# Stump removal w/chainsaw or sawsall?



## 18watt (Sep 4, 2006)

Greetings-

I have a 22" stump in the corner of my backyard that is inaccessible for a stumpgrinder. I am in city limits, so no fire. What is the best option for removing this stump so I can proceed with rehabilitating my backyard?

I've considered just burying my chainsaw into the dirt, vs. renting a sawzall and going after the roots. Could I seriously damage the tools by doing this?

I have removed 3 smaller stumps with a 6' pry bar and an axe. 3.5 hours into this 22" (hickory?) with no sign of progress, I'm willing to take any suggestions.

Thanks for your expertise.
18watt


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## fishhuntcutwood (Sep 4, 2006)

Why not rent a chainsaw? Don't muck up your saw, no matter what it is on a stump. Stumps are dirty, and hard on saws. That's what rentals are for! Chainsaw would make short work of it. Clean up the area to be cut as best you can, with a hose, or air or whatever. The less dirt you cut into the better.

Welcome to AS. Where are you in MN? My parents live in Brainerd. I was just there for vacation. Great state.

Jeff


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## 18watt (Sep 4, 2006)

Well, I've thought about that, but it doesn't sit well w/me to rent a saw and mangle it-it'a tempting for sure. Sawzall won't do it??

I'm just outside of Rochester. Spent some time in Nome, AK, BTW.


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## Adkpk (Sep 4, 2006)

Axe, shovel, prybar leather gloves and a come-along (if there's a tree to dead man it to). You'll feel good when its done.


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## TopJimmy (Sep 4, 2006)

Can't you just work a big berm into that corner of your yard?

Seriously, Jeff had good advice. I keep a couple of old saw and old laminated bars that I can use for really dirty cutting.

Jim


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## 18watt (Sep 4, 2006)

TopJimmy said:


> Can't you just work a big berm into that corner of your yard?
> 
> Seriously, Jeff had good advice. I keep a couple of old saw and old laminated bars that I can use for really dirty cutting.
> 
> Jim


I've thought about just incorporating it into the landscape, but it's close to my neighbor's garage and I don't want to lump soil around their siding. This thing has to go.


ADRPK-I'm still feeling good from the other 3, bro! I'm in need of a downer I guess.


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## Stumper (Sep 4, 2006)

What do you mean inaccessible to a stumpgrinder? Some access is difficult and requires use of a mini stumpgrinder but anything you can get a chainsaw to I can get a stumper to. As far as digging around it and sawing it off--sure it can be done-been there and done that but why not just shoot yourself in the foot with a shotgun-it will be almost as much fun.


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## 18watt (Sep 4, 2006)

Here's the issue. I have a garage that is about 2 feet from my house-oriented so the SE corner of my brick house is opposite from the NW corner of my garage. The garage has one garage door only-no other way to get out but the driveway. There is a fence that goes around the perimeter to my south and east-lying neihbors. My north lying neighbor has her garage oriented to my house in a similar fashion to my garage-spaced about 6 feet. The border is a hedge of arbor vitae bushes and yews that I cannot run a stumper over. The only way to get something big back there is to crane it over, or take it through the front door of my house, and out the back door. My back porch door has a gap of about 28".

How's that for not thinking of everything when I bought this place-I could kick myself. The Mrs. has already smacked me for using the wheelbarrow!


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## chowdozer (Sep 4, 2006)

18watt said:


> Here's the issue. I have a garage that is about 2 feet from my house-oriented so the SE corner of my brick house is opposite from the NW corner of my garage. The garage has one garage door only-no other way to get out but the driveway. There is a fence that goes around the perimeter to my south and east-lying neihbors. My north lying neighbor has her garage oriented to my house in a similar fashion to my garage-spaced about 6 feet. The border is a hedge of arbor vitae bushes and yews that I cannot run a stumper over. The only way to get something big back there is to crane it over, or take it through the front door of my house, and out the back door. My back porch door has a gap of about 28".
> 
> How's that for not thinking of everything when I bought this place-I could kick myself. The Mrs. has already smacked me for using the wheelbarrow!



