Stump removal....the fire way

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I have a large stump that I want to get rid of. Since I don't have a BH for my tractor (notice how I worked my tractor into this thread so as to qualify this as a tractor project), I suppose I will just have to try to burn it. Since I have never done this before, I thought I'd ask for opinions. My idea is to drill some holes in the stump, fill with diesel and ignite. Sounds simple enough. Any thoughts? Cautions, criticisms, etc. will be welcomed and duly noted.

 

[clundog]

A guy I work with told me to drill several holes and fill them with used engine oil. Do it for a couple of weeks so the oil can soak in. I haven't personally tried this but he said he's had success going this route. I suppose diesel would work also.
Usually I just dig around the stump and cut it a little below ground level, of course I haven't dealt with much over 6 " diameter.
Good luck!

 

[tallyho8]

If the stump was partially hollow it would be very easy to burn. (see photo)
I burned many stumps after Katrina knocked over a lot of our trees. I found that the best and easiest way to burn the stumps was to pile a lot of wood on top of them and burn the wood. I used pecan wood because I had so much of it and pecan burns very hot and very well. Tallow, hackberry, willow, etc, do not burn very well. Oak, pecan, hickory and others burn great. Burn enough big branches on top of the stump and the hot coals will keep it burning for days. I have had stumps slowly burning underground for 2 weeks until all large roots were gone and all I had to do was throw a little dirt in the hole. Do not stir the ashes until you are ready to put it out because the ashes insulate the slowly burning stump and keep it hot. No expensive diesel or gas is needed.

 

[HickoryNut]

I took a 4' x 8' piece of 18 gauge sheet metal and made a circle held together with sheet metal screws, sort of an extra-large burn barrel. Build a good fire in it and it'll cook a stump into the ground lickety-split.

 

[MarkV]

We have done it by drilling a bunch of 1” holes deep, fill with diesel every couple of days for a week or so, put a bag of charcoal on top, light the bag and let it burn. Helps if the stump is older.

MarkV

 

[EddieWalker]

Diesel is only good for starting a fire. If the wood won't burn, diesel wont change that. In fact, most of the time that I've used diesel, it just burns off the surface of the wood and doesn't even get the wood to burn.

Eddie

 

[dooleysm]

Me and a buddy burned out several stumps at our fraternity house back in college. First we dug out around the stump so that the roots that were above the final grade we wanted were above ground. Then we just piled split wood on top of the whole deal and started a fire. We kept it going for 2-3 days. We would pile it high with wood at night and then it would burn all night and into the next day when we got around to checking on it again. Then we'd pile more wood on to get the fire going and make sure to pile it up before we went to bed.

It worked very well for us. The stump and exposed roots were burned down below ground. We just covered the holes back with dirt and threw some grass seed on top. It's very easy, assuming you've got lots of extra wood laying around. Since we had cut the trees down, we had that wood available. The trees we burned were probably 8-10" in diameter.

 

[turnkey4099]

Diesel is only good for starting a fire. If the wood won't burn, diesel wont change that. In fact, most of the time that I've used diesel, it just burns off the surface of the wood and doesn't even get the wood to burn.

Eddie

Yep, it is a help only until the diesel burns off plus whatever wood it has soaked into. It doesn't penetrate very deeply in green wood.

Harry K

 

[PBinWA]

I had good success with the following:

Cut a ton of deep cross hatches in the stump with your chainsaw. Cut as deep as you can as many as you can.

Pile several bags of charcoal briquets on the stump. For a 20"-24" stump, I'd use 4-5 big bags.

Light them up and let it cook for 2-3 days. Obviously, make sure you are in a safe place to burn.

This would burn my stumps down below ground level.

I recommend this for 2-3 stumps. More than that - get an excavator.

 

[mboulais]

With no intention of burning the stump, I dug a hole in the ground near an old stump to burn some wood waste, plus paper and cardboard. I burned in a pit to facilitate covering the ashes. I apparently exposed a root in the hole and after a couple of burnings in the pit, we started seeing wisps of smoke coming from the stump and some charring at the base of the stump 6' from the hole. The stump was about 28" in diameter and 3' tall. After a few more fires we were seeing more charing and more wisps of smoke despite spraying it with water, and despite rain showers. It burned until it was a hollow shell from the inside out. It would have been easy to remove then (I didn't try, we moved from that property or else I would have to widen a trail).

 

[rone]

One way to burn them out is to use a truck or tractor rim around the stump to contain the fire. Keep a good fire going & it will take them right out.
RONE

 

[have_blue]

The problem with burning stumps is the roots pull water from the ground. It creates steam, and that prevents a good hot bed of coals from forming.

The best time to burn them is during a long dry spell.

I have found that diesel actually cools a fire down. Big dense wood is a much better solution, as someone already mentioned.

The best way I have found to burn a stump is to use Green Light stump remover (99% saltpetre). Apply it per instructions. Dig around the stump, exposing as much roots as you have the energy for. Wait for a very dry spell, then pile big wood on and around the stump. No diesel needed, just burn it.

Tip: If you have a large shop fan or leaf blower, they can make a VERY HOT fire.

 

[turnkey4099]

Then there is the 'cover and forget' method. Dig down and cut it off below ground level and backfill over it. Eventually it will rot out and you will have to add some dirt to fill the, now collapsed, hole. I have one big one (4' across) Red fir that is under a flower bed off the back porch. Every spring when I spade it, I bring up some rotten wood.

