power/technique required to flush a stump

[Plasmech]

I have a Stihl Farm Boss, and recently I took some trees down and flushed the stumps. The trees really weren't that big, say 14" in diameter. I noticed that even the highly respected MS290 had a bit of trouble flushing those stumps though, I had to go *really* easy on her to avoid stalls, and it seemed like I was getting pinched here and there even though the tree was already down and there were no forces acting upon the work anymore. Am I doing something wrong, or does flushing a stump just require a LOT of power?

 

[treeslayer]

dude

CHANGE YOUR NAME.

you are going to screw up searches, and interfere with my business.

Please.

and I'll tell you all about stump cutting technique, I cut 4' - 5" stumps all the time with saws as small as a 372xp / 28".

 

[Plasmech]

dude

CHANGE YOUR NAME.

you are going to screw up searches, and interfere with my business.

Please.

Oh totally sorry, I really had no idea man. Just registered today. I'll see if I can change it.

 

[treeslayer]

thanks, Mike. I appreciate it.
you will probably have to create a new identity, and have a moderator delete the old one.

 

[(WLL)]

I have a Stihl Farm Boss, and recently I took some trees down and flushed the stumps. The trees really weren't that big, say 14" in diameter. I noticed that even the highly respected MS290 had a bit of trouble flushing those stumps though, I had to go *really* easy on her to avoid stalls, and it seemed like I was getting pinched here and there even though the tree was already down and there were no forces acting upon the work anymore. Am I doing something wrong, or does flushing a stump just require a LOT of power?

its all technique power just lets u go faster

 

[Plasmech]

thanks, Mike. I appreciate it.
you will probably have to create a new identity, and have a moderator delete the old one.

No problem. I just emailed the admin, hopefully it will happen soon.

 

[Plasmech]

You can't change it yourself.

What user name would you like?

Thanks,

Dan

Would like the name "Plasmech". I use that on other forums.

(I'm a mechanical engineer in the plastics industry) Thanks!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

There are several problems with cutting stumps low, first is that there is often grit in the bark and inclusions that dull the saw right away, second is drag from the dirt/grass, third is poor body mechanics and forth is that people don't use the saw-dogs as a pivot point.

 

[Blakesmaster]

The first and probably best trick I picked up years back for flush cutting was simple. Switch your hands on the saw. Especially if you are right handed. Holding the weight of your saw with your right and and using your left on the trigger helps keep your cut level. Also shoving little twigs or pieces of bark in the cut to prop up the stump as you cut helps avoid pinching.

 

[Nailsbeats]

There are many different way to cap a stump, the main object being to avoid bar pinch from the weight of the stump sitting down on the bar and chain.

One method is to start a low/flat/level cut across the stump. Once you are far enough in start a wedge behind it. This will hold up the cut portion of the stump until you drive the bar all the way through to finnish the cut. As you finnish the cut the stump will sit down on the bar, you will have to roll it off. If the stump is big enough to can place multiple wedges behind the saw as you go, this will allow you to finnish the cut with no pinch.

Here is the method I like. Start the cut just like the first method and set the wedge. When you are almost through, pull the saw out of the cut and make a cut at a steep down angle to meet your first cut. Set the saw down and roll the stump off, then go back and finnish flush cutting the little "backrest" you left. This only requires 1 wedge.

You can do it without wedges too. Cut 2/3 of the way through or so until the bar starts to pinch then pull it out and make your steep angle cut down to it, roll it off, and flush cut the backrest. I call it a chair cut. This just takes more cutting.

Either way, the goal is to minimize or eliminate bar pinch from the weight of the stump by using wedges or cutting methods.

 

[Blakesmaster]

There are many different way to cap a stump, the main object being to avoid bar pinch from the weight of the stump sitting down on the bar and chain.

One method is to start a low/flat/level cut across the stump. Once you are far enough in start a wedge behind it. This will hold up the cut portion of the stump until you drive the bar all the way through to finnish the cut. As you finnish the cut the stump will sit down on the bar, you will have to roll it off. If the stump is big enough to can place multiple wedges behind the saw as you go, this will allow you to finnish the cut with no pinch.

Here is the method I like. Start the cut just like the first method and set the wedge. When you are almost through, pull the saw out of the cut and make a cut at a steep down angle to meet your first cut. Set the saw down and roll the stump off, then go back and finnish flush cutting the little "backrest" you left. This only requires 1 wedge.

