Picked up a new toy for the 4041.... not sure if I'm gonna keep it tho

[rwork]

well, you can always use it to transplant shrubs, and smaller trees!

 

[TSO]

What I have thought about doing is making a specialized implement that would be a single "root-cutter" style shank, welded to the middle of a QA plate, about 36" long, with sharp teeth... that you could just go around a stump cutting the roots with, then pull it out with the bucket later.

Anyone seen one before? Maybe we should make one and start selling them?

 

[Xfaxman]

I have seen some with double tines.

ANBO makes this one.


I have seen a yellow one, but can't find it now.

My stump bucket has cutting teeth on it, sure helps on big roots.

 

[the old grind]

I suggest that patience will help you more that horsepower or tool alone, and what'd dig 2' oak or maple stumps in minutes vs hours might be too big for what your 4041 has the maneuverability to do.

For really big stuff you might want to expose some roots an cut 'em off first. A Sawzall will go through more dirt & grit than a chainsaw between changing blades/chains. (Doesn't take a very big generator to run one either.) Dig a few, cut up a few, then come back with the tractor. The more height you have on the bole, the more leverage you'd have to tip it over. BTDT Cut the trunk off after that.

If I'm not tossed out for being uppity I'll post a pic later of some hogs I've dug out with the 20hp Terramite and some time. Bet your 4041 has a lot more useful hp. This is big work without a dozer, but patience will git 'er done every time.

 

[TSO]

OK... well, decided to do 3 more stumps to finish an area before the day closed. In the first pic, you can see the remaining 3 in this area, all of which were Oak or Maple, which I had cut down last year. The 2 on the sides were maybe 8" diameter, and the middle one was my biggest attempt yet, approx 13".




Okay, so I got started on the first one, and within 5 minutes I had it out... not bad. You can see the process in this pic, where I start with a couple passes on either side (Basically this thing is a short-fat reverse backhoe).





The 2nd one probably took another 10 mins or so, and I was feeling pretty cocky. Then onto the 3rd one. Wow... If it wasn't for sheer stupidity and stubborness, I would've given up after the first 30 mins. But, I kept up with it and after roughly 75 mins, finally got the GD thing out! Because of my stupid Shuttle-Shift (yeah, at the moment I'm regretting getting this over the HST) my left foot & knee are throbbing, and my left shoulder ain't feeling all that hot either. Could barely lift the thing up because it's so packed full of moist clay, but finally got it up in the bucket.







In the process, I found the weak points of the bucket construction, which I'm gonna have to take somewhere to get fixed... should just need a few new welds, maybe something to reinforce it to prevent future damage. Basically, the inner portions of the lower QA mounting points broke off the bucket.




But anyhow, after this little endeavor I don't think I'll be trying any more stumps over 8-10"... just too time (and fuel) consuming. Now just need a dang stump grinder.

 

[k0ua]

Ok.. two things..

1

Because of my stupid Shuttle-Shift (yeah, at the moment I'm regretting getting this over the HST) my left foot & knee are throbbing, and my left shoulder ain't feeling all that hot either

Ok I am keeping that..I think I was one that said "get the hydro"... as you may know I am an acolyte for the hydrostat transmission. And the reasons you gave are just one of the reasons to get a hydro in these size tractors and with most of us do with them.. I wont argue about a plow tractor, but for doing what you were doing... ain't no contest... hydro all the way.

2: the broken "weld" was never welded in the first place.. classic example of a pretty MIG weld. that never was.. Absolutely no penetration into the parent metal, just a pretty bead laid next to it. When I see these, it makes me glad I have a nice cheap Chinese stick welder. I know great welds can be made with a MIG welder, but this is not the first factory "weld" I have seen that had no penetration because the operator was not running it hot enough to tie in to the parent metal.

rant off.. I wish you had bought the hydro. and the broken weld will be easy to fix. And my observation is you are getting better with the bucket with every stump you take out.!:thumbsup:

James K0UA

 

[the old grind]

Whether you call this bragging I wanted to show some of the bigger stuff I've wrangled (out of clay) with the Thunderous Terramite T5C (tired 20hp Honda) and was stuck hauling off to my place by tumbling them onto the trailer with the mighty Ford 1520 (tired 23hp Shibaura) and perhaps the next-best loader for size (7308) to what TSO has.

