Taking down some trees for land clearing - how high should I leave stumps for easier removal?

[KilroyJC]

Is there a recommended height? Options include pulling out stumps with block and tackle or renting a mini-excavator.

diameters range from 3” to 30”, majority will be 8” to 16” dia.

thanks for any suggestions or additional advice!

 

[ovrszd]

To have a noticable impact you'd have to leave 3ft or more. On a 30" you'd need 6ft or more.

On the larger trees is it possible to dig them intact? That would help a lot.

On the smalls, if cutting first, I'd cut wherever it suited me.

 

[Carl_NH]

I do as overszd says for smaller trees - 3-8" leave 3' of stump to use as leverage with the BH bucket. Also a ripper tooth on a BH or excavator can rip the roots up without making a huge hole.

But anything 12" and bigger, dig around the base and push them over intact. With this approach, thin out the small stuff first then fell the bigger trees. These big trees will have a big root ball and hole.

You will need a decent sized excavator for the bigger ones - a mini excavator can do a lot, but a larger 12-15 ton excavator would take minutes vs maybe 30 minutes with a mini excavator (10K pounds).

 

[deezler]

I would only cut down the trees over ~24" diameter, or maybe over 50-60' tall. Just use the excavator to dig the stump while the tree is still whole, it makes it SO much easier to pull the whole stump out of the ground when you have a couple tons of tree leveraging it out of the ground. Then you can cut the stump off once the tree is out and laying down. Seriously, this will save you a LOT of time in getting the whole clearing project done.

In the past I did it your way, cut the trees down first and deal with the stump later. In this case, I would cut the tree as high as I safely could operate my chainsaw without standing on a ladder of something dumb like that. Safest way is still to use the excavator to knock the tree down whole by digging it's stump out. You have a lot of control as the roots get cut away; can periodically stop digging and do test pushes on the tree. Like any felling, its best to check the natural lean of the tree and go with the flow.

Edit: I essentially agree with Carl. But I get nervous trying to stump dig huge trees - they weigh too much to control with a little rental excavator, and the last thing you want is it falling on YOU or the machine you have to pay for. Depends on your machine size.

 

[5030]

If you gtind them, as low as possible. I tend to yank all mine out so I cut them high (6-8 feet) and use my M9 to yank them out. The big ones I have ground. Have a buddy with a Vermeer stump grinder.

 

[EddieWalker]

If you are going to be taking out the stumps after cutting down the tree, why not just dig out the entire tree all at once?

 

[5030]

Why dig when you can just pop it out?

 

[JJT]

Cut them as low as possible and get a big excavator. Or leave 2' stumps and push them with a big dozer. You'll get nowhere fast with a block and tackle or a mini-excavator......

 

[5030]

Why I prefer having them ground. A good stump grinder will cut them at least 6" below grade. Little ones, I pop out.

 

[deezler]

Cut them as low as possible and get a big excavator. Or leave 2' stumps and push them with a big dozer. You'll get nowhere fast with a block and tackle or a mini-excavator......

Dunno, I have rented a bobcat E35 a few times now. It digs out 20"+, 50-60' black cherry trees with ease. Maybe 10-15 minutes to completely encircle the root base with deep trenches. Anything under 6", can just yank out with the thumb. 6-18" range trees go pretty quick, dig a couple trenches and then push.

Now that I bought my used CK3510 that came with a backhoe, I just use that, but it is SO SLOW and weak in comparison to the E35.

 

[jeff9366]

J.I. Case 430 Utility​

Dimensions
Gas Wheelbase	77.1875 inches 196 cm
Diesel Wheelbase	78.4375 inches 199 cm
Gas Length	129.75 inches 329 cm
Diesel Length	131 inches 332 cm
Loader-tractor Length	177 inches 449 cm
Loader-backhoe Length	264 inches 670 cm
Width	77 inches 195 cm
Height (steering wheel)	60.5 inches 153 cm
Weight	6575 lbs (loader-tractor) 2982 kg

 

[Midniteoyl]

Depends on how big an excavator you can get

 

[4570Man]

You need a 50,000 pound trackhoe to do any good digging 30” stumps. A mini would take all day to dig the first one.

 

[CobyRupert]

Physics says leave high as possible for most leverage and least force required.
So..how many lb-ft of force is required to rip out the stump by leveraging the top?
Not an easy question as there’s so many factors including tree type, root structure, root depth, soil conditions, etc..

Let’s make up a scenario where (say) 10,000 lb pull or push at 10’ high (100,000 ft-lbs) is required.
One can see that if stumps are cut at 5’, you now need 20,000 lb pulling force to get that 100,000 ft-lbs.
If a cable is attached 25’ high, you only need a 4000 lb pulling force to get 100,000 ft-lbs.

So.. what force is required by tree, and how much can your machine provide? That’s the answer to how high. …unless you just dig them out.

My slow method, when I want the stump gone, is to pull the tree down with a cable before I cut the tree off the stump. My tractor’s probably around 8000 lbs and I haven’t met a tree yet that a cable high enough couldn’t overcome.

 

[KilroyJC]

To have a noticable impact you'd have to leave 3ft or more. On a 30" you'd need 6ft or more.

On the larger trees is it possible to dig them intact? That would help a lot.

On the smalls, if cutting first, I'd cut wherever it suited me.

I don’t have digging equipment at the moment, just a saw, and I need to get lumber and firewood going sooner rather than later. I would LOVE to topple them and let them take out their own rootball!

 

[KilroyJC]

Why I prefer having them ground. A good stump grinder will cut them at least 6" below grade. Little ones, I pop out.

But I want to plow a foodplot. . .

 

[KilroyJC]

Physics says leave high as possible for most leverage and least force required.
So..how many lb-ft of force is required to rip out the stump by leveraging the top?
Not an easy question as there’s so many factors including tree type, root structure, root depth, soil conditions, etc..

Let’s make up a scenario where (say) 10,000 lb pull or push at 10’ high (100,000 ft-lbs) is required.
One can see that if stumps are cut at 5’, you now need 20,000 lb pulling force to get that 100,000 ft-lbs.
If a cable is attached 25’ high, you only need a 4000 lb pulling force to get 100,000 ft-lbs.

So.. what force is required by tree, and how much can your machine provide? That’s the answer to how high. …unless you just dig them out.

My slow method, when I want the stump gone, is to pull the tree down with a cable before I cut the tree off the stump. My tractor’s probably around 8000 lbs and I haven’t met a tree yet that a cable high enough couldn’t overcome.

I have a 40hp Case 430. . .

 

[5030]

Never understood the food plot thing. Deer are natural grazers in the first place

 

[KilroyJC]

If you gtind them, as low as possible. I tend to yank all mine out so I cut them high (6-8 feet) and use my M9 to yank them out. The big ones I have ground. Have a buddy with a Vermeer stump grinder.

Nice to have good toys. . . 40hp Case 430 is what I am working with. . .

 

[KilroyJC]

Never understood the food plot thing. Deer are natural grazers in the first place

Food plot for ME cabbage onions beans taters etc.

any deer come near it are going in the freezer.