stump removal

[Weedy Fields]

I had 900ft of woods cleared that I wanted a driveway thru. After I cut and stacked all the wood I had a excavator come in and put in the drive. They used a back hoe to remove the stumps. Didn't use a bucket and dig them out but used a large single point "tooth" and just ripped the roots on either side of the larger stumps and pulled the stump out. On the smaller stuff (under 10") maybe they just pulled the stumps. I thought at first they were going to dig them out, they told me digging them out is too slow, just rip the roots and pop them out.

 

[Jim Timber]

I push over anything under 6". Grinding out a 12" stump takes a couple minutes at most. Almost takes longer lining up on them.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

other than a stump grinder, what is the best method to remove multiple stumps?? I am thinking a 50 gal drum around the stump and setting it on fire?? Any other proven methods out there?

How big?

I cut stumps 18" above grade and allow their rootballs to rot enough to easily pop them.

'Course, I'm also trying to find a nice, used 4-ton mini-excavator too because I have people asking me to pop stumps and other mini-ex type jobs.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have a barn that I am redoing that had grown up pretty bad with trees around it.. Just trying to clean up around the barn and make travel around it easier..

View attachment 463754

Man you have got some bad leaners over the roof of that barn. That is going to be tough to get those out without destroying the barn, but they do need to come out. Might have to get someone to take down the ones hanging over the barn by climbing up and trimming off small pieces and lowering them to the ground by rope. You may get lucky with a long chain attached up high and pulling it with your tractor as it is being cut, but then again you may not be lucky.

 

[willhoff]

other than a stump grinder, what is the best method to remove multiple stumps?? I am thinking a 50 gal drum around the stump and setting it on fire?? Any other proven methods out there?

I have 100 acres of woods. All of the bugs and blight there are dead trees everywhere. I have three "fire rings" or your 55 gal drum. I cut the dead trees then throw the fire ring over the stump gather all of the limbs and brush and burn all of the trash. I burn the stump down to ground level so I can run a brush hog over the area then move to the next dead tree..Works Great!!

 

[erda]

Interesting timing for me to read this thread. Just spent 8+ hours on Saturday with a Vermeer stump grinder, grinding 15 large willow stumps out. As was mentioned, the upside is there is nothing left, and no hole to fill in. A bit of work with the box blade, and the yard is ready for grass!

 

[5030]

I cut them 12-14" above grade, drill all the way around the edge (in the cambium) with a 1/2" wood auger in my cordless drill, fill the holes with glyphosate, a couple more 1" holes in the stump face and fill with empsom salts. 6 months later, lay over a 55 gallon drum and a soak the top with diesel and add half a bag of charcoal BBQ chunks and liight. In about 3 days, nothing is left but ash and it burns all the way down the tap root too. The glyphosate kills all the roots, right to the tips. and the epsom salts promotes the rot.

been doing it like that for years with excellent results, hardwood and softwood too. Lots cheaper than machinery but takes time. Works excellent with popple trees that send out runners. The herbicide nails them.

 

[rutwad]

Excavator

 

[bcp]

A D9 prevents stumps left in the ground.

Bruce

 

[Jim Timber]

I cut them 12-14" above grade, drill all the way around the edge (in the cambium) with a 1/2" wood auger in my cordless drill, fill the holes with glyphosate, a couple more 1" holes in the stump face and fill with empsom salts. 6 months later, lay over a 55 gallon drum and a soak the top with diesel and add half a bag of charcoal BBQ chunks and liight. In about 3 days, nothing is left but ash and it burns all the way down the tap root too. The glyphosate kills all the roots, right to the tips. and the epsom salts promotes the rot.

been doing it like that for years with excellent results, hardwood and softwood too. Lots cheaper than machinery but takes time. Works excellent with popple trees that send out runners. The herbicide nails them.

You're just pumping money in those holes. A cambium dose of gly from a spray bottle on the surface is more than sufficient to kill the tree. If you want to ensure effectiveness, you can mix it 50/50 with diesel fuel. Doesn't take much gly to kill a tree dead.

The Epsom on the other hand is a proven performer in getting the rot started. Another is fertilizer, or even just spoiled milk.

