Not the best tool for the job. Too much potential strain on an old mechanical system to start with.

Although before signifigant damage occurred one would probably lose back wheel traction.

Of course you could make a run at it with a slack chain and create a stretch limo. Really the worse factor though is it is a unibody car.

In reality though if there is a lot of work involved a commercial machine is desirable. I use a local farmer on occassion with his large 4 wheel drive tractor.

I remember I once had six larger loads of fill to move. I phoned a local guy and asked him to bring a small bulldozer. He showed up with a monster on his float as he mentioned his smaller one was down.

That alternative machine moved the six loads of fill like it did not even exist. I had no ideal of the power the larger modern bulldozers have now. It just played with the approximate 100 yards of fill. I think off the float and back on was only about five minutes. Without chaining removal and them put back on. Just raw brute power. His normal work is building logging roads.


You could tell it was not even really working. Hourly rate for bulldozers is normally way down locally as excavators dominate today. A smaller unit with a ripping attachment probably might make short work of what you need.

I don't own a cherry picker so am going to start looking around for a gently used one. I figure after I use it to remove all the brush from the yard I could sell it coming out with virtually little to no cost to me (other than a lot of blood, sweat and tears!!!).

I'd borrow a truck from a friend (and maybe even the friend!) to pull stumps. It's definitely the easiest, safest, and fastest way to get the job done. Depending on how deep the stumps are and the type of soil you have, there may be some violence and strong jerking involved to get them out of the ground.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

I've pulled out bushes with my Mercedes, the bushes were not that big but it worked just fine. I used a nylon strap vice the chain (chain would be safer for reasons mentioned), tied the strap to the tow hook on the rear of the car, didn't try the spare tire trick but that would probably make the job easier / safer. This is really no big deal for any car or truck, just be careful and think about the danger, take steps to mitigate the danger. Don't let anyone stand anywhere close-by. Keep children and pets controlled so they don't run up to the bush or the car while you're doing this, the whole effort is rather exciting and people / animals sometimes get stupid when something new and exciting happens.

You could also purchase a come-along, anchor that to a nearby tree, and v e r y s l o w l y pull the bush out.

__________________
Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

I figured out my life's biggest opportunity; I wasn't born wealthy.

Wealthy people hire people to do everything for them, wash their cars, change their car's oil, adjust the valves, attend to all landscaping needs, put a new roof on the house, clean the house and cook their breakfast, lunch and dinner......pretty much d*mn near everything.

While their paid slaves attend to their business, the wealthy attend movie premiers, go to professional football games, dine out at five star restaurants, etc. etc.

I figure you need to either be stone cold broke or extremely welthy. Being stuck in the middle SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS!!!!

You stay better off usually financially by doing all the things that are both practical and common sense to do yourself. Certain things just are not in many cases.

Some of this is just left over habits in the wives and my lifestyle.The wife and myself farm out little.

Sweat equity was a very large part of our early days. With the higher percentage of clay in the north eastern soils of north America. As in our case it could be really heavy going here to do much of this nature.

How does ANY of that have anything to do with pulling up a stump with a vehicle? I'm sure as hell not wealthy (FAR from it in fact) and I did exactly what you're talking about doing by asking my neighbor across the road to borrow his truck. He even came over to help. Total cost to me? $0.00. I turned around and helped him do the same thing at his house a couple months later.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

For what it’s worth, I’ve used my 300d to pull quite a few things. If you’re pulling from dirt or grass, it’s fairly unlikely you’ll damage the transmission before you spin the tires. I’ve managed to pull a Suburban out of a ditch (I was on asphalt for traction) and a newer full size pickup pulling from hardpack. I’ve also towed plenty of trailers, although I did fabricate a fairly beefy hitch. Definitely need to pull with the loop not the bumper.

BTW, my 300d has more horsepower and lower gearing than my ‘78 F-150 by factory specs.

Then again, pulling a lot repeatedly will heat up your transmission a good bit.

__________________
'83 300D turbo diesel (334k daily commuter)
SOLD '80 240D 4 speed manual, #2 piston pitted from crushing a 10mm nut. Running it 'till it burns through.
'78 F-150 300cid 4spd od (with my great unkle's original sales receipt)
SOLD '66 Ford P-350 delivery truck (almost driveable)
'49 Dodge B1D (1 ton Pilothouse era truck) not running but all there, candidate for om617 and 4x4 conversion when money permits.

I guess we have a difference in philosophies. My father taught me to never ask to borrow anything from the neighbors. I've found that if I do ask to borrow something, they will begin asking to borrow my lawnmower, weed eater, dog, wife, whatever. If I borrow from THEM, they now expect to borrow from ME.

This is a train once started, never stops. Plus, if I were to break the item I borrowed from the neighbor I'll never hear the end of it. To me it just isn't worth the hassle. But, this is my philosophy and I am certainly not trying to push my philosophy when it comes to borrowing stuff from the neighbors. In my limited experience, sticking to the rule of not borrowing tends to keep my relationship with the neighbors on an even keel.....

On another note, there are several local places that rent trucks for a low daily rate. However, there are quite a few bushes in the back yard that need pulled out which will require another method, i.e. engine hoist AKA cherry picker.

I now have three neighbors with totally out of control dogs. Their dogs are now running the neighborhood off leash, one attacked and BIT another neighbor so I am leerily watching to see what happens next.

Under no circumstances do I want to get into a borrowing relationship with these psychos.

Takes a lot of cohones to do this with a unibody car. Truck with body on frame is the way to go.


I have an engine hoist. I bought it cheap at HF, you should take a look.

Perhaps I should requisition the neighbor's psycho dogs, tie a tow rope around their necks and order them to P-U-L-L!!!!

Ever notice how people's dogs tend to look and act just like them? The way my neighbor's dogs act makes one seriously question the sanity of their owners.

I'm not here to tell you how to live your life or compare notes on who was raised how, but when everyone else in the room seems to be a problem it's often time to take a serious look at yourself.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

If you are worrying about a stump, you have enough money to go rent the appropriate equipment, or just have the darn thing ground and bury the remainder.

Broke people live with stumps.

I recently had TWELVE (12) stumps ground for about 400 bucks. Most were less than a foot, two were large, one very large.


Meanwhile you are gonna spend money on a cherry picker you will have to resell, maybe rent a pickup and use it contrary to all auto rentals polices unethically, and as a bonus treat us to some of your usual ranting.

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

Holy crap, two in one thread.

Good luck with your issues, buddy. You obviously have several. Wow.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap