Its not hard but the average SD owner shouldn't even bother..
To many things can go wrong..I log tree's with my truck in the summer so I know what it will pull and what it won't I don't break anything cause I've been doin it fot 8 years. No bangin and crashin just slow cautious movements..I love pullin stumps out but if they are'nt loose with a little tug I go and get the excavator.
I use 3/8 steel cable never had a problem....Straps with steel hooks come back at your truck.

 

I pulled several 6"-10" stumps last year out of my front yard With little to no problem. There was on stump that was about 15" that was a little more of a challenge.

I dug out a little around the edge of the stump so that I could see the larger roots, Cut through the larger roots that I could see with the chainsaw. Hooked a large logging chain under and around the stump, other end to my receiver hitch, drove until only a couple of inches of slack was left and gave a little gas and stopped with the tension still on the chain. Dug a little more around the stump to locate any large roots holding the stump in. Cut them, got back in the truck back up about a foot and let her rip, 4lo, 2nd gear, drop the clutch 3500 rpms, neighborhood vibrating(I have no Muffler), grass, mud and dirt flying, tires spinning and digging, truck going side to side and stump comes out.

Then I looked at the stump and said hmmm. now what do I do with it. This thing on it's side was about as big around from the ground to the top of my bed rails. I knew there was no way I could lift or roll it into the bed to haul it away.

Down the street about a block is a dirt trail that goes off into the woods so I decided to leave the chain on and drag it down the street and discard it off in the woods. So down the street I go with this 400lb stump dragging behind me and low and behold wouldn't you know it, the State Trooper that lives down the street from me was coming home right about that time, in his trooper car, I about crapped myself. He smiled at me, shook his head in dis-beleif, and pulled into his driveway. Thank God he was off duty and didn't feel like messing with it.

That was a fun day.

 

Now that is a funny story!!!! Don't you feel lucky. Bet that thing left a trial of dirt and would shavings all the way from your house to.

 

2 words: diesel fuel!

Just drill a hole in the stump... fill... and enjoy

 

I've actually dragged a couple trees down with my truck. I was trying to cut one down in my front yard, and the tree was leaning in the wrong direction. I was able to get a rope on it about 25' in the air, and tied the other end off to my trailer harness (using a very long, high strength rated rope). My plan was to put some tension on the tree to get it leaning in the direction I wanted it to fall, then notch a chunk out of the opposite end, and pull it some more, etc. Surprisingly enough, once I started putting tension on the tree the first time, it just cracked about 10' from the ground and came falling down, exactly where I wanted it! I didn't expect that to happen, but planned for that contingency by using a rope long enough that if the tree fell, my truck was well clear of it.

Had to do a repeat performance not long ago. We had a descent storm, and the wind cracked one of the trees in my back yard. Not wanting to wait for it to fall on my neighbor's fence, I went about hooking up a rope to it. One of my neighbors saw what I was up to and didn't believe me when I said I was going to pull it down with my truck. 2 minutes later, the other end of the rope is tied off to the trailer hitch, and half a dozen neighbors are watching as I gently bring the tree down exactly where I wanted. "I figured you either knew what you were doing, or I'd be getting some great footage for America's Funniest Home Videos here. I didn't have the camcorder out, so I'm glad you knew what you were doing," commented one of the neighbors.

I've never pulled any stumps with the truck yet, as I normally just cut them down flush with the ground, and use what's left of the stump as a base to split the logs with for firewood. After a comple misses with the axe that land on the stump and a year or two, not much left to worry about.

I did yank a really stubborn bush/shrub out with a Jeep Cherokee I once owned. The darned shrub was in so tight, it actually bent the trailer harness! Then again, the harness was kinda' rusted, and I didn't care what happened to the Jeep. It was on it's last leg, and was soon to be donated to charity.

Just thought I'd share my tree pullin' stories...

 

DON'T USE YOUR TRUCK TO PULL OUT TREE STUMPS! I work with my dad at his tree business and most stumps that we grind down cost between $70-110 CANADIAN! When we are done all that's left is a pile of shavings that you can put in your garden. Plus you don't have to get rid of the big piece of dirt covered stump. You'll remember this when you drop your tranny, wreck your u-joints, driveshaft and rear end.

-Matt

P.S. It's not very good for your motor mounts either!

 

Right on brother!

 

We use STIHL chainsaws too! Best saws EVER!

-Matt

 

what kind of trees do you guys mostly deal with up there? Down here its maple, oak, and birch. We have a lot of varieties but thats the majority.

 

Mostly maple, ash, oak, poplar, spruce. There is an ash borer going around up here and they are cutting down a whole bunch of trees! Its crazy! They think that buy cutting down the trees you can stop an air borne disease! Good luck! Some people! Anyways, back to your regular programming thread schedule of stump pulling with your SUper-Duty!

-Matt

 

SD's are tough trucks- that being said- they are no match for mid sized oak, ash, and maple trees. I've pulled MANY acres of pine trees with an older Dodge truck w 318/NP-435 4 speed.
Pulling even 30+ ft pines 10" in diameter was never a problem- just chain it high, throw it in low and slam the gas, then back it up right into the tree and pull again. Finally wrap the chain around the exposed root and rip the bottom out. Hardwood trees are an ENTIRELY different matter. They have huge shallow sprawling roots which give the tree a very elastic support- like a spring. On top of this they are very dense woods with lots of sheer strength. A 10" oak would have killed that Dodge, and no SD would fare any better.

Looking back, even pulling the pines was a stupid thing to do when I think about it. Only an idiot would take a 30,000.00 airbag equipt truck in to the field to start using it as a half azzed farm tractor. I would never do this again- I've got nothing to prove and I care too much about my trucks to do this to them- just hire a pro to come in and cut the sucker down- your truck will reward you with alot more reliable service doing things it was designed to do- like pulling the shredder or dozer to the trees.

 

Best thing to do when you fear a chain, cable, etc snapping and flying back at you is... throw a canvas tarp over the middle of it. With ATV's, we throw a coat over the 50' winch cable so if it snaps its not imbedded in your forehead.

 

Man what is wrong with most of you? You buy a truck to work it! If you are scared of doing a little work with your truck then why did you buy it? You just have to use comon sense and be careful. I have worked all my F250's hard. All had between 150-175,000 miles on them when I got rid of them. Nothing but routine work done on them.

Alot of good ideas in here. The canvas tarp is great. That is the kind of stuff im talking about, working smart! The stump grinders work good, but you still have trunck left under the surface. Sometimes you need it all gone. Anyways pullin stumps is no different than pulling out a buddy thats gottin stuck. JUST work smart.

 

Yep, 30,000 lb tow strap attached to a 4 ton galvanized (1/2") chain wrapped around the tree about 3-4' high up, take out most of the slack, then give just a little gas for a small jerk. Sometomes takes a few lazy lunges. have someone else cut the roots with an ax as they become exposed. I always attach to my tow hooks on the front and put in 4 low reverse. I've pulled out about a dozen trees 6" in diameter and smaller. At about 3" in diameter they don't even need a tug, just slowly pull 'em out. Of course, I have a big footprint (12.5x36") and extra weight (7700 lbs dry), but my dad used the same method with his '77 F250 and it worked.

 

Poor wittle twees.