 

[GLyford]

We took down 3 white pines next to our driveway, and were contemplating the whole grind vs. dig thing...then said to each other "is there any reason this has to be lawn...?"

Planted shrubs around and between the stumps, covered the area with mulch and called it good enough.

 

[5030]

You're just pumping money in those holes. A cambium dose of gly from a spray bottle on the surface is more than sufficient to kill the tree. If you want to ensure effectiveness, you can mix it 50/50 with diesel fuel. Doesn't take much gly to kill a tree dead.

The Epsom on the other hand is a proven performer in getting the rot started. Another is fertilizer, or even just spoiled milk.

I don't really use that much and I buy Roundup Ultra in 2.5 gallon jugs anyway, I usually mix some with brush killer in a small jug so I can fill the holes. Takes maybe 1 ounce liquid per stump and a half pound of epsom salts. You use the expensive way, I use the cheap way... But my way takes time, yours is quicker.

Popples are hard to kill. mIt's the runners you want to eliminate that the Gly does that. You coulld grind a popple stump and still have runners or dig one out and still have runners, you have to kill the runners before stump removal.

 

[Jim Timber]

Putting gly on my aspen roots would kill all the trees in the surrounding area where I'm making roads. Not a good solution.

Takes me under 5 minutes per stump to grind to 10" depth. I still knock most stuff over that's 6" or less - that takes under a minute. The only thing expensive about my grinder is the up front cost and tooth replacements. So far I'm still running the original edges on the original set of teeth. Diesel to run the grinder is a whopping $6/hr right now - so less than a buck a tree and the stump is gone right now. Time is money. Your having to wait out the stumps decay does cost you the use of that space. I want/need my stumps gone so I can drive cars over where they used to be.

 

[5030]

I don't have a reason for immediate removal. You still had to build it, mine comes from a jug and a sack and I use the jug stuff to kill of invasive weeds in fertile fields.

You have your option, I have mine. I'm just presenting an alternative, nothing more. I like your tool but I have no need for one. If I was to go that route I'd buy a single point ripper for my hoe and rip them out. As it is, kill and roast works just fine for me and has for years now.

 

[willhoff]

Interesting timing for me to read this thread. Just spent 8+ hours on Saturday with a Vermeer stump grinder, grinding 15 large willow stumps out. As was mentioned, the upside is there is nothing left, and no hole to fill in. A bit of work with the box blade, and the yard is ready for grass!

Sorry it took so long to reply..I found your email in spam..You did the right thing grinding those stumps out..Willow trees love water and it takes forever to burn a willow stump..Great Job!!

 

[tractorgp]

I removed this stump with my BX25

 

[TractorGuy]

Well, I'm gonna dig mine out in an air conditioned backhoe. Wife asked me last night if I ever thought I would be digging stumps with a backhoe. I did the two acres our house is on with a ax and a shovel when I was in my 20s. I stopped counting at 150 stumps. Now that I'm over 60 and have 5 acres and probably 900 to 1000 stumps to clear I think I sit in comfort.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I dig around the stump a few inches below ground level with a shovel, wash the exposed stump with a hose or pails of water and then chainsaw the stump off as low as I can. Then cover the hole and keep it mowed to control new growth...

It's easy, cheap and they never come back to haunt me...

SR

 

[duanew1]

I tried the burning of the stump once. I am not sure that the stump was fully dead. That was my mistake. I drilled some holes in the stump and set a charcoal brickette fire on top. It burned somewhat. I ended up hitting it with a sledgehammer to break chunks off and covering it with dirt.

I will try Roundup and epsom salts next time.

 

[Jim Timber]

I dig around the stump a few inches below ground level with a shovel, wash the exposed stump with a hose or pails of water and then chainsaw the stump off as low as I can. Then cover the hole and keep it mowed to control new growth...

It's easy, cheap and they never come back to haunt me...

SR

This whole root ball was above final grade. Took 2 hours working from the sides with the root grapple to break it loose and peel it from the mound.

Love my grinder. Double 12/14" red oak eliminated in 12 minutes.

Stump grinder via trail camera - YouTube