1) vertical pulling,

2) leverage,

3) and "do the guy that left those stumps"

 

I'll take a look at my scrap pile and see what there is to work with. Most likely end up building something.

 

Thanks for the comments & pic................James

It was basically a wheel about 5' or 6' in diam. with a long pole attached to it.

It was moved up to the base of the stump and a chain was affixed to both the puller and the stump with the pole vertical. Horses were then hooked to the pole using a long heavy rope or cable.

The result was action similar to a curved claw hammer pulling a nail.

I Googled but could not find anything like it.

I don't know if it was homemade or commercially built.

I have thought that a similar device could be built using two old tractor steel wheels and a piece of I-beam. I would build it so the wheels would also provide the means to move it about. Here is a horse powered stump puller I found while "Googling".

As I stood back looking, the hard work was done. The tree came down without any problems and had been cleaned up. The only thing left of the mighty tree was the large, deep rooted trunk the size of a Volkswagen. I had dug around and chopped all the roots I could see. Now, with a chain the size you would find attached to the anchor of an aircraft carrier it was time to hook up the tractor. I hit the switch and the old tractor roared to life.

 

With the chain fastened to the draw bar I said a small prayer, opened the throttle, and let loose the clutch. The tractor leaped forward, tires spinning up dirt like a Kansas dust storm. The front end began to rise and dark smoke poured from the stack. The manifold started to turn white with heat as a bright fire replaced the dark smoke shooting upward towards the blue sky. The tractor kept digging and inching forward and seemed to find added power as it knew it was machine or nature. Do or die. All of a sudden the mighty Green machine found solid footing, the bar tires grabbed and stood the nose straight into the air. The mighty trunk broke from its roots with a crack of dynamite and gave up the place where it had rested for 100 years. The front of the tractor came down and bounced several times as if it were dancing in triumph to victory. On lookers standing by were amazed. They couldn't believe the old John Deere had that much left in it. They applauded and cheered the old machine like he was an old soldier winning one last battle.

 

Ok, ok. So it wasn't a mighty oak, but it was the biggest dang rose bush you ever saw. And with the log chain, my 1984 12HP John Deere 212 hydrostatic mower pulled that mother out! I was proud and did a few laps around the yard dragging the trunk. Even left black marks on the driveway. Bar tires don't get much traction on concrete! Well, gotta go. Need to get the black marks cleaned off the driveway before the wife gets home.

Later

 

 

 

On my place by the time you hit a root on a mequite tree you just about dug yourself to China.