How to dig a tree stump out by hand!
First of all, this isn’t something that I would recommend. This is harsh work, requiring physical strength and a small assortment of tools. Thankfully, I don’t often need to remove a tree stump by hand! Though it doesn’t happen very often, there are times and locations when I cannot access a property with my stump grinder due to narrow gates or steep steps etc. My Predator stump grinder is on tracks, which is great for most jobs. It can still be very awkward to manoeuvre the machine down steep steps. Hence, I dug these particular stumps out by hand.
The photograph below shows three stumps that I removed the other day in Sudbury, Suffolk. It also shows the tools that I used on this particular job. The tools consisted of an axe, a mattock, a spade, and a sledgehammer. Ideally, it is not a bad idea to also have a long crowbar for leverage.
Normally, when I remove a tree stump by hand, I first try and dig around the perimeter of the tree stump. Often this has to be with a mattock, as often it is difficult to get a spade into the ground, due to the many roots surrounding the tree stump. I then chop through all the roots that I can see with the axe and the mattock. I also hit the side of the stump with a sledgehammer in various directions which helps to loosen stump. This also shows where the protruding roots are. If it is possible, it is also good to leave the tree stumps several feet off the ground, as this helps to act as a lever while removing the tree stumps.
Fortunately, these specific tree stumps were conifers and not particularly deep-rooted. It still takes time and effort to remove even the smallest of tree stumps.
You can hire/rent stump grinders for self use. If you’re not used to using machinery, I wouldn’t recommend this. The cost of me grinding a tree stump is often cheaper than the price of hiring a stump grinder.
If you have a tree stump that needs removing, or tree stumps that need grinding, please feel free to contact me on (07971) 648879 for an instant quote.
