Home-Built Tree Stump Rigs

Home-Built Tree Stump Rigs WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 29-4-28 Manuel Escobar, who grows Christmas trees near Portsmouth, R.I., recently sent FARM SHOW photos of three different implements he built that make removing stumps an easier job. "I built them mostly out of scrap material so they didn't cost much," he says. "I find that grinding or pulling out tree stumps works a lot better than using a backhoe, which removes a lot of dirt and also makes quite a mess." The first implement consists of a 3-pt. mounted hook designed to yank out stumps. He uses it on his Farmall 350 tractor. It's made from the beam off a 3-bottom plow, with the hook that originally supported the plow point still intact. He used cast iron to make a 5-in. wide, triangle-shaped wedge and bolted it to the hook. Then, using two pieces of heavy angle iron, he bolted the beam to a drawbar. "After the hook is lowered into position against the stump and roots, I raise the 3-pt. hitch while moving the tractor forward to pull out roots and stumps. The combination of forward movement and hydraulic lift prevents the tractor from skidding," says Escobar. The second device is a scissors-type stump puller originally designed to pull pallets off trucks. It's equipped with a pair of steel jaws with teeth on them and is connected to a length of chain that attaches to the tractor. He welded strap metal on top of both jaws to keep them from bending or twisting out of shape as they pull on the stump. He also increased the size of the chain from 5/16 to 3/8 in. diameter. To operate, he simply places the jaws around the stump. As the tractor moves forward, the jaws close together and the teeth on them dig into the stump so he can yank it out. "The big advantage of the stump puller is that with a long chain, I can pull out stumps that would otherwise be beyond the reach of the tractor," says Escobar. The third implement is a 3-pt. mounted, pto-driven stump grinder equipped with five 12-in. dia. cutting blades. He used the pto shaft and 90 degree gearbox off an old baler, mounting them on a frame made from 2 by 2 angle iron. The blades mount side by side on a 1-in. dia. shaft. Because the blades rotate clockwise, he had to machine a left hand thread on the shaft in order to keep the blades from slipping. "I built it last spring and have already ground more than 100 stumps with it," says Escobar. "I use it with a Kubota 17 hp tractor. The blades are less than an inch wide so after each cut I drive forward and stop, then turn the steering wheel slightly and back up to move the blades over for the next pass. The tractor has a hydrostatic transmission so I can go forward and backward without having to do any shifting of gears. I can completely remove a 4-in. dia stump in four or five passes." A big advantage of the stump grinder, he says, is that it works fast. "Also, I don't have to go back and fill any holes in like I do with the other two methods," he notes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Manuel Escobar, 175 Middle Road, Portsmouth, R.I. 02871 (ph 401 683-4365; email: Manysteel@aol.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.