# Cutting off stumps



## stevohut (Jun 7, 2010)

I cut firewood in the bush where nobody goes just horses in the pasture. The farmer asked me to cut the stumps low. What is the proper height to cut stumps at? I just don't want to have to cut to low and start to bury my chain in the dirt.

steve


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## derwoodii (Jun 8, 2010)

I.ll try n help but there's much needed to know. Often I leave em higher about waist high. As to keep em on show, so no one can miss em in the bush.
A low stump say knee high or same as pasture grass may be be a trap for stock or passing farm gear. Ask the owner if that's a better idea.


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## tree md (Jun 9, 2010)

I agree that it would be better to leave them higher in a pasture so they can be seen. I have had folks ask me to leave them 4' or 5' high so they will be easy to push over with a loader.

However, if he has requested you cut them low I would try to cut them just above the root flare. I usually tell folks that I will cut them as low as I can with my saw, around 3" or 4" on most stumps. Sometimes I will cut through the root flare if I am trying to get it a little lower for the stump grinder.

You definitely don't want to cut it too low or you'll get your bar and chain in the dirt. On a grade I will normally start cutting on the high side and just keep my cut level to insure that I don't get into the dirt. You never want to start on the low side of a stump.


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## tree md (Jun 9, 2010)

Here's one I did last year. This is as low as I was going with this one;







I did plant some pretty flowers tho.


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## Muffler Bearing (Jun 9, 2010)

Thats an awfly big bar on that 180?


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## tree md (Jun 9, 2010)

044, 25" bar.


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## tree md (Jun 9, 2010)

This was a good one. Not my 088, it was loaned by a friend. Hard to really see the stump but you can get a glimpse of it in the pic where it's being ground. I didn't measure it but would estimate the stump at least 72":


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## stevohut (Jun 9, 2010)

Wow that is one big mother of a tree. I wish we had trees like that around here. That would give me firewood for years. That's way above my skill level. I would prob just get my friend to knock it down with his trackhoe then I would pick away at it.

steve


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## randyg (Jun 10, 2010)

stevohut said:


> Wow that is one big mother of a tree. I wish we had trees like that around here. That would give me firewood for years. That's way above my skill level. I would prob just get my friend to knock it down with his trackhoe then I would pick away at it.
> 
> steve



That looked like about 3 cords of firewood worth of red oak to me. In Canada its cold enough you could burn that in one winter no? Anyway, on the stump issue. That friend with the track hoe could knock over two or three trees and then you could pick away, and then the farmer would have no stumps? If not feasible, then you will have to come to some agreement with the farmer about stump height. I prefer to leave stump waist high if making firewood, as the rest just makes boomerang shaped pieces of different lengths which don't stack well. He might be concerned about cattle tripping on knee high stumps and breaking legs, so I would try and convince him to leave them chest or shoulder high so they could use them to rub on, rather than trying to get chain in the dirt.


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## stevohut (Jun 10, 2010)

randyg said:


> That looked like about 3 cords of firewood worth of red oak to me. In Canada its cold enough you could burn that in one winter no? Anyway, on the stump issue. That friend with the track hoe could knock over two or three trees and then you could pick away, and then the farmer would have no stumps? If not feasible, then you will have to come to some agreement with the farmer about stump height. I prefer to leave stump waist high if making firewood, as the rest just makes boomerang shaped pieces of different lengths which don't stack well. He might be concerned about cattle tripping on knee high stumps and breaking legs, so I would try and convince him to leave them chest or shoulder high so they could use them to rub on, rather than trying to get chain in the dirt.




If I heated the house with wood, 3 cords wouldn't last the winter if it was a cold winter. I just have a ####ty fireplace but I want to get a stove this year. You could go through 2 cords easy just using the fireplace for a few hours a day its so inefficient. The farmer wants me to cut the stumps low incase he's gotta get in there with a tractor he said last year. I just don't want one of the horses to trip on a stump, they are PMU horses so they are worth a few bucks. He doesn't let me cut when the horses are in the pasture so I have to wait until fall time. There is so much deadfall in that bush it's kind of scary I'm always looking up, lot's of widow makers. I try to cut only standing wood because I can control it better, don't have enough experience to play with the twisted crap yet. I wish I had some experienced fellers like you guys out here to cut with. THNX for the help. REP on the way.

steve


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## turnkey4099 (Jun 10, 2010)

"cut low stumps" usually means 'ALAP' As Low As Practical. Around here that would mean cutting them just above the dirt level. They usually, in farmyards, around houses, etc. they want to run a lawnmower over them without danger of hitting. It is not a fun job and I usually figure I will rock one chain on a 20-30" stump. 

I did convince one farmer last year to leave them high as he drug equipment through there and best to be able to see them.

