Trying to remove 50 inch oak tree stump with Bobcat backhoe. Struggling

[clydesdale]

I screwed up and did not tell the tree guy to leave me a 4 foot stump. He cut it low. So, here I am. This thing grew on a rock ledge. I have trenched around it, but I can't get it to budge. Any suggestions? Burn it?

 

[LittleBill21]

drill holes, fill with diesel, couple bags of charcoal and a big bucket to cook it over a couple days

 

[5030]

Works like a charm and smells good too.

 

[mikester]

You want a minimum CAT420 sized backhoe, a 20ton excavator preferred to yank out that puppy. Oak roots go deep.

You need to dig way deeper than you have gone so far.

 

[MossRoad]

Burn it. Those rocks look pretty large.

 

[ruffdog]

That's a tough one for sure. I had to cut down a dead oak that grew up on a rock pile and it was a mess. There were rocks INSIDE the tree that the tree grew around.

 

[Diggin It]

Four foot above ground wouldn't have helped.

If for some reason you can't or don't want to burn it, cut it as low as you can below ground level and bury it.

 

[Rebeldad1]

if your bobcat is too small you may have to step up to something bigger.... like a tiger.

 

[BigBlue1]

Four foot above ground wouldn't have helped.

If for some reason you can't or don't want to burn it, cut it as low as you can below ground level and bury it.

Since the ground is very rocky it seems unlikely that you'll end up with a hole as the stump decays, so this advice to cut below the surface and bury seems to be the easiest and best way forward.

Rob

 

[clydesdale]

I ordered potassium nitrate off of Amazon last night. From what I read, I can fill the cracks with that then add hot water to dissolve and soak into the wood. Then light it up. I like the idea of adding the charcoal as well. I really don't want to cut it. There are areas where rock is in it and areas without rock. It is a mess. I read that oak roots are 18 inches below surface. It does seem like they go deeper than that though. I think the issue here is that they weave in and out of the ledge.
Any experience with the Potassium Nitrate?

 

[cwbyeng1300]

Drill as big a hole as youcan in the center of the stump, then another hole from the side angled down into the center hole, fill with diesel until it runs out of the hole on the side. Let is soak for a day, then light it up & it will burn down from the inside out.

 

[sea2summit]

Like everyone else said, burn it. But bring a snickers or seven of'em even.

 

[TractorGuy]

Keep digging until it falls over in the hole.

 

[California]

Drill as big a hole as youcan in the center of the stump, then another hole from the side angled down into the center hole, fill with diesel until it runs out of the hole on the side. Let is soak for a day, then light it up & it will burn down from the inside out.

The side hole is for draft, to burn hotter?

 

[Industrial Toys]

If you don't need it gone below ground, grind it off nice and low and backfill. I have seen BIG excavators fight with much smaller stumps, like Elm, even left good and high.

I have never managed to burn big stuff, fresh and wet.

I also, never like to beat up little equipment doing more than they were ever intended to do.

 

[MossRoad]

The side hole is for draft, to burn hotter?

Yes.

 

[Sonny580]

The down hole is the chimney and the side hole is the draft,---making a rocket stove out of the stump! It will work!

 

[Erik M]

Some 60% dynamite and a pry bar was a quick and effective solution before 9/11 made it so difficult to get explosives. Burning is safer and less likely to bring the heat and light into your yard

 

[California]

A friend learned he needed a couple more units for his degree and any elective would do. He chose the Stumpblasting course! Oregon State U, as I recall.

 

[pjbci]

If that stump is anywhere close to 50 inches, you are not going to get it out even if you ever move it. Also the root depth depends on the tree and the soil. Some oaks go very deep here (water/pin oak) and others (white and red) sometimes barely go a foot. My 140 would eventually get that stump turned over then take another 30 mins knocking dirt loose just to get it out of the hole. Somebody mentioned a 320 or 200. My 200 could handle it but it wouldnt be easy and would still have to knock dirt off just to get it out of the hole.

