pulling pine stumps

[TheOldMan]

Has anyone tried pulling pine stumps in north Florida? I have about 70-80 ranging from about 12" to 36". Trees hve been harvested about 2 years. Dug a bunch of them with a 45hp Kubota hoe, but had to move too much dirt to get them out. Looking at an old 580B. Hoping it will pull them straight up after minimal digging.
would appreciate any advice.

 

[DIG IT]

I think you will still have to dig around the stumps. In wisconsin stumps need to be dug around to get them out and 36" stumps come out hard. The 580 will do it but it will take some time. I don't know how deep your roots go down in florida.

 

[mitch504]

I have done a little work in Fl about 15 yrs ago; and have pulled 10s of thousands of pine stumps in coastal SC, which is very similar terrain. I have run many Case backhoes of various vintages, and have owned a 580 superK for 10 years.

For 12-36" pines in the southeast, with a 580B, your strategy is going to be to dig a fishpond with the stump in the middle, then pull the stump out.

With my 45,000 lb trackhoe, I can usually shake and rock a 12-18" pine stump, then clamp it in the bucket and thumb and pull it. Bigger and I chop down to loosen the dirt and roots on all sides, then shake rock and pry; 36" stumps, I dig.

With my 580 superK, which is much more powerful than a 580B, I have to dig pines above about 10".

From being on this forum, I have learned that pines aren't that tough in other parts of the country, but in the southeast, they are one of the toughest stumps to pull.

Good luck, and have fun.
Mitch

 

[tuney443]

A tree 36'' in diameter has got some serious ass to it.If the logger didn't leave you at least a 4-5' stump[probably didn't I'm sure] for leverage,a 580 Case will work it's butt off to get that out.Minimal digging and straight up? Forget it,that size is excavator country if you want to be productive.

 

[AT&SW]

We do alot of clearing in central florida. There are several types of pine here and depending on the type they can be easy or hard. I have dug out many many stumps with a backhoe. Be patient and don't abuse the machine they will come out.

 

[starcarfx]

here in texas we have alot of pecan @ oak ive found a 12 in rock bucket with the ears on the side removed works well

 

[TheOldMan]

Thanks a bunch. I'm still looking at the 580, it's in pretty rough shape, but at $2k I can't go to far wrong if I have to resell it for scrap. They delivered it to my sons place on a tiltback for us to try out, and one rear tire was completely destroyed. Supposed to be bringing us a mounted tire, but haven't been able to do any testing, other than the hydraulics all seem to work. I'm all excited about getting my hands on this thing, but so far they don't seem to be in much of a hurry. I'll keep everybody posted.

 

[davidd]

Hi old Man.
I am in S. GA. You know there is Atlanta and then S. Ga.
I have dug lots of stumps with my JD 310c. In sand they are a snap. With clay a little tough. Also dig when there is plenty of soil moisture. Dry S. Ga. clay is like brick. Be easy and take your time or else be afixing your machine.
Another hint. When digging around the stump, do not dig too close. Stay a couple of feet out. The roots a little further out break off a lot easier. DD

 

[TheOldMan]

Thanks for the advice - this is pure sand. Still waiting for the owner to put a rear tire on the old 580B so I can test it out, meanwhile I'm in limbo.

 

[4045chad]

If you have this many stumps to pull, invest in a frost/ripper tooth. Sink the tooth full depth into the ground make one pass on each side of the stump about 1' out from the stump. This will sever all on the roots like a hot knife through butter. The root ball of the stump will pull out like nothing with that old B.

 

[mitch504]

If you have this many stumps to pull, invest in a frost/ripper tooth. Sink the tooth full depth into the ground make one pass on each side of the stump about 1' out from the stump. This will sever all on the roots like a hot knife through butter. The root ball of the stump will pull out like nothing with that old B.

Most pines in the southeast don't have a rootball, they have a few feeder roots off the sides, but mainly one huge taproot that goes straight down. On a 36" stump in sand, depending on the water table, it isn't unusual for the taproot to be 7' long. You have to loosen the dirt and get down to where you can break if off. The top of the taproot is the same size as the bottom of the tree.

 

[25002500]

Davidd

I am also in South Georgia.

I am thinknig about pulling stumps with a JD 310

The soil is sandy loam to loamy sand.

Do you think I can get away with the JD 310 and not have to step up to an excavator?

 

[davidd]

IF you have much over a hundred to pull, I would consider an excavator. If they are over 16inches diameter I would consider an exc. unless maybe a few. Big stumps have to be dug. I have dug a few that the machine broke them loose but It would not lift it out of the hole. The were 36 inches or so.
Will you have just the one machine.

 

[Dozerdude58]

You can try this get a ripper tooth, use it like a wedge into the stump. Split it up take it out in pieces, not sure if will work where you are. But it works very well on frozen stumps in the winter here in Alberta. Usually use a track hoe 200 or better,but we clear alot of pipeline ROW this way.

 

[Tom Spivak]

Wow! sounds tough, it took me about 20 minutes to get a 20 inch wht. pine stump out with my Kubota BX25, picked it up in the bucket and drove it away.

 

[cat320]

not a pine stump but one that i just pulled out with my 580L. had a hell of a time loading it on the truck untill i picked away all the dirt and roots under it .

 

[packratc]

Now that problem would stump many of us! Packratc