Harry K


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## tree md (Jun 10, 2010)

stevohut said:


> If I heated the house with wood, 3 cords wouldn't last the winter if it was a cold winter. I just have a ####ty fireplace but I want to get a stove this year. You could go through 2 cords easy just using the fireplace for a few hours a day its so inefficient. The farmer wants me to cut the stumps low incase he's gotta get in there with a tractor he said last year. I just don't want one of the horses to trip on a stump, they are PMU horses so they are worth a few bucks. He doesn't let me cut when the horses are in the pasture so I have to wait until fall time. There is so much deadfall in that bush it's kind of scary I'm always looking up, lot's of widow makers. I try to cut only standing wood because I can control it better, don't have enough experience to play with the twisted crap yet. I wish I had some experienced fellers like you guys out here to cut with. THNX for the help. REP on the way.
> 
> steve



To tell you the truth, that whole tree as well as another one in the front was given away as firewood to one of the members of this site. Not sure how much wood he got out of it but it was a bunch. When he's ready for more, I'll load his wagon again. I'd load yours too if you were close.


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## TreeAbuser (Jun 11, 2010)

Tip: Take an axe and chizzle off the bark where you gonna cut it. That low there is plenty of dirt trapped in that bark... sharpening chains is not fun


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## swede11 (Jun 13, 2010)

turnkey4099 said:


> "cut low stumps" usually means 'ALAP' As Low As Practical. Around here that would mean cutting them just above the dirt level. They usually, in farmyards, around houses, etc. they want to run a lawnmower over them without danger of hitting. It is not a fun job and I usually figure I will rock one chain on a 20-30" stump.



Yes!! Most people want to be able to mow over stumps. 

I know it's a given that the dirt is horible for the chain, but is excessive dirt potentially bad for the chainsaw itself?


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## tree md (Jun 14, 2010)

Personally, I will not cut stumps low enough to get my bar and chain in the dirt. My saws are used professionally and are my bread and butter. I accordingly treat them so. If they want the stumps that low then they can pay me to have them ground.


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## donthraen (Jun 18, 2010)

wen I knead to cut lawnmower friendly stumps I take 2 of my old chains just cause of dirt and usually a small rock or 2 I hate them also hate hitting a t post in the middle of a tree


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## Treecutr (Jun 26, 2010)

stevohut said:


> Wow that is one big mother of a tree. I wish we had trees like that around here. That would give me firewood for years. That's way above my skill level. I would prob just get my friend to knock it down with his trackhoe then I would pick away at it.
> 
> steve



Really?? Nothing that "big" where you're at? I've done quite a few like that just this year, not sure of height on that one, but Silver Maple we did a few weeks ago was bigger abound DBH than that looks. They suck because even smaller chunks are heavy, especially the oak we did. Here's an Oak I did this spring, or the base of it. My daughter is 5' tall thats her in front.

View attachment 142023


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## stevohut (Jun 26, 2010)

Treecutr said:


> Really?? Nothing that "big" where you're at? I've done quite a few like that just this year, not sure of height on that one, but Silver Maple we did a few weeks ago was bigger abound DBH than that looks. They suck because even smaller chunks are heavy, especially the oak we did. Here's an Oak I did this spring, or the base of it. My daughter is 5' tall thats her in front.
> 
> View attachment 142023



Holly poop that is huge. How old would that tree be? I cut a dead tree don't know what it was but the 28" bar on my saw just fit through the tree. It was dead for years. Most trees around here are about 10" or so. There are some big ones but you don't see many of them around my neck of the woods I guess it's such a short growing season that we have. I cut mostly white poplar and most of them are starting to rot out at 6"od. The ants eat them for some reason. I don't know much about trees, I'm trying to learn from all the guys here. I grew up in a big city, now I live in a town with 400 people. Trying to learn from trial and error cost me a few bucks and a close call already lol. No pro tree guys around here to learn from just farmers and we all know how that usually turns out. But I know my limits now so I don't cut 28" trees anymore. That thing almost killed me. Was very green at felling when I tried that one. Screwed up my face cut and back cut big time. Plus the thing was rotten in the center and it started to fall to early for me and in the wrong direction. It pinched my saw I didn't know what to do so I just ran far away from the tree and watched it fall right on my saw. Had to go home and get my car jack to lift the tree off my saw. The pics of this fiasco are in my profile I think. Murphy schooled me good on that one. Now I treat every tree like it wants to kill me when I cut and I ask a lot of questions now when in doubt. It would be awesome to spend a day with guys like you that know what they are doing. I'm given ya some rep, thnx

steve


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## om21braz (Jul 2, 2010)

Quite large trees ya'll got there! Here's my present stump garden - just cutting them off as close as possible. Hopefully they're close enough to the ground for my stumpgrinder.


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