Removing small stumps

/ Removing small stumps #1  

dbrauner

New member
Joined
Jul 17, 2004
Messages
12
Location
Central North Carolina
Tractor
JD 670
Is there anything I can use to remove small (<4" diameter)? My bucket doesn't seem to do too much. I have a JD 4310 with a 430 FEL. Maybe a subsoiler or something that digs a little?
 
/ Removing small stumps #2  
I have a subsoiler foot with a horizontal cutter wing welded to the bottom of the foot. It's about 10 inches wide with a sharp front edge. It's good for popping out small stumps. A plain subsoiler will help loosen the stump but the winged subsoiler usually gets it out on the first pass.
Gabby
 
/ Removing small stumps #3  
The best way I've read to remove stumps (sans big backhoe) is to secure them with a heavy chain, then run the chain over a pickup rim so you get a straight up pull, then hook it to your drawbar (nothing higher than that or you risk rear rollover). Put a load of dirt in your FEL to give you more traction.

Many times when I have stuff like this to do, I put Mrs. Bota on the tractor and I do all the chain work. I stand right next to the Bota to make sure she stays safe.

Oh, impress your neighbors by not shouting at each other. We use simple hand signals both tractoring and sailing. Works great. Mostly, it's hard to shout using your hands!

That's what I'd try anyway.

Ron
 
/ Removing small stumps #4  
Hey Ron,
Increase traction by filling the bucket? That one threw me, but I guess it's because none of my tractors have fwd.
Gabby
 
/ Removing small stumps #5  
Uh, well I assumed you had 4WD.

You got me there bud!

Ron
 
/ Removing small stumps #6  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is there anything I can use to remove small (<4" diameter)? My bucket doesn't seem to do too much. I have a JD 4310 with a 430 FEL. Maybe a subsoiler or something that digs a little? )</font>

Toothbar will help you greatly...I removed bigger stumps with a smaller tractor..the toothbar help me dig around the stump, and break the roots...the rest was easy

Duc
 
/ Removing small stumps #7  
Gabby,

Do you happen to have a picture of this "winged subsoiler", or can you find one? I like the sounds of it, but don't think I've ever seen one.

Jim
 
/ Removing small stumps #8  
Sounds a lot like a middle buster to me. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
/ Removing small stumps #9  
Is this the "puppy" that you are talking about?
 

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/ Removing small stumps #10  
Or is it this one?
 

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/ Removing small stumps #11  
Whatever you decide to use, begin your dig out far from the main trunk as the roots there are not as large and aggressive as closer. A toothbar on the bucket is what I used most of the time before I got my backhoe on and now I use that most. But working from the outside in has been a great help in getting them out. I often tie onto the tree, high up, attach to drawbar (keep it low!) and pull them over as much as possible. I can then usually see where the roots are coming up, and I work ever closer into the trunk from there. John
 
/ Removing small stumps #12  
If you already have the small stumps you have gotten some good suggestions on how to get them out...

But if you have future stumps, with trees still attached to them, then within limits I have found it best to push the trees over with my loader, and in doing so, cause the stumps and maybe half of the roots to pop out of the ground. Then a push with the loader, expecially if you have a tooth bar on it, with a little lift can pop the whole works out of the ground.

Tree is out and you never got to the point of having to deal with a stump!

A second advantage of doing it this way, is you can get most of the dirt off the roots, by lifting the base end of the tree up, and dropping it a couple times.

Nothing is 100% foolproof though. Sometimes a tree will break off (or just bend) and you have to deal with the stump.

Just throwing this out for consideration. Myself, after getting my tractor, I cut off a number of small trees before realizing it would be better cut them up AFTER I popped the whole works out of the ground... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
/ Removing small stumps #13  
dbrauner,

Please tell us a little more.
When you say you're bucket doesn't seem to do much, what's the issue?
How tall is the stump?
What kind of tree is it? (If it's elm, not sure much of anything can get it out easily)
What kind of ground are you digging in?

My tractor is smaller than yours yet I can normally remove stumps much larger than 4" using only the loader. When possible, I use the approach Henro stated but I can't do on anything very large (greater than about 6-8").
 
/ Removing small stumps #14  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is there anything I can use to remove small (<4" diameter)? My bucket doesn't seem to do too much. I have a JD 4310 with a 430 FEL. Maybe a subsoiler or something that digs a little? )</font>

Now that the handle is gone (the tree), it's hard to deal with stumps. If they are tall enough to get a chain onto them, do this:

Back up 3' from the stump, angle the loader 20-30 Deg. downward, and try to cut the roots. Do this in 4-6 places around the stump. If you can cut quite a few roots, your can then pull it out with a chain. You may have to use a fulcrum, like as a 3-5' piece of cross tie. Cut a notch for your chain in 1 end of the tie. Attach the chain, take just enough slack out of it so the fulcrum is tight standing up about 2 feet from the stump. This puts an upward pull on the stump.

Good luck. Next time, leave the handles on, or cut them lower than brush hogging height. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
/ Removing small stumps #15  
The wing runs horizontally beneath the ground. It's welded to the bottom of the subsoiler foot. It's a piece of motor grader blade with a sharp front edge. My digicam is dead so I can't post a picture. It's nothing like a middlebuster.
Gabby
 
/ Removing small stumps
  • Thread Starter
#17  
Hello Bczoom,

I can probably do it with my FEL, bucket & toothbar. I started to try to push some of them but they wouldn't budge. I need to try to use the teeth to dig a little more and see if that works. I had no idea that I could potentially be able to push over the trees. Most of these small ones are gum ball trees, not sure what the proper name is.
 
/ Removing small stumps #18  
Best never to cut a sweet gum. They're really tough to kill if you don't get roots out. Small ones uproot easily if you leave top for leverage.
 
 

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