Stump grinding is a powerful and noisy process, but surprisingly easy to operate. Before starting the engine and beginning to grind, it is important to prepare the area for stompectomy. Use the hydraulic lever to raise the cutting wheel until it is a few inches above the stump.
Crushing stumps
and removing stumps both have their advantages and disadvantages.The decision of which route to take depends mainly on what you plan to do with your landscape in the future. Removing stumps is the most intrusive of the two options. It involves lifting the bulky stump of the tree, and then digging out all of its extended roots. As you can imagine, this requires a lot of time, effort, and powerful tools.
The upside is that after removing the stump, you are left with a clean slate open to any new ideas you have for your landscape. On the other hand, crushing stumps is much less intensive. In this case, arborists use a machine to completely grind the stump into small wood chips. Grinding is much more efficient than removing stumps, however, it leaves behind the roots of the tree. If the stump is large, the chip pile produced can also be quite large, but these chips can be used as mulch for other plants in your garden. There are many reasons why you might choose to remove tree stumps from your garden.
In addition to improving aesthetic and health concerns, it also ensures the safety of family members and neighbors. The challenge lies in deciding which method to adopt. Stump removal and stump shredding are two common techniques, yet they are quite different in terms of removal. We will describe both ways of removing stumps to help you decide which option is best for you. The process of removing a stump involves lifting it from the ground.
This usually requires intensive use of force, and the machines used have high power requirements. In contrast, crushing stumps is preferred for many reasons. It's much easier to run and uses efficient tools to get the job done. Unlike stump removal, which leaves the environment in a messy state, stump crushing provides a higher level of cleanliness and environmental friendliness. On one hand, removing a stump removes both its root and its stump.
This means that there is no chance that it will grow or sprout again. On the other hand, grinding a stump only grinds its stump; its root is allowed to decay. To remove stumps, chemicals with a high concentration of potassium nitrate can be used to soften the soil; however, crushing stumps does not require chemicals to break down the stump. Even so, if you have more than five or six good-sized stumps to remove, it may be better to hire a professional than to rent a grinder. Professionals use hydraulic equipment that grinds large stumps much faster than a rental shredder; this means that it may cost less to hire them than to rent a grinder.
To get an estimate on costs, call a professional listed in the Yellow Pages under “Tree Service”; you can often save up to 50 percent of their fees by cleaning up the chips yourself. Before beginning any work on your tree stump, call your gas and electric company first; they can help you locate any underground lines that may be beneath your stump. The tree stump may have grown on top of them; if you plan on building or paving over this land later on, make sure that you remove your stump down to a depth equal to its diameter; this way there won't be any wood left on the floor that could rot and settle later on. Otherwise, grind your stump down to 6-10 inches deep. A tree stump can be removed at any time after cutting it down; however manual removal may be easier if it has aged and dried out a bit first. This is often one of the best arguments for grinding stumps; leaving a stump in place can mean repeatedly pruning with suction cup - an activity that offers little satisfaction since you never finish. The operator guides the blade over the entire stump as it reduces it into wood chips and lowers it well below ground level.
Factors such as its diameter, age, type of soil, root system and number of stumps determine how much it will cost to dig out your stump. Stump grinders available for rent by homeowners will be smaller and less powerful than those used by professionals; you are unlikely to find a range of models from which to choose from either. Professional arborists and tree removal companies also have insurance against accidental property damage from tree removal and stump grinding. Not only do professionals have access to all of the right tools and equipment needed for shredding any tree stump you have; they also have knowledge and experience that will help them get it right on their first try. You may need to make several passes over your tree's stump in order for it to be ground down correctly. Crushing stumps involves wood particles and debris flying out in all directions (not to mention heavy tools and machines); so make sure that you protect yourself properly when working with them. If you're not sure if it's best for you to remove or grind stumps, consult with a professional arborist first; depending on how large your project is, it may often be less expensive for you to hire a professional than renting out equipment yourself. You should always take your time when deciding which route is best for you when dealing with tree stumps; both processes come with their own pros and cons - so make sure that you weigh them carefully before making any decisions.
