Clearing stumps?

[Code54]

Thanks all for the replies.

The question stems from that I have about a dozen ironwood stumps to remove where I want to add on to my pole barn for a rabbit building. The biggest stump is about 8 inches in diameter.

I think come spring I will give them a push or pull with the tractor. If I see that they aren't going to budge than maybe I will try to find a deal on a stump bucket as I suspect even if it doesn't work I could have some other uses for one. All else fails, I will go rent a mini-ex.

Thanks again for the replies

E

With that few, and fairly small, a mini-ex will take care of it rather quickly and easily. Also plan out other projects were a mini would be handy and you can get a TON done in a 1 day rental. Around here it costs between $200-250 for a mini for the day and for the wear and tear you save on your tractor it well maybe worth it.

 

[Billrog]

a doz. stumps shovel and an old axe or a grub hoe chop off a few roots and pull them out.

 

[mike69440]

5100 is soft soil with stumps not all buggered together should have enough beans to take 8" trees out with stump bucket. Stump bucket is handy to own for small stuff and brush

Otherwise get the Mini Ex. I've had a 5" Tree stop my 18,000 lb excavator and I've popped 12" to 14" trees right out. Depends.

 

[Code54]

Otherwise get the Mini Ex. I've had a 5" Tree stop my 18,000 lb excavator and I've popped 12" to 14" trees right out. Depends.

No truer statement could be made. Really weird how some big ones come right out and other little ones are a real challenge!

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I try not to leave stumps. I push the tree over with my tractor. If I have room, I run the trunk around a couple of 360s to pop the whole thing out of the ground, otherwise I get as much loose as I can before I start cutting up the tree. Then the stumps get piled up and burned.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Because stump grinding is for city folks, small jobs, way to slow and expesive compared to using heavy equipment, leaves sink holes, and NH soul simply eats stump grinders

Exactly, could not have said it better myself.

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Too bad the orginal poster could not wait a bit of time, Ironwood rots incredibly fast.

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

My old neighbour use to drill the stump and put salt in the holes. In 12 months they are fairly rotten and easier to take out whatever method you use. Having said this I bought a backhoe attachment for my Kubota L4740. Another thing you have to consider after removing the stump is how you are going to dispose of it. Here is a video I made up about the matter.

 

[buckbros]

Because stump grinding is for city folks, small jobs, way to slow and expesive compared to using heavy equipment, leaves sink holes, and NH soul simply eats stump grinders

I have a couple of acres in the mountains, not in the city, that I use my old Gravely with the stump grinder attachment when I remove a tree. It would be nice to have a piece of equipment to do the job but unfortunately my budget does not allow me to do that.

 

[Code54]

I have a couple of acres in the mountains, not in the city, that I use my old Gravely with the stump grinder attachment when I remove a tree. It would be nice to have a piece of equipment to do the job but unfortunately my budget does not allow me to do that.

We are way out in the country and we have the eqpt to dig out the stumps but I find a stump grinder very useful at times. We have stumps close to water lines, underground electric, one is in a flower garden. Sometimes digging them and ripping a big hole is more damaging then just grinding them off and cleaning up some chips.

 

[Pilot]

About 25 years ago I saw a Canadian study that compared various kinds of equipment and the best by far was the excavator--much more efficient and cost effective than the dozer. Also didn't mess up the site like the dozer.

Now about your stumps, if 8" is the biggest, just dig around them, use an ax on the roots you can get to until you can pull them out with your tractor. Buying equipment for stumps that small seems like a waste of money to me. I've removed stumps a little bigger than that; was a lot of work, but it did work.

Hire a stump grinder & you can get the job done efficiently--but they don't go out far from the stump, so you'll have smaller roots left around a few feet out from the stump. You get good mulch, though.

OTOH, if you are going to build a serious rabbit hutch, you'll need an excavator there to prepare the site anyway, so let the operator remove the stumps.