Stump Removal vs Stump Grinding

[BoneheadNW]

Thanks for all the posts guys. After discussing it with Mrs. Bonehead (i.e. nodding my head while she's talking), I was reminded that part of out septic system runs about 4 feet from one side of the stump. Just my luck, that would be the first thing I would hit. Looks like grinding is the way to go.

AntrimMan- You sure seem like one interesting character. I have a question for you: How does a squirrel farmer such as yourself own a cat without it eating your herd (or pod, flock, etc) of squirrels?

Bonehead

 

[AntrimMan]

Bone, you flatter me, I'm as interesting as matrix mathematics.
Ah yes indeed, the old cat and the squirrel question.
I have truly never had any cat that would tackel a squirrel.
The cat's prefer to be patient until the squirrel's are harvested and then they take their pick. Squirrel tastes like chicken, ask any cat around here.
My dogs give the tree rats a go but since dogs can't fly they lose every time.
Here's one to ponder... if a squirrel tastes like chicken and a cat eats a squirrel does the cat then taste like... we may never know and you won't hear it from me. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Martin

 

[jim_wilson]

How long has that stump been sitting there? From the looks of the top of the stump it may have been there for a while. If so you may be surprised how easy it comes out. When I got my BX23 the very first job I tackled was removing a stump that right in the middle of my back yard. From the looks of your picture my stump was roughly the same size as yours - and I thought that it was going to be a real pain to pull out which is why I waited to get a backhoe to pull it out. I turned out to be a bit of a letdown - the tree had obviously been cut down quite a while before and I believe the termites may have gotten to it also but the whole thing came right out in the matter of about 10 minutes. Don't be surprised if stump grinder does a pretty good number on your lawn too - if you want them to really take it down they are going to go after the roots also and it will chew up some of the lawn.

 

[LarryD]

Chainsaw a good size hole in it and plant some Lavender. Get some landscape blocks and do a raised flower bed over the bumps. You'll be done in an afternoon. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Freds]

Great post. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I've got three old pear tree stumps I am getting tired of mowing around, they stick up just high enough that I can't mow over them. I was going to ask the same question.
The local hardware store about 1 mile away rents stump grinders and the one looked new. I may check that out for next week. I imagine I should be able to tell if the teeth or blades (whatever they use) are sharp. I will also get a price on having them professionally ground down, but that seems a waste...

 

[DKinWA]

Drainfield or not, I'd go ahead and dig it out. It's been there awhile and it shouldn't be that hard to dig out. If you grind it, there will be a time when the wood rots and a hole will form under the sod. I was helping my dad in their yard one day and twisted my ankle when my foot went through the sod above an old stump. We'd dug a hole around the tree and cut it off low and filled over it with dirt. Fortunately, it was me and not my mom or dad it happened to.

The same thing happened to me in a customers yard, but I had work boots on and didn't twist anything. I know it startled the homeowner, but I didn't get hurt and didn't worry about it. Had it been an elderly family member, it could've been a different story. Stump grinding has it's place, but I recommend digging stumps up if they'll be located where people will be walking. If you're going to grind, I'd have them chase down every root.

 

[BX23Seattle]

Poor mans stump removal = drill a bunch of holes 1" wide x 12" deep all over the top of the stump. Fill all these holes with diesel for a few days. Then buy a few bags of charcole brickets and cover the stump as well as the sides (take your hoe and dig a 6" down around the sides of the stump) replentish the coals as needed until the bugger is underground. (skip the diesel part and have an all weekend BBQ on that stump) /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[KiotiJohn]

Grand Fir trees are interesting in that if they live in pretty constant moisture, they don't usually have much of a tap root. Generally, in a dry site, they don't have as much tap as a pine would, but can still be pretty deep. If that's the case, digging out will require a large hole around the whole stump as you need to start digging out away from the stump to get the weaker ends of the roots first, and work your way in toward the stump.
Usually, there is a very much larger portion just below the ground than what you see above ground.
Personally, I would first simply move the backhoe in on the opposite side from the drain field and just "see" how much trouble it would be to dig up. It may be, as someone else posted, that the stump is rotted enough to easily come out with the backhoe with minimal damage around the site. If it appears that you'll have to do the whole nine yards thing, then grinding would probably be the best route to take. It's always a good idea to mound the grindings back up into the hole along with some extra dirt which will help delay the ultimate depression you'll get as the remains rot. I would take it down as far as the grinder can safely cut, not just a few inches, so that new grass has plenty of root space.
John

 

[plaindave]

Just a thought, but if it is that close to the drain field what are the chances that the roots started to head into the field?

If they did that could be one heck of a mess.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Just a thought, but if it is that close to the drain field what are the chances that the roots started to head into the field? )</font>
Trees love leach fileds. I would be very surprised if there weren't any roots growing into it. However, the tree was cut down some time ago I would imagine, so the progression was probably stopped at that time.
One of our rentals just required the installation of a new drain/leach field because of the infiltration of a couple of trees. An expensive proposition these days.
John