Propane Torch stump removal

Went down to the feed mill after work and got 2# of the stuff for $4.95/lb, and put it to work on one test subject--a wild cherry stump averaging 20" in diameter. The product is potassium nitrate, aka niter, saltpeter, NKO3. It's supposed to break down the wood so that it is porous, then fuel oil can be absorbed by the stump wood. Then you torch the stump after the fuel has been absorbed.

Had a hard time drilling the holes as I really didn't have the right tools such as a nice 1" x 12" chip auger. Hey, anyone can do it with the right tools.

I'll let you know how this turns out in about 6 weeks.

Could have just got some ammonium nitrate, mixed it with the fuel oil, put the mixture in the hole and touched it off with an M-80. Don"t have to wait 6 weeks, but the neighbors might wonder about the thunder ;)

Rockin" Farmer

As the story goes, back in the days when explosives could be had easily, my grandfather reckoned the stump removal would be easier and faster by using dynamite. My grandfather was an incurable pyromaniac and afflicted with the male disease that exhibits this symptom: "if this much will work, more will work better."

After the dynamite did its job I'm told, he also had to work on the roof of the house porch where a 200# chunk of the stump decided to come down to earth--200 feet away from where the stump was!!!

A small dozer can handle the size stumps the original post asked about to clear a lot for grass, farming or building and they cost less than a big dozer. Shopping around, probably would yield $40 an hour. For a yard, mechanical removal with a backhoe would disturb less ground. A stump grinder is more expensive and does less damage. Best to be sure the tree is dead before grinding or it can grow back thru its root system.

If you have sink holes from roots, you have an extreme amount of termites in your soil. The roots are being eaten not rotting. Nothing rots quickly enough under ground to cause sink holes. I Have dug up roots perfectly preserved from trees removed from WPA city sewer projects many years ago during the depression. Some continue to grow and grow thru the clay based pipes of that era finding nutrition to survive, oxygen and water in the pipe. Acid content of soil and temperature are factors in rot, and what rots in one soil won't rot in another. Frozen ground gives you perfectly preserved roots, so a cold climate will slow any natural decay. Peaty soils and bogs will actually preserve, even a murdered body was found intact in a bog in Scotland. I remember reading they were able to discover the original wood fort remains from the first failed settlement in Jamestown Va. That's conditions for slow decay!

We have finally heard about the burning device from Farmered. Some company always offering a magic bullet. Sounds like the aluminum welding rod they hawk at the county fair, then weld 2 soda cans together. You can't test the weld yourself or you don't think about it. Sometimes The hawker has a plant in the crowd who does "test" it and says it's super strong so you think its good. So some are convinced a $40 dollar set of rods can take the place of a $700 aluminum capable welder. Then they try it and the weld just pulls apart like poor glue.

This interesting discussion will continue no doubt. A lot of stumps needing removing sounds like a need for land clearing. It's all hard work, and sounds like the LP burning device isn't the way to go about it cost wise. Original Question answered in my mind.

• Stump Remover

The kerosene and fuel oil are both fuels that have high ignition points. Fuel oil is actually #2 diesel and doesn't burn easily, it needs to be atomized (injected) and compressed to burn efficently. Black sooty smoke from a smoulding fire there. Take a lot of heat to keep diesel burning. The kerosene would light and burn better, a little cleaner. They probably leave out gasoline because of the safety factor. So many people who didn't realize the vapors explode have been burned by it starting fires. But that would work better if allowed to soak in then a small trail of gas was poured into the soil to 10 feet away to light as a fuse. Or you could toss a ball of lit paper at it. Better not try it and do as they say, using gas in this manner isn't for the average person. They didn't mention hydraulic oil. If you spill some in the grass and wait a few days, it will burn with a sharp crackling fire. Found this out when welding where a leaking machine had been parked. It Probably pollutes the ground too much so wasn't mentioned. The priciple idea seems to be to try and turn the stump into a giant candle by killing it and getting it hopefully to soak up enough flammable fuel that it will burn despite the sap and water content still in it.

It would be fascinating to go back in time before dynamite and see how they did it with mule teams or prison work gangs. The best solution for me is a JD 450 with a 6 way hydraulic blade. Digs em out, pushes them in a pile, and regrades the soil filling in the holes. Then you let one of the pines dry 6 months. Cut it into a block than split it into 1 inch pieces and you have enough fat lighter to start your fireplace all winter.

Next time I wised up and called a neighbor with a D9.

