Traction Pulling stumps with a 2720?

[beenthere]

Things won't break, as long as you make a steady pull. But don't get a run at it ....... then things can break.

I use the forks to pry out the surface roots, then get up a few feet on the tree and push it over. Take out 30-35' spruce trees this way.

Have cut the roots around a 12-14" oak tree, then tied high in the tree and easily pulled it over including the root ball. Much easier pulling than I thought it would be.

Just save a lot of hassle and don't end up with stumps...leave the tree on them

 

[jeffster]

Just my opinion, but I would rent an excavator or dozer. I have pulled well over 100 fir, alder and maple stumps and it is always easier and faster to use the right tool for the job. I love my 3520, but if it is over 6 inches I move on to a different piece of equipment. We have heavy clay soil here so my experience is based on that, which means it takes a lot of power. We have a JD 550 dozer that won't even budge some of those stumps. I had to go and borrow a Komatsu D65 which was about twice the size of the 550. I pushed out 15 large fir stumps in less than 90 minutes.

 

[Rob-D]

I don't know Jeffster. We have hardpan here which is brutal on digging (two rocks for every dirt, as the expression goes!) and I've pulled out some 6 to 8" maples here with a little work, certainly not as fast as the dozer and when I had an acre of stumps and leveling to do I called my excavator in for the day. But a stump now and then that you can take your time on if you're retired like me isn't a bad thing and I have fun at it, business is closed and there's no clock running here so it's just seat time in the tractor.

There's just a technique to doing it. Most people start too close to the trunk. You have to work from the outside in, usually I start out about three feet to catch the roots because that's what keeps the stump from moving. Once the stump moves there isn't much to it and my little 46 hoe moved it around ok. I'm sure the 485 that's on the way will do what ever I need, just takes some time.

Rob

 

[jeffster]

Rob, I hear you, so don't get me wrong. I could definitely pull out some stumps with my tractor if I had enough time to do it, so I probably should have clarified that in my response. I know I have managed to blow two hydraulic lines in the 550 getting too greedy while digging fir stumps. But, if you were really patient like you said, you could do it with almost anything I suppose. For whatever reason, it seems like I am always in a hurry to get stuff done so I can move on to the next chore. I think you have the secret though, maybe my problem is I need to retire so I can enjoy my tractor more. Wonder if my wife will buy it...

 

[Rob-D]

Rob, I hear you, so don't get me wrong. I could definitely pull out some stumps with my tractor if I had enough time to do it, so I probably should have clarified that in my response. I know I have managed to blow two hydraulic lines in the 550 getting too greedy while digging fir stumps. But, if you were really patient like you said, you could do it with almost anything I suppose. For whatever reason, it seems like I am always in a hurry to get stuff done so I can move on to the next chore. I think you have the secret though, maybe my problem is I need to retire so I can enjoy my tractor more. Wonder if my wife will buy it...

Jeffster,

Being on my tractor is one of the things I truly enjoy. Take the time to smell the flowers, otherwise what's it all about?

"Time isn't money, time is life and what you do with your time, you do with your life."

Rob

 

[Brice Stultz]

Be careful pulling with the drawbar. If you get good traction, the tractor can flip backwards. It can rotate around the axle. Run the cable in from the front and pull in reverse.

 

[Andy in Gap]

If you can get your hands on a middle buster, you can use the 3 pt hitch to break through the roots holding the stumps in the ground. Might be slow going, but it should work if you can get under the roots. Just go slow because you will lift the front of the tractor if the root doesn't break right away.

 

[flusher]

Hi all,

I have half a dozen stumps to remove, about 6 to 10 inches in diameter. I did a search on the forum and all I could find is recommendations to use a dozer to remove stumps. Thing is I don't really want to rent a dozer for such a small job. How safe would it be to attach a chain to the hitch of my 2720 and pull the stumps out? Would it work?

If it doesn't work I guess I'll just cut/grind them and forget about it, but I'm mostly worried about bending/breaking something on the tractor in the process of trying... I don't really know how sturdy it is!

Thanks,


- Jeff

It took me quite a bit of digging and root cutting to get this old almond tree out of the ground. Used my 1964 MF135 diesel to yank it out via the drawbar once the lateral roots were severed.



Those rears are Goodrich 6-ply 18.4-16A tires (18"wide, 16" dia rims, 40" tall overall) and are filled with water (as are the front tires).

Just be careful pulling from the drawbar. It's safer to dig a little more and cut a few more roots than you think necessary rather than trying to yank the stump prematurely.

 

[LD1]

Be careful pulling with the drawbar. If you get good traction, the tractor can flip backwards. It can rotate around the axle. Run the cable in from the front and pull in reverse.

This is not good advice at all. It has been hashed out here on this forum severl times.

Quite simply, tractors are designed to pull, and the engineers/tractor manufactures design the drawbar to do just that. You dont see them putting drawbars or hooks on the front for pulling. You risk seriously breaking or damaging something.

Just to clarify that we are talking about the kind of drawbars that hook under the rear axle and NOT the ones that hook to the 3PH.

If Pulling frome the drawbar were really as dangerous as some people claim it to be, the govt would be all over the tractor companies.

 

[rmully]

Be careful pulling with the drawbar. If you get good traction, the tractor can flip backwards. It can rotate around the axle. Run the cable in from the front and pull in reverse.

This is great advise ...I learned the hard way but the tractor did not go over but almost. What i have done with stumps is dig around the base to expose the roots then put the chain under one root and pull. After a few roots are pulled up you can try the stump