My biggest stump

[TSO]

Correct. It wasn't an LS. It was a CubCadet that Mitsubishi made for them. The previous owner had broken the ring and pinion too. He did it by driving into a canyon with backing back up the hill the only escape (which failed). He did his reverse wheelie that way. I did mine more like your picture, and breaking way more parts.

Well, my LS brochure says it has a heavy duty front axle, so it can't possibly break!

JK, I'll keep your experience in mind.

 

[deezler]

Well, if my post saves anyone from doing what I did, it was worth the time to read it. I tried to lift a log that had silted in branches under it. The instant the rear wheels lost traction, the front drive failed catastrophically. Both half shafts bent, but I was able to straighten them. I broke two small pinions, both the ring and pinion, one sun gear, and two bearings. It was only twelve pounds of parts, but they cost $2000 from Mitsubishi to replace them with me doing all the labor.

Ruh roh. I guess I need to learn to never do this with my 7305 then, huh? So you were backing up and lifting, when the rear wheels lost traction, putting all the strain on your front drive? I wonder if your failure was at all related to the previous owner already failing these parts ?

 

[deezler]

Oh and since this is a stump thread, I've been building this pile over the last few weeks. I feel bad for my tractor, she's been working pretty hard.

 

[Short Game]

Ruh roh. I guess I need to learn to never do this with my 7305 then, huh? So you were backing up and lifting, when the rear wheels lost traction, putting all the strain on your front drive? I wonder if your failure was at all related to the previous owner already failing these parts ?

Henh, I recognized your Cub from the loader joystick, Deez.

Yes, yes, and no.

When the previous owner broke it, he took it back to the his dealer, Fly-By-Night Tractor Sales (no longer in business). Their non-mechanic got the wrong ring gear (an earlier iteration, probably for the 1991 Case IH 1140 -- same basic tractor) with 8mm ring gear bolts. They installed it with 8mm bolts through the differential case's 10mm bolt holes. Of course, they all sheared off just after I got the tractor (at the bottom of a steep four-wheel-drive hill). So, I did my first rebuild of the front drive at that time. Then later, when I killed it, and I did it in style. That catastrophe was all of my own doing.

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But right here, I will tell you about another weakness in that Cub's front drive. It is in the ball bearing outer front wheel bearings. So, I have had to replace that bearing more than once as well. If you put too much front end weight on one of the front wheels, the downward force on the bearing can blow the rivets out of the ball cage. The torn up ball cage then finds its way around to the seals and the gear oil hemorrhage will let you know something is amiss. By that time, the inner bearing will be getting some out-of-round balls and need replacing too.

Who would have known I would wind up an expert on this front drive?

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I love the fuel economy of that K3M engine, enough to buy my 7300 (plus with my dead 7274, I have a quarter million dollars in spare parts!). If you want a dead CubCadet too, then never check or tighten the engine to frame bolts (don't miss the four on the front of the engine -- two studs and two bolts -- they are hard to access, but they are there). I learned a lot with my first tractor. For one thing, I am tractor addicted. I can't go back, take the cure. Lord have mercy, I now have two tractors.

 

[walnutman]

Here are a few shots of my stump removal over the years..

 

[walnutman]

 

[Dons916]

Luck to have a big tractor.I have a Bolens and is no use pulling stumps.I use a shovel,Ax and my pickup. Glad I only have three

 

[tamara14]

Well;
This girl got her very own tractor in May, and took out her first stump. I bought a Kubota BX 25D 4WD, Loader, Backhoe, Scraper, and mid Mower setup. My first stump took me a while, with a 25hp but for a home with 2.5 acres, it was just the right size. Did I mention I had to put weight in the loader to keep the front wheels on the ground to move it to the burn pile"

 

[walnutman]

Well;
This girl got her very own tractor in May, and took out her first stump. I bought a Kubota BX 25D 4WD, Loader, Backhoe, Scraper, and mid Mower setup. My first stump took me a while, with a 25hp but for a home with 2.5 acres, it was just the right size. Did I mention I had to put weight in the loader to keep the front wheels on the ground to move it to the burn pile"

View attachment 320172

I pretty much pushed and rolled mine away... even with the full size machine.

 

[DB24]

Just a thought - I have found that big stumps are most easily removed while still attached to the big, heavy tree..... method:
1) Attach a wire rope as high up the trunk as possible.
2) Dig round the stump
3) Use a winch on the wire rope to pull the tree over, the trunk acts as a huge lever arm.
4) Cut the stump away.

One I did earlier:


Cheers,
Duncan