large stump - split the top and pull the pieces?

[Renze]

I removed a big oak stump for my brother last year. Normally i'd cut some main roots and start yanking a long chain in the crown of the tree, theres no such thing as leverage Unfortunately the phone and water lines were right beside the tree so we couldnt risk damaging them. The tree was cut, then i dug a trench around it, washed the sand off with a garden hose, went for a coffee while the water sank, and then cut 2 foot pieces of root away so i had room to dig another time. poked and washed the sand from underneath, in the end i could wobble it by hand, then yanked it out with the tractor.

So preferrably remove a whole tree, it saves you a lot of root cutting. If you cant, wash the dirt off before you saw (and even then, use an old chain because you wont get it perfectly clean anyways) you'll get to a point where you can pull it out with the tractor.

Another method i used is cutting roots loose and then pulling the individual roots with the tractor. It helps loosening the soil before pushing the whole tree over.
snatch blocks and pulleys are cool too, though i have never tried them on trees...

 

[Vantard]

Did you ever get it out? I was thinking of splitting my 30 inch ass tree stump since it has 4 feet showing and they yank each piece or what I can.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Did someone say stump

 

[oosik]

Once I burned a big 'ol pine stump. Worked great until I found the fire was burning out the roots. Little "smokies" were popping up in all directions. A week of monitoring, digging, watering before I felt secure.

I'll not do that again.

 

[civilian]

Once I burned a big 'ol pine stump. Worked great until I found the fire was burning out the roots. Little "smokies" were popping up in all directions. A week of monitoring, digging, watering before I felt secure.

I'll not do that again.

Years ago, someone tried to burn a stump and did not realize it did as yours. Month or so later wind kicked up and started a large forest fire. Something like 6000 acres. Nasty. No thanks, I will not burn stumps still buried in the ground. Jon

 

[daugen]

Never forget Centralia PA...there's stuff underground that burns and burns and burns

 

[k0ua]

Never forget Centralia PA...there's stuff underground that burns and burns and burns

I believe they said the coal deposits there underground would burn for at least another hundred years.

 

[Username Taken]

You can drill a bunch of 1'' (or more) holes into the top of the stump and (carefully) pour muriatic (aka; hydrochloric) acid into the holes every few days. Should be readily available since it's used in pools to achieve proper Ph levels. I see it at Homely Depot all the time.

You can also do the same thing with the roots or even dig around the stump and pour it into the hole, which can go through a lot of it. It takes time before it will rot enough to pull out.

When you store it, keep it away from anything you don't want corroded. I don't care if it's sealed tight or not, it WILL corrode metals around it. Every time.

As to fire? Why not if you have the right kind of soil. Underground fires won't happen in most soils. Mostly in organic soils or in peat and muck with a lot of decayed vegetation.

We get them down here all the time in the 'Glades. Annoying. Kinda stinky, too. But in most soils consisting of sand or clay...... I don't know for sure but I think it's more in high-silt soils. You might want to look into that before you start lighting stuff on fire.

I try to flush-cut trees when I (have them) take down. If I can drive over it, that's good enough. After a while grass grows over the stump and rots it into nothing

 

[frogpond]

I have removed a lot of stumps by using a combination of methods.
The most useful tool has certainly been the backhoe, first to dig enough to expose the roots, then to rip and break the roots wherever possible. It helps to move around the stump, so as to work at 90 degrees to the roots.

Along with this, my wife and I use a cordless Sawzall to cut roots. Diablo brand carbide tipped pruning blades are most effective, and not too expensive at Home Depot. You may need a bunch of them, and of course you should have several batteries for the saw. Chainsaw chains go instantly dull in such work, and carbide chains are expensive.

Eventually, you may be able to slip a chain under parts of the roots, and pull the stump loose, but I have found that the final loosening is best done with the backhoe, pulling and prying. Often, the stump needs to be rotated sideways, and from several different angles. And don't underestimate the effectiveness of removing as much dirt as possible.

We live in Western Washington, so we're dealing mostly with Douglas fir, hemlock, cedar, and alder. Old hardwood stumps may require different tactics.

 

[fried1765]

That is the way I am doing some clearing around three old house places and it works quite well since I do not have a dozer or stump grinder. Of course the bigger the hoe the faster and the taller the reach of the FEL the less you have to dig before it will go over. I had one big three where most of the tree broke off about 12' high and without a heavy top that called for a lot of digging to get it to go over. Actually with leaves they go over better too.

I have two ailanthus tree stumps that are 30" diameter.
One I had cut down by a tree company, because it was close to the garage, and the other one split low and went over in a storm.
Both trees have been down, and cleaned up for about 5 years, but I am tired of looking at both 3'-4' tall stumps up close to the garage/house.

Ailanthus trees are basically a fast growing weed, and they grow very large, while also heavily populating the surrounding area with their nuisance offspring.
I have no idea about their root structure, but I am thinking that this is the year those stumps should go.

I see very little rot showing after 5 years, yet these are a soft wood tree.
When I get back up North for the Summer, it will be a good test for the capability of my Kubota L48 TLB.
Of course, it would be an easy job if I borrowed my neighbor's new CAT 306 Mini-Ex (he says, come, just drive it over whenever you need it), but I simply don't "borrow" $90K machines.
He is a good kid, and I want to KEEP him as a friend!