Pulling Stumps

SouthernFarmall · Feb 8, 2012

I have been clearing about 3/4 of an acre to start a garden. It has been let go for 20 years. I have been pulling trees and stumps out with a Farmall 140 and an International 464 diesel. The 140 does great pulling "140 size" material from the fast hitch drawbar. However, the 464 doesn't do quite as well as I would like it to. It has plenty of power, but seems to lose traction quickly. My dad has always told me to pull from the front bumper on the 464 (and I understand this negates rollover dangers), but I think I would do better if I pulled stumps from the drawbar, as I believe it will add traction. By the way, when I pull in reverse, I always have a bush hog hooked up for weight, but it doesn't appear to help very much. Also, these stumps are mainly privets between 4 and 12 inches across at the base. Any advice will be appreciated!

SF

PS: I also posted this on the Implement Alley and Farmall boards.

Dblair · Feb 8, 2012

in the real old days they use to chain a tree to the stump and twist it out . it still works but you have to leave about 3 foot of stump.

Red Mud · Feb 8, 2012

The dynamite that was used in the cistern in my utube dynamite story was what was left after we blasted tree stumps, And it was to keep a hardheaded friend from killing himself pulling stumps with a JD with a hand clutch. A couple years later he managed to get-r-done anyway with that same JD.

david - or · Feb 8, 2012

The tire tread pattern is designed to pull better with the tractor going forwards. The weight transfer as you pull forward will work in your favor rather than against you pulling backward. If you keep the tractor in the lowest gear, pull from the drawbar and not from the top link (or other unapproved part of the tractor), and take up the slack slowly (rather than trying to yank it out) the flip-over potential is small and controllable.

4 to 10 inch diameter stumps are not easy to pull out with an ordinary farm tractor, especially if they are only a foot or two high. It's better to leave more of the tree and pull from up high on the tree.

JerryS · Feb 8, 2012

One of the things I love about this board is that you can always learn something new. I'm 70 years old, lived in the country most of those years, but I'd never heard of that.

Old Bob · Feb 8, 2012

While at the Florida Flywheelers in January there was a guy there who had a stump puller that was human powered. It had a long woodern handle, probably 6 feet long that attached to an apparatus that looked something along the line of an old railroad or house jack. This in turn was attached to a cable that you hooked to the stump. My descriptions are probably not very accurate. When I first saw it, I couldn't see how it could work for any job. After he told me what it was, it most definitely was a stump puller.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 8, 2012

Dig up the roots find the big ones wrap a chain around one and pull it,break them,then go for the stump itself.some times you have to rock the stump back n forth like a loose tooth pull one way move the tractor to the other side pull that way,they come out some easy some not,then go back and pull the roots, it's hard work with old tractors but when they come out,I look back and say I told you you where Cumming with me.I pull all mine with a 1937 John Deere a,one apple tree 18inche across top of stump took me two days of pulling but she came out.pull from the draw bar.leave a two foot high stump for leverge..

Brian G. NY · Feb 8, 2012

I, also, am 70 years old and have lived out in the hills most of my life. Never heard of "twisting" a stump out.
I think its worth a try.
I have the best luck with simply putting the bucket as high as I can on the trunk of the uncut tree and pushing it over. That is with an Allis WD and a trip bucket. It works on most everything (but not everything)up to about 10". Anything bigger won"t usually budge.
One time, a friend of mine was at my place with a good sized Case backhoe.
He pushed over a 20" Basswood quite easily by putting the bucket up about as far as he could
on the tree trunk.

SouthernFarmall · Feb 9, 2012

I would like to thank everyone for their advice! It's been great!

SF

641Dave · Feb 9, 2012

That twisting idea has me wondering now.

I'm working on stumps right now with an axe and allot of determination.

I had an idea of getting hold of a subsoiler and circling the stump from several feet out and working my way into towards the stump before trying to tackle the stump and the tap root.

A subsoiler like this.

http://www.external_link/countyline-reg-sub-soiler-2128333

Pulling Stumps

SouthernFarmall

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Dblair

Well-known Member

Red Mud

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david - or

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JerryS

Well-known Member

Old Bob

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Brian G. NY

Well-known Member

SouthernFarmall

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641Dave

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