I had a 28" spruce on top of my watermain, so I couldn't use a grinder. Here's what I did. Bought a cheap sawzall at the pawn shop. I got a Sears model because I know I can get parts for it and no one wants a used Craftsman sawzall. Tell them you want a good deal. Bought a bunch of Sears pruning blades too. Cleared dirt away from the stump. Everytime I found a root, I cut a 2' section out of it and dug down further. Eventually, I got under it enough to get the taproot. I worked on it every night for a couple hours over the course of a week. Besides the sawzall, the tools I found most useful were a little one hand flower bed shovel, a three fingered flower bed scratcher and a 6 foot prybar.


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## manual (Sep 4, 2006)

Adrpk said:


> Axe, shovel, prybar leather gloves and a come-along (if there's a tree to dead man it to). You'll feel good when its done.



You can also build a tripod for the come-along rap a strap to one root pull and then grab another pulling like a loose tooth.
water loosens the dirt if your not dealing with clay.
good luck.


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## 18watt (Sep 4, 2006)

Chowdozer-thank you. I was hoping that someone had actually succeeded with a sawzall-I think I have to use this method.

I've been tempted to use a chainsaw, but I don't know what's under the ground and I'm concerned about a broken chain, hitting a rock or some buried metal object. We all know someone who's been hurt by foolishly using a chainsaw, I'd rather keep out of the news.


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## Diesel JD (Sep 4, 2006)

My dad and I dug up a lot of stumps when I was a kid. if the soil is easy to dig in it's not too bad of a job. I would clear away all the roots I could with handtools and dig down as deep as it took to make the taproot manageable. if you can make a wide enough hole to safely work with a chainsaw or go down far enough that the taproot is manageable with a handsaw do it. Onthe other hand that's probably a full saturday's worth of work at least. You're right to be careful with a chainsaw in thsi situation. If you cut it use an old bar and chain or else semi chisel chain. My biggest worry would be sucking in too much saw fumes in a hole or having the stump fall on me. I wouldn't think kickback or hitting something would be any worse on a stump than above ground, provided its a soilid piece of wood and you can see what you're cutting,
J.D.


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## computeruser (Sep 4, 2006)

Just cut it with the darned saw. Sure, it's dirty and hard on the saw, but so what? Assuming you have enough saw to actually do the job, you can always clean your saw up and this is a good excuse to buy some new loops when you're done trashing your old ones. If all you're working with is a little saw, then this might not work so well.

Clear around the roots as best you can with your shovel/rake/prybar/compressed air/etc., and start cutting sections of the stump out where possible. Sooner or later you will get through it. Assuming you're running a saw with enough oomph to plunge into the trunk and do vertical cuts, you could hold the saw vertically and cut across the stump in a grid fashion and then start prying out the resulting sections.

Sure, it'll be dirty and undoubtedly less safe than bucking wood held up off the ground with a timberjack, but it'll get the job done.


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## 18watt (Sep 4, 2006)

computeruser said:


> Just cut it with the darned saw. Sure, it's dirty and hard on the saw, but so what? Assuming you have enough saw to actually do the job, you can always clean your saw up and this is a good excuse to buy some new loops when you're done trashing your old ones. If all you're working with is a little saw, then this might not work so well.
> 
> Clear around the roots as best you can with your shovel/rake/prybar/compressed air/etc., and start cutting sections of the stump out where possible. Sooner or later you will get through it. Assuming you're running a saw with enough oomph to plunge into the trunk and do vertical cuts, you could hold the saw vertically and cut across the stump in a grid fashion and then start prying out the resulting sections.
> 
> Sure, it'll be dirty and undoubtedly less safe than bucking wood held up off the ground with a timberjack, but it'll get the job done.



It's an MS 250, which is probably a little saw to most folks here, but it's in its own section of the garage, roped off like my Ferrari!


