tall stump like you've pictured the tie off point could be high up giving a lot of leverage. On my much shorter stump I wouldn't have much at all. Besides hard work is what I'm trying to avoid here.
If feeling those pains is the definition of manliness, then I guess I'm already plenty manly!
That sounds like a great chemistry experiment and I'd be tempted to try it if:
1) I had any idea where to buy saltpeter.
2) I wanted the feds watching my every move from now on.
If I wanted the feds on my ***, I'd just buy some dynamite. I'll bet that would work.
gregtwojeeps
Well-known member
Just be sure not to ingest the salt peter, it is not nicknamed "soft peter" for no reason.
Before you burn a stump out, it needs to be dead and dry. It's hard to burn wet wood and stump will be the wettest part of a tree above ground.
Like others have mentioned drill holes or cut some grooves in it. I know some have had good luck with dumping their old motor oil into the stump and allowing it to soak in prior to burning it out.
BTW, if you live in the city limits, you're probably not going to be able to burn out your stump unless you do it undercover like putting your fire ring around it and roast some marshmallows. . . but stay away from the chemically enhanced stump burning additives if you choose this method.
Like others have mentioned drill holes or cut some grooves in it. I know some have had good luck with dumping their old motor oil into the stump and allowing it to soak in prior to burning it out.
BTW, if you live in the city limits, you're probably not going to be able to burn out your stump unless you do it undercover like putting your fire ring around it and roast some marshmallows. . . but stay away from the chemically enhanced stump burning additives if you choose this method.
Just be sure not to ingest the salt peter, it is not nicknamed "soft peter" for no reason.
And how would I be able to tell the difference?
Remember I'm an old fart.
