Backhoe or Dozer for stump removal? ( Advice Needed)

[POND DIGGER]

I have a 450C track dozer that I have used for stump removal on my 7 acre property. This seemed to me to be very hard on the machine. So I purchase a 580SE backhoe to do the stump removal. Never operating a backhoe before it seems to be just a hard on the machine if not worse. Roots are very hard to dig up, I cant get close enough to the stup without binding up the machine on a root. The tree stump I am trying to dig out is ruffly 3' in diameter. Any advice on the proper way to use a backhoe to dig out these would be appreciated or I may turn to dynamite as the 4th of July is right around the corner.

 

[Dickjr.]

I dug out 2 water maple stumps yesterday with a 416C Cat. Yeah it seems pretty hard on the machine. It does seem if you get a hole started you can pull thru the roots a little easier. A 3 foot stump is pretty sizable. If you have several to pull I would rent an excavator for a day yank em and send it back or hire an excavator someone may be glad to get a days work. Then dress up with your equipment. I pull stumps with my backhoe but I really don't like to.

 

[Logan]

Dynamite sounds good! Biggest stump I dug was 2 foot accross and I found its best to have a narrow bucket and shave away at those big roots until you're under the stump 3/4 round and then start levering it. If you still have land to clear, the easiest way to destump is while the trees are still standing, use a 12 or 20 tonne excavator and use the trees height as leverage against the roots. Once they're sawn down it seems to make it a whole lot harder.
A 20t or bigger excav with a grapple will tear them out with impressive ease and will be worth the extra hourly rate. I agree that big stumps are just too hard on smaller machines, and as Dickjr. says, are more value tidying up and smoothing over, which can also take a lot of hours but not so hard on your pocket with your own machines.. If you do use dynamite, please post pictures.

 

[Tinkerer]

Sounds like you are starting your excavation too close to the stump. Start far enough away (maybe 4 feet). That way you can break the roots without abusing the backhoe. Dig a square hole around the stump. Undercut the root ball one side at a time. Take your time and and work towards the stump while you are undercuting it. I have had good success on oak tree stumps as big as 4 feet in diameter.
Is your 450C a John Deere or a Case ?

 

[nilzlofgren]

Sounds like you are starting your excavation too close to the stump. Start far enough away (maybe 4 feet). That way you can break the roots without abusing the backhoe. Dig a square hole around the stump. Undercut the root ball one side at a time. Take your time and and work towards the stump while you are undercuting it. I have had good success on oak tree stumps as big as 4 feet in diameter.
Is your 450C a John Deere or a Case ?

I agree 100% with Tinkerer. This is how I have been pulling stumps for 15 years now, with a 580K. Once you have dug deep enough, you can undermine the stump. I usually test the stump every couple of minutes, by trying to pull on it with the bucket. If the stump moves, I watch the ground around the stump, to see where it moves up and down. This tells me where major roots are, than I can chop them off with the bucket.

 

[stumpjumper83]

I use a 450c deere trackloader, I get down under the roots on one side and push lift and curl and pop um out. If you have alot of stumps, then rent the biggest excavator that they can haul in without having to re-assemble. 20 ton machine is a good start and go to town.

 

[POND DIGGER]

Everyone thanks for the advice! I changed my digging method over the past 24 hours. I start out about 4ft away and dig down about 3 ft until I am completely around the stump then slowly shave the sides until I can pop the stump on its side then I wrap it with a chain and use the doser to yank it out. I have 7 acres with about a 1000 trees that I am clearing turing into horse pasture the only reason I am pulling the stumps I am worried the horses like to dig at times and stumps as they rot hold diseases witch could be toxic to horses for this reason I am digging or pushing over all stumps it is a big project that I am taking one weekend at a time. I look forward to hearing about everyones projects I hope I can assist you as I work on all my equipment so I have learned a few things along the way.
Thanks again for the help guys your methods have proven affective although the dynamite on the 4th of july I may still try, I'll post pictures of how high I fly a stump.

 

[joe03dodge]

what size bucket are you using? with that many stumps you might want to get some kind of ripper tooth bucket,it will be easer to rip trough the roots.

 

[POND DIGGER]

24" tooth bucket I think I am getting the hang of it now. I get the roots cut and manage to pull it close with the boom then the dozer drags it out. The root ball attached to these are over 7ft high laying on its side. Thats the biggest I've dug so far. I am glad I only have a few of these giants. Most are less than 13" trunk and there cut with the stump about 4ft high so I maybe able to loosen them up with the dozer.

 

[mitch504]

Is that dozer a deere or case?

 

[POND DIGGER]

My dozer is a case model 45C good machine with the cummings motor

 

[duramax-rob]

I also make sure the teeth on the bucket are new or sharp. that also helps me.