Clearing Pine Tree stumps

[RW Gates]

I've just had 5 acres cleared of basically pulpwood pine trees. The logger cut the trees about 3 to 6" above the ground, and left the stumps in place. The stumps range from 3" up to 9" in diameter. I'm wanting to grub up the stumps, and disc out the pasture for horses, but have been unable to find a ripper plow small enough to pull behind my JD 4010, 85hp diesel besides a single blade attachment. The tractor is in excellent shape, but all the rippers I've seen are like 5 to 7 row plows, that would require a much larger tractor to pull. Anybody got any ideas on where I might look?

[creekbend]

I've just had 5 acres cleared of basically pulpwood pine trees. The logger cut the trees about 3 to 6" above the ground, and left the stumps in place. The stumps range from 3" up to 9" in diameter. I'm wanting to grub up the stumps, and disc out the pasture for horses, but have been unable to find a ripper plow small enough to pull behind my JD 4010, 85hp diesel besides a single blade attachment. The tractor is in excellent shape, but all the rippers I've seen are like 5 to 7 row plows, that would require a much larger tractor to pull. Anybody got any ideas on where I might look?

I checked on www.TractorData.com and it stated that your make and model is Engine - 18,5 HP and PTP - HP - 14. It is my opinion that your tractor will not be up to the task of clearing 5 acres of Pine Stumps. BTW, have you ever tried to dig up a pine stump before? Have you considered renting a backhoe or an excavotor? 4 acres is going to be harder than you think. Just my thoughts. Best wishes.

[RW Gates]

I checked on TractorData.com - information on all makes and models of tractors and it stated that your make and model is Engine - 18,5 HP and PTP - HP - 14. It is my opinion that your tractor will not be up to the task of clearing 5 acres of Pine Stumps. BTW, have you ever tried to dig up a pine stump before? Have you considered renting a backhoe or an excavotor? 4 acres is going to be harder than you think. Just my thoughts. Best wishes.

Well, I don't believe you're looking at the right tractor. My JD 4010 is not a lawn tractor...but a 10,000 lb., 85 horse, farm tractor that I have plowed literally hundreds and hundreds of acres with, utilizing a 6 row tandem disc plow. My dad bought it in '78, and it was 15 years old then...has been maintained with excellent care, and will probably be here when I pass on.

I have pulled pine tree stumps up with a track hoe with rippers attached, basically a D6, and there were no problems. Pine trees don't have a tap root, such as oak or mesquite. I can't afford a track hoe, and I've never tried stump busting with my JD, so...hence the question.

[creekbend]

Well, I don't believe you're looking at the right tractor. My JD 4010 is not a lawn tractor...but a 10,000 lb., 85 horse, farm tractor that I have plowed literally hundreds and hundreds of acres with, utilizing a 6 row tandem disc plow. My dad bought it in '78, and it was 15 years old then...has been maintained with excellent care, and will probably be here when I pass on.

I have pulled pine tree stumps up with a track hoe with rippers attached, basically a D6, and there were no problems. Pine trees don't have a tap root, such as oak or mesquite. I can't afford a track hoe, and I've never tried stump busting with my JD, so...hence the question.

You are correct. There were two JD 4010 models. I didn't see the other one. Sincerely sorry. I realize that the tap root is different regarding pine than hardwoods. I have found it easier to push over a pine with the stump intact than digging one out. I had some pine stumps and finally had a buddy of mine use his excavator. 5 acres is a lot of pine stumps. Best wishes.

[treetrimmer01]

Rw Gates
You may be able to buy a 3 pt ripper cat 2 used pretty cheap, Take off the ripper shanks all but the one in center.
The V Rippers will go about 18" deep, Don't know how good this will work, you won't have much ground clearence with it raised up.
I pulled a 1 shank ripper with my 4010 to plow in wire worked good for this.
I also owned a 4010 very good tractor was the narrow front end, put over 10000 hrs on it, only have my old 3020 now and it stays. Everything else new and you can't work on them yourself like the old ones.
Hope you can find a cheap V Ripper, You won't be out much if it don't suit you. Junk steel prices are pretty good.
Treetrimmer01

[Code54]

Have gave any thought to renting a mini Ex. Around us a 9-10K machine rents for about $800 a week and would do a GREAT job with pine stumps. Plus you can stack them or put them on trailer for removal... Just a thought

[kevin37b]

Stumps are tough . Trees kill .

