Stump Grinding

[SwampDonkey]

Box elder is softer than red maple, they were cut in 1998 and I'm still dealing with them.  Although I have them mostly removed, there is still some hard wood on some I have not got out yet. These are from large trees, not pole wood. The hard maple stump is 3 feet across, gonna be there a long time. ;) Yes, red maple will sucker no matter how old the tree is, but rock maple won't sucker when it's a large mature tree being cut. So I would burn any red maple or box elder, just the kill the stump. I suspect red oak sucker bad to, because they sucker off harvested stumps in the woods.

[Jeff]

I did get a couple removed this weekend via the burning method. Just enough underground that the mower can get past.   

[pineywoods]

Looks like Jeff has it down pat. Now find you an old 55 gallon barrel and you'll be ready for any stump..

[beenthere]

You are looking quite trim in that picture running that chain saw. Good program you are on.

And good on the stumps.

[Peter Drouin]

Nice job, How long did that take to do the one stump? 

[Jeff]

3 days, 2 duck drowning thunderstorms and 3 new fires.  :D

[Corley5]

It looks kinda fun  ;D

[thecfarm]

I'm going to try that 55 gallon trick. Really should do it now,it's wet enough. But the grass has not been mowed around it all year. Kinda tall. I do need to put a piece of sheet metal over it. Might help to dry it out some. I think it's a red oak stump. I can't get it with my tractor and the stump has been there many years. Should be rotten by now. But it's rock hard.

[Mooseherder]

You must have enough fuel for the fire Ray.
Kill 2 birds with one stone.

[thecfarm]

I have a bunch of hardwood limb wood that I have been saving just for that stump.

[plaindriver]

I am intrigued bu the burning in lieu of grinding method of stump eradication. I recently had about 70 stumps grinded up, but a few more were not poss cause of big boulders in immed vicinity or in the case below, too close to structure.
Subject is a wht oak, about 24" dia. The closest edge of stump is about 40" from rear corner of garage. The garage overhang drip line is about 18" from edge of stump. Yesterday, I cut deep slots in the trunk w/chainsaw and filled w/diesel. Waiting for that to soak in. Now, I am wondering if this is safe, with respects to inadvertently torching the garage.
My thoughts are to put the 55 gal barrel over the stump on bricks, and start a fire w/charcoal, then add small chunks of green wood progressively. Kinda keep a smoldering burn goin, and not a raging bondfire. Am I insane to try this??

  

  

  

 

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I do not recommend burning that stump next to your garage.
It is too close.
Bad things will happen I am sure.

Just my opinion.
Take lots of pix. ;D
Jon

[Jeff]

Too close for sure. I did get a 55 gallon drum and we burned a couple more this last week, one for my neighbor that was about 12 feet from about a 20ft white pine. We tied back the limbs on the fire side, and kept the tree in a constant mist from the hose while burning. It still got a couple branches scorched pretty good.

[BaldBob]

Too close for sure. In addition to the risk of fire to the building, the roots undoubtedly go under the foundation, and when the roots burn out it could cause damage to the foundation.

[Piston]

A friend of mine told me that for pine stumps, you can bore a bunch of holes deep into the stump, and pour a 2 liter bottle of coca cola all over it.  He claims that within a short amount of time, the ants will get in and devour the stump.  I can't imagine this being very quick, but maybe it would work....? 

I just hook up the stump grinder and let her rip  ;D



 

Typically I'll charge around $100 dollars per hour as an average estimate.  However, it depends on many factors, rocky soil, rocks embedded into the stump, how deep the customer wants the stump ground (up to 12" below the surface), how many there are, and how far away they are. 

Since I use the stumpgrinder on the tractor, and have numerous different implements, my stumpgrinding jobs are often part of another job.  I've mowed a few fields with stumps in the field, or on the edge, and since I'm coming to mow anyways, I give a large discount on the stumpgrinding.  There are a lot of variables in cost estimates, but $100 an hour is a rule of thumb for me, for a job with numerous stumps of any size. 

[bill m]

plaindriver, That stump doesn't look too close to me. With my stump grinder I have ground stumps growing against concrete foundations, imbedded in chain link fence and just about any other tight spot you can think of and never had a problem.

[Dave Shepard]

I think he was going to try and burn it out.

[Piston]

I think he was going to try and burn it out.

I think your right, unless diesel fuel helps with grinding too  ;D

[bill m]

He asked about burning them out because he was told they were to close to the house to grind them.

[Jeff]

He asked us about burning them, he never asked us about grinding them.    I'd think you could easily grind that one as well. All kinds of room there.

[Howdy]

Guys, your missing a great opportunity to enlarge the project.

A little c4 or a few sticks of dynamite and you end up with a walk-in basement after the stump goes flying.  Never miss the chance to complicate a project.

[johncinquo]

check youtube for videos of stump burning.  Similar to Jeff's leaf blower idea.  A metal trash can, some charcoal, and wind and it burns the stump down. I had terrible luck burning them out, just ended up with hardened black stumps all over. I swear they suck water out of the ground and put themselves out.  I rented a grinder on Saturday, and did not have to return it til Monday.  Did a great job, and I GOT TO RUN A STUMP GRINDER!  it was a blast.  With 20+ stumps I was looking at a bunch of cash to have them ground.  $175 for a "day" rental I was way ahead.

[caper]

If there are any rental stores in your hood. A skidsteer or mini ex. stump grinder makes quick work of stumps, and fun way tear apart your yard.

[swaney]

 8) I would stay away from burning any stumps.  First it takes too long.  Second, too many EPA and OSHA folks wanting to burn people for air emissions and soil damage.

[isawlogs]

 Whats OSHA have to do with burning a stump ???  No different to me then having a small bonn fire or having a fire in a cook stove.

You could, if you wanted and don't feel comfortable burning or grinding it, scrape and shovel some of the dirt and cut the stump down real low and live with it.

  I also do not think that it is too close to grind or to burn, put a heat barrier between the stump and the garage, a few peices of metal sheeting would work fine, having a fire extinguisher near might be a good idea though.    Camera is always good to have for documentation purposes.   ;D