We had a ash stump in the back yard. The tree had died off, we removed the limbs and most of the trunk, but left about two plus feet of the trunk. Chainsawed a hole in the center, filled it with good soil and planted a geranium in it. The geranium really liked growing in it, was good for a planter for several years until it finally rotted out and was easily removed completely. After that planted a tree Peony in its place which for several more years did spectacularly well. Tons of flowers. Just a idea in case anyone wants to try it….
There was a big hickory stump in our yard the tree had died from heart rot so we scraped the hollow out filled it full of good soil and planted a Red Oak sapling in it that was over 60 years ago and that tree is about 3 feet across at the butt and 65-70 feet tall my family doesn't own the house anymore but I still see that old tree and boy is it a great shade tree during the summer
@@IndependenceIron Working on drilling dozens of holes, from the top and sides. Even dug the soil away from it and more holes. Will be using vegetable, to provide a fuel. I cut the bottom out of an old 55 gallon steel drum, to provide a stack over the stump, that will create a draft to burn faster and hopefully completely. Lots of work here!
Especially with pine. A friend burned a stump quite carefully only to have to call the fire department to put out a fire 30 feet away from the roots burning!
I tried to do this many years ago at my parents house. I was looking forward to burning that stump all night! Then there was a knock at the door, UT was the fire chief saying we had an illegal fire in our backyard. He went out back and put it our with our garden hose. All the other firefighters were on a fire truck watching over our wall. What the fire chief didn't realize was that our hose had a blow out from being left on with a spray nozzle in the past, so when he put his thumb on it to spray it better and got completely soaked! All the other firefighters started laughing at him til they chocked and telling him stuff but the chief stayed totally serious with water dripping off his face and hair telling us how serious our stump fire was and not to do it again. Served him right for ruining our night!
I learned on another property I owned that you can cut the stump close to the ground and load a good amount of dirt to cover it and ensure no suckers come back. Maintain moist and in about a year the whole thing is rotted enough to make scraped it flat. Dirt attracts insects and fungus that eat away the stump with little human effort.
Very nice I have done this a few times myself. One thing I’ve enjoyed. I use a 1 inch or bigger drill bit and make a little rocket stoves all the way around but then there’s a good amount of spacing depending on the type of wood. I also take old concrete panels forms build a box with a lid around the stump then add a temperature controlled blower for a day or two
When i was young . We did this to a large oak stump abont 15 ft from our barn .. it worked extreamly well , unfortunatly about a week after the stump was almost totally gone. Then a few days later the barn was also gone. It follower the roots to the old barn. Not saying this is a bad thing . Just a heads up if buildings are close. Must say that was 70 years ago.
This greatly depends on the climate/weather in you area. I for example live in a pretty wet climate where the soil gets really soggy over winter so the roots would never dry out (there might be a danger zone at the end of summer but thats it). If the roots can dry out though, the danger levels go through the roof!
I would think putting the blower in the draft hole does more good than just growing the flame. When it's burning on its own, the ashes fall to the bottom and smother the bottom from burning. So only the sides will burn. Putting the blower in will blow all the ashes out, and allow the bottom to breathe and burn. It looks like you were pretty successful getting the bottom to burn. If you ever do it again, try blowing through the draft hole, to get the smothering ashes out, about every 2 hours. You want the fire to burn downward as much as possible. Good luck!
I would do that most times i went out to do my hourly checks. The leaf blower is so strong it ejects embers pretty far even at idle so i didn't want to leave it idle unattended blowing out embers next to my garage. Would like a blower that has less flow that i could leave on constantly if not so close to structures.
@@IndependenceIron just get a brick to prop up the end of the blower and keep it just the right distance away, or you could just use a metal tube and hairdryer like I have.
Cool video, great job! Here in Sweden there's a kind of stump-stove that you can get pretty cheap. It's basically a sheet steel chimney with air inlets that you mount around your stump. And the stump burning method shown in the video is sometimes used here as a way to cook a meal on a single piece of firewood.