If I have a point to make it's only that it doesn't take a world-beater to dig stumps. Obviously this took hours vs minutes, but there will be trade-offs any time you have to make do with what's on hand.

I somewhat envy what TSO has to work with & hope to be first in line for his tree bucket, but when he's done with it. Transplanting little 'whites' in sand would be easy compared to what he's muscling, but he'll get good with the new toy soon & if there's any urgency at hand I'd love to haul the T5C over his way (not far) before he has to $pring for a monster way big for his other chores. :hyper: and could have some $$ to get a stump grinder for 'those times' ...

 

[TSO]

Ok.. two things..

1

Ok I am keeping that..I think I was one that said "get the hydro"... as you may know I am an acolyte for the hydrostat transmission. And the reasons you gave are just one of the reasons to get a hydro in these size tractors and with most of us do with them.. I wont argue about a plow tractor, but for doing what you were doing... ain't no contest... hydro all the way.

2: the broken "weld" was never welded in the first place.. classic example of a pretty MIG weld. that never was.. Absolutely no penetration into the parent metal, just a pretty bead laid next to it. When I see these, it makes me glad I have a nice cheap Chinese stick welder. I know great welds can be made with a MIG welder, but this is not the first factory "weld" I have seen that had no penetration because the operator was not running it hot enough to tie in to the parent metal.

rant off.. I wish you had bought the hydro. and the broken weld will be easy to fix. And my observation is you are getting better with the bucket with every stump you take out.!:thumbsup:

James K0UA

Thanks for rubbing it in A-hole LOL.

Seriously, at this point I'm deciding on whether or not to trade it in on a HST model. If the next series up had HST, I'd be thinking u5020 for the loader, but LS stops the Hydro at the 4047.

If not for loader work I'd say I like the shuttle better... Plowing & maintaining the driveway are areas where the SS shines.

But I'm really missing my HST for this up close & personal stuff.

 

[the old grind]

If not for loader work I'd say I like the shuttle better... Plowing & maintaining the driveway are areas where the SS shines.

So ... don't need HST to be a reason to trade up in size after all??

Dirt piles come and go. A driveway is forever.

How many stumps left to go? (say x@ <10", x@ <20", x@ <30", x@ >30".) Man, I wish you'd have left more trunk on a few for leverage to smack 'em around and loosen their grip on the soil. Tip over easy enough if there's something left to push on. That's how I do a handfull of small ones (4" - 6") in shorter time with a std bucket (on the Ford) than with the BH.

If you've stacked & split all you'll want removed already I'd say work the little ones with the tree fork & do the big ones with the grinder when you get it. btw: Should you consider only a PTO-driven one? You may get jobs later where the tractor won't go, or where someone might not want you driving a ballasted-tire behemoth across their yard. Just sayin' ...

 

[deezler]

Hmm, I sure don't envy your soil type. Down here near Ypsi in my sandy loam, I can push over 10" stumps pretty quickly with my sub 3000 lb, 30 HP tractor and standard 60" bucket. I just dig around all side of the stump as much as I easily can, then start pushing it back and forth until some tap roots get exposed. Then use either the loader bucket or hand tools to chop through those. Eventually only the last tap roots directly vertical under the stump are still attached, and either break off or need a final chopping. But I have been pleasantly surprised at how fast (~10 mins) some 10" cherry and walnut stumps have come out of the ground. I can't even pick them up with my loader, and have to push them around.

But the KEY is to leave 3-4' tall stumps for leverage.