Stump grinding--A job for a girl?

[amelia]

I've got a large old apple tree that has died and needs to come down. I figure I can use a pole pruner to take it down piece by piece starting at the top, but then there's the issue of the stump. I have never used, or even seen, a stump grinder before and am wondering if this is a reasonably do-able job for a 120-lb. woman. Forget the political correctness, I want to be safe!

[mtman]

put a bird feeder or bird bath on the top of it when you cut it flat if not you can grind it the machine does all the work

[hunter63]

One of the few tools that say:
"Caution, contact with blade will cause Death or Dismemberment".

If your real comfortable with large tools, maybe...........

[hunter63]

One of the few tools that say:
"Caution, contact with blade will cause Death or Dismemberment".

If your real comfortable with large power tools, maybe...........

[mtman]

i heard you the first time

[hunter63]

Sorry, excuse me, my machine "burped".

[Jan in CO]

There IS some type of powder you can get to put in holes you drill in the stump, that is supposed to make it--rot, dissolve, I don't know exactly what, but makes it easier to remove. Been a while since I've seen any, but most hardware stores would have it. Otherwise, if the stump would be in a place you could deal with it, make it into something--a seat on top, bird feeder, etc. You COULD also wrap a large chain around it and attach the chain to the hitch/bumper of your vehicle and try pulling it up after you dig around the bottom a bit, chopping some of the roots. Jan in CO

[james dilley]

Think about drilling large holes in it and fill with diesel fuel and burn it out.

[Beeman]

Stump grinder can be rented and pulled behind your pickup. you basically park it on the stump and grind away. I don't know your ability but I don't see where being a girl would matter. Guy at the rental place should give you the full version of how to before you leave with it.

[FreightTrain]

Originally Posted by amelia

I've got a large old apple tree that has died and needs to come down. I figure I can use a pole pruner to take it down piece by piece starting at the top, but then there's the issue of the stump. I have never used, or even seen, a stump grinder before and am wondering if this is a reasonably do-able job for a 120-lb. woman. Forget the political correctness, I want to be safe!

a female can do anything a male can do

[inthewoods]

Stump grinders scare me. I remember a story I read last year on the Internet about a puppy and his leash getting tangled up in a stump grinder. His owner tried to save the dog and got pulled in with him. Neither survived.

[Up North]

Rent or hire a backhoe and dig stump out. Save it for Fourth of July and then have bonfire roast your weanies and marshmallows on it .

[Big Dave]

If you cut the tree down yourself leave the stump about five to six feet tall. This will give you leverage to push the tree over. I have pulled them over with my pu truck and a chain as I do not own any heavy equipment. I must use what is at hand. I do this when we cut down trees for our firewood business. No stump
TRUTH & MERCY Big Dave

[hoggie]

Freight train - "a female can do anything a male can do"

absolutely - and I speak as a 130lb female - it is not your size that matters, it is learning to use the machine properly, observing the safety rules, and engaging your brain before you turn the machine on. I would say, being on the cautious side, that any dangerous machine should not be used alone - you need to make sure you have a second person who at least knows where the stop button is, and what to do if you did have an accident.

Just a few thought

hoggie

[hoggie]

sorry - just another thought - if it has died, and you haven't started cutting it yet, you could probably just winch it out, and then cut it up once it is on the floor. You don't need a big truck to do the winching (although that would certainly do the job) you could winch it out using another tree or anything else nearby.

hoggie

[Wanda]

The tree can be cut off at or below ground level and if that is the case why do you feel the need to remove the stump? If you go to the time trouble and expense to grind it out you will just have more of the same to clean up the mess and fill in the hole

[largentdepoche]

Originally Posted by FreightTrain

a female can do anything a male can do

Well minus standing up to go number 1

Okay I'll quit being a smartypants now lol.

Kat

[pcdreams]

Originally Posted by largentdepoche

Well minus standing up to go number 1
Kat

Don't speek too soon

http://ganimede_x.tripod.com/stp.html

[MaryNY]

NO!! And THAT doesn't have anything to do with you being a female! I personally know of people who tried to use stump grinders and wound up removing various body parts! They are really dangerous to use and better left to the experts.

You can cut the stump off as low as you can get it, drill holes in it, fill the holes with fertilizer, cover the whole thing with mulch and plant something in the mulch -- or make the stump area a part of a raised bed -- and in a year or so the stump will have rotted away!

As for burning it, you should know that sometimes fire follows the roots underground and can pop up in places you didn't intend to burn, so if the tree is near anything burnable, you might want to think twice about disposing of it that way!

Good luck!

MaryNY

[Beeman]

People crack me up. Driving a car is the most dangerous thing you;ll do in life and you're giving warnings about a stump grinder.