Dealing with stumps

[Markbnj]

No, I am not losing any limbs other than the woody kind. I need to take out a bunch of small trees. Say, a maximum size of 6-8 inches. We live in a typical semi-rural suburb carved out of the edge of a forest that has regrown since the transition from farm to residential use took place back in the sixties. When we first moved in the backyard could grow some grass and the previous home-owner had knocked the forest back aways. In the intervening 12 years the smaller trees have grown and the canopy has thickened to the point where mud and moss are my main backyard crops.

I'm confident in my ability to safely drop the trees and get them cut up and removed, but what is the best way to deal with the stumps? Should I cut the trees higher and maybe paint the top of the stumps orange then come back and try to yank them with my truck or a bobcat later (basically leave more sticking up to grab on to), cut them low and perhaps use or hire a grinder, or cut them low and put some of that stuff on them that makes them rot? Any thoughts?

 

[skimple]

What do you plan to do in the backyard? Are you planning on building/digging/landscaping/putting in a pool......

Leaving them to rot is awful.

If you're not planning to dig or build, grind them.

Otherwise, bobcat them.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Dynamite Monkey.

 

[Markbnj]

What do you plan to do in the backyard? Are you planning on building/digging/landscaping/putting in a pool......

Leaving them to rot is awful.

If you're not planning to dig or build, grind them.

Otherwise, bobcat them.

Good question! Not planning to dig or build, and if I did plan to excavate later presumably I could remove any remaining root systems at that point. For now just topsoil and seed.

Is a grinder something I can rent and operate myself?

 

[BarkingGhostar]

While the cheap way around my parts is to hire someone to grind the stumps down, I wouldn't recommend it. Dead stumps are nothing more than food for termites.

Even if you make the effort to dig them up and get them above ground you still have to find a place to dispose of them.

 

[olds]

I cut mine about 3 feet above the ground and then came back with my 4X4, F250, PSD and yanked them out. But none of them were 8". That might be tough.

Stump grinders are easy to operate.

 

[Markbnj]

While the cheap way around my parts is to hire someone to grind the stumps down, I wouldn't recommend it. Dead stumps are nothing more than food for termites.

Even if you make the effort to dig them up and get them above ground you still have to find a place to dispose of them.

Well, we have a dump I can take them too, but what are you recommending? Leaving the trees is not an option.

 

[wabbitslayer]

Is a grinder something I can rent and operate myself?

Home Depot rents them...(best and quickest) way to go. :thumbsup:

 

[NetWareHead]

If you try to pull them out, the ground where the bobcat or truck will get ripped up as the truck/bobcat tries to get traction. Small sure can be ripped out, not sure about 6-8 inch trunks, thats where you start to get into the bigger anchoring root systems.

You can always rent a stump grinder and in an afternoon, grind down a bunch of stumps. I have a huge stump from a tree that is invasive and I'm going to drill some holes and then pour some of that stump rotting agent down into it. I need to make sure that this tree never comes back again.

For now, cut the trees and leave a foot or two of stump so you can grab on to it with rope/cables if you want to pull them out. If pulling with a truck doesn't work, cut the stump all the way to the ground and either grind or rot it later.

 

[NetWareHead]

Well, we have a dump I can take them too, but what are you recommending? Leaving the trees is not an option.

The dump? Where I live, we have to pay to dispose things in the dump, charged by weight. I'd just try to split them for firewood or burn them in a bonfire.

 

[Broheim]

The dump? Where I live, we have to pay to dispose things in the dump, charged by weight. I'd just try to split them for firewood or burn them in a bonfire.

this, if I lived anywhere near you I'd come chop them for free, I find it very therapeutic.

use some rotting agent, a tree that size will usually be a bitch to pull out. Cut 'em low, drill some holes, pour in some rotting agent and call it a day.

 

[cabri]

Cut them about 2 ft off the ground.
For the stumps, dig around the root system a little on one side (opposite of a bobcat or truck);
Chop off any decent size (1") roots leaving stubs for the chain.
Hook a tow chain and/or cable down into the root system.
Take a couple of wraps around the left over stump.
Hook other end onto a tow hitch/frame
Tighten the cable, then pop the clutch in low gear.

 

[EliteRetard]

Just need one of these.

 

[Markbnj]

Cut them about 2 ft off the ground.
For the stumps, dig around the root system a little on one side (opposite of a bobcat or truck);
Chop off any decent size (1") roots leaving stubs for the chain.
Hook a tow chain and/or cable down into the root system.
Take a couple of wraps around the left over stump.
Hook other end onto a tow hitch/frame
Tighten the cable, then pop the clutch in low gear.

Yes, I've used my Toyota to pull a couple using this basic method, but not more than about a 4-inch trunk. I'm pretty sure I won't get an 8-inch trunk out without something heftier than my truck or a bobcat, or extensive pre-cutting. I basically just want to thin the canopy and grow grass, so I think cutting them low and renting a grinder might be the way to go. I probably will need several weekends, so I'll cut them low but paint them orange for safety.

 

[NuclearNed]

My one big job for this past winter was to dig up a river birch stump that was in a flower bed right next to my front door. It was a pretty big tree - the cross section was oval, approx 2' x 3'. When I started, the tree was not totally cut; the trunk still stood at a height of about 20'. I dug up all the ground around it to a depth of about 2' and cut/chopped all the roots I could find, then I hooked up a towing chain to the top of the trunk and tried to pull it down using the tow hook on the front of my truck. No luck - the tap root was far too stout even though all the other roots were gone. Finally I cut the trunk off the stump, then removed the stump one small piece at a time. It took me several weekends of intense hard work to completely get the thing out. I'm glad it's gone, but I think I'll hire someone to grind the stump the next time I have this problem.

