The Biggest Stump I've Ever Tackled With A Backhoe! - John Deere 310SE Digging Huge Maple Stump

The job for today is to dig out a huge maple tree stump with my John Deere 310SE Backhoe. My cousin Tony is building a new building and the tree had to come down and the stump needs removed. I figured I'd give it a shot after finding a one foot bucket for my backhoe.
#stumpremoval
#johndeerebackhoe
#diggingstump

[@charlestackett7137]

Watching this video, I'm impressed with myself. I was sixteen, in Spring of 1970. Completely by hand, I dug and chopped out a very large maple stump about half the size of yours for my elderly neighbor, Mrs. Johnson. It took me three days. I wanted to prove that I could do it. I shoveled under each root, and using an axe and a bow saw, I chopped out each root. The whole time, Mrs. Johnson complained about digging out a root in her lily bed, and that it was taking far too long. I'm not sure she was appreciating the enormity of the task. Every neighbor from the surrounding neighborhood, and member of my family (three siblings and both parents) came over to offer doubts and negativity. So I had too finish the job. I just wish I had the before-and-after pictures of my insanity.

[@digdrivediy]

That is an incredible story. What a life lesson that must have been to complete such a task in the face of everyone that said you couldn't. Thanks for sharing. I respect that type of commitment.

[@pilbomags488]

@@digdrivediy dude, he's lying

[@digdrivediy]

@Tree Man stump grinder would be nice!

[@douglassfearn328]

Qqq

[@johnmarkhatfield]

I might put a video up of a stump removal by hand. Just a pick adz, hatchet, and a log peavey. I have taken out either a few in a day, or one over a few days. I played with a skid steer for some. But because of the hill im on and the rain, i just did it by hand. (Just s tire ss). My hands became calloused and i can feel i got into shape a bit im the last few weeks. I did about 8 or 10 or so. a foot or so in diameter was the trunk. Some double stumped.

[@topshelf321]

Nice work. One piece of advise, fill you front bucket with dirt or rock to add extra counter weight. It will make a big difference in your ability to pull with out tilting the backhoe over. But you are correct no point in getting in a hurry you'll just get aggravated or break something.

[@digdrivediy]

Good tip!

[@carrollsanders9376]

@@digdrivediy Better tip, weaken the stump with a Chainsaw as deep as you can with an X cut on top use an old chain on the saw.

[@TechGorilla1987]

This content was enjoyable to me. Your control of audio level editing is commendable. Please enjoy your well-deserved "Thumbs Up."

[@digdrivediy]

Hey thanks a lot. The audio leveling can be challenging sometimes and most people never even notice when lots of work has went into it. Thanks for mentioning it and appreciate you watching. I'm grateful for that thumbs up!

[@sprintcar-acematt5175]

I dig them out with a JD 710 with my ex-mother-in-law standing in the loader bucket for ballast.

[@digdrivediy]

Haha! A 710 would do the job for sure! I'm afraid my mother in law is prettying small though, so not much ballast there for me.

[@firecaptaintom1977]

Next time have her stand under the bucket.

[@georgedavidson7986]

My mother in-law was a great lady. Should have married her instead of her daughter

[@firecaptaintom1977]

@@georgedavidson7986 😆

[@patalexander3702]

I thought you were going to say , with all of her shoes she has purchased.

[@1961fireguy]

It is usually better to leave the stump 5-10 feet high so you can use the stump as leverage to pull and or push the stump over. At least that is what I have found with pine trees, cause they have a big tap root in the center.

[@ian3580]

You wont do that with a maple or an oak....very different than a pine tree in many ways from roots to strength

[@garymixson687]

Exactly...when I had several trees cut I told them to leave them 20ft. They had no idea why until I told them how I was getting the stump up.

[@eddiemortontapman7252]

I’ve used a pressure washer to clean off and find the toe roots and cut them with a sawzall and then pull the stump out , you do get mighty dirty washing the dirt off though ! Thanks for sharing your World

[@digdrivediy]

I could see that being a messy job Eddie! Hey, whatever gets the task accomplished sounds like a winner to me. Sawzalls are great! Thanks for watching!

[@arnoldaltjr.2099]

As a kid I saw several stumps dynamited. It was not meant to remove the stump, only to loosen the roots. The dynamite holes are drilled from the side of the stump underneath to get the dynamite into the root area. When done right the stump can be pulled out by a team of horses.

[@digdrivediy]

That's awesome Arnold! I wished I could have seen my great grandfather remove stumps with dynamite. I have only seen dynamite explode once and that was just to see the bang, not for any work. Thanks for explaining the process and thanks for watching!

[@Macdad260]

You are correct. My dad removed a lot of stumps with a D4 Cat. He would use dynamite to loosen the bigs ones. He had a pointed 3 inch pipe about 4 feet long with a short length of chain with a hook welded to it. He would push the pipe under the stump and then use the chain to pull it back out. We would take the paper off the dynamite sticks and push the dynamite in the hole with a broom handle. Sometimes we used a fuse on the blasting cap and sometimes we would use an electric cap. That's how the old timers did it and we didn't die.

[@robertmintz63]

Dido , Arnold.

[@william38022]

I’ve seen tree stumps dynamited and they’ll blow the things clean out of the ground one stick might not if it’s big but two or three sticks of dynamite will blow A tree stump to kingdom come

[@thehimself4056]

That’s exactly how I watched it done.

