Removing A stump

[BobRip]

I saw a post where somebody had dug up a stump with their backhoe and I thought that I would try it. I did not realize how big or heavy it was until I tried lifting one end with a 3.5 ton high lift jack. I will probably just stump grind it.

Thanks for the comments.

Bob Rip

 

[BobRip]

Since it is only about 40 feet from the house and in a woods I am reluctant to burn it. I think it would take many days to burn. We also have fire restrictions right now.

Bob Rip

 

[BobRip]

I tried using the stump grinder. It sure cuts slowly. It also thows a lot of dust at me. I am going to try having a fan blow air at the grinder to keep me a little cleaner.

The stump has been drying for about 18 months. Does this make it tougher?

Bob Rip

 

[menchhofer]

Green or live wood cuts better than dry. Check to see if your grinder teeth still have an "edge" on them. If they are rounded, then they are dull and will not cut very well.

Usually the size of your chips indicate how sharp your teeth are. If the chips are sawdust size or very small then you are hammering both the grinder and the PT with serious vibration.

If the chips are long and stringy, then your teeth are in good shape. The sharpness of your teeth can last 1-2 hrs of grinding or they may maintain their edge for 10 hrs or more. Rocks, steel fence posts, etc are your enemies and will dull the teeth quickly.

Teeth can be re-sharpened but it takes a carbide wheel and experience to get it done. I hope your grinder has replaceable teeth and they are not welded on.

Grinding with dull teeth stresses your entire system and should be avoided....

 

[BobRip]

I have a lot more than 10 hours on the stump grinder. I am getting sawdust size stuff. The teeth are not replaceable. I am planning a trip to Tazewell in a few weeks, maybe I can get them sharpened then.

Bob Rip

 

[Phils]

You may want to pick up a new grinder wheel at your Tazwell visit. The new models have replaceable teeth. I have WAY more than 10 hours on my grinder and it is still sharp, throwing large chunks of stump.

You haven't reversed the rotation of yours? You still have it hurling debris at the operator? I can't say "it grinds as well either direction" ONLY because I never tried it in the stock configeration. However, it does a GREAT job in the "reverse" mode, throwing 99% away from you and your PT. Safety glasses are still required for that occasional chunk that somehow makes it all the way back and bounces off the operator.

I have ground down some stumps about the size of the one you are tackling (some pine, some oak). It's not quick tho, taking a couple of hours for one that big.

Phil

 

[BobRip]

Mine will not reverse. I think a new wheel would be a good option. I would love to reverse the wheel.
I may have 50 or more hours on the stump grinder, so it's time.

Bob Rip

 

[BobRip]

I had a party for the neighbors last night and several noticed my stump. One said he would come over and give me a hand. He can add his equipment to mine. So we wil try two high lift jacks, one or two comealongs, and two tractors.

Another neighbor offered the use of his really big tractor when he next has it in the neighborhood.

Two good options and much more than two good neighbors.

Bob Rip

 

[BobRip]

Well the neighbor came over and brought his 20 HP John Deer tractor, some cable, and a high lift jack. Using his high lift jack and one of my own to push up one side of the stump along with pulling with the John Deer and using a come along tied to a tree as well as pushing with the PT422 and its minhoe we got the stump out in about 3 hours. Once we got the stump on its side we used one of the high lift jacks in parallel with the come along and the John Deer and the PT to pull and push it out of the hole. My next step is to power wash the stump, hoping that this will reduce the weight enough so that I can drag it back to the burn pile.

If you asked what we used to do this the simplest answer is everthing I had and then that in additon to everything that somebody else had.

Thanks for all of the advice here.

Bob Rip

 

[BillCroasmun]

Bob,
This reminds me of a large stump my brother and I removed from my parents house a few years back. Once we got it out I used an old Jeep CJ to drag it to my fathers burn pile and he spent a few months trying to burn it with very little progress. He tried burning it from underneath, on top of, all around and it would only burn so much before the rest of the fire was all burned up and it would go out. Finally one day when he had a good hot coal base on one side of the stump he took an extension cord and an old box fan out next to the stump and it was amazing! That box fan blowing right on the hot coals of the stump just kept it bright red and he left it run all night and into the next day. In about 18 hrs it burned out more than the three months of fires burning around it did!