Backhoe Digging stumps

[rsnik]

I am a newbie an this is my first post.

I have a Bobcat B250 and did some stump digging today. Let me see if I can post a pic:



I think that worked. I high centered the backhoe on the stump, maybe a pic:



Cut the stump down



Still high centered on stump:



Put some timber under the stabilizers and some 2X12's under the back wheels and we were good to go.



This is obviously not major news I just wanted to give it a try.

 

[AKfish]

Welcome to TBN!

Digging in REAL dirt..!!! Looks like alot of fun!

It's snowing here today - again - about 8" this past week of new snow.

Gonna have to plow today. (I'm not inclined to post pics.)

AKfish

 

[jenkinsph]

rsnik,
Welcome to the forum and nice rig. We like lots of pics so that is a good start.
What is the purpose of getting over the stump? I usually reach over the stump with the hoe itself.

 

[eepete]

Welcome! Yeah, stump removal is a little trial and error depending on the size of the stump, tree type, machine size, and most importantly skill and experiance. Here I am taking one out with me B21 (21 hp frame mount TLB). My avatar pix came from this same day.

Pete

 

[eepete]

Ok, lets try the pix this time... deleting seems to be odd, if you delete and then re-post with the same text it doesn't always work. Anyway, here's the pix.

Pete

 

[/pine]

when it comes to digging stumps...the best (non-tractor) tool a man can buy is an "irrigation" or "cable layer" shovel...it's a regular shovel that is only about 4 inches wide...

To remove stumps you have to get to the roots...a narrow shovel works better than anything I have found (other than a hired laborer)

The next best stump digging tool is a 8,10, or 12 inch chainsaw...not an expensive one (even electiric ones work well)...
Of course using a back hoe you have a larger hole to begin so there is more room to angle and manuver a regular saw with but a saw with a very short bar/chain is paramount to get to some roots and can save a lot of additional digging and labor...

Once enough of the roots are exposed and cut just yank them out

 

[eepete]

/pine: yep :thumbsup: I save my old worn chain saw chains for cutting where they will be in the dirt. After using them, I file by hand and they go back hanging on the "dirty chain" nail. Only down side is a bit more bar wear, and you have to really clean the bar before putting on the "real" chain again. I tend to pinch my bars before I wear them out, and always have a spare. Eventually, you do have to toss the chain. These are 16" chains.

dig, cut, dig by hand, the 4" wide shovel, and the occasional word of encouragement spoken gently to the stump gets it out.

/usr/pete

 

[/pine]

eepete , you've got it...it's dog hard work but when you get one done it's a good feeling of accomplishment....

even if it is not in a conspicious place a cut off tree stump is one of the most un-sightly things there is in most cases IMO....

Many times if I am going to take out a tree and there is room... I get a line as high as possible on the tree and hook up a come-a-long and put some tension on it the direction I want the tree to fall...then I just start digging...

digging/cutting and keeping a check on the lean until the tree is down with stump intact... the bulk of the tree makes a big difference from just digging a cut off stump...

 

[20 20]

dynamite seems to work

 

[MarkV]

Welcome to the forum. We had a very active member here years ago that had an Earthforce tractor that was like yours before Bob Cat bought them and renamed.

If I had been stuck on the stump like you were I would have raised my loader a few inches and used the backhoe to lift and push the tractor forward off the stump. It is a pretty common move for inching forward while digging ditches. You may want to try it on safe ground and see how it works with your tractor.

MarkV

 

[/pine]

dynamite seems to work

When exactly was the last time you used that method? did you get it at Home Depot?...was this before or after the Patriot Act ?

 

[20 20]

When exactly was the last time you used that method? did you get it at Home Depot?...was this before or after the Patriot Act ?

:laughing: :laughing: I've never used it but my grand folks did, of course this was back when America was a free country.

I could see it now "SALE SALE SALE" come on down to your local Home Depot and get a case of dynamite. Half off if you're missing limbs :drool:

 

[Reg]

I didn't get the part about high centering on a stump.

Anyway, I start by scratching around at a tangent to a circle about 1/2 way out to the drip line.
If the drip line isn't obvious I just guess based on the size of the stump and (believed) species.
If the roots there are too thick and tough I go out a little farther.
If they aren't TOO tough I can sometimes split them with a bucket tooth, but it is usually quicker to just move out a bit.
I work my way around like this, at some point the stump usually spins in the hole, maybe only a little, but it is the sign I watch for.
I rarely have to go all the way around and I try not to, since that usually involves going into the dug hole - at least for large ones it does.

 

[rsnik]

Thank you AKfish, jensinsph, eepete, pine, 20 20, MarkV and Reg for your hospitality to a newbie. My jaw dropped when I saw that you had all responded.

MarkV: You are right. I am always pushing the machine back at any time with the hoe to keep it away from the stump; I could likely have lifted and pushed the stump hung machine back with the hoe.

Reg: What you are saying is spot on. Like you say I dug trenches further out on all sides and moved in closer. Then I tried to spin or rock the the stump with a repetitive motion. I was rocking it with a combination of curling the bucket and booming up when it let loose.

Aaarghh! I am going to try doing pictures again.

 

[Carl_NH]

rsnick,

Another trick I use (I have a B21 TLB) for trees 8-10" at the butt, is to leave a 3-4' stub of the tree out of the ground then dig around the tree say 12-18" down and a 36" dia hole around the stump to get the top roots.

Then put the BH bucket over the top of the 3-4' stump and use the leverage of the BH bucket and the 3-4' stub to break loose the root ball. It works better than trying to muscle and claw at the root ball.

With the leverage 3-4' up you can usually dislodge the tough ones (oak and others) much easier with this method.

Nice pics by the way... have fun.

 

[biggerten]

Oh yeah, digging stumps. Fun.:thumbsup:

 

[taborekle]

rsnick,

Another trick I use (I have a B21 TLB) for trees 8-10" at the butt, is to leave a 3-4' stub of the tree out of the ground then dig around the tree say 12-18" down and a 36" dia hole around the stump to get the top roots.

Then put the BH bucket over the top of the 3-4' stump and use the leverage of the BH bucket and the 3-4' stub to break loose the root ball. It works better than trying to muscle and claw at the root ball.

With the leverage 3-4' up you can usually dislodge the tough ones (oak and others) much easier with this method.

Nice pics by the way... have fun.

tip: Cut the tree off further from the ground, say 5 or 6 feet, and use the FEL and the tractor to push against the top of the tree. The added height is leverage to push it over and expose the tree bulb.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Oh yeah, digging stumps. Fun.:thumbsup:

Hey I am going to have to call the Safety police on you for not having your outrigger down in that picture. :confused2:

 

[jenkinsph]

Hey I am going to have to call the Safety police on you for not having your outrigger down in that picture. :confused2:

I was thinking that I wouldn't wan't to stand there and do that either.

 

[biggerten]

I can't remember exactly what I was doing at that point, I know I had already had the stump ready to be moved, having rolled it around some. I usually use one of the outriggers as a step while getting off/on the backhoe (it's 3pt mounted).

I think I got exasperated with my step son standing there and got down to hook the chain up myself. I just can't recall.

But the tractor wasn't going anywhere, you can't see it but the FEL was nailing/lifting the front of the tractor off the ground, and the other outrigger was down.

Anyhooo what's done 'tis done. I'll have to be more aware in the future.

As for the stump, it didn't survive the burn pile, although most of what you see ended up cut, split and dried for our fire ring.