[@rickoszpar9513]

Us welders love it when you dig out stumps! Bucket repairs!☺️

[@digdrivediy]

Nah! Thankfully nothing to fix this time around 😁

[@commoncents456]

That's so true. Cost me $1000.00 to repair the backhoe for a $350.00 stump Boy did I learn a lesson quickly.

[@chaplainand1]

When I was about 11 (around 1958-59), our County Agent came to our farm to blow five or six old Maple stumps, probably 30" plus diameter. He use an auger like that. He put up to three sticks under each stump. He used a large nail to poke a hole into a dynamite stick, inserted the blasting cap and fuse and stuffed it into the bottom of the hole. He then added whatever additional sticks/partial sticks into the hole then packed it with earth. He ran out as much fuse as he thought was needed for a 10 minute burn and split the end of the fuse cord. He sent my brother and I in the farm pickup about a 10th of a mile away then lit the fuses. The stumps went up one after the other - lots of noise - and stump chunks and rocks and dust galore. Some of the lighter chunks reached the truck. That was a fun day, except for having to pick up all that debris from the field afterward.

[@digdrivediy]

Oh man, that would be so cool to witness Neil. I've always wanted to see it for myself. Tough to be able to do these days. Thanks for the story and for watching the video. I could picture it perfectly!

[@neilreid2298]

Great job. I've worked tornado recovery and it's stunning to see trees that large blown over with their root ball flipped out of the ground. Trees are seriously connected to the ground!

[@commoncents456]

Thank you for your video. Brings back a lot of memories

[@thor942]

The first wiggle is so satisfying…. Great vid

[@digdrivediy]

You're so right about that! Good comment and thanks for watching!

[@johnhamilton9229]

2 hours, fantastic. Now I want to jump on my baby 25s new Holland and go dig up something. Thanks for the stump removal tips. Big take away is go slow. Got it.

[@digdrivediy]

Right on John!

[@deathbecomesu4604]

Down here we use a hook attachment. It looks like a fishing hook, it goes on the Backhoes and diggers. It uses the same principal as what you have used with your trenching bucket but being as it is, it goes down and cuts the roots out completly.

[@digdrivediy]

I could see that being a very practical application. If I did more of this stuff I'd probably look into one. Thanks for the comment and appreciate you watching!

[@ifyoutip]

In Michigan we use something called a frost tooth. It's made for cutting through frost but works well on these tree roots

[@digdrivediy]

@@ifyoutip I've had the pleasure of ripping plenty of frost with one back when I worked in excavating full time. You're right that thing was handy for roots too! Thanks for reminding me of that frost tooth. It was always a struggle pulling the excavator around on top of the frozen ground!

[@jackpinesavage1628]

Recently, I've been working on getting an oak stump out of my neighbor's yard. It measurers 22 inches in diameter. I'm using a Chinese-made trencher I ordered last year via a catalog. It's always a good time to celebrate after pulling a big stump out of the ground. It makes me appreciate all the work the old timers did years ago to clear the big farm fields we see today. They used the ashes from burning those stumps to make soap. They would set up a tall tri-pod and a winch, then use horses to extract the stump out of the ground.

[@digdrivediy]

Good luck with your stump!

[@theodorehaskins3756]

So, watching your video made me think that my dentist could’ve used a backhoe on my last tooth extraction. Lol.🥶🥶🥶

[@arnoldaltjr.2099]

We were fortunate to have another way to remove stumps back in the day. An old guy who did custom farm work as a young man sold all of his threshers, clover hullers, etc but kept one J. I. Case steam tractor and thresher back. Ours was one of five farms that belonged to a "threshing crew" One year we actually used the steam tractor to run an antique threshing machine. But in the winter "old Louie" would "grub" stumps using the steamer and mill chain. Links about a foot long made of one inch diameter rod and "forge" welded. The chain was too heavy to lift on to a wagon so it was moved on a stone boat and drug around a stump with another tractor. Louie would pull the slack from the chain and after one or two puffs from the steamer the stump would just jump out of the ground. If you were a 14 year old kid in the 50's it was something to see. You did a good job with your backhoe.

[@digdrivediy]

Wow, that is a terrific story! I could picture it, but boy would that be something to see! Those steam tractors sure had a lot of torque and power from what I've seen. We have a local annual steam show and I always enjoy and appreciate getting to see those things work. Thanks for sharing that memory! That would be a fantastic video!!!

[@boat6868]

Cool story. I did not realize they were so powerful.

[@robertmintz63]

My grandpa had a steam tractor & a threshing machine , but I only saw it working one time , threshing in about 1948 noting else , thanks for the story

[@robertmintz63]

In 1950 I was 9 yrs old , my dad came home from England in September 1945 was sure a different life back then !

[@bobgrier3103]

That was fun! Innovative pin solution. It worked well.

[@digdrivediy]

Appreciate it Bob! Held up pretty good to the abuse I thought.

[@johnmcclain3887]

We moved to a new home over twenty years ago, and I began removing a dozen trees, oaks and sycamores. I bought a backhoe about six or eight years ago, and tore the last of the last stumps, just this spring. I hope to never remove another tree. Thanks for sharing this, wish I could've shared mine!

[@ralphbranham8663]

Funny to see a backhoe dance , lol !!!!!

