Backhoe Dealing with pine trees

[s219]

4" you can push over with the front loader. Use the hydraulics, not the wheels, that way you have the relief to protect from damage to the loader arms. Raise bucket and press against tree. Then lower bucket and as it arcs forward it will push over the tree. Only do this with healthy trees that won't drop anything on you.

 

[cycle_gator]

I feel your pain to the OP. I have to 9 acres of ponderosa pine in a fairly arid climate. Probably done 50 stumps. Started with a tractor mounted backhoe on my L4310. Worked okay, but it was hard it stumps like 12 to 1 would take a. Oue hours each. Went to an old Case 580 CK. That worked okay, but the old machine need more fixing time than digging time. Now have a 5.5 ton excuvator. Digs them quickly, even monsters.

 

[sixdogs]

I've cut hundreds of them and found the best way for me is to cut flush with the ground on the larger stumps. Smaller ones, leave a stump so you can push over.

For me to get rid of a larger stump I just build a wood fire on top of the stump and when it's all embers hit it with the leaf blower. That gets it below grade and I can mow over it. You can also drill some holes in it to help the fire but evergreen stumps, when cut close to the ground, go quickly. Digging with a backhoe is tedious and leaves a hole that settles in and makes mowing difficult because the hole is hard to repair. I've done threads here on burning hardwood stumps and drilling some holes to help the fire.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I was thinking about it. If I had a field to clear of pines. And I don't have earthmoving equipment. Bring in a D8, have him drop and dig out the tree/stumps. I would run around him with a grapple and take the trees somewhere. Chip or burn the trees, burn the stumps. Then have him level the field as best as he can. One day, and you could get a lot done! And not beat up ones smaller equipment.

You pay the same for floating and you pay the same for an operator, so bring in the most muscle for your buck! A 9 is too big on account of having to remove the blade for transport!

 

[1930]

You'll burn the tool up that way. Don't ask me how I know. At least the battery ones. I use my electric one now even if I have to drag a generator out.

How many do you have and how fast do you need it done? There are hydraulic shears that cut at or below ground level. Not sure if they go on the FEL or the rear thee point.

Ive seen these on You tube, they pinch the tree and then the hydrulics lift up pulling tree out of ground, they go in place of FEL.
I dont know the lifting/hydrulic capabilities of the L2501. Im guessing that its not as high as a good skidsteer?

How big are the trees which you are talking about, and how many are there? You mentioned 4", but what are the biggest? That will have a lot of bearing on how well they come out. If you can cut them this year and let them set for a year or two they also will come out a lot easier.
Assuming that the B6100 is your existing tractor, how big is the one which you just ordered?
Lastly, what do you plan to do with the ground once the stumps are pulled, and how soon before you do it?
With patience and time you can do a lot more with smaller tractors than some people realize.

Edit: I saw on another thread that your new tractor is a L2501.

Biggest might be 16 inches in diam. I plan starting Feb 2023 to build my retirement home/shop. Assuming my body holds up Im planning to pay cash for everything, Im saving now and going out to the property one weekend a month, Im working 70-80 hrs a week at this point and my radar is set. I will not deviate and falter.

I have a Ford 1920 tractor with backhoe and have removed small trees 8 to 10 in diameter by digging on one side of the tree and cutting roots. You may have to move backhoe bucket away from tree where roots are small enough to cut or dig ,depending on power of your machine. With this done raise bucket up high and push tree directly above roots you cut and dug. Be careful about widowmakers.
The roots on the opposite side of the tree act as a hinge and guide the tree down. The weight of the whole tree also helps to break more of the remaining roots , like a big lever as it comes down. When tree is on ground push stump from the side to break the rest of the roots. ( or pull with backhoe) Whole stump should pop out most of the time.

Start with small trees till you feel like you know what you are doing. Try larger ones as you feel more confident. You are only cutting the roots on one side AWAY FROM THE DIRECTION IT WILL FALL!!!
The remaining roots will hold the tree up till you push

I've done this on much bigger trees with an excavator using the same technique. The entire root ball pop right out. With the excavator just grab the tree from the side of stump and yank it out of ground. Shake dirt off of stump.

This works so well because the uncut roots stabilize the tree and the entire weight of upper tree helps pull stump out for you

BE CAREFUL!!!

I will post a pict. for u tonight, no time now have to get to shop. Once I post this picture you will understand what I am up against.

4" you can push over with the front loader. Use the hydraulics, not the wheels, that way you have the relief to protect from damage to the loader arms. Raise bucket and press against tree. Then lower bucket and as it arcs forward it will push over the tree. Only do this with healthy trees that won't drop anything on you.

Same as above. Please though tell me how to PROPERLY use my new machine so I dont do damage to it. There are alot of techniques and things I should avoid bu dont know where to find that info all in one place.

I dont have enough experience with tractors to know what the right and wrong way. Should be a book somewhere......I know though that the book prob. does not exist

 

[Diggin It]

Ive seen these on You tube, they pinch the tree and then the hydrulics lift up pulling tree out of ground, they go in place of FEL.
I dont know the lifting/hydrulic capabilities of the L2501. Im guessing that its not as high as a good skidsteer?

Those are tree pullers.

The ones I'm thinking about are big scissors that just cut it off similar to what you wanted to do with a reciprocating saw. No idea what they cost though

 

[1930]

What can I say but WOW

 

[Jstpssng]

I was thinking about it. If I had a field to clear of pines. And I don't have earthmoving equipment. Bring in a D8, have him drop and dig out the tree/stumps. I would run around him with a grapple and take the trees somewhere. Chip or burn the trees, burn the stumps. Then have him level the field as best as he can. One day, and you could get a lot done! And not beat up ones smaller equipment.

