Digging stump techniques

[Kschwennsen]

Just dig on one side, cut the roots on the non hole side, push the stump in and bury it in the hole.

 

[nyone]

Then you will be left with a sink hole.

I typicaly move them to the woods and sit them upside down so the rain washes the mud/dirt off then burn them in a few years.

 

[Solar Oak]

My suggestion would be to use the narrowest bucket you have. The machine will only put out so much power, regardless of size, so you might as well concentrate that power with a narrow bucket. The idea is to bust the roots, not necessarily dug a big hole. But, sometimes, a big hole is what it takes.

 

[beenthere]

If it’s like a sweetgum I’d rather be kicked in the balls by an angry horse than try to dig it up with a TLB.

I resorted to a D6 with a ripper after a full day for 1 stump.

I gather you have never been kicked that way, or you would not be saying such a thing.

 

[Smokeydog]

If at all possible leave the tree attached, dig around a little then push the tree over and let the tree pop loose the root ball.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I have a little 3,500lb mini ex that I have dug far to big so stumps with. A few times I even had to build ramps to pull/push/drag the stump out of the hole. My longest stump removal was 6hrs on a stump that would have been under my cabin foundation. Once we got that one loose I couldn't flip it to get it out of the hole.

You need to get into the stump deeper. This usualy means digging 90* off to the side of the stump.

Now my preferred method is to dig the stump out with the tree still on it. Makes pushing the stump over far far easier and you can use the weight of the tree to your advantage.

Digging the stump out with the tree standing is also my preferred method. I dig out the side of the tree with the lean first, cut roots, then work my way to each side then the back of the tree.

 

[wolc123]

I have a couple that I would like out in my yard, from blue spruce trees, that were about 12 inch diameter. I am going to try the truck rim trick, where you stand it up against the stump and loop a chain over the top. Wrap one end of the chain around the base of the stump and attach the other end to your tractor draw bar. The rim gives the chain a more effective upward pull angle.

That is a variation of the old wood wheel "stump puller" that was developed in the early 1800's as they were clearing the way for the Erie canal. They were used with teams of horses and oxen.

 

[Richard]

Yep...

Helps also, (if the tree has been cut) to be able to reach OVER the stump verses having to always move the machine....so this depends in part on how big your machine/backhoe might be)

 

[thunder86]

It would be much easier to not cut the tree first but it worries me of the tree falling back on the tractor.
If I had a 15,000 pound backhoe or excavator I wouldn’t worry so much but it weighs a little less than 7,000 pounds. May try it on a tree that’s leaning first to see how it works. My luck I’d dig around it and when I pushed it wouldn’t go anywhere and I’d be too scared to go around it.

 

[Richard]

I can totally understand your point. So.... maybe look at the tree. If it's looking like it's got a natural lean or heavy side AND you can make THAT the falling side, maybe it's worth a try. If it's leaning the wrong way and you're trying to push against it.... then go with your gut feel.

One of my thoughts is if I'm standing at the bottom of the tree with no 'guarantee' that it's going to fall in a given direction, I'd rather have some horsepower behind me helping to assist/force it into that direction.

Remember, most trees are standing vertical (note, I did not say plumb) Point being, most of their weight is vertical so the power to assist/adjust/force it to a direction isn't as high as the same tree that has a natural lean OR, might be falling over and hung up in another tree at which point you pretty well know which direction it has to fall so you just figure out how to safely do it.

(did I just use the word safely and pushing trees over in the same sentence? Geez.... someone bit** slap me)