[@Iowaflyboy1]

Great job, I’m always hogging out stumps on our property here in Idaho. I like to leave the stump about 3-4 feet longer to use as leverage as the stump starts to loosen up. We have a mini excavator (7,800lbs) and like you said it takes patience on the bigger stumps. Seems to be very satisfying work to me 😎

[@digdrivediy]

I kinda enjoy it too when I'm not in a hurry. It's always fun taking on a challenge. I've left the stumps taller before as well with varying degrees of success. This tree was just too big for me to cut very high is all. Amazing what you can accomplish with some patience!

[@robertmintz63]

+@ Tom , Read in the comments how I did it , easy on the tractor

[@randywilson6869]

U did a heck of a job. A guy on utube with a monster excavator has a thing he calls it the rooster it take those big stumps out like crazy but u need something big to run it. I don’t think people realize how hard it is to move a stump

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Randy. I think you're right in saying not that many people truly know what it takes. I wished I had a crazy big excavator for this but we had to use what we had. Thanks so much for the comment.

[@2020HotShotTruckingLLC]

I dug out an oak stump that was over 24" using a 5 Ft. box blade on a 37 HP tractor. My front yard looked like I was building a large swimming pool. I had to go down 6 Ft. deep all around it so I could expose the seemingly millions of sucker roots which I cut with a sawzall. Root ball was over 6 Ft. diameter...I drug it out of the hole and into the back with the front tires of the tractor way in the air. It was in the middle of many bon fires over several years and finally it's all gone. You were right about being patient so you didn't tear up your equipment. I've ripped the ears clean off my box blade...3" x 3/8" steel.

[@digdrivediy]

Holy Cow! You've certainly got more patience than me though to tackle that with a box blade. Nice going! That would have been a good video. Thanks for sharing and appreciate you watching!

[@SylvanSkywatcher]

Trees are fierce lifeforms!

[@robertmintz63]

All right guys , your mechanics at getting the bucket to fit was perfect. I have removed many trees with a backhoe and I am going to tell you how I did it . They were pine trees (30-42”) on the stump) and the root system appears to be much different, they had the big horizontal ones but also ones that looked like a tree going down about 8ft. First locate your big side roots and dig them out first , as far away from the tree as you want , so that you remove as much of the wood , which as you said rots away leaving a void , then I dug a trench around the tree ,sometimes a triangle but usually a square about 6ft deep ,& about 4-6’ from the stump . Then positioned tractor about 8’ from the tree , put the backhoe against the tree & come down , as far as I could causing tree to lean , then dumped the bucket till the teeth engaged the trunk , then did the dipper extend pushing tree over , pulls the whole stump OUT . Chip as much dirt off as possible, having someone to pick up all the roots . In your case with almost nothing going deep down , you will have to experiment as to the technique . I did notice one problem with your operation , you need to fully dump the front bucket & put it down on the ground enough to just lift the front wheels of the ground , & you won’t be so hard on your tractor! Some of the stumps I took out so big that when I chained them up to the front bucket, could not lift them , so I rolled the bucket & lifted the back of the tractor , then stuck the hoe strait to the rear with the extender all the way out , which picked the stump about 1ft off the ground Good luck

[@digdrivediy]

Sounds like you've got a great system Robert! Thanks for sharing all the great tips. Next time I work on a stump I'll be keeping this in mind. Thanks for watching sir and leaving a great comment!

[@charlesanderson9277]

I've used similar techniques myself , every kind of tree has it's own quirks and patience is the key !

[@ian3580]

As you said, a pine tree is much different. It's like giving tips on playing golf by how you shoot a basketball into the hoop. Enormously different tree in growth, roots, strength, soil type, etc

[@duggydo]

Had to do some clearing for a new mining area once. Used the D11 dozer to remove the stumps after loggers got what they wanted. Surprising how tough stumps are even versus big machines like that. You really put in the work to get that thing out with your little backhoe.

[@digdrivediy]

Yeah, a D11 would have made this a bit easier!! Still think it turned out OK though. Thanks for watching!

[@gregchapman6190]

A d11 for stumps ,that would be fun

[@KiiDFuze]

I had to read the thump nail caption in a deep southern accent “How big… is too big”. Sounds so much better ahhaha!

[@carlfondelheitiii2742]

Neil, I found a new old video I have not watched. Very cool, lots of work to dig the huge stump. Good job SIR. Carl FONDEROSA FARMS MD.

[@digdrivediy]

Ha! That's cool Carl!

[@johnparkhurst825]

I've used a chainsaw and went down through the stump,trying my not to get into the dirt, and quartered the stump. If you drive the bucket into the saw cuts and pry that helps too.

[@digdrivediy]

Nice idea John! Thanks for watching!

[@horseblinderson4747]

@@digdrivediy carbide shredder tooth bucket.

[@TermiteBenny]

We have a ripper shank we use on out 160 excavator for rock. It also works great on ripping stumps out. The shank is 2” wide and rips roots out with ease. No matter what, stumps always make a machine work hard to get them out. Amazing how strong wood is

[@digdrivediy]

You've got that right B&K! I would have used a frost shank if I'd have had one. When I worked in excavating we did have one for our 690 excavator and used it on stumps. Got through and rip roots on everything that was coming out and then go back and hog em out and clean the dirt with the bucket. Thanks for watching!

[@robertmintz63]

I made my ripper with an old coupler & a bulldozer tooth , read on my comments .

[@TheAlpine49]

That wasn't even painful to watch! Thanks for the video!

[@digdrivediy]

Appreciate that David!