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## madbrad312 (Sep 4, 2006)

:censored: stumps man it just takes time make it easier for yourself wet the soil around the stump drench it in fact sawsall could hurt if you get kickback as to the chainsaw :jawdrop: somebody must have some money to tell you to do it that way chains aren't that cheap life expectancey of that chain is what 2 seconds keep going the way you are you'll get yer done
patience it takes time 
WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP THEY CLIMB
good luck
madbrad312


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## Adkpk (Sep 4, 2006)

I have a mini grub axe (not pictured). I dig a deep hole, two feet deep, Then I just slowly chip away at the dirt chopping the roots as I uncover them slowly but surely. Slowly. I treat it like my "David" (Michelangelo). It can be really interesting to see how the tree puts it's roots down. I love to chop the bigger roots with the axe. There're porous and soft not like the trunk or branches, so solid. Once I get around the whole bulb of the root ball the hard part begins. I struggle with the tap roots. But that is where you use the come along. The sounds of the roots ripping out as you crank on the handle give the satisfaction that your work is done. The end. Give yourself a week and go buy your favorite case of beer and dig in ,man.


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## Adkpk (Sep 4, 2006)

For got to add the pic.


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## RED-85-Z51 (Sep 4, 2006)

Back in the 50's on my Grandfathers farm just outside of Lansing, he was an accomplished Stump Blaster. People from the area called him to get their stumps out.

He had a neighbor blast all morning one day on an old stubborn stump. He just made a mess, never budged the stump. Grandpa went over, simply because the constant blasting was annoying. 10 minutes later the stump was laying about 15 feet away from the crater, and he used just a fraction of the dynamite the neighbor had wasted all morning. The key is placement AND quantity, not one or the other.

I wish the average man could still buy Demolition grade Dynamite...It would have been useful after IVAN.


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## madbrad312 (Sep 4, 2006)

grub axes are great for this job i use a stone pick axe you can put more prying force on the handle 
has anyone told him to use a splitting maul yet to bust the stump up better?


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## oldsaw (Sep 4, 2006)

I bought a chainsaw for $5 at a garage sale just to take a stump out. I still have it...for the next stump.

Mark


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## Diesel JD (Sep 4, 2006)

Well, if you love your saw that much......it may mess it up a bit more than you lie, but it is plenty saw. Don't let anyone make fun of teh 250 its a good saw. Do yourself a favor and use that crappy 26RM2 that came with it. Bad thing is you can't get the injecta sharp carbide chain in 325 pitch if I remember right. If you can get some chipper chain that would be better. the only way this will be bad on your saw is if you get the chain dulland keep on cutting without touchjing it up. That probably kills a lot of saws or else suck in a bunch of dirt/dust. you could also try chipping awaythe bark and most of the grit with your ax and then saw through the relatively clean wood after that. note that I am only suggesting using the chainsaw on the taproot, and only after you have cut out all the other roots with hand tools and dug down enough so you have work room. Additionally I would advise you not to do this by yourself, again the biggest danger is getting trapped by the stump when it falls over.


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## 18watt (Sep 4, 2006)

Adrpk said:


> For got to add the pic.



That's about the size I'm dealing with. I can respect the zen approach to this project, and it is totally amazing how root systems work. In fact, if I had more experience with looking at them, I'm sure I could greatly reduce the time and effort to doing it. The good ol' farm boy in me loves the bare hands and axe approach, but my back seems to be holding the reins.

...now about that TNT....

BTW, this is a very nice and interesting forum-hats off to you folks.


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## madbrad312 (Sep 4, 2006)

18 what type of soil you got there? sandy loam?


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## ol'homey (Sep 4, 2006)

How about using a big pressure washer to blast the dirt from around the roots. You may need to rent a trash pump to pump the water out of the hole. The result will be a big hole a foot or so deep with a bunch of exposed clean roots. Then you can go around with the chainsaw and cut all the horizontal roots and finally the tap root. I've never tried it but i don't see why it wouldn't work.


