Tree Stump Removal via Chainsaw

[Bobonli]

I had some trees removed that were impinging on utility lines. Local utility assigned a contractor. I'm left with 4 stumps that are atop a stone wall. One of them already caused a partial collapse. Contractor will not use a stump grinder because there's not enough room and support on the wall.
Can I reduce the size of these using a chainsaw? I've tried a sawzall and circular saw and they are not the proper tools. My thought was to rent a chainsaw and makes some vertical and horizontal cuts to reduce the height of the stumps.

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(Not sure what's going on with the Insert Image command!

[caleb]

Not really. If you saw into that dirt, you chain will be instantly trashed. Chainsaws are no good in the dirt.

The solutions I see are to leave them and let them rot, or move what needs to be moved to use a grinder.

[Bobonli]

Nothing to move, really. The fence is my neighbors and it's in the ground with cement posts.

What's wrong with trashing the chain for a greater good? If I rent, and acknowledge to myself up front that I'll need to replace the chain....

[rwsaunders]

Bob...you might trash the chain to the point that it snaps or causes the saw to buck and that wouldn’t be pretty. You should be able to fit a machine, albeit not the monster units that some tree service folks use.

[Saab2000]

If it were me I’d just cut some hand hold notches and pull them out. I mean really, how hard can it be?

[ides1056]

I manage to cut close to the ground and usually don't have to do it piecemeal. Just go slowly and don't burn out your saw.

[72gmc]

I'm just glad this isn't a thread about removing stumps via truck.

[Tom]

I'd rent a stump grinder from an equipment rental place or Home Depot. Worst case is you need to build a ramp and platform to give you room to work. Those will take some time and care but are definitely small enough for what you can rent. The contractor doesn't want to do it because of the time and effort to make a support structure. Heck, if my brother can build a platform/ramp system to get his VW bus out of the second floor of his father-in-law's shop (put it up there with a forklift but the engine and transmission were out, with them too heavy for the forklift... don't ask. My brother's nuts.) a platform for a stump grinder shouldn't been too hard.

And stump grinders are more fun than even a chainsaw. Extremely loud, crap flying everywhere... don't deprive yourself of a great time.

And hell, if that doesn't work there's always black powder.

[Bobonli]

The space atop the wall is about 2 feet wide across the width of my yard. The roots go under the neighbor’s fence and into her yard. So pulling is not an option. The one cut visible in the pics was made with a reciprocating saw and took an hour.

Black powder! I considered setting them on fire, actually.

[caleb]

I'd rent a stump grinder from an equipment rental place or Home Depot. Worst case is you need to build a ramp and platform to give you room to work. Those will take some time and care but are definitely small enough for what you can rent. The contractor doesn't want to do it because of the time and effort to make a support structure. Heck, if my brother can build a platform/ramp system to get his VW bus out of the second floor of his father-in-law's shop (put it up there with a forklift but the engine and transmission were out, with them too heavy for the forklift... don't ask. My brother's nuts.) a platform for a stump grinder shouldn't been too hard.

And stump grinders are more fun than even a chainsaw. Extremely loud, crap flying everywhere... don't deprive yourself of a great time.

And hell, if that doesn't work there's always black powder.

I'll bet your family reunions are a riot!

[bigbill]

I got a couple out by digging around the stump to cut the roots with my chainsaw. Got enough to roll the stump out.

Don't do what my dad did. When I was kid we had a sizeable stump behind the house and for years my dad would pour old motor oil on it. He lit it one day and it flamed up for a little while and for the next month, smoke would come out of the ground randomly while the yard slowly died in a big circular pattern around the stump.

[caleb]

I just realized that it was the utility's contractor who didn't want to grind them out. As @Tom said, it's not that it can't be done, it's that it's going to be a time consuming pain in the butt.

I suspect that for a price you can hire a commercial stump grinding service yourself to get the job done.

[ZenNMotion]

I just realized that it was the utility's contractor who didn't want to grind them out. As @Tom said, it's not that it can't be done, it's that it's going to be a time consuming pain in the butt.

I suspect that for a price you can hire a commercial stump grinding service yourself to get the job done.

This^^ Don't underestimate the skill sets required for tricky heavy labor with machines that can cause damage to people and property, as a DIY guy, DIY has limits, plus this is not a good time for a trip to the ER from an injury. A good landscape crew with arbor skills can make short work of this one, and you can stop worrying about it, including the potential damage to your neighbor's fence.

[lumpy]

If it was me, I'd probably take an old-time brace and bit with about a 3/4" or 1" auger bit and drill as many holes as you have patience for, there's no rush, then douse with roundup (if your pets & family allow) so they don't throw out shoots. Then let time and rot do their stuff.

[j44ke]

The arborists who worked on our property cut a few of the stumps right down to the ground with a chainsaw, but the stumps were from round vertical trees and only required a little digging out around the base to get the chainsaw enough clearance from the ground to be safe. These stumps look a lot more complicated.

If the wall is already partially collapsed, then you could just pull down the rest of the wall and dig out the dirt around the stump and cut it away from its anchoring roots. Looks like those might have been old privet bushes, so those things have a half life in terms of sprouting from trunks and roots, so getting the trunk base out would be a good idea anyway. That would make rebuilding the wall easier to do well also.

But you'd need to make sure your neighbor's yard wouldn't cascade into your yard under the fence or push the fence over into your yard. Right now the tree roots and the soil + wall are bracing both.

[crumpton]

Thread drift... I'm sorry but I read TRee stUMP removal with chainsaw and had to look.... Sorry to have corrupted your thread. Carry on.

But I'll add if you are going to be in the dirt, use a rental as CS blades and dirt(including decomposed stump) are not very compatible.

[Drew]

I'd get a couple quotes from tree services and see how they'd do it. Then I'd probably write a check.

[Too Tall]

Best Thread Of the Day.

The guys are right. The second that chain touches dirt it is game over AND you don't have experience with a chainsaw. We like you, don't do it.

I'd drill the bejeebus out of it and pour a bunch of enzyme into the holes than cover it with mulch. In less than one year you will be able to pry it apart with a wrecking bar.

Too bad blasting is illegal so close to homes 'cause I've got some suggestions there.

[Bobonli]

I'm sorry if I made it sound like the contractors was not legit or willing to try. It was an actual arborist/tree trimming company. Their explanation was that they couldn't get the chainsaw close enough to the ground without snagging the motor, and the wall isn't wide enough to hold the grinder.

And, yes, it's a matter or time and patience. That's why I thought making some vertical cuts and then chipping it out from the side. Taking the wall down is a $$$$ job...and there's plenty of it that's still intact so I dont want to destroy the wall for the sake of the stumps.

[Bobonli]

Thread drift... I'm sorry but I read TRee stUMP removal with chainsaw and had to look.... Sorry to have corrupted your thread. Carry on.

But I'll add if you are going to be in the dirt, use a rental as CS blades and dirt(including decomposed stump) are not very compatible.

Ha HA

"It's a huuuuuge stump. I have my best people working on it, should have it out by Easter!"