[@sassafrasvalley1939]

I guessed 2:45... you got there quicker than I thought! Good analogy with the Tootsie Pop! My oldest grandson has never let one dissolve in his mouth. I told him he might as well eat the flavors that no one else likes.... because they all have the same delicious chocolate inside. I’ve grown to like getting that first little taste of chocolate when a bit of the candy dissolves through. The cherry is especially yummy! By coincidence... my neighbor got access to a Case 140 excavator this past week. He used it to knock down an eyesore of a house right across the road from me. While he had it, we brought it over and dug out two huge double red oak stumps next to my house... I mean they were within 6’ of the foundation. We cut them down 4yrs ago... I wailed on them last year with my baby backhoe. They just laughed! It took less than an hour to dig them out. I got some videos but haven’t looked to see if they are any good. You are right about smaller buckets. Brandon (Elite Earthworks) posted a video yesterday that shows exactly what our soils are like. In order to dig the trench, he used a smaller bucket to dig it. The advantage is clear in the great shots that he got. I have a 12” and a 9” bucket for my baby backhoe. I use the 9” without teeth, for easy digging of utility lines without. The teeth go on it when I’m digging rocks or roots. I find that it gets used anytime I don’t have to go too deep and I don’t want to make a mess! The wider bucket is great for hogging (well maybe pigleting) out holes and trenches. I’ll look at the footage and see if I can post our stumping job... it certainly looks like two amateur’s who got hold of a piece of equipment with which they had no familiarity!!! Glad your drone survived... that grease might improve its aerodynamics!!!

[@digdrivediy]

I'm glad you liked the Tootsie Pop reference. There are just some things from one's childhood that seem to stick and that dang commercial is one of them. I think it would be handy to have a baby backhoe around for some things as well. Very rarely do I ever have the "perfect" machine for the task, this job here being a perfect case in point. ( I don't know if I used that phrase correctly). Glad to hear you did find the right machine for your oak stumps. Stumping can be kinda fun when you have the right machine and aren't fighting all day. We dug out that cherry stump that was in his yard right after this maple stump and it came out so easily I didn't even bother to put it in the video. In hindsight it may have been great contrast. I always have my best ideas for these videos after they are published! The grease stains on the drone remain. I left them there to remind me to quit trying to get so close to things. If I'm not pushing the limits with that thing I feel like I'm not getting my money's worth! I'll look for your stumpin' video to air!

[@benjammin8510]

I used to work with Brandon at Elite, learned alot from him in a few years. Great guy.

[@kerinelson8489]

That stump is a monster. I've found that floodng the hole can help loosen them quicker.

[@jimshorts5970]

“Not your average “Cousin Tony”. They’re usually in a track suit and wearing lots of gold jewelry:)

[@digdrivediy]

This comment literally made me lol! No, he isn't that kinda "Toh-nee". :) Thanks for the chuckle.

[@monotheis6889]

I know a guy who knows a guy got a cousin....

[@ForwardNewsToday]

I just bought 1998 John Deere 310se and it’s my pride and joy. Beautiful machine

[@richardross7219]

Good job. You make me really appreciate my old shovel dozer. I just push my big trees over(when she's running) and the stumps pop up. Good Luck, Rick

[@suelynch]

My grandfather would have taken an hour to remove that stump. To hell with the barn near by. Back in the 40/50's he use to do stump removal and beaver dam removal. I remember him telling me about a large stump (7 foot across) that he and a friend had to remove. They used dynamite. There wasn't a piece larger than a golf ball after the bang. A neighbor (200 yards distance) was not impressed because his hens stopped laying for a week. The neighbor did find the golf ball size pieces of stump found all over the place a real hoot They even played a fun game of gold using the crater left by the stump removal as the cup. All players scored a hole in one from 70 yards.

[@ivanzeba4240]

it is easier to dig up the roots before cutting the tree and then the tree would serve as a lever, less force so you need to break the stump.

[@percyfaith11]

Yeah, you could pull it right over onto the cab.

[@CALVINLNIKONT]

That's what "Letsdig18" does all the time when he clears 100 trees a day!

[@davidwhitesell8302]

That is true, provided you keep the entire tree on your property, and off your house and building.

[@haroldtunich8809]

@@percyfaith11 oh Percy of little faith.

[@Ramo78100]

Great job guys.

[@digdrivediy]

Thank you Rafael!

[@tonynieuwlandt1290]

Thanks again Neil. The project is moving along, one step at a time.

[@digdrivediy]

I'm so happy for your project. Can't wait to see the next phase.

[@bryanblood7063]

I inherited a Ford 755 backhoe it's an 1981 Itll dig up anything I've tried so far I've done 12in on diameter to 24in diameter. The worst stump I've tried was a ash tree it was 27in across it had main roots 8 to 10 in I couldn't believe it. But great video. I absolutely love backhoes. I'm just better at destroying things than finesse work with them

[@digdrivediy]

That's cool Bryan! I love backhoes too and I've always heard those 755 Fords were really good machines. Thanks for the comment and I appreciate you watching!

[@bryanblood7063]

@@digdrivediy it's great what makes it cool I inherited it, but its bitter sweet a loved one passed and that's how obtained it. But the log splitter you made was awesome I seen it on tractor time with Tim. Look forward to seeing more videos just subscribed.

[@digdrivediy]

@@bryanblood7063 Bittersweet indeed. Thanks so much for the sub Bryan! Glad to have you watching.

[@scotcoon1186]

Ford built some of the best backhoes back in the day. The 555A/B/C don't have the power to keep up with a 580SM but will lift more. And due to the taller, narrower tires, will walk through mud the Case won't. Dad was a little embarrassed that day I pulled him through that mud hole.