That's pretty cool! I've bought them swedish logs at the campground over the year's and never gave it a thought. The last time I got one out we use the milling head on a skid loader used to make notches on an asphalt crew that's what I do for a living. Poorman's stump grinder. Lol but pretty cool buddy thanks for turning on that light switch in my head. 🔥💪💯🇺🇲. PS; the stump we took out wasn't half that size lol
Amazing he didn't catch the garage on fire by placing the blower pointing towards it while adding brush on top, snapping & crackling , blowing sparks towards his garage!
wow! my local council would think all their Christmases had come at once when they sent me the bill to remove that tree from outside my house. what a whopper! 😃 watching from the uk, btw. most of us don't have land or trees like that anymore. probably not for 500 years. i'd want to throw a hog on top of that. have a big ol' bbq! 😋
We have alot of farm ground around us to where some places you can see as far as the eye can see and its nothing but empty fields after harvest. But we also have alot of bugs(ash borers) and similar killing trees near us. This one was dying before we cut it.
@@IndependenceIronWatching ash borers the last decade or so has been quite sad. Growing up with an ash in my backyard, got to watch it firsthand sweep throught the neighborhood & kill our tree, my school's trees, neighborhoods trees, one by one. In alot of instances they would just kill em off one after another in a row as they slowly migrated. Think I was in middle or high school at the time.
@@MarkTrades__ I cut this tree a few years back, but since then i have cut many more Ash trees that the borers have killed and it seems that as the Ash trees have dwindled they are moving into maples. Lots of dead silver maples in my area now.
Hi from England , over here with small yards and smokeless zones I have had to dig out 100s of stumps with shovels axes and brute force. Love the USA and Canada you guys do things the easiest way, loved the video be lucky
It's not the easiest way considering the amount of time taken and huge risk to burn the property. The brute force may not work for the guy, as axes for the kind of risk-loving folks could end up badly. An electric accumulator drill and a hand saw to saw over the holes did the job for me quite well.
I could suggest to people who want to do this, find an old used wheel rim [steel works best] from a junk yard cheap that you don't mind destroying, and put that up over the top of your stumps. It does 2 things: 1, it helps hold in a whole lot of radiant heat that would be lost, and 2, raises the 'chimney' [through the hole in its center] and a good sized car or truck rim has enough openings in them [usually] to provide adequate draft. You can get several burns from one rim as they are pretty thick steel, so ten bucks or however much they charge, will speed up the burn, and you won't have to work as hard at keeping the fire lit.
@@MangaCarta i don't think so, heat sync would need a good steady air flow applied and fins to pull heat away from the stump. source: me, computer nerd.
I had never believed that this works so fast. As a woodworker I had cut off 50 cm of the stump to use otherwise. However, fun action. Kind regards from Germany!
I will occasionally drill some holes in a stump and pour in some used oil. I did that on the edges of this stump twice were the main roots went out. I helped but still couldn't burn it fully out. Too much water left in the roots.
I helped a next-door neighbor with one that size. He did the rocket stove then added 3 bags of bbq charcoal. That did the trick. There was a sale and he bought the "busted bags" for 50% off
I like your way of thinking. I used to put a steel drum around a stump and keep feeding branches for several days to burn down to below root ball your idea should do it all without adding wood.
May I offer a suggestion for you on future large stumps. It was something I discovered after helping a friend remove a stump from his yard. I'm a welder and fabricator by trade and I had the idea of going over there with my 25 ton air over hydraulic set up and several lengths of some heavy tubing and chains and trying to wedge and pull it from the ground. The stump was maybe 24- 30" in diameter and after digging down and cutting some of the major roots we were getting movement from the stump with my system but not near enough to pull it. I then decided to cut a deep rectangular pocket into the top of the stump and putting the 6" stroke 25 ton ram down into it, laying horizontally, start pressing it apart. It did a very good job of splitting the stump apart and the splits travelled down towards the roots. You can add wedges to the cracks to hold them apart and then put 2×4's behind the ram and hit it again. Basically divide and conquer! We didn't have the heavy equipment you have so with your capabilities you will probably find this system to be pretty effective and a much more complete stump and root removal. Also much faster than burning it out. I hope this gives you more ideas!
That is a good idea. I have a 20ton bottle jack i may try it with on the next one. Even if i can't dig it out the splits would help it burn more completely.
Just to note this doesn't work safely on all types of tree stump. Some types of tree stump especially old ones when burnt can cause a smouldering fire that works its way through the root system which can last months. This can cause fires to mysteriously resurface.
Have been binge watching rocket stoves lately. Never in a million years would I imagine saying I'm jealous of another man's tree stump.... But here we are.
We did this before, It caught the roots of other trees in the area on fire. They died completely about 5 years later. The Arborist that came out said "Never do this, Ground fires can burn for decades, and you never know where old gas pipes are buried as well. You are very lucky this didn't do more damage."
