Titan stump bucket review?

[lennyzx11]

Have any of you guys had a chance to try this with some action photos taken?

Titan Stump Bucket Tree Scoop Digger Skid Steer Bobcat Attachment Pull

I need to dig up some stumps(about 50) about 10-12" or smaller of mostly elm, oak, and cedars. I understand that I'll need to cut roots.

And I have to dig a footing for a shop extension about 24x20. and dig a trench for water and power line about 100 ft long.

I was going to rent a trencher or mini excavator but this might get what I need done if a bit slower.

This is going on a L3301.

Comments welcomed!

Lenny

 

[joeu235]

I have a Skid Pro stump bucket. It weighs about 400 pounds, which is close to 3x the Titan. My Skid Pro is indestructible, the Titan looks a little lightweight to me, but I have no direct experience.

 

[Fallon]

I have pallet forks & a bucket spade on the same machine (L3200). That bucket is $100-200 more than my bucket spade. Not sure how that matches up with my spade, but I guess a little skinnier (more digging weight per inch). The sides will make it stronger. I've been keeping an eye out for a dirt cheap garage sale stump bucket to upgrade my bucket spade.

My machine is barely enough to run the bucket spade, but it gets the job done. 15 min to dig a big hole to plant our live Christmas tree. Planted a few. Dug 20' of trench for a downspout. It's no backhoe or mini-ex as you need to move the whole machine & turn to dump spoils. It's also 10-20 times cheaper than buying a backhoe & about the same as renting a mini-ex for a day. It's handy for some small tasks not worth renting or buying a real machine for.

I really can't dig much more than 2-3' down, even with the long forks + bucket spade. The 20' of 1' deep trench took maybe half an hour. A hoe or mini-ex would have been 10-15 minutes tops.

Personally I like mine for the small tasks, but would rent a mini-ex or trencher for your tasks. I'm planning on renting a trencher for burying 300' of conduit 18" down at the end of summer. Will be much less tearing up of the ground & an afternoon rather than a couple weekends with the spade.

 

[Maxify55]

Your 3301 will not do the job you expect.

Even if you had a backhoe on it, you'd still be there forever and a day popping those stumps.

Rent a tracked excavator for a few days.

You'll be glad you did.

it's much more efficient at digging than your tractor ever thought of being.

It all comes down to specifics.

Get the right tool for the job and quit trying to save a buck or two.

Take it from a bunch of old guys who've all made the mistake you're talking about making.

You're always free to attempt to prove us wrong but take your time.

 

[Code54]

The stump buckets work but are some real work on your tractor. I had one and ended up selling it. It really puts a LOT of pressure on the loader arms and I didn't really care for that (I have a MX5100).

I personally would use a Mini Ex (Rental around us is about $225 for the day out the door(8 hrs on the clock)) - I have a smaller mini Ex and it will dig a stump out in no time compared to a tractor with an attachment on the loader and without risking any damage to the machine.

 

[lennyzx11]

Your 3301 will not do the job you expect.

Even if you had a backhoe on it, you'd still be there forever and a day popping those stumps.

Rent a tracked excavator for a few days.

You'll be glad you did.

it's much more efficient at digging than your tractor ever thought of being.

It all comes down to specifics.

Get the right tool for the job and quit trying to save a buck or two.

Take it from a bunch of old guys who've all made the mistake you're talking about making.

You're always free to attempt to prove us wrong but take your time.

I'm not so much as trying to save a buck or two. It takes me a while as I have only a few days at a time at home to work to get things done and pulling stumps seems to take forever.
This is an ongoing project that'll last years.

With what a rental would cost me for multiple days/times, that would go a long way toward a purchase of a used mini ex.
I hate renting and if I have to rent more than a couple times, I think of buying.

I'm still trying to decide if it's a WANT or a NEED <laughing> for a mini ex.
I don't want a backhoe on the 3301.
I've thought of getting a used regular backhoe but the mini ex seems more versatile. But then there's two machines on the place and only one butt.

In my rocky ground, I had already suspected that the stump bucket and 3301 would be too light but wasn't sure.
Slow going is ok if it works. But not abusing and tearing stuff up doing it I agree.

 

[TractorGuy]

Here are a couple of vids of the thing in use. Looks like a good way to tweak/ruin a loader to me but I have no personal experience with it.

Titan HD Stump Bucket Tree Scoop Digger Skid Steer Bobcat Attachment with Teeth - YouTube

Kubota stump bucket - YouTube

For 50 stumps I would rent an excavator for a weekly rate. I would get the largest one they have with a thumb, grading blade, and a 12" bucket.

I rented a 7000 lb Mini Ex and got about half that many done in a weekend. I had 5 acres of stumps so I decided to go ahead and buy a backhoe. Still not sure that will work out for me but I am making some progress. Spent as much time and money working on the old equipment as I have working in it. I could still use a second tractor with a root rake/grapple but I will have to get by with what I have for now.

 

[rswyan]

lenny,

I have a shrub/stump bucket I built that is very similar to the one you're looking at. Works great for transplanting stuff.

For your anticipated uses, go with a mini-ex.

 

[Deerherd]

That video 855guy posted on the HD Titan was me. It worked pretty good for what it is but I believe it's actually a larger model than what you are looking at and plus I'm using it with a larger tractor. It would be a lot for your size tractor. I ran into lots of stumps the stump bucket couldn't tackle.

I think it would best if you just took that money and put it down on that new mini-ex you have been wanting anyway. That's what I did and the difference is night and day! Yes, there is a few thousand dollars difference to contend with but you are the man of the house!

Or you could just rent........but that's a lot of stumps! How are you going to get that time allotted to dig 50 stumps? But if you owned a Mini-ex any time you get free time you could just jump on it and dig. No transportation headaches, renting the rainiest week of the month luck etc.

Yeah, it's best to just buy it and get it over with. Ultimately your wife will be happier too. Ok, I only have two EX wives so try that one at your own risk. This is the Internet you know......

 

[lennyzx11]

Yes. I got three ex's.
I agree with your reasoning completely.

Though if you listen to my dearest, I may have tried her patience once or twice already over "that d**n tractor!"

Glad she's a forgiving person...

Hmmm. I'm off to web window shop mini excavators. That'll make a perfect anniversary present I think.