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## 18watt (Sep 4, 2006)

madbrad312 said:


> 18 what type of soil you got there? sandy loam?



Clay/loamy clay


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## 18watt (Sep 4, 2006)

Diesel JD said:


> Well, if you love your saw that much......it may mess it up a bit more than you lie, but it is plenty saw. Don't let anyone make fun of teh 250 its a good saw.



Didn't think anyone was...


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## madbrad312 (Sep 4, 2006)

no wonder your having problems that bites clay sucks i've done a few stumps in clay your better off busting that stump up above ground leaving the roots you'll be there forever trying to get the whole stump out without any heavy equipment


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## madbrad312 (Sep 5, 2006)

well 18 good luck with the stump later
WHITE CAN'T JUMP THEY CLIMB
madbrad312


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## Justsaws (Sep 5, 2006)

Rent a cut-off saw and put a wood cutting blade in it. Get a 10" 32 crosscut blade and drag it across the stump. Works very well and is incredibly easy to do. Do not try cut every last piece of wood just slot the wood so you can break it off with an axe. You can use a regular circular saw if you want but I find the cutoff saw to be easier. Make sure to cut the stump as close to ground as you can with your chain saw first. I would not think it wold take more than 5 minutes of cutting and ten minutes of axing to remove a 3" layer. Just keep doing that until it is under the ground enough to make you happy. I usually only go about 3-4", just enough to plant grass over it. Good luck.


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## fishhuntcutwood (Sep 5, 2006)

18watt said:


> Well, I've thought about that, but it doesn't sit well w/me to rent a saw and mangle it...



Why? That's what rentals are for bro. You won't destroy the saw on the stump, you'll just put alot of use on it that's better not put on your 250. Stumps get saws hot and work them hard. They don't kill them.



18watt said:


> It's an MS 250, which is probably a little saw to most folks here, but it's in its own section of the garage, roped off like my Ferrari!



The 250 is a fine little saw, but you own a Ferrari, and you don't own a 361, 440 or 660?


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## sawinredneck (Sep 5, 2006)

Just do like SAP did, one of his better ideas I might add, find you an old beast at a garge sale and use it for that. Even a wildthing would work. Get done with it clean it up and sell it at you're next garage sale:biggrinbounce2: 
Andy


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## RED-85-Z51 (Sep 5, 2006)

fishhuntcutwood said:


> Why? That's what rentals are for bro. You won't destroy the saw on the stump, you'll just put alot of use on it that's better not put on your 250. Stumps get saws hot and work them hard. They don't kill them.
> 
> 
> 
> The 250 is a fine little saw, but you own a Ferrari, and you don't own a 361, 440 or 660?




Or even the monster Eager Beaver 2.0....:biggrinbounce2:


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## bbqmannn (Sep 5, 2006)

go to home depot buy some rootrot in ther garden dept drill holes in top of the stump add mixture ... wait 6 or so months presto stump is soft ... axe shovel pry bar .... Get R Done....


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## fishhuntcutwood (Sep 5, 2006)

bbqmannn said:


> go to home depot buy some rootrot in ther garden dept drill holes in top of the stump add mixture ... wait 6 or so months presto stump is soft ... axe shovel pry bar .... Get R Done....



How is that fun? :hmm3grin2orange:


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## 18watt (Sep 5, 2006)

bbqmannn said:


> go to home depot buy some rootrot in ther garden dept drill holes in top of the stump add mixture ... wait 6 or so months presto stump is soft ... axe shovel pry bar .... Get R Done....



I've not tried any of that or stumpout, etc., and I've sort of read mixed reviews online. Does it work?


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## 18watt (Sep 5, 2006)

fishhuntcutwood said:


> The 250 is a fine little saw, but you own a Ferrari, and you don't own a 361, 440 or 660?



BUSTED!

My ferrari is actually a 1991 Trek T-100 Tandem bike w/25000+ miles on it. She's still my baby.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Sep 5, 2006)

18watt said:


> I've not tried any of that or stumpout, etc., and I've sort of read mixed reviews online. Does it work?




