Would there be any significant difference in the performance of the Hitachi ZX50/JD 50G, Case CX55/Kobelco SK55, Bobcat 50E, or other brand excavators in this weight range in digging up pine stumps? I'm looking for a mini excavator for home use which would be mainly removing stumps after cutting down lodgepole pines from my forested 10 acres. I've never owned or used a mini excavator but need a replacement for a backhoe on my tractor which could dig up the stumps but took a long time. Thanks!
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Mini Excavator for digging pine stumps
- Thread starter afret
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CM1995
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Welcome to the Forums afret!
I'm not familiar with lodgepole pine stumps but I've traveled your part of the country and seen the standing trees. With hip pocket advice I'd say a mini ex that size would be a chore either way you slice it.
10 acres of stumps will grow quickly in work load after the first acre stumping with a mini, reality tends to set in.
What other options do you have at your disposal to complete the task?
I'm not familiar with lodgepole pine stumps but I've traveled your part of the country and seen the standing trees. With hip pocket advice I'd say a mini ex that size would be a chore either way you slice it.
10 acres of stumps will grow quickly in work load after the first acre stumping with a mini, reality tends to set in.
What other options do you have at your disposal to complete the task?
I don't have 10 acres of stumps. It's forested but I've just thinned out around 3 acres around the house and need to pull out stumps as I cut the trees down. Right now I probably have about 15 stumps left to take out after the snow melts and then I'm going to do some more thinning. The largest are maybe 15" ind diameter but most are smaller. I figured a 5-6 ton mini ex could handle that and was wondering if any one brand is better at digging out stumps and is known to be reliable. I'm planning to get a ripper to help dig the stumps and dig a big hole to bury the stumps at an unused corner of my lot.
catman13
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what are you going to do with land after you thin it? if you are going to let the rest of the trees grow just cut the stumps at the ground and leave them and save yourself some time/
413wedge
Active Member
you'll do fine with a 50 class machine, you're not gonna make a living at it but if that's what you got . I've pulled some pretty big pines with my Kubota u55 if you jump in the hole with a sawzall with a long blade and cut a couple of the main roots they're pretty easy to roll. Or you can wait till you have a lot and get a bigger rental for the day and knock them all out.
tawilson1152
Member
Can you leave the stumps attached? Dig up the roots on one side then either push or pull the tree over.
I bought the land a few years ago and had a house built. The builder just cleared the space for the driveway and the house. After I moved in 2 years ago I started thinning out the undergrowth and trees around the house to make things neater and for fire prevention. I did most of it by hand and finally got a compact tractor to help me out. I plan to make a path/road around the perimeter of my lot in the future. I figure a mini excavator will come in handy.
This is how my lot was from the road when I bought it and the whole lot is pretty much like this with a bunch of fallen and leaning pines all over the place:
After thinning it out a bit around the house:
I still have a ways to go and need to thin them out more.
Hey, you must like old Mopars.
I have a couple of old Mustangs.How do you like the U55 and why did you choose it over the others in it's class?
That seems like a good way to do it. I saw videos of people doing that.
code54
Well-Known Member
Nice property - what part of the country are you in. Love all the pines!!!!
Hey, you're from the tractor forum! It's just north of Coeur d'Alene in north Idaho. I'm trying to keep the Douglas Fir and get rid of the lodgepoles.
I'm thinking a bigger machine would be better for stumps so I'm considering one in the 5-6 ton range instead of 3-4 tons. The prices sure go up a lot though. Might take awhile to find a good used one within a reasonable distance.
code54
Well-Known Member
Very nice!!
Yes Sir, been on the tractor site for a lot of years! Last summer I bought my first Mini Ex and LOVE it. I bought a Kubota KX91 (around 7K) and it really does an amazing job. I did buy used (230ish hrs) and still had about a year of factory warranty but cost me 20K less than new so it was worth it to me. They are out there but it takes some looking....
I used it Sat to take out a few stumps and do a little clean up work. I find it use it a lot for a 1/2 hr to and hour to do little dumb jobs. Those kind of jobs you would normally put off or wait until a bunch built up before renting something. Really handy and am glad we were about to get one at a somewhat reasonable price.
Good luck on your search!!!
Yes Sir, been on the tractor site for a lot of years! Last summer I bought my first Mini Ex and LOVE it. I bought a Kubota KX91 (around 7K) and it really does an amazing job. I did buy used (230ish hrs) and still had about a year of factory warranty but cost me 20K less than new so it was worth it to me. They are out there but it takes some looking....
I used it Sat to take out a few stumps and do a little clean up work. I find it use it a lot for a 1/2 hr to and hour to do little dumb jobs. Those kind of jobs you would normally put off or wait until a bunch built up before renting something. Really handy and am glad we were about to get one at a somewhat reasonable price.
Good luck on your search!!!
413wedge
Active Member
I sure do, the wedge head is my favorite mill. I have a 60 dodge phoenix and 51 Plymouth business coupe. the u55 is a great machine. you cant beat Kubota dealer support in my area either. Kubota's cost of ownership is also significantly less than Deere or Cat. I demoed the cat 305.5 and deere 50. they're nice machines but in the end I felt the Kubota was the best.Hey, you must like old Mopars.
How do you like the U55 and why did you choose it over the others in it's class?
Thanks. Glad you found a good machine. Hopefully I won't have to buy an new one.
I think I'll concentrate on finding a U55 or KX057.
They still have those old Mopars running at the dragstrips. Those 426 and 440 cars run pretty well.
This is my old Mustang I drive around some in the summer.
And this one is my race Mustang:
413wedge
Active Member
The FEs were my first love. Those CJs are the business. I grew up around the drags my dad was a nitro and alcohol crew chief . killer cars. You cant go wrong with the kubotas make sure to get a thumb.
Tags
Senior Member
I have a Kubota 161, it's replacement is the 057, the 55 is a tad smaller but zero swing and not as much leg room. You would do fine with any of the three. Do yourself a favor whatever make or model you get, buy yourself a ripper tooth for it, those stumps will dig twice as fast.
Yup, definitely need to have a thumb and am planning to get a ripper. Saw a few videos on how well a ripper works.
How much capability would I be giving up with a KX121 instead of the bigger Kubotas? Is that a decent model? There might be a decent one not that far away.
How much capability would I be giving up with a KX121 instead of the bigger Kubotas? Is that a decent model? There might be a decent one not that far away.