Biggest Stump I Have Seen, In Person

[Torquin]

I got a call from a lady who wants the following stump removed. I know nothing of the history, but it appears the trees involved were removed some time ago as nothing around the stump looks fresh and a vine is growing over it quite nicely. Anyway, this sucker is 7' tall, is composed of 4 trees/stalks growing form the same stump and measures 84" (Yes, 7' also) across at its largest width, at the top, 7 feet up. The largest stalk coming out of this stump is 48" in diameter, at the 7' height. I have not tried to measure the bottom of the stump yet, or DBH. I believe the reason whoever removed it left it 7' tall is because that's where all of the stalks join together.
I am trying to think of the best way to remove this stump. My first thought, since I can't access the area with a bulldozer or backhoe, is to do at least 2 rip cuts straight down, to divide the trunk into 3 pieces. I'll need to take off at least 4', preferably 4'6" before I can start grinding. I can get out the 60" bar, but I might be able to do it with the 38" bar if I do the rip cuts I mentioned. Once the rip cuts are in there, I should just be able to lop off 6" to 12" slices that can be carried and put in the dump truck/trailer. I will have to cut the fence away from the trunk and remove the fencing that's left before I start cutting.
Once I get down to 30", or the height of the ingrown fence (chain-link and one fence post), whichever is taller, I'll get started with the grinder and rake.
For the moment I am trying to figure out how many hours I think this will take so I can bid on it.

What do you guys think?
Please forgive the picture quality. I have a crappy camera on my phone.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Blakesmaster]

I'd do another ripcut to the ground just off the fence line in order to save some more grinder time. Looks to me like the fence has only infested a few inches of the stump, but the pics could be deceiving.

 

[ropensaddle]

What size grinder ya using? I could be done with that in as little as four hours or as high as eight. It depends on what is going to be done is it full clean up and fill dirt or grind and run?


Ps three of the four would be removing the trunk 25 minutes getting fence removed then 35 minutes to grind

 

[treevet]

That fence is history anyway, so I think I would start with clipping it up to the tree and peel it backwards and let the HO have a fence company re do that.

You have another worry and that is the base or foundation of the sidewalk and the sidewalk itself when sweeping. The easiest start would be to hook up a crane and flush cut the stump and wave bye bye to it and have the HO pay the crane and dump charge and the saw chain destroyed charges.

That doesn't look like the neighborhood that can take a thousand dollar stump removal and that is probably why the stump is still there. If they can tho, that is my guess as to the cost given that you can lose the big chunk of wood without a huge charge. It would cost me at least a couple of hundred dollars just to dump the stump. We did a thousand dollar stump grind on a huge hackberry uproot last week and went at it with 2 grinders and it turned out to be a fair price.

 

[Torquin]

I have already discussed the fence with the HO. She knows it's going to have to be replaced. My current plan is to cut out the fence that is grown into the tree then remove the section of fence that is left. Once I get to the level of the embedded fence with my saw I will stop with the saw and start with the grinder.
I will be taking my Carlton 5700-4 to it.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[tomtrees58]

non bad we do it all day long about 1 hrs grinding tom trees

 

[gr8scott72]

non bad we do it all day long about 1 hrs grinding tom trees

BS

There is no way you are grinding a 7' stump that is 7' tall in 1 hour.

 

[gr8scott72]

That fence is history anyway, so I think I would start with clipping it up to the tree and peel it backwards and let the HO have a fence company re do that.

You have another worry and that is the base or foundation of the sidewalk and the sidewalk itself when sweeping. The easiest start would be to hook up a crane and flush cut the stump and wave bye bye to it and have the HO pay the crane and dump charge and the saw chain destroyed charges.

That doesn't look like the neighborhood that can take a thousand dollar stump removal and that is probably why the stump is still there. If they can tho, that is my guess as to the cost given that you can lose the big chunk of wood without a huge charge. It would cost me at least a couple of hundred dollars just to dump the stump. We did a thousand dollar stump grind on a huge hackberry uproot last week and went at it with 2 grinders and it turned out to be a fair price.

There's also no way that anyone around here would pay for the stuff you mentioned. It's not a $1,000 stump. I'd do it for $300 - $350 (no clean up) and just grind it without cutting it down further. Probably 2 hours of solid grinding for me.

 

[ropensaddle]

BS

There is no way you are grinding a 7' stump that is 7' tall in 1 hour.

I would not say that it depends on grinder mine after stump was cut lower would grind it in 35 minutes. It is 60 hp diesel powered. There are grinders mounted to skidders that would grind it without cutting in under an hour so depends on how and what you do the job with.