You can do it without wedges too. Cut 2/3 of the way through or so until the bar starts to pinch then pull it out and make your steep angle cut down to it, roll it off, and flush cut the backrest. I call it a chair cut. This just takes more cutting.

Either way, the goal is to minimize or eliminate bar pinch from the weight of the stump by using wedges or cutting methods.

AHHHH, wedges, smedges, I say. lol

 

[ozzy42]

Would like the name "Plasmech". I use that on other forums.

(I'm a mechanical engineer in the plastics industry) Thanks!

Hey 'Plasmech",a real good friend of mine does that kind of work too.
He works for grahm packaging ,runnig a plant in lakeland fl.


Now about flushing stumps;

An old timer my father used to work with showed me something to help
keep the chain out of the dirt.
He would go around the entire base of the stump with a sharp axe and chop
into it just enough to get all the bark off of it. They get a LOT of sand in them down here.Especially the slash pines with thick flakey bark. It will save the edge on your chain.

With that being said however,I still wait to flush the stump until i've cut EVERYTHING else on that job that i need that saw for ,just in case .

The post about reversing hands is absolutely correct,just keep your right
hand in line with the chain brk.

 

[Signoflife]

I have a Stihl Farm Boss...I noticed that even the highly respected MS290 had a bit of trouble flushing those stumps though, I had to go *really* easy on her to avoid stalls, and it seemed like I was getting pinched here and there even though the tree was already down and there were no forces acting upon the work anymore. Am I doing something wrong, or does flushing a stump just require a LOT of power?

You are going to get it...I have an MS290 that needed a lot of tuning to get it to be just OK, I would not call it highly respected.

That being said a few of the previous posts touch on the major items, dirt, sand... dulling the chain fast and technique.

With the 290 you would need to be careful not to load it down too much with excessive force into the cut or by pinching the chain. Even a little pinch will take the rev's and the power down real sudden and out of the saws power band.

One other item that is sometimes miss leading, is the time it takes to cut since the root flare adds alot of girth to the cut and the tree +/-2ft up from grade can be 14" diameter so an 18" bar is not fully buried in the wood but at grade at the root flare the tree can be 20" diam or more and the fully buried bar is now loosing power due to not only more cutting surface restriction but the fact that the nose of bar is buried is just another power robbing issue, I believe roller tips / sprocket nose bars help some here but not totally.

All things add up to slower cutting, I often reverse my hands as well.

 

[treeslayer]

Got it.

Keep on posting. When your name change goes through it will be changed on all of your postings.

thanks guys.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

You can do it without wedges too.

Just start with a plunge cut, then slightly mismatch the final cut so it will snap off.

 

[capetrees]

Best trick is a very sharp chain. Other than that, just don't force the saw.

 

[juststumps]

I have a Stihl Farm Boss, and recently I took some trees down and flushed the stumps. The trees really weren't that big, say 14" in diameter. I noticed that even the highly respected MS290 had a bit of trouble flushing those stumps though, I had to go *really* easy on her to avoid stalls, and it seemed like I was getting pinched here and there even though the tree was already down and there were no forces acting upon the work anymore. Am I doing something wrong, or does flushing a stump just require a LOT of power?

use wedges like the guys said... and work your tip thru the stump, on one larger than your bar,to one side, then follow thru the rest....if you lead with the power head, you'll end up cutting a spiral...

 

[Plasmech]

I did one today, a 21" stump (with the root flare) with a 20" bar. I used a wedge, made all the difference in the world. Nonetheless, it really humbled that MS-290, I guess the entire stump is like one giant knot with all the roots converging into the trunk, just tough stuff to cut through. It was Maple.

 

[Rftreeman]

it's all in the wrist....................

it tends to ride more on the technique use than power. some good info here.

 

[(WLL)]

bury the tip as far as it will go using the dogs as a pivot point, when you bottom out on the chain brake follow the tip around and around. let the saw do the work, and stay 3-4in above the dirt to avoid any unnecessary dulling. like others have said cut the stumps very last cause they are very dirty down there. KEEP BOTH HANDS ON THE SAW AND EXPECT SOME KICKBACKS!!!. imo i think stump cutting is like hand filing a chain, a pro makes it look easy and everyone thinks they no how to do it. a little training goes a long way and practise makes perfection. my advise to you about your signature is self taut cutters learn what not to do instead of learning the correct way and smoothing out your method. habit's are hard to brake so do things right and make good habit's.