[@william38022]

These things are a royal pain but good on you man you got it👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks William!

[@grandy0406]

Great job patience wins out

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks!

[@jml2048]

Just stumbled across this video. 16 yrs ago I was quoted over $11k to put a driveway in on a piece of vacant land. But I found an old Ford 755 BH for $8500 and with $3.5k in gravel, I got the driveway in and got a BH to boot. Since then I've used it to clear land for a PB and house. Probably pulled over 100 stumps in the process. Some were too big to pick up (like this maple) and I could only push them into a pile. However, I learned just what you said: you gotta have patience and go slow. It IS rough on the BH as you said. I've had hoses burst while pulling a stump and have lifted the front end of my 10 ton machine off the ground like it was a toy. Luckily, I've never "broken" anything that required pulling my welder out. Nice video, enjoyed watching it.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks for watching Jerry! You sound like you come out ahead on that deal! That's the best way to do things... yourself! :)

[@USSBB62]

When it wiggles , push something under it the best you can. Helps lift it for more leverage on the roots.

[@digdrivediy]

I pushed and wiggled like crazy for an hour! if I could get something under there I certainly think that would help.

[@michaelmangino9819]

@@digdrivediy been there done that! Totally know the Feeling!! The struggle is REAL🐖🌲💪👊🌲💯💯🏁

[@hollandduck79]

hello Neil. I think a Ripper tooth like DP's would have worked better for this. he seems quite satisfied with it. and for clearing and sorting the soil and all the tree root pieces in the ground, that sorting bucket I talked about before would be convenient. you could have excavated the entire area around the tree with it and only kept the tree root pieces in your bucket and the soil neatly in between without effort. keep it up I love watching your videos. Kind regards Hollandduck from the Netherlands

[@digdrivediy]

Hello Hollandduck! I was just thinking about you the other day as I saw a piece about the Netherlands on something I was watching. I agree with much of what you said. I'd love to have a ripper tooth but hard to come by for a little backhoe it seems. I was happy just to have the 12 inch bucket for this one! One day I hope to get a skid loader and have one of those sorting buckets. That's a great idea for a tool for sure. Thanks for all your feedback and continued support. It's awesome to know I have a friend in the Netherlands!

[@tedc7714]

My dad used dynamite., 60 years ago. I used to drive a tractor and wagon around with a crew of boys to pick up pieces. Then level it all out with tractor and scoop. People joked about hearing it on sundays at noon when church let out. Could set your watch.. Haha

[@cliftontorrence839]

Thanks guys. Reminded me of a similar experience with a big balled cottonwood in Denver, Colorado back in '87. Needed to put in a garage bldg. and stump was in the corner of the bldg. The hole and ball size were much like this one, but he did the whole dig w/ a 2 ft bucket. Took him 2 + days too, and that's when the trouble started. No trailer on hand. so when he chained up the ball to the arm the ball weighed as much as his 14,000 lb. rig. Couldn't get it high enough to put it into the dump truck, either. It's always something.......Thanks for sharing.

[@digdrivediy]

Sounds very similar!! Thanks for watching Clifton!

[@cliftontorrence839]

@@digdrivediy back atcha! p.s. I'm old enough to remember dynamite at the hardware store in parts of this country. Grandpa sez : Use the auger to dirt hole a shaft at a 45 angle from just outside the edge of the stump. Try for a lucky shot (not hittin a root on the way in) to the center about 3'-4' down. Fuse up a stick and get her to the bottom of the hole with plenty o fuse. Better tell grandma what's up before lighten er off. and get back a good ways. Ahh , Saturdays in America !

[@digdrivediy]

@@cliftontorrence839 Haha! That's awesome!

[@casycasy5199]

nice job, cant imagine doing that with a backhoe.2 hours i would have guessed more then that

[@digdrivediy]

Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Would have been 1.5 hours or less if I wasn't fiddlin' with the cameras the entire time!

[@stevesmith-wc2gb]

364 licks for a licking machine that they had built, but 252 licks from some of their volunteers. On the other hand, Michigan’s licking machine took 411 licks to reach the center.

[@digdrivediy]

Ha! This is my favorite comment on this video! That's some good info. I never thought to look into it. That commercial is just stuck in my head from childhood and will never go away!

[@RockhillfarmYT]

Great job. I enjoyed that you showed the search for the bucket and pins

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Brock. I hoped that was somewhat interesting. I appreciate your feedback. You seem to have good insight into this stuff!

[@davestinson5691]

I learned a bkt of dirt helps. I have dug up tons w a 2wd 310. That pump sure was whining. It's so satisfying when the stump finally starts to move

[@digdrivediy]

You're right Dave. Wished I would have had a little dirt for counter weight. The pump was a bit whiney. The microphone exaggerates it a bit too. The best part is seeing that first little wiggle. Let's you see some light at the end of a long tunnel.

[@ocsrc]

When you buy a house or land, have ALL the trees within 100 feet of the house removed. You will thank me later

[@digdrivediy]

That's what we did at my in-laws property!

[@tomahawkjo8574]

Why is that? I bought a house on 10 acres and we have trees as close as 20 feet.

[@ocsrc]

@@tomahawkjo8574 very bad. You get a storm like what hit Pennsylvania and New Jersey a few weeks ago and the trees all wind up on top of your house and through the center of the house

[@scotcoon1186]

Plus it is easier to stop a fire burning across the lawn, than one burning through the treetops.

