This video is about how to remove a tree stump using a John Deere Backhoe.

The 260 backhoe we’ll be using was installed at the factory on a John Deere 1025R Compact Utility Tractor (US CA). And don’t be fooled. You can get a lot of work done with its 25 horsepower (18.6 kW). We’ve also added an H120 loader (US CA) and a Frontier AP10F Pallet Fork (US CA) for ballast on the front of our tractor.

Not long ago there was a 30-foot (9.1 m) persimmon tree standing here that the property owner was fed up with having to mow around. Now, all that’s left is this stump, which has to come out.

So the plan is to dig down and around the stump on all sides using four tools – the tractor, the backhoe, a shovel, and a chainsaw. So let’s get started.

The 260 backhoe has a reach of 8-feet, 8-inches (2.7 m) from its pivot point. And it has a swing arc of 150-degrees. So first, Caitlin will position the tractor and backhoe so she can dig out the most material and deposit it as far away from the hole as possible, while limiting the number of times she’ll need to move the tractor.

First, she’ll lower the loader to the ground, set the tractor’s parking brake, and set the transmission into neutral. Then she’ll rotate the tractor seat into position, lower the stabilizer feet, remove the transport locking pins, and she’s ready to get started.

Using the boom and bucket control levers, Caitlin can dig on three sides of the stump from a single tractor position, and deposit the dugout material to both the left and right.

You may discover that the soil around your stump has a lot of clay in it. If so, using a shovel to loosen and remove that clay that’s in and around some of the major roots will ultimately help free the stump. And often, with a large stump like the one in this video, you’ll eventually want to cut away some of the larger, deeper roots using the chain saw so the stump will ultimately come free.

It took Caitlin about two hours of work to get the stump to come free. Now we need to get it out of the hole.

We’ll do that by using a heavy-duty ratchet winch strap to tighten it securely around the stump. We ran the strap under the freed stump, then up to and around the backhoe bucket. Then using the backhoe’s 285-pound (129.27 kg) boom lift capacity, Caitlin lifted the stump out of the hole. Now it can be disposed of according to local practice and regulations. All in, start to finish, about 2.5 hours of work.

This factory-installed John Deere backhoe, along with nearly 600 other implements, is available only from your John Deere dealer, the place to go for advice and equipment.

So remember, for implements that help turn your tractor into the workhorse it was built to be, think Frontier and your John Deere dealer.

And lastly, always read the Operator’s Manual before operating any piece of equipment and follow all operating and safety instructions.