Stumping with a ripper

[dirtman55]

We build logging roads in northern Michigan. Currently looking at buying a D5GXL would a ripper be worth it for loosen stumps? Mostly in hardwoods & rocky ground. Trying to stay away from a large dozer cause alot of the work is lite work brushing old roads & speading gravel. We use a excavator for new road building. Anybody useing a ripper?

 

[Kman9090]

What size trees? I've done it before in a D8T and it was a pain some times I couldn't Imagine a small dozer like that unless it was smaller trees. It was easier with the D8 just to dig around them and push them out sometimes, but this was one some fairly large trees.

 

[Trakwork]

depends on tree sizes, you need the weight of the machine more than anything. Rippers are good at breaking root support but better to have the longest shank a D5 can get , I don't know Cat ripper sizes. I break up the roots and get the tree swaying then one strong push and over they go. Sometimes with a large tree you need to build a berm or ramp to get you're machines weight nearer the center of the tree, but don't let the tree stump come up under the dozer or you might get thrown. Rippers are important.

 

[dirtman55]

Yeh, thanks for your imput. Trees that require a dozer cutting the roots around the stump is where the problem is. Corner loading the blade plus lifting up is what I want to avoid. Both a D4HLGP & a D5C, c frames have been cracking. Wondering if a root rake could take this stress instead of the blade.

 

[cummins05]

used a 6N with two shanks in the the outside the tree had been cut using a buncher.

I used to rip one way with the tree between the shanks move around the tree 90deg rip the roots again
then back up again and rip through the centre lots of times they poped out and if they didnt the stump split and I could push them out with the centre of the blade

 

[dirtman55]

Ha, a D6N would make things a lot easier Do you need weight in front of the machine for balance? I've never seen a ripper work a stump like that, any pics or YouTube

 

[cummins05]

5Hs can do it to just have to work it a bit more with the ripper.

I have no pics or vids i rarley bring a camera onsite

and no weight needed for balance I always thought a 6N was balanced pretty decent.

 

[Aussie Leroy]

dirtman55, In Australia 99.5% of dozers all have rippers on them (very rare to see a dozer big or small with out rippers),so know one has to worry when you pushing trees you always rip them first,same with the stumps a good rip means less dirt on the stump. Also we use ripper tynes (i think you call them frost pics ??) on excavator they are also quick and leave less dirt on the stumps . cheers Leroy

 

[LSchulz]

We use a excavator for new road building. Anybody useing a ripper?

What size excavator do you have right now? Thumb on it? You don't have to travel at all to pull a stump with an excavator whereas you have to constantly be moving with a dozer to get a stump out. Around here, almost everyone stumps with excavators rather than dozers.

 

[cummins05]

What size excavator do you have right now? Thumb on it? You don't have to travel at all to pull a stump with an excavator whereas you have to constantly be moving with a dozer to get a stump out. Around here, almost everyone stumps with excavators rather than dozers.

A hoe is a great tool to use for stumping its just not always feasable to walk a hoe off the job its doing when the dozer that crashed the area can stump and pile on it's own.

 

[LSchulz]

A hoe is a great tool to use for stumping its just not always feasable to walk a hoe off the job its doing when the dozer that crashed the area can stump and pile on it's own.

Very true. It just sounded like there was already machine available in the original post, in which case, that might be a preferable option. No experience stumping with a ripper here, so there's not much more I can add.

 

[Kman9090]

Just throwing this out there but why not just buy a 953 trackloader? They are alot easier to clear with and you can also brush up roads and spread gravel with them just takes a little bit longer.

 

[dirtman55]

Yes generaly a 150 Hatachi with thumb is used when there's lot of stumps & for loading trucks or casting fill onto the road bed. Not sure if stumping or working in sub zero weather is harder on the dozer blade. Could steel become brittel thus cracking at stress points?

 

[Dustin]

around here we use a pin on grubber on the blade to cut side roots and get under tree...I wouldnt touch a stump that hasnt been grubbed with a root rake you are just asking for it to fail

 

[dirtman55]

Hey Dustin, The grubber you use does it pin onto the top of the blade like a root rake?

 

[Dustin]

yes just more narrow, it is 3 ft wide and about 6.5 feet tall the main beams are made out of 2" x 6-8" (it is tapered) steel...there is a cutting edge at the bottom a couple of feet under the blade...You have to be careful not to make it too long or you wont be able to lift your blade high enough to clear obsticals on rough terrain. The dirt basically flows through the grubber much like a root plow but at a much smaller scale. while you are pushing you can also pull up on the stump without fear of sideloading blade most grubbers are mounted in the middle or slightly off center (for better view) I have a pic but am having trouble uploading.

 

[Dustin]

I made a pattern for mine out of large pirces of cardboard and took it to a machine shop had the whole thing made mounts and all for $2800

 

[rutwad]

Could steel become brittel thus cracking at stress points?

Not sure, but freight trains will break alot more rail when the weather is cold.

 

[FarmerAlex]

Ok heres a more technical description of why metal is brittle at cold temps. Now the molecular makeup of steels means that the atoms are formed in lattices, large blocks of these lattices make crystals, now when a your steel structural member is loaded, the metal flexes.
Now above glass transition temperature, the metal behaves like we mostly know it, that is can bend and does not fracture like a ceramic does. If however the metal is below the glass transition temperature, the metal will act structurally like a ceramic, that is as it is loaded it can fail with no or little warning. The ultimate strength, of any metal at below glass transition temperature is less than its normal ultimate strength.

Hope this is of interest

Cheers Alex

 

[AU.CASE]

We build logging roads in northern Michigan. Currently looking at buying a D5GXL Anybody useing a ripper?

Hi all,

In Australia where trees have to be chased a 'tree pusher' is on most smaller machines.

Just makes an enormous difference to be able to reach over the height of the canopy to clear obstructions [low limbs] or the whole tree.

One tip; as soon as the beak of the tree pusher // tree spear contacts, drop the blade or it will push the machine down and bend the pusher. Once they bend they tend to stutter up the tree rather than bite in.

As soon as the roots breach and the tree is on it's way begin to lift the blade to pick up the pusher after hitting reverse.

Next, hope you can push the tree away...:beatsme