I've tried it recently. Might as well have spit on the stumps. Complete waste of money and time.

I took a few stumps some years back – about 5 or 6, IIRC. I had NO money to rent anything, so I just dug them out. Clay/sandy clay soil. I dug and watered, dug and watered. When I had the roots well clear of soil (including big taproots, I hosed them down well and cut each one loose with my chainsaw, starting with the tap root. Took some time, but not months. I think I had them all out in a few Saturday’s work.

The trees weren’t big ones, but the roots generally ran about 4-5” diameter. Some ailanthus, and a pine. 8-10" DBH trees.


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## Stumper (Sep 5, 2006)

This thread is pathetic. I know that the stump can be removed with a grubbing hoe and a chainsaw-or a sawsall-or an ax-or dynamite (but hardly a good idea in the described location) but for pity's sake just hire a pro to grind it out. I have a stump grinder that I could carry through your house. I would rather that you had a 32 inch back door and I could roll my RG12 out to it an blitz it out quick but I can gnaw it out with the little K650. Surely someone in your area is actually equipped to deal with situations like this. Sheez Louise!:bang:


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## Husky137 (Sep 5, 2006)

how about build a [email protected] gate and then hire it out. Would solve the wheelbarrow in the house stuff.


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## UrbanLogger (Sep 5, 2006)

*Just don't use dynamite!*

A friend of mine live in Antigo, WI. He has a friend or neighbor (someone he knows, I just heard the story) who had a stump in an area that was unaccessable by a stumpgrinder, but somehow got his hands on some sort of explosives (ANFO used in rock quarries). He bored a rather large hole about 3 feet down through the center of his stump, which was about 20 feet from his house. After placing the explosives into the stump, and capping the hole, he blew it up. I guess the stump came out enough he could use his saw to finish removing it. When he got done, and went in to wash up, he noticed a portion of his basement wall was very very badly cracked and leaning into the basement. It seems that the shockwave traveling through the ground took its toll on the basement wall 20 feet away! So, don't use a bomb.


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## Just Mow (Sep 5, 2006)

RED-85-Z51 said:


> Or even the monster Eager Beaver 2.0....:biggrinbounce2:


Red, you crack me up:hmm3grin2orange:  :hmm3grin2orange:


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## 18watt (Sep 6, 2006)

Husky137 said:


> how about build a [email protected] gate and then hire it out. Would solve the wheelbarrow in the house stuff.



Husky-hold that strong tongue of yours and read the post. I cannot build a gate. Put yourself in my shoes. For one stump, would you cut a hole in your garage and install a door? Would you pay for a gate in my neighbors' fences, and then hire someone to grind it out? C'mon-I don't think so. I don't have an endless supply of materials, tools, time, etc., to do that. Ever hear of opportunity cost?

Stumper-this thread was to ask advice on how to remove a stump as easily as possible, not be ridiculed. Seems like the right to cast off a slanted comment comes with post count? 

BTW-I'm halfway there with my axe and prybar as we stand. My f'n Iowa born diesels will have this out by tonight.


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## WoodTick007 (Sep 6, 2006)

Stumper said:


> What do you mean inaccessible to a stumpgrinder? Some access is difficult and requires use of a mini stumpgrinder but anything you can get a chainsaw to I can get a stumper to. As far as digging around it and sawing it off--sure it can be done-been there and done that *but why not just shoot yourself in the foot with a shotgun-it will be almost as much fun*.




Too funny!!!:bang:


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## BlueRidgeMark (Sep 6, 2006)

http://www.alpinemagnum.com/


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## coveredinsap (Sep 6, 2006)

stumper said:


> .....but why not just shoot yourself in the foot with a shotgun-it will be almost as much fun.



If it is a decent sized stump out of a decently hard wood, then the above statement is the best advice in this entire thread. Don't ask me how I know.


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## cord arrow (Sep 6, 2006)

alpinemagnum said:


> Note: The stump grinder in these pictures is equipped with the optional Husqvarna Power Head



i like it already....................


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## Adkpk (Sep 6, 2006)

BTW-I'm halfway there with my axe and prybar as we stand. My f'n Iowa born diesels will have this out by tonight.[/QUOTE]

Ya, baby rip that sucka out. Man, I wish I lived closer I be over there in a minute!


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## Husky137 (Sep 6, 2006)

18watt said:


> Husky-hold that strong tongue of yours and read the post. I cannot build a gate. Put yourself in my shoes. For one stump, would you cut a hole in your garage and install a door?



Certainly would, most people do in order to allow easier access to the back yard such as yours. Plus it would make all those future projects that much easier without all the absurd d!cking around. Plug that into your opportunity cost equation. BTW I read the entire thread including your posts.


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## woodbug (Sep 6, 2006)

I've used the alpine magnum it actually works fairly well. Very portable, it can be carried just about anywhere. Sounds like you've figured out how to get rid of the stump but for future reference, if you can find someone who has one.opcorn:


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## Stumper (Sep 7, 2006)

18watt, I was trying to give you advice on the easiest way to get the stump out.-What made the thread pathetic were the continued posts by homeowners who have devoted hours, weekends and in some cases a few weeks to digging sawing and chopping. I too have been guilty of foolish do-it-yourself projects for which I was inadequately equipped. I'm not against doing things oneself-I do so frequently- but there should be some sort of decent cost benefit ratio. You are beating up your tools and equipment plus your body in order to "save" perhaps $100.


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## Marc1 (Sep 7, 2006)

I've dug up a lot of stumps by hand, pulled them out with a tractor, dug aorund and cut with chainsw, cut root with axe and rock out by hand etc but the most fun I had was with one I dug out with a large jackhammer.


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## 18watt (Sep 7, 2006)

Stumper said:


> 18watt, I was trying to give you advice on the easiest way to get the stump out.-What made the thread pathetic were the continued posts by homeowners who have devoted hours, weekends and in some cases a few weeks to digging sawing and chopping. I too have been guilty of foolish do-it-yourself projects for which I was inadequately equipped. I'm not against doing things oneself-I do so frequently- but there should be some sort of decent cost benefit ratio. You are beating up your tools and equipment plus your body in order to "save" perhaps $100.



Fair enough, Stumper-let's shake on this one, ok?

I will say that some comments here were motivation to do it by hand out of spite. Interestingly enough, what I found underneath the stump was a few slabs of flagstone that were hooked in the roots, AND MY LOT LINE MARKER!!! About 2/3 of the stump was on my lot and the remainder was my neighbors.

The stump is OUT!


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## Adkpk (Sep 7, 2006)

The stump is OUT![/QUOTE]

Hurray! :rockn:


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## Stumper (Sep 7, 2006)

Congratulations! I'm glad you succeeded without any serious damage. Thanks for the handshake.


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## ipa0001 (Sep 19, 2006)

*RE:stump advise*



Justsaws said:


> Rent a cut-off saw and put a wood cutting blade in it. Get a 10" 32 crosscut blade and drag it across the stump. Works very well and is incredibly easy to do. Do not try cut every last piece of wood just slot the wood so you can break it off with an axe. You can use a regular circular saw if you want but I find the cutoff saw to be easier. Make sure to cut the stump as close to ground as you can with your chain saw first. I would not think it wold take more than 5 minutes of cutting and ten minutes of axing to remove a 3" layer. Just keep doing that until it is under the ground enough to make you happy. I usually only go about 3-4", just enough to plant grass over it. Good luck.


I THINK YOUR'S IS THE BEST ADVISE GIVEN ON THIS STUMP REMOVAL THREAD GIVEN THE ACCESSIBILTY TO HIS BACK YARD NOT TO MENTION THE DIAMETER OF THE HICKORY STUMP......TIME IS MONEY, I'D RATHER BE FISHING THAN MESSING WITH THIS PROJECT..............JOHN


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