If they are in a grassy area already from which you have cut down the trees. Then the option is increased to burning or a stump grinder. Stump grinding won't help you clear land, but will work to remove stumps from a yard. Dozer work is cheaper per hour and how fast a stump grinder works depends on the quality of the grinder and operator and the type tree. If you already have a yard obviously you don't want it torn apart with a dozer. Now you have an idea, what your getting into and what methods will work best for differant situations and can make a choice for your place. Before you burn find out if you need a permit or if you can at all. Last thing you need is a fine. Some places allow no burning within 100 yards of another residence. Using the right tools for the job and situation will always save you money.

Just my personal opinion, but I think the diesel fuel idea would only help preserve the wood like old fashioned creosote. Unless it were burned and diesel has to be compressed to burn efficently. Gasoline ignites and burns much easier. Diesel would make the wood distasteful to natural enemies like termites or kill them once they began chewing. Haulers who have wood deck trailers love it when hydraulic or diesel is spilled on the deck and the wood soaks it up. Much better to have wood absorb oil products than moisture to preserve it. Also wood boats would not be able to use diesel power if a spill would begin decaying the boat.

The dirt idea will only work if there are termites and other wood eating insects in the soil. Covering it will cut off the supply of oxygen except what little is in the soil. All things need to be exposed to oxygen and moisture to rot and if nothing eats it, it would slow the decay process. That's why we dry fruits to preserve--no moisture. If the stumps are near a home, you don't want termites breeding in the soil.

Drilling the holes would help and any product that is known for excelerating decay, if this is a yard cleanup project, and time is not a factor in getting it done.

All depends on what his needs are, land clearing for grass or a home or yard cleanup. Just my opinions, no criticism intended to other ideas, ideas and debating them are how we learn. Nice chatting with you.

When wood decomposes, it absorbs nitrogen, so what you want to do is help out the rotting process by providing a source of nitrogen. Drill holes in the stump (the more the better) and fill he holes with a high nitrogen fertilizer. Water the bejeebers out of the stump and then cover it with black plastic. I don't know how long the rotting process takes.

Jerry Baker advertises a stump rotting product, and it is applied using the holes-in-the-stump method. After a few weeks (it claims) the wood fibers have broken down to a point where the stump is punky and will then match light and slowly burn away.

I also read when the stump turns punky after the chem application, it will readily absorb diesel fuel or kerosene. This will obviously sustain the burning process.

Aside from telling you that burning out a stump may prove fruitless, there are some other suggestions here on this thread such as saturating a stump with diesel fuel to hasten the decay process.

I have heard here are specific products on the market to rid yourself of stumps by way of an accelerated rotting process. I think I heard or read that drilling holes in the stump and filling the holes with saltpeter will work, too.

Hopefully someone will chime in with suggestions as I am very interested in this. In the meantime I'll do Google search on this.

Might take a few months, but if you're not in a hurry, it might be worth a try.

If the stunp is punky, well, there may be some hope in burning it out, say, in one entire day. Stump wood does not burn worth a hoot. I tried burning a huge pig nut hickory stump this summer that had been rolled OUT OF THE GROUND and drying for 10 months. Had a brush fire burning on and around this thing for a full day. All I got done was turning it black.

Now get this: I tried the same thing with a VERY huge wild cherry stump (also rolled out of the ground) four years ago with the same results. Well, I gave it another shot this summer. Only about a quarter of it burned away. You would think 4 years worth of drying, and it being in one fire before would have ripened it for the frying pan. HA! No wonder tobacco pipes are made from root wood!

Hire a stump grinder. As they say: been there, done that, got the coffee mug, tee shirt and green stamps.

But if you don't want to wait years either rent a stump grinder or hire a dozer. There are guys who grind stumps for a living. Up here they charge $1 per inch of stump diameter. Not cheap but it's an option.

For stumps this size you need a dozer, loader or backhoe. A small dozer could handle 6-10 inches and run $40 to $50 and hour in this area. If they are pine then they are a soft wood and easy to remove. If they're oak then they're more difficult. Being in the ground, they are not fully dry so that makes burning them with this device more of a problem.

This thing may work, but in my opinion it would have to be very slowly. Just like you could dig a pond with a shovel given enough time and determination and no rock in the soil. Sounds to me like this device is more suitable for a home owner in a development who has a few stumps in the yard. You have a lot of stumps and need land clearing. I think you would be wiser to put your dollars toward dozer work to get this job done.