[@BuildALotAcres]

Great job Neil. I've dug a few of those bigguns out. Definitely tests your patience!

[@digdrivediy]

You got that right! My patience was wearing thin by the end of it so glad it started to come loose! Always glad to see you comments sir.

[@blessedinjax]

You kno at first I was like why such a small bucket but when you explained why you went with it it made sense

[@157-40_T]

Wow, my goal is to buy farm land & clear it. I just learned why you need a much larger Excavator than I had thought. Thank you!

[@gregkneubuhler5798]

You had me for about 2 mins!

[@digdrivediy]

That's impressive! You missed all the good parts though!

[@RockhillfarmYT]

The largest stump I ever dug out is still sitting in the hole. I dug on it all day finally got it loose and my little tractor couldn’t lift it out of the hole

[@digdrivediy]

Ha! Suppose it will wait until a bigger tractor shows up?! That puts a damper on your victory when it won't come up out of there! Thanks for watching!

[@jasonbuxton3358]

Nice job dude. I rip stumps that size out regularly but I also use a PC360 to do it 😂

[@jackharper3190]

When I was around 14 years old I was removing tree stumps only with Handtools and a stick winch.

[@michaelmcguire3983]

Nice Neil! Another great video! Your editing skills are showing . We loved The tootsie pop commercial and the explosion! We had an auger like that when I was a kid we used to auger at an angle under them then set it off I’ve seen them do a lot of things from just rolling out of the hole to flying at us across the field 🥴. I’ve used the tree for leverage with my hoe....meaning dig before cutting it then use your extend-a-hoe to push it... works but can be “ exciting “ at times . Keep up the great work I look forward to Sunday mornings with DDDyi!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Mike! I really appreciate your support of the channel and love that you enjoy the videos. I wondered if anyone would comment on the commercial or explosion. I wished I could have seen stumps done with dynamite. Sound very exciting. I have done the dig and push maneuver and like you said, "can get exciting"! It's a real sense if victory whenever a tree or stump this big is safely down and out! Again, thanks for tuning in!

[@albertthorne2872]

I’ve like to dig the roots before I cut the tree then I use the weight of the tree falling over to pull the root ball over and out. Given there’s no structure around.

[@digdrivediy]

I've done that too. I was intimidated by the size of this one and just the backhoe. My hole would have been pretty big around the bottom I think. That's a good method though for sure.

[@deliveryguy7402]

I've had great luck in digging around the stump, pulling it out, and flipping it over to drop it back in the hole. I did this once with the same backhoe you are using. It took all day and a chainsaw.

[@kevinroe5857]

I've run alot of equipment over the course of 20 yrs and a piece of advice I'd give for the next stump ya dig is roll ur bucket all the way down and lift ur front tires off the ground and put ur stabilizers down enough to lift ur back tires just off the ground and you'll get much more leverage out of ur bucket, it's tricky in the soft ground I know but it takes a Lil work & compensation to manage it and it definitely helps, all backhoes are different with wear and pump sizes but stability makes a great difference.

[@digdrivediy]

For sure!

[@rocklandrhodes5320]

Good job. I've dug out dozens of stumps of various sizes. It takes time and patience. Imagine the hard work done by people many years ago clearing land by hand. You didn't happen to find Jimmy Hoffa buried in there did you?

[@digdrivediy]

Didn't find Jimmy or any treasure unfortunately! Thanks for watching!

[@1SNOWMANNH]

I found a rail road tie setter for my Wayne Roy coupler. It wasn't a ripper tooth but very close. Works well on my 310 SE. It takes patience and planning to do site work with a hoe. But they will do almost any job. Nice video.

[@digdrivediy]

I'm glad to hear someone else say that! The folks that do site and prep work with a TLB are getting more and more rare. I think the backhoe gets a bad rap nowadays but still a very useful tool that can still out perform a mini or skid steer in some ways. I think a giant ripper tooth could have been helpful here too! I was glad to have the one footer at least. Thanks for watching and glad to hear from other backhoe fans.

[@michaelmangino9819]

@@digdrivediy you don't want nothing as far as having a bucket bcuz those big slob stumps you do need to remove all the Dirt that's on top of the roots. As the Dirt is what's holding it in and down. Ripper maybe on small trees. This size not the best setup

[@rickvaiBBB]

I didn't think it would happen, good job.

[@symcardnel1741]

Pole barns gotta go where it's gotta go I guess. I hope you called Aunt Julie before digging. Awesome!!! Love the cam on the stump shot.

[@rustyiron]

There are a lot of ways to remove a stump, most of them require a lot of hard work, time and patience . I would have relocated the barn rather than cut down a huge tree but that's just me.

[@digdrivediy]

Understood John. He would have liked to have done that too but with setback requirements he literally had no room for the barn and the tree in the same back yard. It's a bummer cutting a big one down for sure.

[@dirtfarmer7472]

It’s a bummer to have ordnance’s that control what you can do on your own property

[@firecaptaintom1977]

I hope he has you back to compact after backfilling.

[@digdrivediy]

The remaining vegetation and woody debris was removed from the holes with skid loader after I left. They compacted the fill material in lifts as they backfilled since it would be tough to compact all that in one shot. Gotta get that stuff packed in good before you can run the trencher through it for the footer. And lots of rebar for good measure. Should be good for a couple hundred years we hope! I like you're thinking though Tom!