You pay the same for floating and you pay the same for an operator, so bring in the most muscle for your buck! A 9 is too big on account of having to remove the blade for transport!

If you are going to hire it out you are better off getting a good sized excavator. They will leave a lot more of your soil in place, and can either bury or pile the stumps. I had two acres cleared that way and it took him about 2 days. He also "raked" the soil with the teeth, so I had very few roots left and was able to start working the ground the following spring.
You still are better off if you cut the stumps a year or two in advance, as they will create a lot less soil disturbance when they come out.

 

[jayincmh]

At Home With the Morgan's has a lot of good videos that they produce for the RK tractor line. (I know you don't have an RK, but the videos are about technique). He's got an "instructional video" about using a backhoe on the RK55 to remove tree stumps. Might be worth ten minutes of your time to review. You can probably search YouTube for it, or find it off of the RkTractors.com page. Hope you find it helpful. Leave a few feet of stump sticking up for leverage. And dig around those roots! Most importantly, don't be in a hurry. Would love to have you share pics of the trees with the forum...before, during, and after. Good Luck!

 

[1930]

At Home With the Morgan's has a lot of good videos that they produce for the RK tractor line. (I know you don't have an RK, but the videos are about technique). He's got an "instructional video" about using a backhoe on the RK55 to remove tree stumps. Might be worth ten minutes of your time to review. You can probably search YouTube for it, or find it off of the RkTractors.com page. Hope you find it helpful. Leave a few feet of stump sticking up for leverage. And dig around those roots! Most importantly, don't be in a hurry. Would love to have you share pics of the trees with the forum...before, during, and after. Good Luck!

Thanks and I can and will do that.

I'll have to get some more pics when I go out there next

 

[hunt4570]

My question is , what are you doing with that land after getting rid of the trees? if its been raining and that sand is wet you can push over up to 3 maybe 4 inchers. If you have no quick use for that land those pine stumps rot away pretty quick, leave em a couple feet high and push em over in about a year or three..

 

[Egon]

Try out the equipment you have. Use the hoe to cut roots. The bucket to push over. Expierement on what will work for you.

 

[fried1765]

Unless you are planning on selling the wood as sawlogs cut the stumps as high as you safely can. That will give you a little more leverage to pull on once you get the roots loosened up. I dug out some surprisingly big stumps with my little L275 and a small "CadPlan" backhoe which just rode on the 3 pth, although I was left with some pretty big holes.

I have a 48 HP tractor with 10' industrial hoe, and it takes me forever, and a huge mound of dirt, to extricate a pine stump.
As mentioned above, I prefer to wait a few years for them to partially rot.

 

[fried1765]

I don't recall that it was a pine tree but my wife's cousin next door had a tree he wanted dropped.

I dug on three sides of it, leaving the 4th side as sort of a 'hinge' to help prevent it falling back towards the house.

Otherwise, I simply dug on three sides, huffed, puffed and pushed it over.

Yeah, it was a bit nerve racking since "things happen" but it all went according to plan.

Since whole tree fell, it popped the root ball up.

Nice thing is, once I was done, I was done. HE was the one that cut the tree up & got rid of it. I got to MAKE the mess while he cleaned it. Doesn't get much better than that!

Much different!
THAT is not a pine tree.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I had hired this machine to do some other work.

I just find them too slow and expensive to deal with pine stumps. And the hole and ripped out roots are a terrible mess. But, he had to work around trees that were remaining. So I thought a dozer would be better. Never had a hoe take out all pines, but I can't see it being any more efficient. A hoe isn't great for levelling large areas.

For the work done, I think you just can't beat hiring BIG IRON. Then do the finish work yourself.

 

[hunt4570]

I had hired this machine to do some other work. View attachment 595546

I just find them too slow and expensive to deal with pine stumps. And the hole and ripped out roots are a terrible mess. But, he had to work around trees that were remaining. So I thought a dozer would be better. Never had a hoe take out all pines, but I can't see it being any more efficient. A hoe isn't great for levelling large areas.

For the work done, I think you just can't beat hiring BIG IRON. Then do the finish work yourself.

I agree, I had 6 acres cleared, then hired a guy with a dozer and excavator to stump it/clean it and level it. If you are just doing a few small trees that's not necessary but a big area yes..

 

[RUSTBUCKET BRONCO]

my vote is to cut them flush with a chainsaw low enough you can brush hog over the top. In a few years they will be all rotted away and not leave a big mess. That's what i'm doing with a lot of the alders I have on my property.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have found that anything you want made of wood rots overnight and a stump you don't want (in the ground) lasts forever!

 

[fruitcakesa]

We had to clear our homesite of a thicket of 20-30ft tall white pines.
We cut everything flush to the ground and then, since we intended to have a garden and lawn we proceed to cover the entire acre+- with everything carboniferous and biodegradable, newspapers, cardboard boxes, old clothes, rugs bedding, leaves, sawdust, woodchips etc.
That was 30 years ago and we have been gardening and mowing the lawn for probably 25 of those years and there is no sign of stumps as everything eventually composts.
I guess it depends on how big a rush you are in.

 

[Beltzington]

My question is , what are you doing with that land after getting rid of the trees? if its been raining and that sand is wet you can push over up to 3 maybe 4 inchers. If you have no quick use for that land those pine stumps rot away pretty quick, leave em a couple feet high and push em over in about a year or three..

AGREE

I dug, pulled, pushed and cussed at pine stumps and found they will basically rot away within a year if you just let them sit. You can drill a hole in them and add several different common household chemicals if you want them to rot faster. Unless you need to remove them for building something cut them close to the ground and forget about them.