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Best way to remove Christmas tree stumps B2150 Backhoe

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marsroad
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 2 Cranberry Twp., PA (Pittsburgh Area)
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2008-12-04          158355


Guys,

I'm a tractor newbie, bought a used B2150 and all I have is a belly mower it came with so far. I must say, I love this little tractor. I use it to cut the grass, and we have quite a bit on the 10.25 acre lot here. It is hilly, and the 4WD does nicely.

We are considering using 2-3 acres to grow Christmas trees. I have consulted some pros, and our soil conditions and land grade appear to be well suited.

Once the trees are cut, what is the best practice for stump removal? (will need to get them out of the way eventually for re-planting)

Would a backhoe attachment work on my B2150? Would it have enough power to take out a pine tree stump? I would think so?

If a backhoe would be the best tool for the job, I'm wondering what brand/size/make/model might be most appropriate for the B2150 Kubota used for this task?

Thank you for any advice.




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Best way to remove Christmas tree stumps B2150 Backhoe

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2008-12-04          158356


A friend of mine plants 3,000 new Blue Spruce every year which he sells for planting. His operation would be different than yours in that he takes the roots and all. BTW he does this by himself and works full time too.

There's really not a blanket answer to your question.
So much depends on:

How many trees per year are you talking?

What's your time worth? A backhoe is going to be slow.

What's your budget?

What is your plan to restore the ground after the backhoe disturbs the ground?

What will you use to dig a new hole for a new tree? A back hoe will leave a clumpy mess depending on the soil and moisture.

Here's what I'd do:

Firstly, forego an expensive backhoe attachment and preserve the CUT for mowing, moving wood chips for mulch etc.

Buy a used smallish skid steer loader with:
(the price of all the below will be at or slightly more than just the backhoe itself new)

A hydraulic auger attachment for drilling new holes. They can be had for about $800-$1000 gently used. You can get 3pt auger for the CUT, but why? You have a SKID STEER!

Pallet forks attachment aka stump popper. Makes "popping" the stumps out an easy operation--and you can see clearly where the stump is as you drive forward. This will be 10 times easier and quicker than anything a CUT can offer.

For clean up, use either the skid steer with a bucket and/or the loader on the CUT.

Maybe you tell by reading but I have both a skid steer and a CUT. I do commerical work and could not do without either piece. When I started the business 9 years ago all I used was the medium-sized backhoe loader. After I bought the CUT and skid steer the backhoe sat for over 5 years and so it was sold. If I need a backhoe-type machine I'll go pay $200 for a mini-excavator rental. This happens maybe 4 times a year. ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-12-04          158359


Quote:
Originally Posted by marsroad | view 158355
Once the trees are cut, what is the best practice for stump removal? (will need to get them out of the way eventually for re-planting)


Why remove them?

If you leave the bottom whorl (row of branches) they will grow upwards to replace the 'leader' (the trunk of the tree). You will need to prune all but the best candidate after a year or two.

If you do it this way you will get a crop of trees every 5 years instead of probably every 10 years.

Hopefully Ken will see this and jump in, he grows them on the left coast.

Best of luck. ....


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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2008-12-04          158361


My tree-farmer neighbor plans a 7-year growth cycle. After tilling and composting the plot, he maps adjoining rectangles with 5' sides. Call each corner A, B, C & D. Each seedling from his greenhouse goes in the A position. That provides enough light for the 7-yr-old tree. After cutting, the next planting goes in the B corners. He says when the 28th year arrives, the next owner can hire a tracked grapple-hoe to pull the stumps. ....


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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2008-12-04          158363


I've never dealt with removing evergreen type stumps on a big time basis, but what few I have took out are pretty easy compared to any other tree. I think EW's idea of using a pallet fork would work fine. A skid steer is a great machine, but another engine, drivetrain, etc., to maintain, so maybe a front end loader with a fork attachment for your tractor would be another option too. I have a Deere #48 backhoe attachment for my 4310 Deere. It is a neat little machine, works great, but never in a million years would I save enough compared to hiring it done to pay for it, but I just love doing it myself, and this may be your case too. Frank. ....