[@Zupdood2]

This seems like it would have been an excellent candidate for burning out the stump. The nice thing about that is; you don’t need to worry about how to haul it away. 😬

[@TheAlpine49]

Btw, I once dug out a 50' tall and 30' wide sycamore tree stump. The tree truck was 30" across. The main stump (below soul grade) was 6' across. I was on a Bobcat S180. It took 4 hours! I was freaking dead tired when I finished! I started from about 10' from the trunk and slowly started digging around it going 3' deep slowly breaking off the roots. Eventually, I got close enough that it started to budge a little. That little bobcat was a beast. As long as I did it slowly and let the bobcat do the work. I didn't attempt to move the stump till I felt comfortable the bobcat could do it. I know it wasn't the best way to take out a stump that size but it was the only piece of equipment I had available to me. Truth is, I was dang proud I got it out of the ground.

[@digdrivediy]

That is something to be proud of for sure! Thanks for watching!

[@OrangeismyNewGreen]

I’m curious, how much time did it take to get it out? Nice work Neil, patience is key 👍🏻

[@digdrivediy]

Right at two hours. Would have been 1.5 hours if I wasn't messing with the cameras to film it! Thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@OrangeismyNewGreen]

@@digdrivediy thanks Neil, yeah setting the camera to get the right angle a shot takes time 👍🏻, good job 👍🏻

[@roymadison5686]

2 hours , stated at the very last.

[@jimtalor7971]

And finds out later.......the original cemetery!

[@digdrivediy]

That old tree witnessed a lot of funerals in it's time there.

[@PatrolOfficer161]

I dug out a stump nearly that big in my back yard with a shovel and axe. I had a hole that big and four feet deep after multiple weekends. I used a chain saw and axe to chop it into smalll bits all the way to the tap root.

[@Tocsin-Bang]

My grandfather used to use black powder to remove stumps. He kept the powder under his bed, and he smoked in bed!

[@wendymorrison5803]

My Dad was blasting giant eucalytus stumps right up into the 1960's. After that the gelignite wasnt available to civilians. I was always kept away when he did it. Missed some spectacular events.

[@digdrivediy]

Oh man, that would have been awesome to see. My dad talks about seeing my great grandfather doing it too. Hard to imagine just anyone being able to do it nowadays. Thanks for watching Wendy!

[@jacobladder6165]

I remember even back in the 1990's my friend's dad had sticks of dynamite throw in the ponds or blow up stumps with. It was just readily available. It's really ridiculous how many things the government tells us we cannot have. After all Dynamite really isn't going to cause a whole lot of Havoc without some careful planning. Can anyone who's willing to do that is probably willing to do it with anything else from a gun to a knife

[@toomanytododge2594]

At least his neighbors won't give him any lip they seem like quiet people 😂 this is why I'm going straight to hell

[@digdrivediy]

Haha! "Folks are just dying to get in the place too!" Actually the cemetery board keeps a close eye on things but yeah, the residents don't make a peep!

[@mndak76]

Great channel! Keep the videos coming. Thanks

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much! Really appreciate it. I hope to keep making more!

[@willd6515]

Like watching a ''pimple popping video'' .........very satisfying.

[@digdrivediy]

Haha! Wouldn't have thought of that but yeah...

[@Thecowboy1950]

Tractor time with Tim would’ve had that stump out with his little one series

[@digdrivediy]

Haha! That would have been fun to watch for sure! 😋

[@omahabigbill2789]

Who?

[@pilbomags488]

@@omahabigbill2789 tractor time with Bill, you blind?

[@omahabigbill2789]

@@pilbomags488 No, you stupid? Neil got it.

[@DO-NOT-COMPLY-MANDATES]

All u need is a drill, used oil and a match. I’ve gotten rid of a few that way.

[@thomasduin2746]

It looks like he has quite neighbors across the street.

[@digdrivediy]

Yes, but the place is so popular. Everyone is just dying to get in there... ba-dum bum, ching! 😋

[@jamesjohnson6239]

Another interesting video . Thanks for sharing it

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much James!

[@Renville80]

I had to laugh seeing that old Tootsie Pops commercial as I well remember seeing it on TV back in the 1970s!

[@patalexander3702]

Much work to get that stump out!

[@digdrivediy]

Oh yeah

[@earthalienzapa3237]

buy stump killer

[@patalexander3702]

Big as that tree stump is, it would be 2040 before it decomposes with root killer! His building would probably become un level over the years!

[@danielmiller2886]

I was really hoping to see some dynamite action!

[@digdrivediy]

I know. I was hoping someone would have sent me some by now :)

[@AgnotologyTV]

I'm a fan of burning stumps out personally. Couple beers after dinner and an air pusher (box fan, leaf blower, whatever is at hand) . Instead of making it an actual work project, do it once or twice a week as a form of leisure. Sure, it takes longer, and there is some maintenance work that goes into it (drilling holes into the stump with an auger between burns to give the fire and heat more area to get at). That being said, stump wood is very dense and has some amazing grain to it, and it is wasted by burning it. Would be interesting to see just how long it would take to burn out a stump that large, thought I suppose in this scenario, the only proper solution is the complete removal so there are no voids under the foundation like you said.

[@digdrivediy]

Exactly! Thanks 👍🏻

[@lindamcentaffer5969]

That Augur is for drilling a hole UNDER the stump, a little past the center, then about 3 sticks of Dynamite, PACK the dirt back in & lite the fuse. there should be a good THUMP! & the stump will easily come out.

