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

[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.