Looking for tips in digging out stumps with BX24

[mswlogo]

I know the BX24 might be a little small for this but I have quite a few stumps in odd places that a stump grinder is hard to get too with. Many are old stumps.

Can anyone share do's and don'ts getting these out?

Most are 12-18" but a couple are huge 30" or more but very rotted.
I have all the time in the world and don't want to break my new BX24.

Most are pine and couple hardwoods.

 

[Lockport]

Slow and patient. I had to dig out a rather large freshly fallen stump once with a BH6000. Eventually I had to axe a couple roots when digging and tugging wouldn't break them. Hopefully the rotten ones are the larger as the roots of the smaller will probably give after some work. I also used an 8" trenching bucket which probably didn't hurt. Good luck.

 

[8561]

I have the best luck if I don't start too close to the stump. Start digging a perimeter a few feet away from the stump to start freeing and breaking the roots where they are smaller, as opposed to close to the stump. Although it is more physical work, I do find it quicker to expose the large roots and then spend 10 minutes with an axe cutting them rather than trying to break and pull them with the hoe. Practice and patience are your best friends when stumping with a small tractor.

 

[Tom_H]

Search archives in this forum for stumps and BX23. There was a long thread a couple of years ago about the same topic, but using BX23.

 

[rdsaustintx]

What everybody else said.

Trench around it and break all the roots you can reach. Dig out on both sides of a root before you try to break it. If you wedge your bucket just right beneath the root and curl, you can generate a HUGE amount of force without tweaking the tractor.

Then try to dig beneath the stump ball as much as possible.

It's fun if you're not in a hurry.

One thing I learned, but may be too late if your trees are already cut, is to leave 3-4' of stump to use for leverage.

If you search here you will see photos of stumps removed that are bigger than the whole tractor. I've dug out two that were too heavy to lift.

Russell in Texas

 

[BigE_]

Check out the ripper tooth from Bro-Tek.
Bro-Tek Ripper Tooth

Sounds like it is just the ticket for you.

 

[RobJ]

Save time and abuse on your small machine. Pay $250 for a full size BH.

Otherwise be patient!

 

[mswlogo]

Renting a bigger one won't go over to well since getting rid of the stumps was part my justification to my wife for buying it. Also the small BX will get in some places a large one will have a tough time getting to.

 

[wushaw]

Just what has been said...take your time and an axe or a cordless saw zaw.

 

[Harry c]

Dig around, break all the roots you can. If you can't get it out, wash off the dirt with a pressure washer or water hose and cut it off below the surface with your chain saw. That's usually my first approach if I don't want a lot of collateral damage. The stump will rot out after a bunch of years so don't build anything on top of the buried carcass.