[@digdrivediy]

That would be fun to try! Thanks for watching the video!

[@LoriFoster]

Andrew Carmatti woulda had that out in a few minutes then woulda said “Well that’s done let’s go do something else”.

[@digdrivediy]

Who? 😉

[@omahabigbill2789]

Andrew's never tackled a stump that big before. Yes, he would have used one of his bigger excavator's(he has about a dozen) but this gentlemen only has a small one. Mighty fine job with what he had to use. Of course Al, we know you have dug it out faster than Andrew.....oh wait, you don't have an excavator, nor would you know how to use one!

[@LoriFoster]

@@omahabigbill2789 It’s called a joke..sorry you got butt hurt! 😔 No I don’t own nor do I operate a large piece of machinery other than a Kubota Tractor 🚜.

[@omahabigbill2789]

@@LoriFoster If you say so. But, it's Camarata, not Camarati. We both agree that Andrew's the greatest!

[@digdrivediy]

I enjoy Andrew's videos as well. Always interesting to see the different perspectives on certain tasks. One day I'll have an excavator to play with! Thanks for watching guys!

[@jimmyhorton1504]

Two hours wasn't too long for the size of the stump. That 310 has impressive power in the hoe to lift the whole front of the machine off the ground! I don't think I have seen that before. I'm sure a CUT hoe isn't strong enough. Great video!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Jimmy! Yeah, the 310 is pretty capable machine given enough patience. Thanks for watching!

[@robertmintz63]

I have lifted the front of my Case 580 K many times

[@milt6208]

I had an acquaintance (my neighbor) who some how got possession of a box of TNT from a old mine and some fuses and was having some fun at a old 1800's era mine. They took one stick and put it on a old retaining wall of old wood holding back some mining tailings. It exploded and nothing. They tried it again with 5 sticks of TNT and they weren't far enough away. He told me the wall disintegrated and a lot of it landed behind him. How he or anyone else didn't get hurt was a miracle. Glad I wasn't there.

[@digdrivediy]

I'd love to try me some TNT. Probably a good thing it isn't readily available anymore though :)

[@milt6208]

@@digdrivediyRussel my neighbor was nuts.

[@robertperren1684]

On my grandparents farm ,they would drill holes into the soil and dynamite it out one side, sending it to the sky quickly and easier

[@wypkewypkema6306]

Why cut down such a lovely big tree😂

[@digdrivediy]

To build a barn and the tree was getting on in years anyway. We will be sure to plant some more. Thanks for watching!

[@MollydogRadar]

My brother in-law had a big stump in his back yard. He couldn't get heavy equipment to it, so he drilled numerous 1 inch holes in it, about 12 inches deep. He soaked it for two days with diesel fuel then lit on fire. The darn thing burned for 5 days. After it quit emitting smoke on the 6th day, he had a big hole where the stump and roots use to be. And it was a green tree too.

[@Scratchingforcash]

That’s definitely a good machine.

[@robb1165]

Last time I was asked to remove a large stump for a building project I got fooled. I could not find any roots so kept digging down around the stump. Dug down about 10 feet and stopped, just cut the tree off there and filled the hole. The tree turned out to have been buried in back fill about 15 feet deep, and somehow survived like that for over 100 years. Lot was filled and leveled around 1910.

[@digdrivediy]

That's incredible. I didn't think a tree would survive like that. Awesome story there. I would have been baffled! Thanks for sharing!

[@theblackpit3159]

Good advice on the 1 foot bucket. I had to remove 2 large maple stumps from my front yard. Neighbor has an old Deere backhoe with 1, 2 and 3 foot buckets. The 1 foot bucket made for less overall destruction of the yard, while still easily able to bust 3"-4" roots. We then switched to the 2 foot bucket to remove the stumps (they were too big for the 1 footer). The whole thing took about an hour. Found that doing it by hand was way too time consuming (and back-breaking), while burning or grinding doesn't remove the stump/roots (and also too time consuming and fuel reliant). I originally thought about letting nature take it's course, but at the rate the stumps were decomposing, I figure I'd be about 120 by the time they rotted away. Oh yeah, and blasting is illegal in my area so that wasn't going to happen : ( A few yards of topsoil and some grass seed, and I'm hoping that you'll never be able to tell that trees were even there.

[@bluegrallis]

I watched a guy take out a Silver Maple stump at the neighbors. The tree had 3 trunks from ground level and they were only about 15 inches each. He had a 120 John Deere excavator and it took a LONG time to get that stump out of the ground. Really rooted well for something not so big.

[@jimmycurran5355]

Great job man. That's a big stump.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Jimmy! It was a big one for me!

[@carlthor91]

For that stump 1 stick of 40% ditching powder, stemmed half way down in the stump. Rubber blast mat, a few buckets of mud on top. POP, clean up the pieces.

[@digdrivediy]

That would be AWESOME Carl! I wish I knew more about that stuff. Sounds like you certainly do. Maybe if I get another biggin' I should give you a call! Thanks for watching!

[@carlthor91]

@@digdrivediy I helped a friend blast beaver dams, before DNR disallowed the practice, lots of fun. With tree stumps, it depends a lot how firm the stump is, some species, like oak, is easy, I do not know how tough something like Southern Live Oak, would be, that would be an experiment. I am in the Land of the Little Sticks, right now, do not know when the border will open again, they have to get things under control yet. Best wishes.