How would you remove this stump?
 

trunk base is 18" to 20" in diameter and the roots go under the pavement.

Would a stump grinder do anything? I can cut it way down but not sure on the huge roots.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1600986976.jpg

Cut it as low as possible. Have a stump grinder do the rest. I’ just had thre stumps ground by a company and I have rented a grinder and have done it myself. Access is an issue.

Looks tight, can you get a grinder in there? If not and time isn't an issue cut it low then drill holes into it so you can pour some stump rotter in there.

Fire, diesel fire.

I watched a guy use a tow truck and a stout chain to pull out a line of similar sized stumps. Totally slick operation.

That’d probably mess up his concrete. I think the trick here is to get rid of it without tearing everything up.
I’m with flatbutt in so much as chainsawing as much as you could including the roots that are accessible and then drilling holes and pouring in stump rot.

I’ve never had to do this but this is what I’d do.
Good luck

As my best friend would say (he's a professional stump grinder) -
"Stick some flowers in a pot and put that on top of it"

edit- that looks like locust. Cut the exposed stump off flush with the ground, and that one chunk of what you cut should have enough btu to heat all of Massachusettes all winter. Put a planter over whatever is left.

Don't cut it and hire a back hoe. He'll pull it out with the bucket tools or turn around and drag it out after loosening what he can.

This project falls under fred's "I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm making progress" thread. Having only taken out much smaller trees/stumps, I would opt for the chainsaw-as-low-as-possible and follow with the stump rotter.

Or hire professionals.

grandpa would drill a hole straight down the center and pour kitchen grease in it. then he'd let the hogs at it.

the destructive power of pigs is unimaginable.



but that's probably not of much use to you.

I watched my neighbor use a stump and a stout chain to remove the rear bumper from his F150 one time. Not such a slick operation.

If you do not need to remove it immediately, drill some holes in it and dissolve it with salt water . Or burn it out if you can .

Looks like a combination of stump grinder and a lot of chainsaw work after watching a few YT videos. Dissolving it will take too long, can't rip it out without damaging surrounding area. Need to get it out soon.

I saved the trunk and major limbs for smoking and wood fire cooking. Just looked up black locust and apparently it stinks when burned so you can't cook with it. Will put on CL to have someone take it away for their wood stove.

I would use a chainsaw, axe, wedges and sledgehammer.... and lots of cuss words ;)

Charcoal...steel drum
 

Dy-no-mite!

The chainsaw won’t like the dirt. Tough to tell how big those roots are. I’ve used my sawzall with long blade(s) in similar situations.

This. And a sharp chisel blade on my SDS hammer drill.

Edit: Good point about the sawzall OldSpool!

Like Matt and Fred said: Burn it......Roots will even burn underground....I've done many.

I would dig dirt away from around it. Then put a worn out/throw away chain on the chainsaw and cut the bulk of it away. Grab the sawsall with a wood cutting blade and tackle the roots. Put the dirt back and have a beer or three.

Also - cut the stump while it is still green. Once dry, it is like cutting raw kryptonite and will kill blades. It is harder than rock and will never rot in a zillion years. Bruce Willis couldn't drill through it. Black Locust = Chuck Norris of wood. When ACME disintegrators come to vaporize your house in the year 5907, that stump will still be there, singing like Michigan J. Frog.

Cut flush soon if you can.

OMG - most epic response of 2020! Wow!

I don't think, I would want a stumpgrinder or chainsaw near concrete.

Cut back as much as possible, drill holes in root, add diesel, light.

My neighbor across the street is remodeling her master bath, and supposedly she has found termites during the demolition. Gonna tent the house. Want me to see if she can catch a few of them (or maybe the queen) and ship them your way?

Cut it as low as you can and then use one of these to get down to the roots.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601017751.jpg

I have GOT to get me one of these! Is that for real Peter or are you messin' round?

100% legit... Search "Chainsaw grinder attachment". Wood carvers use them.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0f4SGNMNvsA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Not enough truck:D

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RBQ8ywSd7R4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Seen this in action for those worried about chainsaw and the dirt.
This will not work if your dirt is rocky.

Dig loose dirt around stump, try to get a kinda deep hole near the tree. Go to a boating supply store, get a manual sump pump. Or order it online, not expensive. Get a hose, put a nozzle sprayer on it.

Hose the dirt around the roots to a soup, suck it out with the hand pump.

Cut the exposed roots with the chain saw. Works on small stumps like that.

Id like to share a quick little stump story . Before I bought my building, I rented commercial space from Harmony Trucking inc.
The owners , were Charlie ( rip) and Dave Stump..
The owner of the property next door, had a landscape company, and had a big sign, right next to the highway offering Stump Removal.
I grinned every morning pulling into work .

Lol. Fred, you can't make up stuff funnier than real life.

You will find the weakest link , trying to pull a stump with a pick up truck.

Just ordered one of those wheels for my grinder.

I may try to dig out the center and pour hot coals inside.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601043551.jpg

What's the budget? lol

It's for real and one of the most dangerous tools you could possibly own.

I can tell that most posters here have never removed a sizeable stump. Men being men have a need to offer advice when all they have is creative thought and no real experience.

Cut it flush and you lose any opportunity to use leverage to pull it back and forth to help with loosening and exposing roots.

A stump grinder is on a center mounted pivot. There may be some offset models to cut flush with a fence, etc.. You have to be able to line up with the center mass of the stump in order to sweep the arc. And move back and then forward again.

Tree stumps wedged in between concrete footings or next to them are going to be tough as the tree will conform to the shape of the concrete including undercutting it.

There are not enough pics to even begin to access this situation.

Lastly, I can't tell when posters are serious or not if they don't indicate. The use of fire is totally out of reason. It won't burn in the first place...you know the rest.

Helping to accelerate rot is a very practical solution if time permits. Depending on the tree, figure 5 to 10 years to accomplish removal by rot.

A stump grinder service will not like any chance that his "blade" will hit concrete/rocks/metal/etc. As mentioned getting a SG in there and perfectly situated looks problematic.
SDS Max with a sharp bit seems like a good idea along with a long saws-all blade. It is okay for the blade to hit dirt - just wears it out and you put in a new blade as needed. Hard to tell the complete situation without a more zoomed out picture.

Yep....

I would (and have) remove that stump with a chainsaw (with an old stump chain ;)), an axe, splitting wedges and a sledgehammer. BTDT more than a few times.... and yes, it will be a helluva workout :).

Stumped?

This. And then hire a guy to fix the concrete that breaks around the stump hole.

Obviously there are a multitude of ways... It's just wood after all. Pick one.