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Any suggestions for digging out a stump without the use of skid steer or excavator? Empty lot I cut has a tree about 12-16 inches in diameter they want cut down and dug out.
No other trees or good area to park the truck to use an an anchor to winch it out.

 

If you don't want to rent a sdtump grinder or don't have one for a tractor?

It's the harder ways.

You can put a fire ring around it & burn them out.

Drill a bunch of holes in it & ad salt peter & rot it out.

Ruin a chain on your saw & cut it up like a pie.... Then do either of the above with it.

 

Would like to grind it out but they are going to build a house there so need roots removed for foundation pouring, I did think of grinding it down into the dirt so its easier to dig out, I see the home depot 13HP one says it can dig down one foot and its only $200. I thought of renting from home depot a F250 and the mini excavator but that will increase the quote by $500.

 

If they pouring a foundation, the excavator will remove that stump with ease.

I'd not worry about it.

 

If they are building a house and digging footings, get the person with the backhoe digging footings to dig it out

 

Ok stump grinder from home Depot no bueno. Go find a rental place like sunbelt rental get the big self propelled one because it is going to be easier. And cost won't be much more than HD. You dig about a foot around the stump about a foot deep so you don't hit rocks. You drive it over grind and drive it back to trailer and take it back.
Now if you use an excavator they will deliver and pick up. You can get rid of everything root ball and all.
You can rent both for half days too.
Now me personally I'd let the guy doing the footers dig it out and call it a Day

 

Who wants it cut down and dug out?

 

I cut the grass at the empty lot but now the owner is going to build there and they would like it cut down and dug out. I will get more detail on why exactly they want it dug out instead of just ground down below ground. I will look into sunbelt and other equipment rental companies, also looking into renting a dumpster to throw the tree into for disposal($450ish). Here is a picture of the tree in question, this will change but at the moment I am thinking roughly $1800 for cut down and ground level, $2200 for cut down and ground out/dug out. But I have no idea how much tree work costs, considering the power lines go through it I know there will be some careful ladder work.
This would be the final job I do for this person so I dont mind giving too large of a quote and them saying no. What I would love is to cut it down, leave it on the curb of the lot and cut/ground the stump level.

 

Cant tell what kind tree it is but city should trim away from the power lines

 

With that power line running through it, I wouldn't touch it. Get a tree company to give you a quote, I bet it'll be north of $3K.

If you cut it and mess up the power line, it'll be a lot more than that. Or you could be killed. Just sayin.

 

Our power company used to trim trees if it was pole to pole, we have one in our yard between 2 poles and they changed their policy and wouldn't trim it since it was in our yard. I guess it depends on the company.

 

I did not realize tree work was that expensive, I live in New Orleans and the electrical company is suppose to trim trees back but there is a backlog and they seem to focus on the much larger trees primarily.

 

I’d guess that would be $1500 for a tree company. That’s only 2-3hours of work. Chipped and gone. Then on you to get a grinding company in or DIY or wait for the builder to do it when they do the footers/ foundation.

 

If there is a structure planned for that spot, the root ball has to come out and compactable soil placed in the hole.

If no structure, grind away.

 

Looks like Lakeview...

 

I'd call the power company before I spend money on anything else. Around here they would have already cut down half the tree. They come around every couple years here and trim back any branches that look like they are approaching the power lines.

 

Ok call power company because it has power lines running thru the tree and tell them you are afraid it will break off and knock out power. Our co-op power company will come out and cut it down for free or at the very least cut down away from the lines.
If it's hard wood then you cut to length and take home and split it and sell off or find a local sawmill to take it off your hands. But then you have that driveway to deal with.
Now that you have several ideas and information to be honest with you tell client you don't want to mess with it because you're not experienced enough. Not telling you to turn down money but there's all kinds of liability involved in this project. Also they should know someone as they have a dump truck in the photo.
Keep us posted.

 

THIS. let the footer digger take it out.

i take em out all the time with my mini ex or my tractor mounted stump grinder.
the grinder will go down about 8" below surface, so thats all ya get with it.
with the mini x? i go all around & then pull it up. gets way deeper & more of the roots farther away from your dig point.

 

Ok here's how it looks now and the footers and foundation pile