YOUR OPINION: Get a 3pt stump grinder, or get a backhoe for my R4047

[TSO]

Regarding doing side-work with it ... in case I haven't specified yet, this won't be "get rich" money. Basically, my goal would be to take a side job here and there, if work & family schedule allow for it. If, over time, I can make enough cash on side-jobs to pay for the grinder, then I consider that a win. Same would go for the backhoe too, if I could find jobs small enough that it could handle.

Gary, I understand what you're saying about the eventual sink holes beneath a ground stump. I would just have to keep an eye on it and refill it over time I suppose. I would have to bring in a LOT of dirt if I was to fill in the holes that would be left over by digging them all out ... some of these stumps are really big.

 

[k0ua]

Why not get both? Just not at the same time.. Get the grinder, grind out the stumps. Decide if the side business is worth the hassle. If it is not, then sell the grinder, as you said, there are not a lot of them for sale on CL, and they should sell easily for a large percentage of what you have in it. Take the money, and put a few thousand with it, and get the backhoe later if you think you need one. The grinder will probably be the quickest way to get rid of the stumps, without any other immediate dirt fill expense, at the lowest cost. And you should be able to get rid of it to anyone with an appropriate sized tractor of any brand. The backhoe if you decided to get rid of it, is brand and model specific, or at least a range of models, and not so easy to dispose of if you change your mind. Will the backhoe always be useful?.. Maybe, maybe not.. Some guys report their backhoe is off most of the time, and they never use it. Others report using it all the time, and the best investment they ever made. I guess it just depends on how much work you have for it.

James K0UA

 

[Gary Fowler]

For sure, you will have to import some dirt either way you go. With the grinder it will be a year or more later after it rots whereas with the backhoe it would show up immediately with the backfill. I always seem to be able to find enough dirt by scrapping around the stump. Usually the dirt is just misplaced by the roots and just needs to be dug around and leveled up. Holes seem to always be popping up (or would that be down) and require some fill material to be on hand. We dug out some of the pond during the drought 2 years ago and had 2 huge piles of dirt. It is all gone now. If it is dry again next summer it will be time to dig out some more to have a stockpile of fill dirt. Dirt here is for sure not cheap to buy and have delivered.

 

[Pete SkyViewFarm]

I never used a stump grinder but I stumped an area for a hoop barn and paddock area about 120 x 80 in the woods off of my front pasture a few years ago. I was using a 750 woods 3pt backhoe then. There were several 20 inch maple and ash trees and lots of 6-12" stuff. It took up to 2 1/2 hrs each to dig around the big ones, break up the roots and pull the tap root. Then you have to get a 6-800 lb root ball out of a 4 foot hole...! Very time consuming. The smaller stuff... not so bad. I ended up leaving a dozen flush cut 10" stumps in the barn area since I had 100 yards of fill brought in to raise and flatten out the area for the 30 x 40 barn. There are 5-6 big stumps off in the woods that are still pretty solid. A few places had a hole so deep I put the stump back in upside down and was able to cover it with 2 or more feet of dirt. I now own a Kubota KX121 and IMO even that is small for stumping. I learned a better way is to dig and break up the roots around the tree you plan to cut / stump. Push it over so the roots break off. The root ball is smaller and exposed. Pick up the trunk end with the thumb and cut the stump off as close as possible. My lower pasture (about 5 acres) was previously logged off 25 years ago but never stumped. Since it had some new growth of 5-8 inch birch I decided to get back there and started to open it up. While stacking brush, I pull those old stumps real easy with just the thumb since the roots are pretty much gone.

 

[LiveRoll]

One could also consider cutting the remaining trees you want to get rid of, then perhaps renting or hiring a Dozer cat with a root rake and take them all out in one shot, dig, pile or windrow and then burn. Give them a fair amount of time to dry, then burn.


Cheers

Roger

 

[classacthollow]

I just purchased the new XR4046HC with a backhoe, and I used it to find my septic tank. I found that it did a really good job and we have red clay soil but it wasn't all dried up. I bought the 16" and the 12" bucket but only used the 16" one. it isn't as strong as a construction backhoe but it did a great job. it does go about 8 feet deep. it has a subframe that is mounted on the underside of the tractor so it is using all the tractor weight unlike the 3 point models. I do believe it is the same backhoe that fits your tractor, I was going to get the 4047 but got the cab model when I found out they were available.

 

[the old grind]

How about TSO rents a stumper to get a feel for the op. btw: I've urged him to consider getting a stand-alone vs PTO for portability (vs whole tractor hauled to job..), lo bucks going in (while saving for BH), and maybe fewer implement changes. (Throw a tarp over it between 'shifts' & save the fuel of hauling out/parking the tractor for every session?) Some of those many, many oaks could be tight to maneuver between with the BH (.. unless maybe thinned first with the rental?). I'd sure be grinding the largest & digging the smallest for the time each way takes, from BTDT, etc...

A stumper might have been my 'next toy' long ago, but I'm on sand vs clay & have nothing much over 4" to deal with. It bounces a bit doing so but the tiny T5C gets them out in minutes. I've been to TSO's spread. (.. and he serves a great cup of 'joe', btw) IIRC, the soil is dark clay and not particularly well drained. Worse comes to worst, yanking a walk-behind grinder out of mud seems easier than winching the big LS out with .. what? If I were to bid the job I'd do it all with the stumper, try to pay my overhead & charge, in my est, the fewest hours so he could bank BH bucks. Not that tractor mount BHs aren't so good but they're tied to that model if you sell, have you fussin' with remotes & sub-frames, and the tractor has plenty of chores to do without a BH to lug or detatch. (See sweet tooth-bucket/grapple combo) Another :2cents:?

 

[sixdogs]

Do whatever it takes to buy both. The stump grinder makes sense for stumps but a backhoe is more important than opposing thumbs to us. They are incredibly handy and you will definitely use it.

 

[farmer2009]

Had a guy grind some stumps for a friend after the ice storm a few years back. Self contained Vermeer unit 2 hours got rid of like 20 some odd stumps really fast. Then help a family member dig out stumps from a logging job 320 cat 50,000 pound excavator took 15-20 min per stump and had a thumb too. Wouldn't try large stumps like you say you have TSO with a 3 pt hitch backhoe. I vote for the grinder. Even a walk behind grinder will be faster than a small backhoe. I know guys on here love theirs but I wouldn't touch a hoe under 20,000 pounds and without tracks. Just my opinion. Happy shopping.

 

[Code54]

I would just rent a decent stump grinder for a few days, knock out the stumps you have, save up and get the backhoe and use it for the rest after that.