stump pulling - don't want to damage my Fourtrax

[Bighanded 1,235]

been reclaiming some long ignored garden area. when I say long..like 10 years  - pine trees grow fast !!

most are 2-4 inch trees and plenty of much skinnier hardwood sapplings.

I've used either my chain saw, or brush cutter or limb saw to take down over 100  and they are now over on the burn pile

but

..plenty of stumps..trip hazard at a minimum as we will do raised beds for most stuff and I've managed to dig out and till most of what I want to plant in.

 

But i'd like to get the others out of there..not really room to rent a skid steer .

so I've bought one of those stump grubbers and later this week will be seeing just how tough those little roots are and if I can get most of em with just my old Fourtrax 300.

 

Bigger ones will get a tire leverage trick  and really stubborn ones will catch a pull behind my pickup truck

 

but just wondering if ya'll have some experience with trying to uproot with a small bike like the 300 or if it's going to risk the bike too much?

 

thanks

 

Ed

[jeepwm69 7,605]

Just don't get a running start and you shouldn't hurt anything.  Might not be very successful, but shouldn't hurt anything.

 

You'd have a lot more luck with a tractor or even a truck.  That tire leverage trick too.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

I wouldn't take a chance of breaking something on the 4 wheeler , burn them out , cut them close to the ground as possible , dig some dirt around the roots , put a tin bucket or drum  around them with the bottom cut out  , then build a fire in the bucket 

[_Wilson_™ 6,564]

If your talking about a large dia fresh green pine stump ? You'd be better off cutting it close as you can get then let it dry for say a couple months (check every so often) ...... Then go back and burn it out, if it's large and green... It's not going to burn easy at all.... But as above nope i wouldn't chance damaging (your 300 ?) I'd cut at ground level (use a beater chain) if it's 6 or less diameter .... Larger do the same, then let it dry out then burn that sucker out

[riverc 1,317]

You can give it a try see what happens the 300 will tell you if it can handle it.

 

 

 

 

[Bighanded 1,235]

On 5/9/2023 at 3:35 AM, _Wilson_™ said:

If your talking about a large dia fresh green pine stump ? You'd be better off cutting it close as you can get then let it dry for say a couple months (check every so often) ...... Then go back and burn it out, if it's large and green... It's not going to burn easy at all.... But as above nope i wouldn't chance damaging (your 300 ?) I'd cut at ground level (use a beater chain) if it's 6 or less diameter .... Larger do the same, then let it dry out then burn that sucker out

no sir...largest dia might be 3 inches..most are closer to 2 inches.  I have had other projects this past week, so once I get on the other side of this weekend party and mom's day, I'll get out back and see what pulls....thanks!

[Bighanded 1,235]

well...but disaspointed...finally got some time out back yesterday evening...grabbed hold of some 1.5inch pine stumps...tugging did nothing, couple mild run n jerk did pull the roots up some, but for the most part, just too much to ask of the ol 300 and I'm not going to hoss it and damage a great lil bike.

 

too many stumps to ty and get the pickup back there..so I guess I'll rent a skid steer and get violent.

[Bighanded 1,235]

decided this was the better way to go...with about 80 stumps from 1 to 3.5 inches, it just made sense to go into battle with something more than my fourtrax and trunk bumper.

 

was a full afternoon but this smaller unit allowed me to get in and around the existing arbors and fencing.  Got it done...a month late planting, but that goes in this coming long weekend.

just nice to reclaim that area after over a decade of neglect.

 

This year's crop will be about an 1/8th of what we used to put in, but we look forward to fresh green beans, peas,limas, squash& zucchini, tomatoes, and some watermelon as a treat.

 

if next year brings zombies and the great economic crash thingy folks are going on about, then I'll plan to plant the whole plot and our kids can come over and help

 

returning the stump grubber unit.. a near complete fail for more than a one-off bush around the house type of thing.

 

in fact, many of the stumps I dug up, had such deep long roots that even the lil min-ex was hitting it's limits..had to finesse a bit.

 

 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

23 hours ago, Bighanded said:

decided this was the better way to go...with about 80 stumps from 1 to 3.5 inches, it just made sense to go into battle with something more than my fourtrax and trunk bumper.

 

was a full afternoon but this smaller unit allowed me to get in and around the existing arbors and fencing.  Got it done...a month late planting, but that goes in this coming long weekend.

just nice to reclaim that area after over a decade of neglect.

 

This year's crop will be about an 1/8th of what we used to put in, but we look forward to fresh green beans, peas,limas, squash& zucchini, tomatoes, and some watermelon as a treat.

 

if next year brings zombies and the great economic crash thingy folks are going on about, then I'll plan to plant the whole plot and our kids can come over and help

 

returning the stump grubber unit.. a near complete fail for more than a one-off bush around the house type of thing.

 

in fact, many of the stumps I dug up, had such deep long roots that even the lil min-ex was hitting it's limits..had to finesse a bit.

 

 

Now you got it going on , you got to do it quick and get that machine off rent , how much they charging you ? 

[Bighanded 1,235]

it was right at $400 for a 24 hr rental and that included the damage insurance. I always get the insurance cause #1) I'm not very experienced, so I know there is a risk of me doing something stupid to a machine and #2) see #1...LOL

 

anyway..I worked it hard...took it to it's limits and beyond several times, but yeah, it was nice to get so much recovered from a decade of neglect and growth.