Harry K

 

[Tim Stuart]

I have had good luck burning stumps if you cut the stump off close to the ground. Than take 4-5 piece of fire wood and pile on top of it and get it burning. Than take a old piece of tin and place over the fire. The tin acts a heat shield to keep the heat in on the stump and the stump will burn for days. It also will keep the rain out from cooling down the fire. I usually just throw a Cinder block on top of the tin to keep it from blowing away. I burnt a 30" red oak tree 30' long that had fell like this once that was to big for my saw to cut through. I just lite it on 1 end and got the fire going than laid the tin length ways on the trunk. Than every day I would go out there and slide the tin down the trunk. It took about 30-40 day and the tree trunk was gone.

 

[have_blue]

Than take a old piece of tin and place over the fire. The tin acts a heat shield to keep the heat in on the stump and the stump will burn for days.

Great idea Tim. I'll have to try that.

After worrying with my last 2 burning stumps, I swore I would never leave one again. Next time I will saw the stump and roots flush or below the ground. It's hard on the bar and chain, but a new bar and chain cost less than 30 dollars. That's way less than you would pay for someone to grind it, plus you get a new bar and chain out of the deal.

 

[Renze]

It's hard on the bar and chain, but a new bar and chain cost less than 30 dollars. That's way less than you would pay for someone to grind it, plus you get a new bar and chain out of the deal.

My neighbour digs around the stump, then pressure washes it before he'd touch it with a saw.

I had good results by digging free some roots, use an axe to cut some roots halfway, rip off some main roots with a chain before pushing over the whole tree.

 

[Paddy]

Renze,

I agree, the best stump removal method has a tree attached for leverage. I dig around the base looking for the 3 main roots. With a saw or axe, cut out a 6" section of the roots. This allows for the whole tree to piviot with out compressing on the remaining root. Put a cable around the trunk at 12'-15' up via a ladder. Pull her down. most trees up to 10" dia come over root ball and all.

 

[Ray2210]

I have trees that are very close to underground gas, electrical, phone and septic system. It's also possible to have have oil, gas, water and electrical underground utilities that cross your property either as mains or as services to neighboring properties. By the sounds of some peoples success at burning the roots many feet from the stump I would hope that anybody trying this would make darn sure they were a long way from underground utilities.

 

[SLOBuds]

Renze,

I agree, the best stump removal method has a tree attached for leverage. I dig around the base looking for the 3 main roots. With a saw or axe, cut out a 6" section of the roots. This allows for the whole tree to piviot with out compressing on the remaining root. Put a cable around the trunk at 12'-15' up via a ladder. Pull her down. most trees up to 10" dia come over root ball and all.

Definitely a nice way to use physics to your advantage. But don't do something like I did.

One day 2 years ago, later in an afternoon of felling 4 or 5 Pinebark Beetle infected trees, I got to one that needed to come down in a specific direction. We sawed it so that it did not immediately fall, but was waiting for a directional tug.

I put a rope about 10' up, tied the end of the rope to a strategically-placed stump, attached all to a comealong, and began cranking.

Crank crank crank. Then suddenly a loud and shaky voice calls 'Run Mr. Petersen ... run for your life!!!' Sure enough, here comes the big Pine tree heading down right in my direction. I scooted aside and one of the branches just brushed against my elbow - exactly like a close-call scene from a highly dramatic movie.

But life isn't a movie, and dumb things like this can easily turn into tragedy. I finally learned after a couple such episodes that fatigue and rushing through a long day has no place in the country. Loved ones need you home every night much more than they need a Pine tree in a horzontal position.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Definitely a nice way to use physics to your advantage. But don't do something like I did.

One day 2 years ago, later in an afternoon of felling 4 or 5 Pinebark Beetle infected trees, I got to one that needed to come down in a specific direction. We sawed it so that it did not immediately fall, but was waiting for a directional tug.

I put a rope about 10' up, tied the end of the rope to a strategically-placed stump, attached all to a comealong, and began cranking.

Crank crank crank. Then suddenly a loud and shaky voice calls 'Run Mr. Petersen ... run for your life!!!' Sure enough, here comes the big Pine tree heading down right in my direction. I scooted aside and one of the branches just brushed against my elbow - exactly like a close-call scene from a highly dramatic movie.

But life isn't a movie, and dumb things like this can easily turn into tragedy. I finally learned after a couple such episodes that fatigue and rushing through a long day has no place in the country. Loved ones need you home every night much more than they need a Pine tree in a horzontal position.

Very well said Slobud. I spend a lot of time by myself at my farm. We don't live there fulltime and I enjoy spending a day or two alone just working on different projects. I have had a couple of mishaps that could have been a lot worse. I fell off a ladder and broke four ribs. Had I hit my head instead of ribs........well you get the picture. I have to constantly tell myself to be careful. A project left undone until help is around is OK. Projects can wait.

Ok now back to the subject I originally posted about. I burned two stumps this past weekend. Old seasoned maple if verrrrry hard and doesn't burn as readily as I would have imagined. I did make a lot of progress, but there is still a bit of wood above ground. I'll fire it up again next weekend and hopefully finish that project. When that one is finished, I'll have only about 99 more to start. It's funny how work has become my recreation. Oh well, life has lots of twists and turns.