 

[NuclearNed]

Cut them about 2 ft off the ground.
For the stumps, dig around the root system a little on one side (opposite of a bobcat or truck);
Chop off any decent size (1") roots leaving stubs for the chain.
Hook a tow chain and/or cable down into the root system.
Take a couple of wraps around the left over stump.
Hook other end onto a tow hitch/frame
Tighten the cable, then pop the clutch in low gear.

not so good for your transmission, or your towing cable...

 

[Thump553]

Around here dumps charge a fortune for stumps. I think they have to go into landfill/compost, and they take forever to rot away.

if you don't grind them, drill holes in them and fill with saltpeter and sugar. That will cause them to rot out fast(-er, we are still talking a few years) and attracts ants to help chew them up. The stumps get all punky and then you can smash them up.

I definitely wouldn't try to yank them out with a vehicle you care about, or one you pay the repair costs on.

 

[NetWareHead]

not so good for your transmission, or your towing cable...

Yeah, a cable can snap and become a whiplash. The risk of injuring/killing someone is great here so be careful

 

[Markbnj]

not so good for your transmission, or your towing cable...

I use a 20k LB nylon strap, not a cable. Lots more give. As far as the transmission is concerned, no real danger there unless you really do it wrong. I've had to yank a few trucks out of the mud, which I will admit is a much easier task than pulling a stump in most cases.

Anyway, point is moot since I'm not hooking my truck up to anything that hard to pull out. It's not an excavator, and while I spend a lot of time in the woods I am not a "four wheeler" and in general don't like to break it if I can avoid doing so.

 

[NetWareHead]

if you don't grind them, drill holes in them and fill with saltpeter and sugar

Alot of the rotting agents contain saltpeter, you just have to find the right one in a hardware store. A buddy of mine did it this way. A few months after chopping, he poured some diesel on to the stump and into the holes he drilled and set it on fire. The saltpeter and diesel need time to infiltrate the tissues of the stump and once the diesel catches fire, provides oxygen so you can burn the stump, even the parts underground. The stump burned and smoked for most of the day and by the next day the smoke had subsided. He kicked a portion of the stump still standing and found a hollow cavity under the stump that extended more than a foot underground. This technique will burn about 2-3 feet of vegetation around the stump and will scar up the yard pretty badly. We dug out all of the ashes and remaining stump and filled in with topsoil. 2 years later, all of the grass has filled back in and you would never know a tree was there.

One would argue that stump grinding is just easier but we didnt have access to a truck not the few hundred dollars of rental fees a stump grinder requires. Burning a stump is probably the cheapest way to do it as the chemicals are not expensive. This method takes some time for the chemicals to work and is not the most environmentally friendly so I probably wouldnt do this if you had a well for drinking water in the vicinity or want to plant vegetables on the cleared land.

http://loaning4less.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/painless-removal-of-tree-stump/

For some pics of the aftermath, google "stump burning"

 

[lozina]

Digging out stumps is fun and a great form of exercise.

 

[Markbnj]

Alot of the rotting agents contain saltpeter, you just have to find the right one in a hardware store. A buddy of mine did it this way. A few months after chopping, he poured some diesel on to the stump and into the holes he drilled and set it on fire. The saltpeter and diesel need time to infiltrate the tissues of the stump and once the diesel catches fire, provides oxygen so you can burn the stump, even the parts underground. The stump burned and smoked for most of the day and by the next day the smoke had subsided. He kicked a portion of the stump still standing and found a hollow cavity under the stump that extended more than a foot underground. This technique will burn about 2-3 feet of vegetation around the stump and will scar up the yard pretty badly. We dug out all of the ashes and remaining stump and filled in with topsoil. 2 years later, all of the grass has filled back in and you would never know a tree was there.

One would argue that stump grinding is just easier but we didnt have access to a truck not the few hundred dollars of rental fees a stump grinder requires. Burning a stump is probably the cheapest way to do it as the chemicals are not expensive. This method takes some time for the chemicals to work and is not the most environmentally friendly so I probably wouldnt do this if you had a well for drinking water in the vicinity or want to plant vegetables on the cleared land.

http://loaning4less.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/painless-removal-of-tree-stump/

For some pics of the aftermath, google "stump burning"

While a lot of my yard clean-up issues would be solved by burning, it is not allowed in any form around here. I'd probably do it anyway if the consequences were just the fine, which is probably cheaper than all the rental time to chip the limbs and whatnot, however they will actually send the fire squad out and put the damn fire out with water. So you end up not getting the stuff burnt, and with a big mess on your hands.

 

[NuclearNed]

I've read that horses/mules are much better than vehicles at pulling out stumps. Got a horse or mule?

 

[NetWareHead]

While a lot of my yard clean-up issues would be solved by burning, it is not allowed in any form around here. I'd probably do it anyway if the consequences were just the fine, which is probably cheaper than all the rental time to chip the limbs and whatnot, however they will actually send the fire squad out and put the damn fire out with water. So you end up not getting the stuff burnt, and with a big mess on your hands.

You can still use the rotting agent containing salt peter without burning. it supposedly will soften the stump to the point of being able to easily chop it up with an axe.

 

[mizzou]

What did the Tree's really do to you to deserve this....