OP needs to buy a BX to do the job!
dodge man
Super Star Member
No. Maxing out lift capacity or hyd relief valve wont do much damage if your not continously doing it for hours on end.
Next time leave the stumps 6'+ tall or just push the whole tree over. A stump is alot harder to get out with out the leverage of the tree still attached.
rScotty
Super Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2001
- Messages
- 9,416
- Location
- Rural mountains - Colorado
- Tractor
- Kubota M59, JD530, JD310SG. Restoring Yanmar YM165D
No. You will not damage the tractor by using the 3pt lift to its max as long as the tractor is not also moving. Just sitting there attached to the stump and lifting with the 3pt is fine. At max pressure and lift there is a hydraulic relief valve that you may hear chatter and whine as it limits the hydaulic force. That is what it is there for and it keeps anything from being damaged.
So you will NOT hurt the tractor by trying to pull the stumps with the 3pt lift while you are sitting there and not moving...
BUT ! If you try to lift the stump while also pulling with the tractor then you stand a real risk of causing the tractor to rear up. That is very dangerous and happens really fast. Whether it rears or not depends on how much weight out front that you have, and the factory setting on that relief valve, and just how you are hooked up to the stump.
So be ready for that. Using any tractor to pull on something that won't move may lift or lighten the front end of the tractor and cause it to rear. It's a major hazard with any tractor. Go very slow with any pull and watch for that. Do not snatch the chain slack. And always use a chain instead of a strap.
If it starts to rear, quickly stop the lift and just set the front down easily.
And if you just feeln like you have to pull on something by driving forward, run the pulling chain to the drawbar instead of the 3pt. The drawbar is lower down and built for pulling forward.
Luck, rScotty
Agree with all the previous suggestions, particularly on safety. And a properly anchored block and tackle pulley system is awesome. But you can take down even really large trees with a full size backhoe, if you go at it right.
I have taken out fence lines with many trees in them by first looking at how the tree is anchored by its root system - some almost have a taproot, but many, like wild cherry, have large root "leaders" you can identify at its base. That's your target. I have an old, worn out, Case 580C here on the farm and by making four (sometimes less) re-positions and cutting the leaders out 5-8 feet from the base, you can do this. Once the tree is weakened in this manner, use the dipper/stick higher on the tree to push it over. As it begins to move, you may see other roots you might have to attend to, though, to get it to go.
I will admit after years of doing this, I don't cut the tree first. Not as safe, admittedly - first, you need to pay attention to which way the tree wants to go and an old 580C weighs 15-17K (that's your friend). In any case, leave a long enough trunk to use as a lever for the backhoe's stick. And never get in a position to allow the tree to act as a compressed spring acting in the direction of the backhoe. Take it slow.
I would never attempt this with a tractor type backhoe or a lighter backhoe. And spring rains are your friend in these projects. If you don't feel comfortable with a full size backhoe, though, take it slow, try smaller trees, and be safe. Cutting root leaders will work with the stumps, too and the bucket breakout force can be used to uproot the stump even at ground level.
If you want some new skills, why not rent a backhoe and ask them for the name of an experienced operator? Well worth the price of a few hours instruction to learn backhoe basics. You'll use these skills more than you would think.
Be safe, above all...
I have taken out fence lines with many trees in them by first looking at how the tree is anchored by its root system - some almost have a taproot, but many, like wild cherry, have large root "leaders" you can identify at its base. That's your target. I have an old, worn out, Case 580C here on the farm and by making four (sometimes less) re-positions and cutting the leaders out 5-8 feet from the base, you can do this. Once the tree is weakened in this manner, use the dipper/stick higher on the tree to push it over. As it begins to move, you may see other roots you might have to attend to, though, to get it to go.
I will admit after years of doing this, I don't cut the tree first. Not as safe, admittedly - first, you need to pay attention to which way the tree wants to go and an old 580C weighs 15-17K (that's your friend). In any case, leave a long enough trunk to use as a lever for the backhoe's stick. And never get in a position to allow the tree to act as a compressed spring acting in the direction of the backhoe. Take it slow.
I would never attempt this with a tractor type backhoe or a lighter backhoe. And spring rains are your friend in these projects. If you don't feel comfortable with a full size backhoe, though, take it slow, try smaller trees, and be safe. Cutting root leaders will work with the stumps, too and the bucket breakout force can be used to uproot the stump even at ground level.
If you want some new skills, why not rent a backhoe and ask them for the name of an experienced operator? Well worth the price of a few hours instruction to learn backhoe basics. You'll use these skills more than you would think.
Be safe, above all...