The weather is almost right for me to start trying to pull out some old apple tree stumps. I have over an acre which I hope to plant pinot noir. These trees are nearly 100 years old. The ones still standing are barely producing any apples. I need the ground to firm up a bit more or I will be sunk before I get started. My question is about pulling up the stumps. I am a transplanted city boy and never tried to pull out a stump with a truck before. A back hoe would be better, but I have a 1965 Ford not a John Deere. I don't know if I should use a cable? and how to attach to the truck/hitch. I am just stoked that I am running good with no more electrical problems. Does anyone have any tips? I have visions of sheared off cables flying back toward the cab at 100 mph. Thanks..

 

Cables are a bad idea in my opinion.
I use a good sturdy truck chain not no cheapy a good heavy one. I attach it to the hitch. If the stumps are large and well rooted you may want to dig around it a bit first.

I have heard people say to wrap around axel but this will damage all kinds of stuff including you brake lines.

My father used this old 65 to clear his 7 acres in oregon and never had a problem.

Good luck and be safe.

jd

 

Here's a tip if you haven't cut the trees yet leave them about 6' tall and hook the chain high. It's way easier to pull a tree over than it is to pull it up. I pulled an old tree out this way with my tempo and the tree was over 12" dia.

 

Coop, I'd be trying to round up a John Deere, if you are planning to getting grapes in this year. Save the ol truck for hauling the stumps away. IMHO

John

 

Stumps or rocks.....if it backs on you it will stand the truck on end....

My old man's new 66 Custom Cab looked pretty funny sitting with the front wheels off the ground five feet to this five year old.....Man i loved that truck...He reverted to TNT after than to get rid of the rock....

Garbz

 

I have way more experience pulling stumps than I'd like to admit! However, I doubt you're gonna be able to pull 'em if your truck is 2WD. I use my '78 Bronco for this, it has lockers and 35" mud tires.
My method:
I use a log chain attached to my receiver hitch(I run it through the receiver and loop it back and hook on the where the safety chains would hook). Then I have a 4 x 8 x 36 wood block that I stand up on end close to the base of the tree and run the chain over the block and down to the base of the tree. What this does is turn horizontal work into verticle work, essentially lifting the stump up rather than sideways...works great IF you have enough traction. I have pulled over 100 Mesquite trees this way.
What NOT to do(I hate to admit this....):
One particularly large stump was quite stubborn. I couldn't finesse it out, so I reverted to brute power. After lightly bouncing on the chain, my neighbor, (helper/beer drinking partner) said to hit it harder, which I did. Then harder, and harder, he said it was giving. Finally running out of patience, I decided to give it everything...backed up so I had about 2' of slack and floored it. The next thing I remember was sitting there trying to breathe after knocking my air out...seems the loose nut behind the wheek didn't have a seatbelt on....slack went tite, tree stopped the Bronco with enough force to lift the rear wheels off the ground...truck stopped, unfortunately I didn't, and I broke the steering column on impact. Not a proud moment, but lesson learned.
Good luck, be safe.

 

2wd should be enough. my father used my 2wd '66 to pull about a dozen apple tree stumps when we first moved into the house. i was about 3 or 4 and it was the coolest thing i had ever seen. the only thing i ever got to pull out of the yard was a '66 gmc flatbed, but that's a whole 'nother story...

 

To save potential damage to your truck, you may want to look into renting a backhoe for the day. Around my house, I have a Hetrz equipment rental. I don't think it's very expensive, either. It's probably cheaper than a new back window in your truck and stitches in your noggin. But, then again, I have a habit of erring on the side of safety. Maybe because I somehow managed NOT to kill myself with the stupid things I have done.

 

Cloth tow straps over anything metal. If you've ever seen what a broken chain does when it snaps, you'll know why. one of the cargo straps they use for flat bet trucks is cheap and rated at 35,000 pounds static load, it will tear your bumper off before breaking.

deflate your tires to around 10 to 15 pounds. this gives them better traction off road, so they can pull harder before slipping- 4x4's trick

4x4, granny gear, and low range will pull anything, but if you don't have them, a pully setup will work nearly as well.

 

NO CABLE!!!! Cable snaps and will be in the cab with you or cut it smooth off the truck...along with your head..

Chain..will work and if it breaks it drops straight down...I would use it as the cloth tow stretches quite a bit..

Now for my suggestion, 2 tools
1. a pick axe to get a hole started on one side of the stump.

2. a strong steel pipe with a hole drilled through it for a bolt to holed 2 chains. The first chain is hooked to your hitch, the second is hooked to a spike and used to keep the pole from being slung in your direction if it slips out.

dig the hole insert the pipe so as to twist the stump out snapping the roots in a 180º turning motion see attached... I grew up in South Texas... done this many times with a few different base model Ford Trucks even a Torino

 

I knew this was the right place for answers. I didn't expect diagrams!!! I will not use a cable for sure now. I need a tow chain anyway and have everything else at hand. If this works my neighbor has 10 more acres of old trees. I am thinking of getting the trees grounded into smoking chips. When I lived in the south we had smoked pork shoulder a few times a year with mesquite or apple wood chips. Here on the west coast apple smoked sausage is at all the good breakfast places. Thanks again for all the tips...Will let you know how it goes...Coop

 

If you go with the pipe two chains method make sure to position the spike so it will send the at 45º from you...you dont want it in line with the work chain or opposite it... just making sure..Be safe however you do it.. and as stated above "allways use a seat belt"..

 

I purchased a 64 F100 about 2 years ago in the central valley of California to make a street rod out of it. One thing lead to another and finally removed the cab and bed. The frame was bent by repeated pulling of sumps. 2years later and I have straighten and boxed the frame. Most all of the cross members are riveded. I you like this truck and want to keep it, rent the tractor.

 

Sorry, that would be stumps not sumps