New Toy - Stump Bucket

YellowHammer · December 12, 2015, 10:47:23 PM

I've always had issues about what to do about stumps, and with a few miles of wooded fence line on the farm, I'd always struggled with digging them up, burning them, or just plain ignoring them. I don't have a backhoe, and don't like renting stump grinders repeatedly. So I was talking to a buddy of mine at the tractor shop and he said to get a root bucket. I'd never heard of one, but it's basically a long narrow bucket with teeth that slices down the sides of a root ball and cuts them. It's 56 inches long, so goes a long way down. Once the roots are cut, it's a simple matter to get under the root ball and flip it over.
Heres a few pictures, this thing works well. It has a quick attach backplate so works on tractors or skid steers.

Glenn1 · December 12, 2015, 10:51:02 PM

Very cool 8) It looks like a great idea!

fishpharmer · December 12, 2015, 10:56:01 PM

Very cool tool!

kensfarm · December 12, 2015, 11:38:42 PM

Looks like you could dig a trench w/ it too.. nice.

sawwood · December 13, 2015, 09:33:24 AM

I looked on Youtube and found lots of videos on Root Bucket.

Sawwood

SLawyer Dave · December 13, 2015, 11:25:36 AM

That is one nice tractor attached to your root bucket. I'm jealous.

flatrock58 · December 13, 2015, 02:27:58 PM

I have some pine stumps that I need to get up and can't get anyone with a track hoe to come dig them up. I have a 50hp Kubota 4wd. Does it take a lot of weight to get it to cut the roots? Have you dug up any pine stumps yet?

YellowHammer · December 13, 2015, 09:36:03 PM

Quote from: SLawyer Dave on December 13, 2015, 11:25:36 AM
That is one nice tractor attached to your root bucket. I'm jealous.

Thanks, its just my little ol gardern tractor...

Quote from: flatrock58 on December 13, 2015, 02:27:58 PM
Does it take a lot of weight to get it to cut the roots? Have you dug up any pine stumps yet?

Actually, most of the root cutting is done without really loading down the frame of the tractor, it more done with bucket breakout force and a light touch on the loader. Basically, the attachment is used to dig a trench beside the tree on all four sides, kind of like a square hole. Most roots an inch or two in diameter are no match for a tractor of any horsepower, its just pretty much shoveling dirt. When a big root gets in the way, the trick is to push through the dirt under it, and slightly lift up on the bucket so that the teeth on the top of the bucket slides against the root and cuts it in half. If the root is stubborn, then the heel of the bucket is put against the bottom of the trench, and the rollback or breakout is used to rotate the bucket up like a lever. So the heel of the bucket is pushing down on the ground and the teeth are pushing up on the root. If the root is really stubborn, keep he force on the root, put the tractor in reverse and the teeth will rip the root to pieces.
I haven't taken out any pines, but that first picture is a big old hickory, and they are about the meanest stumps to push out, with a very long taproot. My bucket is a basic, no frills model because I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something that I wasn't sure would actually work. I had my doubts. Some of the better models have sharpened, hardened cutting edges, and are shorter and designed for lower hp tractors.

Peter Drouin · December 14, 2015, 08:12:12 PM

That's a ripper for sure,

Ponderwood · April 04, 2019, 01:16:10 PM

Who makes the one you have and what's your loader rated for? I have a 2WD 41 Horse 2014 Mahindra with a loader that's rated for 4000 break out and 2800 lifting. Been eyeing one of these for a while, about to pull the trigger if I can convince myself it's worth the $$ and won't be too much on the tractor.

thecfarm · April 04, 2019, 01:32:42 PM

That's a Weapon. ;D

nybhh · April 04, 2019, 04:12:31 PM

I like it! Where did you get it/who makes it?

jmouton · April 04, 2019, 07:43:54 PM

i can see a welding job in the future ,,, that long and the force of the hyd s , easily bent ,, and broke ,, ive seen them before i know they are made with thick metal and all but still put that on my 80 hp skidsteer i would probably break it in no time ,,,, good thing i am an expert welder and fabricator too,,,,,

jim

PA_Walnut · April 05, 2019, 06:35:46 AM

I was just looking at one of those for digging up large Norway spruce trees. Know a guy selling a property with a defunct tree farm on it. Can get near unlimited 10'+ trees if I dig'em. Found that thing on Amazon and figure it would make quick work of it.

Comments? (Of course, I want the root ball to be large and intact).

YellowHammer · April 05, 2019, 11:29:31 PM

I bought it from a local place called skid steer Depot.

My tractor is about 100 hp, with 6,000 lbs break out force. I have used it quite a bit, and think it was would take quite a bit to bend or break it.

PAmizerman · April 05, 2019, 11:42:12 PM

We have had one for about 8 years now.
They are awesome. We use it on a case 1845c skidsteer with steel ott tracks.
Ours is made by CID attachments. There is no way to bend it. It is built very well.
Also have a CID auger. Very well built in the good ol USA.

PAmizerman · April 05, 2019, 11:51:26 PM

Sometimes if it's a really big stump with big roots you have to use the teeth on the front of the bucket to split the root apart until it is weak enough to snap