 

[Diggin It]

Some 60% dynamite and a pry bar was a quick and effective solution before ...

A friend learned he needed a couple more units for his degree and any elective would do. He chose the Stumpblasting course!

One of these days, Bang, Zoom, Straight to the Moon!

 

[DieselBound]

I've had plenty of exposure to dealing with stumps. Burning has not been one that has gone well. I mainly dig them up and bury them.

That started out as a THREE tree clump (the trees had been cut by someone else; likely years previously): small, medium and LARGE. I got all but the LARGE stump pulled using my B7800 and truck. LOTS of manual work: digging by hand; using a splitting maul and a hydraulic jack to split the medium and large stumps apart. I finished it off with a rented excavator (small). Oh yeah, I managed to drop my B7800 next to the stump, wedged and had to get my truck to pull the B7800 out! (lessons that taught me the value of renting excavators to dig with, renting bigger ones at that!)

I've done MUCH bigger stuff, but only using a larger excavator: NOT going to post those pictures!

 

[CoyPatton]

Yes.

Look up rocket stove. Dame general ideal

 

[clydesdale]

Yes, I fully understand that I have brought a knife to a gun fight. Yes, the real reason I have given up is that I don't want to break my Bobcat toy. It has been too good to me. So, potassium nitrate and chimney stove concept it is.

 

[TKBlanc]

I screwed up and did not tell the tree guy to leave me a 4 foot stump. He cut it low. So, here I am. This thing grew on a rock ledge. I have trenched around it, but I can't get it to budge. Any suggestions? Burn it? View attachment 697306

Could you cut it below grade at this point? Or rip it down into sections you can try to pull of with your excavator? Might not get all of it, but I'd you get enough of it to bury the rest...

 

[MossRoad]

Good luck. Take pictures.

 

[DDW OREGON]

four choices
Stump grinder
Burn it
Pool Acid, in drilled holes
ripper tooth on a Bobcat E80 excavator

I only have a photo of the Bobcat 331 ripper tooth.

 

[Baby Grand]

42" breast high red maple:

Spike, the resident skogcat, inspects the job:

3 days and nights a-burnin':

Still too big to lift, but I was able to get the bucket inside the burned out part, with the teeth pointing down, and split it into smaller pieces:

 

[Garson]

I ordered potassium nitrate off of Amazon last night. From what I read, I can fill the cracks with that then add hot water to dissolve and soak into the wood. Then light it up. I like the idea of adding the charcoal as well. I really don't want to cut it. There are areas where rock is in it and areas without rock. It is a mess. I read that oak roots are 18 inches below surface. It does seem like they go deeper than that though. I think the issue here is that they weave in and out of the ledge.
Any experience with the Potassium Nitrate?

Yes, Potassium nitrate will make it disappear. I used "Stump-Out" on a 3' diameter stump next to my house. Cut the tree down leaving the stump 4" above the ground, drilled a dozen 1" holes 8" deep and filled them with stump-out, added diesel fuel a few times over a month period, all per the instructions on the box. Then applied a last soaking of diesel fuel and lit it. It smouldered for several days and the stump was completely below ground level. It was still smouldering until covering it will fill. It's almost magic.

 

[Diggin It]

I would think your namesakes would make short work of that little sliver in the ground:

 

[jdeilus]

I had a few pines that the the roots go straight down. I always cut the stump below ground level then fill it in.

 

[Gord Baker]

I screwed up and did not tell the tree guy to leave me a 4 foot stump. He cut it low. So, here I am. This thing grew on a rock ledge. I have trenched around it, but I can't get it to budge. Any suggestions? Burn it? View attachment 697306

Order in a 10 yard load of topsoil and cover it. Done.

 

[JimInGeorgia]

That is why God created Tannerite. Legal too.

 

[shooterdon]

You are on the right path to try to burn it. Will be interesting to see how it works.

