Stump removal advice

[wedge40]

Many thanks to all for taking the time to reply. Very helpful and much appreciated.
What is a "10K" excavator ?
And if a bulldozer is used, is there any particular technique to pull stumps or is it pretty obvious once you start playing ? Do you drive at the stump catching it at top for most leverage all the way around the stump from different directions to loosen it ? Do you use the blade and try to dig up from below ground, hook roots and lift, etc. or is it pretty straightforward, e.g. "charge" ?

Bob

I still have read any difference between bulldozer and excavator? Anybody have any ball park figures for renting one over the weekend?. $500, $1000, $5000?

Wedge

 

[Ken45101]

I still have read any difference between bulldozer and excavator? Anybody have any ball park figures for renting one over the weekend?. $500, $1000, $5000?

Wedge

Mini excavators in the 8-12K range rent for $200-250/day here, $800/week. Currently I'm renting a Kubota KX-121 with the thought of buying one.

I don't know about dozers, but I'd guess they'd be somewhat higher.

Remember, with either one, you will have a learning curve and won't be nearly as effective as an experienced operator.

Seriously, if you are considering the bulldozer approach, you might look for a contractor to do it for you. Many are looking for work these days and can probably do it cheaper (with their experience) than you can rent a dozer.

Ken

 

[wedge40]

Mini excavators in the 8-12K range rent for $200-250/day here, $800/week. Currently I'm renting a Kubota KX-121 with the thought of buying one.

I don't know about dozers, but I'd guess they'd be somewhat higher.

Remember, with either one, you will have a learning curve and won't be nearly as effective as an experienced operator.

Seriously, if you are considering the bulldozer approach, you might look for a contractor to do it for you. Many are looking for work these days and can probably do it cheaper (with their experience) than you can rent a dozer.

Ken

So excavator is a backhoe?

Wedge

 

[dking]

So excavator is a backhoe?

Wedge

well, yes, they do the same thing but an excavator can come in some huge sizes. I'd say either would get your job done. Oak stumps can be welded into the ground, I had some 20-30 inch stumps that nothing in the world would push over, I dug them out with a backhoe. Cedars have less roots.

 

[ZetorShaun]

I paid 1200 for a week with the bulldozer, I think and excavator would have been better. That was delivered and picked up.

Go to the rental company, check out what type they have and which one you feel most comfortable with. Lock it in, the rental company I dealt with rented to large commercial construction companies too, they could have come by and rented one at anytime so I put a small deposit down to lock it in. They gave me lessons in their yard.

I also needed an endorsement from my homeowners insurance so check on that.

Also, if you do not have a large diesel fuel tank stockpile some, you will use a lot of diesel fuel.

In the end, the local earth moving company could have done better in one day with an excavator for the same price. I enjoyed the bulldozer but I think it would have been better to just hire the professionals and I could have led them to the areas, let them knock it out, and enjoyed the show.

Sometimes it is better to let the pros do it, depending on the amount of time you have and how much you want to muck about on your own. I will hire a pro for the next mission, I will not rent. If I plan on working the stumps, clearing or leveling seriously then I will spend the $10K and try and get a old reliable dozer for good.

Remember safety, you have to be careful of your 360 degrees, in my case watch for rollover, and just plain old situational awareness.

 

[sixdogs]

Depending on your desire for seat time you could also purchase a small 3 PT backhoe yourself. You could have fun, get lots of seat time and still have a backhoe when done. I have done this type of thing over the years and now have a stable of basically "free" equipment.
As mentioned, some stumps come out hard but yours don't sound too big.

Just another thought to toss in.

 

[ETD66SS]

In the last 4 years I have removed over 1000 stumps at my lot.

I own a Ford 575D backhoe, a CAT D6C Dozer (15 ton), and a CAT 225 (25 ton) excavator.

I used all of them to pull stumps, however, the soil type, tree species and stump size has a lot to do with which machine to use.

Any evergreen tree in sandy soil, no matter how big in diameter, is really easy for a dozer to just pull up to and lever it out of the ground with the blade raised.

Yet, the same dozer with a 12" diameter Maple tree in soil with more clay, will not come out as easy, and you beat the **** out of the machine. It's better to use a backhoe, or an excavator...

An excavator is definitely easier to maneuver around the stump that a backhoe is. I'd recommend an excavator no smaller than say A cat 305.

Again, depending on the soil & tree species, the dirt ball that accompanies the stump is another issue. A cat 305 may be able to dig around the stump and shimmy it out of the hole with a ramp, but unlikely to just be able to pick it up with the bucket & thumb, and drop it, if it's a sizeable stump with a large root ball, and heavy clay-type soil.

I had some 24" - 28" diameter silver maple stumps which were about 8 ft in total height with a root ball that was 8-10 ft in diameter, some of those weigh in excess of 20,000 lbs. My CAT 225 with manual thumb could not pick them up, as that machine can only lift 16,000 lbs close in.

You may need to ask at a rental place in your area, tell them soil type & tree species type, and see what they recommend.

 

[Ken45101]

So excavator is a backhoe?

Wedge

They both have "hoes". Normally I think an "excavator" refers to a machine that works primarily with the hoe and is on tracks (sometimes called a "trackhoe"). A backhoe usually is an attachment on a rubber tired tractor (or even a bulldozer) that just does digging. Most backhoes have loader buckets on the front.

Depending on your desire for seat time you could also purchase a small 3 PT backhoe yourself. You could have fun, get lots of seat time and still have a backhoe when done. I have done this type of thing over the years and now have a stable of basically "free" equipment.
As mentioned, some stumps come out hard but yours don't sound too big.

Just another thought to toss in.

Of course it depends on your definition of "small" 3 pt backhoe, but I have a Kubota B21 TLB (tractor-loader-backhoe) and even 6" stumps require a lot of effort to dig out (clay, rocks and hardwoods). It would take a long time to dig out a big stump. But I'm sure that an experienced operator could do better than me

Ken

 

[kthompson]

So excavator is a backhoe?

Wedge

Not exactly the same thing. The excavator has 360 degree rotation, no front bucket, small ones often have a front blade for filling back in dug trenches or such. Normally on tracks.

 

[Ken45101]

I own a Ford 575D backhoe, a CAT D6C Dozer (15 ton), and a CAT 225 (25 ton) excavator.

Wow, you have all the toys. Oops, I meant "tools"

Thanks for your experienced comparison on the different situations.

It's hard to imagine the pioneers clearing the monster trees that covered this part of the country. In some cases, I believe they used blackpowder. Have you considered dynamite?

Ken