here's my stump / tree

http://www.fortjake.com/fte/tree.jpg


Any Idea what kinda tree it was?

I'll have a scan of a leaf tomarow hopefully (a good portion of it was rotted very badly)

 

Get a close up picture of the bark and the grain pattern and i can tell you what it is, a leaf never hurts either. Plan on renting a big stump grinder that is pull by you truck.

 

Get someone with a heavy backhoe to pull that thing over, breaking off the roots below ground.

 

I am assuming that is the rotten tree you posted about a few months ago? If so, I still say it is a Silver maple. They get to around that size and start to rot. Good call on getting it cut down.

If that truck was cut down to just above the ground and those rocks were gone, I would guess at approximately $150-200 would have that stump ground out for you. All that would be left it a big pile of woodchips. Great for the garden.

DO NOT try to dig or pull it out. Much cheaper and easier just to get it ground out. To grow grass over the hole afterwards you need a minimum of 4" of soil. So make sure the tree company grinds it down a minimum or 4" (6" is better). The roots are ok if they are 2" down.

-Matt

 

Good call on the maple, "beast"........Just collected some maple (silver) for firewood and looks just like that. It's a good burning hardwood, but not as straight and DAMN sure not as easy to split as good ole' oak.........

 

I have two like that I need removed. Silver maples grow fast but they are a PITA with all of the helicopters and leaves. I have 5 silver maples in the yard.

Oaks are a pain also. They lose half their leaves in the fall, 1/4 throughout the winter and the last 1/4 in the spring along with the "flowers" that clog gutters. The leaves take forever to decompose. I only have one oak tree.

I have to clean the gutters three times each year. They need cleaning again now.

 

I thought it looked like cherry.

 

haha,, we did it ourselvees, me ,m my bro in law, a stihl. the 250, his dodge......

 

Are there any wood turners in your neighborhood? They like spalted maple.

 

If you are into carving, you could carve a statue out of it. Looks like still a bit of cutting to do. If you are doing this yourself, cut it as close to the ground as possible, even digging out some dirt, then you can chainsaw out the middle as close as you can to the outer edges, then use an axe to finish up. Or make it into a redneck picnic table, which I am tempted to do to one of my stumps.

 

I'm trying to find a place that will rent a stumpgrinder attachment for a skidsteer, but the chAinsaw and axe idea might work too

 

Why not dig around it, cut the roots a few feet underground and pull the rest over? I did that with a 30" diameter at the ground cedar tree in my back yard. Used a come-along. Slow, painful, but effective. No stump left.

 

You will not believe the amount of root that is below the ground. It will take a LONG time to "dig and cut" it out. I am guessing that it would take you at least 6-8 HARD LONG hours to get it out. Then you have this big chunk of dirty wood. Also, the chainsaw will be so dirty and messed up that you will end up having to replace the chain ($30 or so) and possibly the bar ($50 or so).

And make sure you get a GOOD say (see STIHL). One of those Sears specials is not going to cut it (pun intended). It will be sooooo frustrating that it is not even funny. Although if you video tape it and send it to me I will probably laugh my head off!

At least get 1 or 2 quotes from tree companies just to see how much it will cost. Most will give you an estimate for free.

-Matt

 

I have 2 acres with +/- 100 silver maples. From 6" to 3' trunks. I definately aggree with you on the seeds. However, I love having them. I live right outside of town, but you wouldn't know I'm here because of them. Great shade durring the summer. Between that and 2 creeks bordering my property, it's like living in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of nyc.

 

Well try digging a hole under it as far as you can towards the center and stuuf two
sticks of dynomite and blow it outta the ground, it works well with fir trees in the
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