 

[ljjhouser]

I screwed up and did not tell the tree guy to leave me a 4 foot stump. He cut it low. So, here I am. This thing grew on a rock ledge. I have trenched around it, but I can't get it to budge. Any suggestions? Burn it? View attachment 697306

You forgot the first step.. Use dynomite. But I would use the LittleBill method to burn. Larry

 

[ljjhouser]

You forgot the first step.. Use dynomite. But I would use the LittleBill method to burn. Larry

Clydesdale.....I think I read somewhere to drill 1/2" about 5" deep, about 4" apart and fill with KNO3. Should take about 10 weeks to rot stump. I have never use that, but it sounds good.
Best Wishes, Larry

 

[gejandsons]

Cut low and grind it or burn it. Burning attempts harden it and keep the insects away so rot will be hindered.

 

[clydesdale]

I drilled a couple of test holes so far. I bought a couple of different ship auger bits. It looks like the Warrior Harobor Freight 1 inch diameter 18 inch long bit is the one. They have a better Hercules bit, but you can't back it out. The thing is so aggressive it just pulls you in more and more, until it is stuck. I also had to buy a better drill of HF. I had to step up to their D handle heavy duty. My regular dewalt electic and 20v drills did not have enough torque. So, I am now using a 9 amp drill and that works. So, I will drill a bunch of holes and some horizontal holes to intersect, then apply potassium nitrate and we will burn it later in the week.

 

[clydesdale]

The holes are drilled and potassium phosphate, with a boiling hot water chaser has been added to each hole and the big central rotted area. I will wait a few weeks and then apply diesel and light it.

 

[clydesdale]

OK folks, I have an update. After having to burn this thing for 5 days, I was able to burn the roots enough to loosen the grip. It was sitting on a rock ledge as expected. The was able to flip it on its side with my backhoe attachment. But, now what? The thing weighs too much to lift up. We power washed the bottom and I think I have to burn it like this now.

 

[clydesdale]

Here is what the underside looks like. I am hoping to burn it in this position. Maybe that will allow the flames to climb. The problem with the burning so far is that I had to burn a lot of wood around the stump in order to burn the stump. I had to pile wood around it. Now, like this, I am hoping the flames will climb up the back of this thing. Other advice?

 

[Cataclysm]

Containing the heat with a few pieces of tin or metal with help with the burn.

 

[BackRoad]

Stumps can be hard, although can you cut it in half, else quarters with a chainsaw and lift it out?

That may actually be faster, more effective than burning at this point.

 

[TractorTYMe]

Only if you have a bar/chain you can sacrifice to the tree gods. LOL

 

[blee03]

Chain it up and drag it back in the woods somewhere. If you have a large hole to fill in you could use the stump as filler

 

[clydesdale]

Yeah, I think I am going to ditch the burn idea. I think power washing and using the chain saw is the way to go. Draging it could work to. But, I would like to get it into manageable pieces that I can grapple with my smaller skid steer. Thanks.

 

[k0ua]

if your bobcat is too small you may have to step up to something bigger.... like a tiger.

Maybe even a sabre toothed tiger !

 

[k0ua]

You could add some Sulphur and charcoal to your potassium nitrate, Mix well, and when you light it be sure to "retire quickly".

 

[Richard]

One nice thing about seeing a thread like this, late in the process is, I got to read the start.....and got caught up to the end pretty quickly!!

I've burned stumps like that before (though typically smaller) and I've learned that 'for me', a stump like that would probably take three fires to completely get rid of it. I don't do anything special, just pile things up in a wide space and light it.

I personally would burn it.....well....because I enjoy burning things!! I'd not want to bury it and have it possibly create a depression later on or, maybe become a hideout for yellow jackets (I had a stump do that once and I got nine stings on my face)

Either way, keep plugging at it, job well done!!

 

[muttiwilson]

I recently dug out a multi trunked Alder with my EX60 and it took a minute. They are always bigger and go deeper than you think. I'd have left it but it was right in the way of my friend's future driveway. We just pushed this out into the woods to let nature do it's thing.