Anyone else remove a tree stump with a chainsaw?

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I was trying to dig up a stump from a palm tree that died and by the time I got all the dirt dug out enough to see what I was looking at I realized this stump isn't coming out with a shovel any time soon. Instead of me digging for hours I decided it was worth it to sacrifice a chain on the chainsaw. Worked out great actually. Since I already had about 10" dug out from around the stump, so I was easily able to just angle the saw and get the stump cut down even deeper just as if a stump grinder was used. (kind of) I don't get why anyone would dig for hours when you could just do it this way. Yeah it trashes your chain on the chain saw but they're only like $25 anyways. A pic axe would have worked better, but still a bunch of unnecessary effort imo.
 
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It also trashes the Bar & is hard on the sprocket & clutch, I was taught to never put the Bar & Chain in the dirt! Stump Grinders are cheap enough to rent for a couple hours
 
I agree with clinebarger. Dirt raises all sorts of problems with saws. I use a tractor on the smaller stuff and still have the skill set and distance to use energetic materials on the bigger ones. About to set the lift on a 4 foot willow.
 
I would not use my saw for that, rent one. You will wear the sprocket and bar. Yes you only need to change the chain, but the sprocket and bar wear will show up down the road. Rent a saw, don't use your saw if is a quality saw, and you care about it.
 
I'm not the least bit shy about cutting in the dirt with the Wood Shark.
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I keep cheap, crrapppy, worn-out bars & chains for just this purpose.

It's fine in sandy soils, about worthless in rocky soils.

Use a digging bar & a shop vac to suck as much dirt away from the roots as possible. You can actually keep the chain dirt-free with a lot of shop vac work beforehand.
 
Originally Posted By: spasm3
I would not use my saw for that, rent one.


Seriously? Around here, renting one is almost $100 a day.

You can buy a new chinese bar and several new chinese chains for FAR less than $100
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: spasm3
I would not use my saw for that, rent one.


Seriously? Around here, renting one is almost $100 a day.

You can buy a new chinese bar and several new chinese chains for FAR less than $100


If you have several stumps to cut, that's a great option! In fact i'd buy a cheap saw like a poulan, or a running craigslist saw for that.
 
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With a stump grinder, the stump is still there. It sucks trying to level an area for grass when there's still a stump there.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
With a stump grinder, the stump is still there. It sucks trying to level an area for grass when there's still a stump there.


Yes after a couple years the grinded stump starts rotting and creates a big sink hole.
 
Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
I'm not the least bit shy about cutting in the dirt with the Wood Shark.
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You just have to remember to try and keep as much of the chain out of the dirt as you can otherwise it will just clogg up the clutch area and jam up quick, also pull out frequently and rev it to clear excess dirt.
 
Done that - palm tree stumps die fast and rot fast - the end.
Conversely - had a few deciduous trees try to come back or take forever to rot. Have had a large pot plant on a Burr Oak stump for 3 years - it's not showing any desire to rot - and we deep grooved the surface and salted the grooves ...
 
Only ever used explosives.

I've read/heard if you cut the stump low and then put cruciform cuts in it you can soak a chemical in which allows you to burn it out.

Presumably a powerful oxidant, like maybe sodium chlorate or ammonium nitrate. Don't remember and don't have time to search now.
 
Now I have no first hand knowledge of doing the following and I am sure the local authorities will frown upon this.
My late grandpa and dad told me they used to remove stumps on the farm by drilling holes in the base of the stump. Then put a little fertilizer in it and some, um, dynamite.

That said, I ground out my 2 stumps. Although the previous sounds more fun.
 
I just dig them out with my small Backhoe now. What also works is cut em flush as possible take a large drill like 1" and bore as full of holes as
Possible. There's a chemical you can buy to speed decomposition that you pour in. Takes time so cover with a planter or whatever.
Another trick is to fill those holes Full of diesel fuel oil whatever old motor oil. At you and corks and just keep filling it and let the tree drink it in for a month or so. Once it's ready you can put a barrel over it sitting on cement blocks dump a bag of charcoal on it some more oil and fire it up. I don't burn it down to the ground he have to play with the fire for a while but it'll get rid of it at least most of it. I can't imagine it's kind of a pain I have taken out a couple of stops that were 24 inches across that way and I couldn't do any other
Personally of them all I'll take it a little 16 inch backhoe any day. I'm taking out some real monsters with that thing and you just keep packing until you get yourself a gigantic crater with the stump in the bottom to three hours and it's gone.
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I just use a digging iron. When the roots start popping up out of the ground that's when you get the maul out.
 
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