I did notice a connection of sorts in your choice of terms. You mentioned watching a NASCAR race, and that the stump was drafting real well. A good choice. Remember that little boys that play with fire will wet the bed, so Mom said. A method that I have used on a couple of these, is to drill down into the major roots, and soak these for a couple days with drain oil and a splash of diesel. That helps to get below the dirt.
If you have a decent length of steel tube you can balance that on top and it massively increases the draw, like a chimney. No need for leaf blowers, it goes like a rocket. Only thing to be careful of is that eventually it'll burn out underneath the tube, so either you have to figure out how to prop it up or just stop using it when it's already well burning.
The last one I did I drilled holes in it poured some gas and oil mixed down into each hole and let it soak it in then I poured some more again then set it on fire. Had no problem getting rid of it, can't even tell there was a stump there. Cooking oil or kerosene works great as well
Good stuff. I was searching different methods of burning stumps and I like this one. One small tip though, when digging or lifting with the mini, you will get a lot more pulling/lifting force if you have the blade in front of you and fully extended. Not to mention the added stability. Have a good one.
Was at a large bonfire and while looking at the sky I saw this object that was easily 10 times the size of any star or planet I had ever seen. It was alarming to see and when I asked others I was told it looked normal and some thought it might be Venus. I moved from where I had been standing and it turns out the immense heat coming from the bonfire had some type of lensing effect that made Venus look so much larger.
that is the stupidest thing ive ever heard. if you were sitting in a zone where its so hot there is a "lensing effect" going on, youre already dead. more likely you were just experiencing delusions from your lack of brain cells.
We used the gelignite system in Australia. My dad cleared 34 stumps from a paddock in a weekend. Then the D8 would come in and fill the holes and push them all into a pile and burn them.
A problem with trying to burn out old tree stumps is that they do what living trees do, bring water up from the ground, the roots don't burn so well because of it.
What I think would make it burn better would be to get the end of the initial hole a foot or more underground, then put the vent in at an angle to meet the bottom of the hole. That way when it burns it is already pretty low and does not need to burn down as much. Even if you have to lop some of the top off I think it would be better. Also I saw in the comments that adding an old car rim as a chimney (I was thinking a barrel would do also). Combine these 2 and I think you’d get a lot more material removed from below the ground.
I burned a small cypress stump on my front lawn. I built a small fire around it. I did it at night, because open fires are illegal where I live. There was some smell of smoke, that worried me in case some neighbor dobbed me in, but it most dissipated within about 50m.
When burning out dead stumps, I cover over the area with some heavy gauge sheet metal, once the fire is well established. It will maintain a smolder for days, unaffected by rain, and eventually consume the roots
You could also try splitting it from the tip with wedges. Maybe into quarters and you could jam the splits open with a few sticks. I haven't tried it but I imagine it would work well, and probably easier than doing all that work with a chainsaw, and you'd get airgaps all the way down
Just “liked” and subscribed 👍 That is the coolest thing ever with that stump burning. I’ve never seen this before. How awesome. How in the heck did you learn to do this?!
I dig a lot and use the pressure washer to clean the roots. I then use a sawzall with pruning blade or a chain saw to cut as best I can before I bury it all.
Dude, if you ever happen to burn down your house the insurance company will definitely not pay. That being said, I would like to see to more of this content.
It would have been much better to have dug down a few feet below the soil to install the air inlets. Also some kind of chimney would improve the natural air draw initially. If a 55 gallon drum would fit over it might help too. Good job, well done. After you level the ground you will have further decay and the ground will sink and mushrooms will pop up, but not a big deal, unless you were going to put a patio over it or pave over it. Otherwise just keep adding soil as the ground sinks. Probably two years.
The problem with getting vents cut below ground level is the bottom of the stump often has rocks etc included in it, you can't bore in without wrecking your saw chain.
at 11:56, I always push in the sides and then cover it with a piece of tin. The charcoal process begins and burns up the dried roots as well into the grown. After putting the tin on the remains, put the blower on it again to get the embers hot. It takes a few days but you'll eliminate the roots to a good point.
Someone else probably said this but wouldn’t it be easier to get a 32-36” hard nose bar, some wedges, and cut slices off 4-6” at a time until you get near to the ground, then dig a simple dirt trench around it and burn it out and bury it. It’s a fire hazard to have such a huge piece of dry lumber so close to your biggest investment.