[Gary Fowler]

You may be able to find one of the old single bar sub soilers that you can use to cut the side load roots by cutting either a box or triangle around the stump, then pulling it with a chain from the draw bar. It going to be lots of work. Smaller stuff, if you can get a chain to hold, then just yank them out without the subsoiler. You can likely pull out everything up to about 6" size in one try with a chain. Another thing you might try is the chain over a rim method to pull up and out at the same time. You really need a ground person to work the chains rather than up and down all day long. I have removed a lot of pines and some of them don't have much of a tap roots but others I have had to dig 4-5 feet deep with my back hoe to reach the bottom of the tap root. I have never seen uprooted Oaks with a tap root, just a huge root ball.
One poster here showed a picture of a stump puller he made from approximately 4 feet of heavy pipe which a 12" square foot plate on the bottom to prevent sinking into the ground and (this is kind of vague)some sort of chain holder on top. He would chain the stump, run the chain over the top of the 4 foot pipe and then out to his tractor which would be 15-20 feet away. The pipe would act like a big pry bar and just lift out the stump. Similar to the wheel or rim idea of yester year.
I would try this on all of them first and see how many I could pull out with just a chain around them, then maybe go to the truck rim or pipe idea and then try the sub-soiler around anything I couldn't get with the other methods. I suspect you will be able to pull all but the largest with just a chain around them.

[Baby Grand]

I've had some luck plucking small ones (< 6" diameter hardwoods with no taproots) using a single point sub-soiler. This is on a 3,500# 32 HP machine. It's not quick and sometimes I have to "fly the box", cutting the side roots, as Gary describes. If you can get the point of the subsoiler hooked under the stump you will have tremendous power pulling straight up with the 3pt hitch. Especially with a 10,000# tractor and its beefy hydraulics.

[Drsmile]

You may be able to find one of the old single bar sub soilers that you can use to cut the side load roots by cutting either a box or triangle around the stump, then pulling it with a chain from the draw bar. It going to be lots of work. Smaller stuff, if you can get a chain to hold, then just yank them out without the subsoiler. You can likely pull out everything up to about 6" size in one try with a chain. Another thing you might try is the chain over a rim method to pull up and out at the same time. You really need a ground person to work the chains rather than up and down all day long. I have removed a lot of pines and some of them don't have much of a tap roots but others I have had to dig 4-5 feet deep with my back hoe to reach the bottom of the tap root. I have never seen uprooted Oaks with a tap root, just a huge root ball.
One poster here showed a picture of a stump puller he made from approximately 4 feet of heavy pipe which a 12" square foot plate on the bottom to prevent sinking into the ground and (this is kind of vague)some sort of chain holder on top. He would chain the stump, run the chain over the top of the 4 foot pipe and then out to his tractor which would be 15-20 feet away. The pipe would act like a big pry bar and just lift out the stump. Similar to the wheel or rim idea of yester year.
I would try this on all of them first and see how many I could pull out with just a chain around them, then maybe go to the truck rim or pipe idea and then try the sub-soiler around anything I couldn't get with the other methods. I suspect you will be able to pull all but the largest with just a chain around them.

I saw my neighbor do a similar method. He wrapped a chain around the base of the trunk tight. Chainsawed a V-groove in the top of the stump. Clevis hooked the pull chain to the wrapped one, threaded it in the groove then to the hitch on the tractor about 25 ft away. Pulled them right out of Georgia clay with a 40 horse machine. Basically it was just like raising a telephone pole by redirecting the pulling force.