Stump Removal – Part 3: Removing The Stumps By Hand – March 2019

Removing a Stump by Grinding it Away Yourself

If removing a stump manually won’t work and you’d like to get rid of it quickly, you can always rent a grinder and grind the stump yourself. These machines weigh around 750 pounds, and you can expect to pay between $125 and $225 to rent one for a day. It makes sense to do the job yourself when there are several stumps to remove.

In addition to the grinder, you will need a mattack, a shovel, a rake, and a chainsaw.

1. Use a shovel or mattock to clear rocks away from around the stump.
2. Cut away as much of the stump as possible with a chainsaw. Try to get it as level to the ground as possible.
3. Using the hydraulic lever, raise the grinder wheel a couple of inches above the stump. After turning it on, lower it about 3 inches into the stump. Move it side to side with the lever.
4. After grinding down to about 4 inches with the grinder wheel, move it forward. Repeat the process until the entire stump is at least 4 inches below ground.

Be mindful that a stump grinder can be a dangerous piece of equipment and that you need to always wear protective gear. Be diligent about wearing protective goggles or glasses because wood chips and other debris will fly everywhere. If you’ve never used a stump grinder before, it’s also a good idea to have someone at the rental place teach you how to use the machine before bringing it home or having it delivered.

If you only have a stump or two, a professional company will probably only charge around $100 to $200, so that might be the way to go under those circumstances. As an added bonus, many companies will haul away the stump too.

DIY Method #1: How to Remove a Stump by Hand

People who want to remove the stump by hand often go about it the wrong way. To do this successfully, it helps to be dealing with a relatively small tree stump. If it’s from an older or diseased tree, that helps a lot too.

To do it yourself, it’s essential to have the right tools. You’ll need a chainsaw or limbing saw, a pick mattock, a shovel, a digging bar, an ax, a four-wheel-drive truck and some chain.

Follow these steps to remove a stump manually:

1. Use a chainsaw or limbing saw to remove any lower branches from the trunk.
2. Remove the top portion of the trunk, but leave enough to use as leverage.
3. Use a shovel, pick mattock and digging bar as needed to reveal the roots around the stump.
4. Use a hose or power washer to rinse dirt away to reveal more roots.
5. Cut the major roots with an ax.
6. Try pushing the trunk. If more roots are exposed, cut them with the ax. Continue pushing and pulling the trunk until the tree trunk is entirely uprooted.
7. If the trunk won’t budge, wrap chain around it and connect it to a four-wheel-drive pickup truck.
8. Alternate between slowly pulling forward and reversing to wiggle the trunk until it is uprooted.

Top Tree LLC is your best choice for any tree stump removal needs in Kennewick. All of our technicians are highly trained and properly certified. We are happy to answer any questions you have now or in the future.