pulling stumps

[dingbat]

We recently purchased a large tract of land that was once a tree farm. There are a couple of hundred trees that we need cut down and the stumps removed to turn the area into pasture. Most of the trees have trunks between 2-4" in diameter.

Is there an easy way to remove these stumps? Any suggestions on the easist way to remove the stumps? They sell a stump clamp to use a tractor or truck, but I'm a bit skeptical that it would work. I don't want to spend $120 -$150 on something that isn't up to the job.

 

[Failproof]

Re: pulling stumps

Mini excavator. Dig around the stump. More on the side you will pull it to. What kind of trees? What kind of soil? Deeply rooted or not so much. The easy way is to dig around the tree and push tree and root ball over as one. Let the tree do the work.

 

[bigdee]

Re: pulling stumps

I been there and done that....DON"T cut the trees first...........push the tree over and the stump will come with it. Bulldozer, backhoe or bobcat with outriggers and shovel will do the job.

 

[Failproof]

Re: pulling stumps

I agree with bigdee, that's the easy way!

 

[82Collectors]

Re: pulling stumps

Been there and done that, full size rubber tire backhoe will make short work of it, pop the trees, fill on the holes and take the trees/stumps wherever you want not to mention they are a blast to run.

Andy

 

[dwco5051]

Re: pulling stumps

What are you planning on doing with the trees? If it is just going to be a giant bonfire push them over and stack them with a track loader. If you are planing on cutting them and chipping or for fire wood cut them first and leave short stump. You don't want the downed trees to be in your way as you work. Bring in an excavator large enough to take the stumps out with one bucket grab. If you are renting a machine a slightly hour rental rate will more than offset the time to dig them up with a mini excavator. If you are planning on burning the stumps rather than haul them away a full size backhoe will make it easier to pile them up into managable size piles for burning. That is a lot of trees and time is money so you want to be able to do the job quickly. The second option is to tell your wife that you should buy a use backhoe and than sell it when the job is over for a couple of hundred less that what you paid for it.
We know you will never sell it but now you have a backhoe to play with.

 

[mommicked]

Re: pulling stumps

2 to 4", I would think would come out of the ground fairly easily unless it's very hard soil. Are they pine trees? Try pulling a few bigger ones out with a truck and a chain wrapped around the base of the tree. If not much trouble, the clamp may work fine, especially w a small tractor.

 

[stackz]

Re: pulling stumps

I been there and done that....DON"T cut the trees first...........push the tree over and the stump will come with it. Bulldozer, backhoe or bobcat with outriggers and shovel will do the job.

this!

though, if you've already cut them all down, I'd say just rent a stump grinder and grind them all off to an inch or two below ground level and just cover over them. let em rot. its just gonna be a pasture anyway.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: pulling stumps

If you use a truck, tie the chain as close to the bottom as possible. Then take an old wheel rim (the larger the better) and put the rim against the tree with the chain over the top of the rim. When you pull, the chain will pull upwards on the tree aiding in pulling the tree out. THis works well with small trees.

 

[dingbat]

Re: pulling stumps

The trees for the most part are ornamentals. Mostly Cherry, pear, maple, river birch with a couple dozen and oak.

I have a New Holland TC29 with a front end loader and a Bobcat with bucket and forks to work with. The bush hog make quick work of the smaller trees The neighbor has a dozer, but it tears up the ground badly. More work than it solved. I don't see the wife allowing me to buy anymore toys just to remove the stumps.

I?m burning everything. The original plan to cut them off at ground level, spray with Round-up and let rot. The ground is soft, figured pulling them with the tractor might work

 

[G-Daddy]

Re: pulling stumps

If you pull them with a tractor, please be careful. Do not try to chain them high and pull as you will flip a tractor that way. My wife still has vivid memories of taking the county coroner to an accident site back an old logging road to pronounce our neighbor dead from doing that very thing.

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: pulling stumps

I say blasting caps, with a 1/4 stick for the larger ones.

 

[bigdee]

Re: pulling stumps

I say blasting caps, with a 1/4 stick for the larger ones.

Ah,the good 'ol days when you buy that stuff from the hardware store. An old quart oil can packed with diesel and fertilizer and a 1/4 stick would take out a stump. We used that stuff to dig irrigation ditches too.

 

[mommicked]

Re: pulling stumps

I would think the clamp,If its the one Ive seen advertised on TV, w the hydraullic bobcat bucket would pop them out like pulling carrots, pulling up and out, and do it quickly w a helper to set the clamp.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: pulling stumps

http://www.tractorsupply.com/lawn-garden/brush-root-removal/brush-grubber-trade-hd-2012320

This is what we use for smaller trees. Hook the other end to the bucket and use the hydraulics to pull up, then back up the tractor a bit to make sure all the roots are severed.

As mentioned, it's much faster to have a buddy setting the clamp in place rather than climb off the tractor each time yourself.

Given that the soil is somewhat soft I'm sure it will work for trees up to 4".

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: pulling stumps

Rent a mini excavator and be done with it.

 

[jimbo_jwc]

Re: pulling stumps

Chain saw close to ground and cordless drill 1/2 hole in center as deep as bit will go and add favorite rotting solution / mines 5/8-3/4 hole and M100s corse don't think cordless would drill that many holes as I down sized . One freind hammers 1/2 copper water pipe in to keep from resprouting.

 

[dolluper]

Re: pulling stumps

Let the dozer play fast work with it ,use your toys to fix it up to your prefection

 

[dingbat]

Re: pulling stumps

http://www.tractorsupply.com/lawn-garden/brush-root-removal/brush-grubber-trade-hd-2012320

This is what we use for smaller trees. Hook the other end to the bucket and use the hydraulics to pull up, then back up the tractor a bit to make sure all the roots are severed.

As mentioned, it's much faster to have a buddy setting the clamp in place rather than climb off the tractor each time yourself.

Given that the soil is somewhat soft I'm sure it will work for trees up to 4".

I was actually looking at the next size up but that's what I was looking at

 

[bigdee]

Re: pulling stumps

What size Bobcat do you have and what is the max height of the bucket? To bad you don't live in central NC....I know I guy with a Bobcat that can clear those trees in just a few hours. I had a heavily wooded lot with lots of big oaks and hickory trees that I wanted cleared to build a house on. I hired this guy and he arrived about dusk dark with a Bobcat,well I just laughed as he backed it of the trailer because I thought he was just dropping it off to come back in the morning with more equipment......1 hour and 45 minutes later I was writing him a check for a cleared lot! He did have to come back with a rake to push everything into a burn pile. I was totally amazed how fast he took out those trees just by pushing them over with a 12" bucket.