I have had poor results trying to burn one from the outside as mentioned, and digging a trench next to a stump with roots that large, is difficult even with a small excavator.
Surprised you didn't burn down your garage! Agree with the previous comment, stump grinder service only costs around $200, and someone else will do it for me. Better use of my time. Actually, this video would have been more interesting if the garage did start on fire at night! LOL
You did a great job now park your machine and get a packet of charcoal and fill the hole, set it alight and go away for a day. In my case the roots also burnt almost to the tips. I filled the hole and that was that. Good digging friend!
I would have invited friends over and had several cook outs and campfires. That 55 gallon drum next to the garage could have been placed on the stump tp help with the fire. I felled two large white pine stumps to burn down. I will try this and see how it works. It should work well though.
I'm inspired by this video. I have a camp property with many softwood stumps and I'll be giving this a try. I refuse to pay for stump removal but am happy to sit in a lawn chair, after dark and drinkin, to watch a stump burn. What specie of tree was this?
I would think that you could just take off the top 18" or so and save a lot of time and blower battery. Then do the top plunge cuts, followed by the downward angled ones for the drafts.
Down here in NC I've learned to let ants build a mound next to a stump. Eventually the ants/ termites will eat out the stump making it easy to kick out of the ground.
Can I ask a question? Here in the UK stump removing companies use a vertical round saw of about 3/4 ft dia. and cut down into the ground via the trunk and end up with sawdust. Could you have used something simular? When the fire was burning in the night, I was worried about your roof catching fire.
Oh yes there are many different kind of stump grinder . Just google stump grinder used in USA. He could cut the stump as low as possible and then use a Stump grinder . But to satisfy the inner kid . Burning stump and watching fire is more fun 🤣
I would suggest putting some type of pipe over the center to create a draft that will pull in air form the sides. Another way would be to use a metal pipe that is directed down in the center and forcing the heat out the sides. Use a blower connected to the pipe for faster burn too.
Burning stumps out of the ground near structures isnt smart. The root system could very well be under the structure and the burn will follow all root systems. Fight a forest fire or two and you’ll change your stump removal tactics
I have found that if you cut the side slips at the big brase roots were the most sap isin a vertical instead of horizontal fashion hopefully in three or more spots it will burn the roots well below the ground. And have cut as many as 6 slots. That stump was 8 foot across and took 6 weeks to burn but was just cut the day before I started it to burn. It literally burnt 3 foot below ground in 6 weeks. There was an unbelievable amount of melted aluminum in the bottom.
I'm wondering the same thing about the aluminum. Did it burn around something under the tree that you didn't know was there? Or did it grow around something you couldn't get out?
Next time you do something like this it's a very good idea to wet the surroundings with water especially the roof because that was one thing I was thinking about when you were using the blower to get the fire going and those embers travel really far too
An interesting exercise. However I think you would have been time and effort ahead if you have cut the stump off and the ground level before starting the burning operation. It would have taken a couple minutes and saved a bunch of time to get the that point.
The ground level stump is always semi wet . Very hard to maintain hot fire . Burning the whole stump get the bottom stump HOT n dry . Burning stump is always a long process. But if you enjoy fire 🔥 . It is very enjoyable
If you have a ground-level stump, there's no way to put a draft hole so the fire can breathe. If you try to dig one the side of the ground-level stump to put a port / draft hole, you're going to have roots in your way. The way he did it is the only way he could have done it. Granted, he could have shortened the stump, but it would have burned faster, causing plenty of ashes, and the ashes would have smothered the bottom from burning - which means only the sides would burn, leaving him with a ground-level stump! All he would have done was burn the above ground portion - if he shortened it. I would have done like you said, and cut the stump at ground-level. Not for the purpose of burning the rest, but for the purpose of selling the big chunk of Hard Maple to a wood worker! If you watch any woodworking channels, you'll find out that cookie slabs (a slice of the trunk) of hardwoods like Maple and Walnut can sell for $500 to $1500 each! I would have cut it at ground-level and then sold the cut-off. Then I would have gotten my 1" x 18" auger bit, and drilled about 50 holes as deep as I could into the ground-level stump, poured gas and lit it. It would keep going out because of underground moisture and no draft. But I'd keep lighting it until I won! LOL Have a great day!
A decade ago I had a 4" pine stump that I desperately needed to get rid of. Built a bondfire around it and it kept going foe a week straight but even the roots burned out on that old stump.