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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2008-12-11          158512



I'd wonder that a skid steer with a rock bucket wouldn't be able to pull those stumps easily with a short day rental. ....


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greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky
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2008-12-11          158517


Perhaps you don't need the mess of a backhoe at all. Pines typically have a very shallow root ball. I know that well, after witnessing dozens of mine simply topple over during last winter's ice storms. Cedar trunks snapped. But the pines simply toppled over, exposing the entire rootball.

A brush grubber may be all that's necessary for something that small.

//greg// ....


Link:   Brush Grubber

 

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Best way to remove Christmas tree stumps B2150 Backhoe

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2008-12-12          158521


Quote:
Originally Posted by greg_g | view 158517
Pines typically have a very shallow root ball. I know that well, after witnessing dozens of mine simply topple over during last winter's ice storms. Cedar trunks snapped. But the pines simply toppled over, exposing the entire rootball.A brush grubber may be all that's necessary for something that small. //greg//


Realize there lots of variables but in my part of the world vew pines topple over, the tops often pop out. As I have been digging old pine stumps that have turned in to lightered (will not rot but burns great) and newly cut pines a big pine can have roots here that are 7 to 8 feet deep. Not a lot of large side roots then I realize that we have few or not rocks and the roots that want to grow down can.

As to pulling stumps from the size of Christams trees would think you will find many options will work. Of course some with be quicker and cost more. If you go with a back hoe, have not use one but would look at a stump bucket as they are suppose to pull the stump with little dirt. I really would look at or check out Murf's question or suggestion on letting the lower limbs remain and using the same stump. That is the first I had ever heard of that but sure makes sense the way all the ever greens I have ever noticed growing. If it works the large established stump should push growth very much as there is such a large root system for such a small amount of top growth.

....


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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2008-12-12          158522


I know nothing about the different specie of evergreen shrubs but the county just north of me recommends planting small trees/shrubs/some sort of evergreens between the lines of a filter bed from your septic tank in difficult soils. Their story is that by using the proper evergreen with a small root system the roots will not spread into the lines but will help transpire moisture from the bed. Plant a willow within a half mile and I'd almost bet the roots would plug the filter bed. ....


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greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky
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2008-12-12          158527


Quote:
Originally Posted by kthompson | view 158521
...a big pine can have roots here that are 7 to 8 feet deep.
Obviously the OP will have to take into consideration the nature of the root systems to be removed. But I wish there was a way for me to post photos of my toppled pines. Appears most severely affected were Eastern White Pine. Cedars just snapped above ground, Virginia pines mainly lost limbs. But the ice load slowly overbalanced the EWP till they simply fell over. No indication of a tap root at all. The trunks are typically a foot or so in diameter, the root ball perhaps 5-6' wide and 18-24" inches deep.

//greg// ....


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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2008-12-12          158529


Greg, totally believe you. Not aware that we have EWP here. Our pines normally lose the top. After Hurricane Hugo hit just North of Charleston SC there were miles of topless pine trees like 20 to 30 feet high. Made me think of corn field after combine ran through it. To see our pines uprooted it normally follows long rainly period. You will find people taking excavator and digging the total pine with stump and pushing it over. Due to how small a diameter the root ball is that can work very well. ....


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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2008-12-12          158533


Kenny, have you seen or do you have in your area the kind of pine trees they have on the Gulf Coast? I think they were called long-leaf pines that grew as much as 3 feet in diameter at the base, straight up as an arrow, and had virtually no branches until the last 15-40 feet on the 130 foot tall ones. These had a single tap root that looked like huge carrot--sometimes they could be as deep as 8'. Are these called Lob-Lollys?

I saw very few pines down there that had a Christmas tree type root ball that spread out.

Pines here in Michigan generally have a small tap root a few feet deep and spread about half as wide as the overall tree diameter. ....


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