Sub Soiler for Stumps

[aerojunkie]

I was poking around youtube the other day and saw a guy using a sub soiler to remove small stumps. Im wanting a backhoe and even have a thread in it, but think I may try this first. I read the Fred Cain one is pretty good. This is a couple hundred instead of $7000 for a backhoe, so im tempted. What do you guys think? Anyone here use a sub soiler for that?

 

[TomSeller]

I was poking around youtube the other day and saw a guy using a sub soiler to remove small stumps. Im wanting a backhoe and even have a thread in it, but think I may try this first. I read the Fred Cain one is pretty good. This is a couple hundred instead of $7000 for a backhoe, so im tempted. What do you guys think? Anyone here use a sub soiler for that?

Certainly would be worth trying to rip small roots, then the stump should come up

 

[stuckmotor]

I once tried to run a subsoiler through the woods to bury some pipe and wasn't very successful, infact, I gave up. I'll try to find the youtube video you mentioned.

 

[TomSeller]

I once tried to run a subsoiler through the woods to bury some pipe and wasn't very successful, infact, I gave up. I'll try to find the youtube video you mentioned.

If through the woods you probably ran into/held up by large roots rather than small ones.

 

[rustyshakelford]

My suggestion about backhoes for your tractor is to figure up every single project around your house you want to get done with it. Take a week off work, pay $1000 for a 12-15k lb trackhoe minimum for a week and knock it out. They are so much quicker and efficient that unless you stretch your projects out for years I can see how to justify the expense. Almost everyone I have seen around here is sitting lop sided in a pasture with grass all around it. Seems more of a novelty that wears off and the owners realize how slow it is to work with. When we need stuff done I just rent the machine. I'm pretty quick on them so I line up about 1.5 days work for it with my neighbors and that will pay the rental, diesel and a little walking around money. They are happy to get it done cheap, and I'm happy to do my stuff for free

Brett

 

[jenkinsph]

My suggestion about backhoes for your tractor is to figure up every single project around your house you want to get done with it. Take a week off work, pay $1000 for a 12-15k lb machine for a week and knock it out. They are so much quicker and efficient that unless you stretch your projects out for years I can see how to justify the expense. Almost everyone I have seen around here is sitting lop sided in a pasture with grass all around it. Seems more of a novelty that wears off and the owners realize how slow it is to work with. When we need stuff done I just rent the machine. I'm pretty quick on them so I line up about 1.5 days work for it with my neighbors and that will pay the rental, diesel and a little walking around money. They are happy to get it done cheap, and I'm happy to do my stuff for free

Brett

My 110tlb does okay but I do not think I would buy anything smaller than the 110 or L45. A larger backhoe can work a lot faster for sure. A used Cat 426 would be nice to have around.

This week I have a larger excavator coming out to dig 1800' of pipeline. I would never attempt that with my little backhoe.

 

[super55]

I have a backhoe and a grapple for removing small trees but the best thing I have found so far at removing small trees with roots included is the Bxpanded toothbar on the bucket. That toothbar works incredibly well at removing stumps less than 4" diameter. It's even easier if the whole tree is still intact. Just drive up to it in low range 4wd and set the bucket about 2' about the ground. Drive slowly fwd while raising the loader and 9 time out of 10 the tree will break loose and fall over.

I don't know how well it would do at grubbing up stumps but if it can bite into it I bet it will work it out.

 

[k0ua]

On larger stumps, after you run your subsoiler and make the 4 square cuts around the tree to break all the roots you can, then take a 6 foot tall A frame and run your chain over that and pull the stump out. This will give you a good mechanical lever advantage to get the stump levered out of the ground.

 

[rustyshakelford]

My 110tlb does okay but I do not think I would buy anything smaller than the 110 or L45. A larger backhoe can work a lot faster for sure. A used Cat 426 would be nice to have around.

This week I have a larger excavator coming out to dig 1800' of pipeline. I would never attempt that with my little backhoe.

I meant to add trackhoe after the weight I listed. The larger back hoes can get a lot done and yours is the perfect size that's easy to haul and not to hard on everything. With a trackhoe, you can turn and burn thru so many stumps people are blown away how quickly you can dig and stack

Brett

 

[ArlyA]

We looked at possibly the same videos and like you, seemed like a sub soiler tooth was worth a try. No, we'll not be able to pull big ones up but the old rotten ones and the smaller ones we hope it can, plus the many, many rocks our trails have. Oh and we plan to get a backhoe attachment just the same.

 

[sixdogs]

My single shank super duty 230 lb ripper and a 90 hp tractor with weights and good tires will rip roots very well. Same ripper with a 45 hp 4wd Kubota doesn't have a chance. I think if you have the weight, traction and an implement you can't hurt, you can rip roots and stumps. Not so with lesser weight and traction. My 90 hp tractor ripped out 6" to 7" or even bigger softwoods with little problem. Hardwoods were more difficult but they came out. Oddly, had I backhoed them with a small backhoe, it would have taken longer with lesser results.

The Cain ripper is meant for dirt and I think stumps would twist it up but that's just my opinion. I think they would work well on rocks.

 

[TomSeller]

Almost everyone I have seen around here is sitting lop sided in a pasture with grass all around it. Seems more of a novelty that wears off and the owners realize how slow it is to work with.

Not mine, I use it every week. A backhoe is very useful for maintenance digging. Bury a cow. Plant a tree. Dig up a waterline leak. Hoisting something up into position......

For serious digging you are correct but a backhoe is so much better than a shovel and wheelbarrow.

 

[CalG]

If you are trying for "tree" size roots, make sure that ripper is STOUT.

I've bent and twisted more than one of the ubiquitous "box blade" tooth blades on my home built "ripper".

Roots are tougher than a lot of steel! ;-)

 

[rScotty]

Not mine, I use it every week. A backhoe is very useful for maintenance digging. Bury a cow. Plant a tree. Dig up a waterline leak. Hoisting something up into position......

For serious digging you are correct but a backhoe is so much better than a shovel and wheelbarrow.

I'm the same way. The backhoe is one of the most used tools we own. But it's only used for digging part of the time. Digging ability is great when needed, but the backhoe is more often used as a crane, or just for generally moving and placing just about anything heavy or awkward.
I agree that a small excavator does a lot of the above and doubtless digs better. But the backhoe is likely to get more chores done just because it travels better. And the larger backhoe with ride control and pretty good road speed is handy for carrying more than a pickup can do.
rScotty