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Posted by David Sherman [72.47.9.228] on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 11:59:24 :
In Reply to: Re: Favorite Stump Chain Size? posted by Jerry in Idaho [64.139.238.43] on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 00:46:47 :
If possible, always pull the stump with the tree still attached. If you know you're going to have to get the stump out, attach whatever you're pulling with 10' up or so, and it will make it way easier to pull. Once the tree starts to come over, its weight will help uproot itself. Obviously you need a long enough cable that it doesn't come down on the truck. I have not pulled trees over with my truck, but with the cat. It's a 60 year old D4 with a Carco winch and a real stout frame, roof, and headache rack over the seat so it doesn't much matter if the top of the tree hits it. Also good protection in case of broken winch cables. I don't know how high up you can chain to in a mesquite bush and still have it be strong enough to pry the roots out, but any leverage you can get will help immensely. Leverage is everything. Having to pull it out with a dead pull straight out of the ground is the toughest possible arrangement. If the tree or bush has an obvious week side, such as where its dead at the base or its next to the edge of a hill or creek, pull away from the weak side.
Of course in the old days, you'd just go down to the local hardware store, buy a case of DuPont, poke a hole under the stump next to the tap root with a rock bar, stuff a stick of powder down the hole and blast them out. They called it "snake holing".