 

[treevet]

There's also no way that anyone around here would pay for the stuff you mentioned. It's not a $1,000 stump. I'd do it for $300 - $350 (no clean up) and just grind it without cutting it down further. Probably 2 hours of solid grinding for me.

You are gonna grind a 7 foot high 7 foot dia. stump with no cutting? You are living in a dream world. $350? I got some land I want to sell you haha.

 

[gr8scott72]

I would not say that it depends on grinder mine after stump was cut lower would grind it in 35 minutes. It is 60 hp diesel powered. There are grinders mounted to skidders that would grind it without cutting in under an hour so depends on how and what you do the job with.

And just how long is it going to take you to lower that stump? I think we're over an hour by then.

Plus most people don't have grinders that are over the 60-80 hp range.

 

[ropensaddle]

And just how long is it going to take you to lower that stump? I think we're over an hour by then.

Plus most people don't have grinders that are over the 60-80 hp range.

Well I agree most don't but some do and 285 hp mounted to a skidder that would easily grind that puppy.

 

[outofmytree]

I think you should have a plaque made up for afterwards. "here lies Stumpenstein".

GL with the job.

 

[John464]

There's also no way that anyone around here would pay for the stuff you mentioned. It's not a $1,000 stump. I'd do it for $300 - $350 (no clean up) and just grind it without cutting it down further. Probably 2 hours of solid grinding for me.

$300-$350 for a 7ft tall 7ft wide stump??? no wonder you call yourself affordable stump grinding. LOL! Not just a poor marketing technique, but it actually is true. Do you take peanuts as payment? if you are willing to beat your $40k machine up and spend a half a day of your time. "grind it without cutting it" with a 7015? talk about senseless and improper abuse. Factor in a new 36" chain, a new bar, hauling the wood, sharpening of stump teeth, your time, rec-cut that monster, etc you are driving yourself into the ground. I wouldnt touch that stump for any less than $800. Chances are its full of dirt, co-doms usuallly are.

 

[Toddppm]

$1000 sounds just about right, if she wants all of the grindings gone and dirt brought in seed/fert/straw I'd be right around $1600. But that's around here.

 

[Treetom]

I hope there ain't no metal in that sucker. I recently ground a maple stump that had rebar all around the base. Check it out real close before you go the cutting and grinding route. Good luck.

 

[Curbside]

It's a big stump but not really that big. I have a 11 foot diamter stump to do monday with clean up for $800.00. If you only have a small grinder those stumps look real intimidating but if your using track mounted 60hp + deisel grinders those are not a big deal. Once that stump is cut down to about 24 inches your looking at maybe an hour's time of grinding and about 20 minutes of cleanup with a bobcat and dump truck.

 

[treevet]

It's a big stump but not really that big. I have a 11 foot diamter stump to do monday with clean up for $800.00. If you only have a small grinder those stumps look real intimidating but if your using track mounted 60hp + deisel grinders those are not a big deal. Once that stump is cut down to about 24 inches your looking at maybe an hour's time of grinding and about 20 minutes of cleanup with a bobcat and dump truck.

I got a 65 hp Vermeer with remote. Don't think diesel makes that big of a dif if teeth are sharp on both units and don't buy into (mentally and financially) the track units. Seems like they gonna be more stable if attached to a big one ton truck. I would absolutely despise unloading and loading at each job.

7 foot ground out or even 2 foot you are gonna have mass material in the way and to deal with later. I would cut it about 3 inches above ground, again boom the piece out, and take the grindings, leaving about 3 inches below grade and the rest of the yard perfect and blown out. I'd come back in fall with topsoil and seed/straw to get another paycheck.

 

[mckeetree]

$300-$350 for a 7ft tall 7ft wide stump??? no wonder you call yourself affordable stump grinding. LOL! Not just a poor marketing technique, but it actually is true. Do you take peanuts as payment? if you are willing to beat your $40k machine up and spend a half a day of your time. "grind it without cutting it" with a 7015? talk about senseless and improper abuse. Factor in a new 36" chain, a new bar, hauling the wood, sharpening of stump teeth, your time, rec-cut that monster, etc you are driving yourself into the ground. I wouldnt touch that stump for any less than $800. Chances are its full of dirt, co-doms usuallly are.

I am thinking $1,000.00. But hey, that's just me, I could be too high. On the other hand I charge that on stumps that big and get it.

 

[treevet]

Here's couple of picts of last week $1000 stump, It was maybe 15 feet wide at widest and popped up roots everywhere that were in crevices a lot of which we just filled in with material from stump some of which was topsoil. We popped the stuck side of the unit easily by putting the grinder wheel on that side, lowering the machine and then filling under the wheel.