Pulling stumps without machinery

[ZachAK]

A buddy of mine lives on an island here in Alaska where getting heavy equipment out to his property is very expensive.

The biggest stumps are around 48" Sitka Spruce. The rootwads on these are massive.

A griphoist with block and tackle took three days for a single stump in lots of little pieces.

Anyone have any ideas for bigger equipment that isn't crazy expensive or heavy?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Gologit]

Explosives.

 

[ZachAK]

Explosives.

Great suggestion. Apparently it's gotten pretty complicated between barging them up here, storing, and who controls explosives, sadly.

Anyone ever seen one of these? Over on ebay there's a hundred year old Stump Puller

 

[northmanlogging]

Yup old farts used em to pull stumps around here, back before color TV... by the way they are hardly rare, and not worth 650 bones... just saying. Also they still had to split the stumps up before pulling them.

Other wise explosives... Its a pain in the ass but better than digging and hacking for the rest of your life, Its possible to get in touch with a licensed blaster, and have them blast the stumps, a day or three of labor, as long as they can get to ya... without swimming...

As far as blasting yourself, the license isn't so bad, not really any different then a federal fire arms license (like a dealer or class III go fast button stuff), the real trouble comes in storage and transportation.... not to mention the paperwork.

A magazine for storage is a fairly substantial building, a day box not so bad, not cheap but doable.

Anyway probably saying to much... but contact some local logging outfits that also build roads, they should be able to help you out.

 

[ZachAK]

Yup old farts used em to pull stumps around here, back before color TV... by the way they are hardly rare, and not worth 650 bones... just saying. Also they still had to split the stumps up before pulling them.

Thanks! Good to know that the stump puller is overpriced. Looks like it's been for sale for a long time.

Point taken about splitting the stump first. We're lucky to have big powersaws today.

Interesting about the explosives license. Worth looking into, or chasing someone down for.

I really appreciate your time. Great advice.

 

[Humptulips]

If you are just talking spruce you might be able to char pit them out. That was an old method the settlers used mostly on Fir stumps but I have heard of it being employed on spruce. Simple enough, just dig out underneath and get a good hot fire going, then cover it up and keep it covered. Any smoke comes out you have to cover it with dirt. it will smolder along and burn the roots leaving the stump sitting on top of the ground. Likely take 4 ,5 months to burn out a stump and you have to check it several times a day.
Not sure how that would work in SE AK but they used the method here in W WA. Something to think about.

 

[OlympicYJ]

I'd say blasting is probably your best bet. How many stumps need to go? I'll try and use an analogy with the blasting. Lots of times in forestry if we have enough spraying to do it is often cheaper with a helicopter than a hand crew. You just have to make sure you have enough to justify bringing the chopper in in the first place. So hiring someone with a license to blast may be your cheapest option. but how are you planning on disposing of the stumps once you pop em? Generally that requires a machine. If you're popping stumps you are generally doing something that requires some cleanup which again requires equipment. If it's super expensive to have someone bring their equipment in what about buying a used machine and shipping it in and leaving it for future projects?

 

[Humptulips]

Put enough fertilizer in the shot and the stumps disappear. Of course then you have them divots to fill.

 

[Gologit]

Interesting about the explosives license. Worth looking into, or chasing someone down for.

I'd look for a licensed blaster. He'll usually also be able to source the explosives you need and he'll be up to speed on transport, permits, and storage. The paperwork for anything having to do with explosives has tripled since 9-11 and if it's not done correctly you'll have ATF people taking an interest in you. You don't want that.

Getting a blasting license yourself opens up a whole new world of regulatory compliance and unless you're going to be using it on a regular basis I can't see where it's worth it.

 

[Jed1124]

I'd look for a licensed blaster. He'll usually also be able to source the explosives you need and he'll be up to speed on transport, permits, and storage. The paperwork for anything having to do with explosives has tripled since 9-11 and if it's not done correctly you'll have ATF people taking an interest in you. You don't want that.

Getting a blasting license yourself opens up a whole new world of regulatory compliance and unless you're going to be using it on a regular basis I can't see where it's worth it.

Up until the late sixties you used to be able to walk into Blue Seal around here and pick up some dynamite to blow up stumps. Amazing how much the world has changed in such a short period of time. I wasn't around then but sure seems like a better time.

 

[Marshy]

This is an interesting machine... might not be available where your located though. Sure its enough to make you jealous.



Here's an idea for burning the stump out...

 

[Gologit]

Put enough fertilizer in the shot and the stumps disappear. Of course then you have them divots to fill.

Like this video? These guys didn't use ANFO but it's a good example of more not always being better.

 

[Gologit]

Up until the late sixties you used to be able to walk into Blue Seal around here and pick up some dynamite to blow up stumps. Amazing how much the world has changed in such a short period of time. I wasn't around then but sure seems like a better time.

Maybe so. Those were the days of "stuff a few extra sticks in the hole, light the fuse and run like hell". I did it, too. I learned from the old guys and we didn't know any better.
Some of the guys who didn't do a test burn on a piece of fuse before lighting or didn't understand directional explosions and how to contain them aren't with us anymore...at least not in any recognizable form. That's one of the reasons for tight control these days.
I'm not a fan of government intervention in anything but having the availability of explosives limited to those who know what they're doing just makes sense.

 

[greendohn]

Build a fire on the stump, put a blower or fan on it once it's burned for a little bit. The fan forced fire should make it incinerate in a couple days. It works well around here and it cost nothing but a little time.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

For some reason that whale video made me remember the WKRP "Thanksgiving turkey drop" episode. Les Nessman would have given a great on the scene report at the whale incident.

 

[Gologit]

For some reason that whale video made me remember the WKRP "Thanksgiving turkey drop" episode. Les Nessman would have given a great on the scene report at the whale incident.

"...and the turkeys are falling from the sky like sacks of wet cement!" Classic.

 

[Philbert]

As I recall, there were some 'stump grinding' wheels that mounted on chainsaw motors. Would be a lot more work than a stand alone stump grinder, but a lot more portable. Google 'hand held stump grinder'.

Is a standard, walk behind stump grinder a possibility? Some of these are pretty compact, and grinding means no stump to dispose of.

Philbert

 

[ZachAK]

Thanks everyone! What a great forum.

I should have mentioned that my buddy has to pull the whole stump and roots—his sweetie is building, of all things, a small garlic farm. I like teasing them that it's a good thing they live far from town, and downwind, because it'll only be the bears and deer that smell their increased farts.

Yeah, it's kind of funny that insurance on a $200,000 machine and the complications of dynamite paperwork might put the stump pulling job back into 100 year old technology.

But I understand tighter regs with dynamite...

Some of the guys who didn't do a test burn on a piece of fuse before lighting or didn't understand directional explosions and how to contain them aren't with us anymore...at least not in any recognizable form. That's one of the reasons for tight control these days.

My uncle was an early adopter of dynamite as an early teenager over 50 years ago, crystalizing sticks atop the family TV, blowing up all sorts of stuff. Later, he bought a dumptruck in highschool, and would deliver gravel after backing up to a hillside and letting a stick or two fill the bed with gravel. No wonder he had a piece of plywood for a back window. He never got hurt, but not everyone today has his commonsense.

 

[northmanlogging]

I need to find a whale, 50 cases of 30% and several hundred unsuspecting bystanders...

 

[Humptulips]

You only need a couple of sticks, fertilizer and diesel. The whale and the onlookers will show sooner or later. There was a perfect candidate this spring near Westport when I was clam digging.