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Cheapest way to dispose of 2000 medium growth pine stumps?

Started by FarmLife2007, November 06, 2015, 07:26:30 AM

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FarmLife2007

Property owner here.   Got about 4 acres of medium growth (12-16" dia) pines that are being harvested. I'm guessing I have about 2000 stumps, though that may be a little high. Trees are being felled and loaded out by the timber company, leaving me with stumps in the ground and tops. Area will be grubbed with 336, raked, and returned to use as pasture (it was last in service 25 years ago).

Question is what to do with all the stumps and tops. I have a landfill about 30 minutes away, but they charge $40 per ton. Can anyone wager a guess to how much weight is in 2000 average medium size pine stumps? I figure a LOT enough to be cost prohibitive.

Grinding them on site is plan B, but I'd still have chips to dispose of. Grinders are expensive to lease.

That leaves burning. Pit burners are not cheap and we'd get billed whether rain or shine. As wet as the winter is forecast to be that could be more problem than I want to fool with.

I only have the four acres to work with, and am having a hard time picturing 2000 stumps piled up, or how quickly they might burn down given optimal weather conditions.

Am I right in thinking that burning on top fo the ground is the "best" way to dispose of the stumps & tops?   

4x4American

I'm guessin you'll have an excavator rippig them out?  About the cheapest way is to dig a deep hole and bury them.  When you dump em in lift em up high as you can so they pack themselves in there.  And every 5-6 stumps just reach down there and pack em in.  Do it somewhere where you dont care about because as they rot the ground will settle.  Also make sure to cut stumps low as you can and when you pick them up drop em from high up a few times to bust off most of the dirt and roots that u can.
Boy, back in my day..

Holmes

I will say do not bury them.  Quite a few years ago someone buried a lot of pine stumps here in Ma.  The ended up turning to turpentine and polluting a lot of wells in the area they were buried.  If the stumps weigh 75 lbs each it would cost you $3000 to dump them.  They probably weigh more than that.  Buy a stump grinder for your tractor, sell it when done?
Think like a farmer.

4x4American

2000 stumps seems like a lot.  But as long as you have the excavator to bury em, might as well rent a 15 ton machine and use it to do the job yourself, just push em over and lay em out then you can buck them and cut the stump off plus it makes getting the stump out much easier/faster.
Boy, back in my day..

4x4American

If you're burying stumps and you hit water, stop!  Fill in a bit.  But as long as you're not near any wells should be fine.
Boy, back in my day..

Jeff

I can tell you that burying hardwood stumps anywhere there will be habitation is not a good idea unless you don't have an issue with the ground sinking where they are buried. It takes a few years, but it will happen, In fact, I can get a photo of such an event from my neighbors back yard. I'll do that here in a little bit.
Just call me the midget doctor.
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Ezekiel 22:30

Jeff

I tried and tried to get some perspective on how deep this is, but you just can't see it in the photo.  They buried stumps here when they cleared the back yard. Certainly less than 20 stumps, red oak and maple, maybe 12"- 16" trees around 15 years ago.  In the last two years the sink hole has developed. Its 2 to 3 feet deep in the center now and about 15 feet across.   Its dramatic in person. At least a lot of his leaves gather there. There is probably a foot of them in there now ;)



 
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

4x4American

I still contend that it is the cheapest method of getting rid of stumps.  If you do it out in the middle of nowhere it's not gonna bother.  What you can do is when you backfill, heap it up, compact as best you can so you have a bit of a hill.  Then eventually it might be level...what's that Dave Scott talks about in the seminar video, temporarily right or temp. wrong?  lol 


There's some ole boys down the road a piece from here, they have a lot of land, well they bought an old excavator and a payloader.  They dug about a 10 acre hole I'd guess, just huge.  Sold the gravel and they had people from all around bringing them stumps.  They made a killing off of it. 
Boy, back in my day..

LAForestry

Back in 05 after hurricane Ivan came through I did a lot of debris clean up and I remember doing about a 2 acre job close to what your doing. The trees where either blown over or broke off anywhere from 6 ft off the ground up to the tops. We raked all the loose material up in piles and then got up the stumps or whatever was left sticking up. Then dug a couple of good size holes and pushed in the stuff we knew would have no problem burning. Then we rolled the stumps around a little knocking most of the dirt off, then once we got the debris in the hole burning good we put the stumps on top. Worked pretty well, I mean there were a few that didn't burn up but over all it worked well.

4x4American

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdV6ZnnRY6o


Go to 1:45 and watch, get a fire like that going and you should be allright just try to get most of the dirt off.
Boy, back in my day..

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

nhlogga

Are there any companies around that have a grinder and make bark mulch? I know a guy that brings in an excavator or 2 and will grind and haul off the grindings for mulch.
Jonsered 2260
Husky 562xp

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

mad murdock

You could fence off the area and run hogs in it for a time, In about a year or so most of the stumps would be uprooted enough to pick up and burn.  Aside from that method, burning is what I would do, if'n it was a job I was going to do.  I would dig the hole, knock the stumps around as much as possible, then put some good specimens in there, get a fire going nice and hot, and pile the rest on.  After burning was over, I would cover the rest over with top fill. 
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

beenthere

Farmlife2007
Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

I'd consider the cost of removing compared to cost of the few years of letting them rot in place. Likely the feeder roots will rot in a year or two and at least make rolling out the stump that much easier and carry less dirt with it. Another few years after, the land can be tilled and put back into pasture.
Being in a hurry, will be costly as well. You have a choice, money or time.

Click on your forum name and you will get to your profile for putting in your location. Will help answer your questions for us to know that. ;)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Rocky_Ranger

Commercial stump grinder.  The amount of chips won't be that great and because much more surface area is exposed they will disintegrate in a hurry.
RETIRED!

Maine372

don't some of the forestry mowers have the ability to go sub-grade? just mulch the tops, stumps and everything in with the topsoil.

Puffergas

Jeff
Somewhere 20 miles south of Lake Erie.

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Oliver05262

  You could just roll them out, knock off all the dirt you can with the excavator, and use them for a fence on your pasture.
http://northernwoodlands.org/knots_and_bolts/out-by-the-roots.
For a long time, there used to be an old stump fence next to Route 7 in New Haven, VT, where Rt 17 goes west.
Oliver
Oliver Durand
"You can't do wrong by doing good"
It's OK to cry.
I never did say goodby to my invisible friend.
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Don't use force-get a bigger hammer.

tmbrcruiser

One thing I know for sure, you need to check with the Department of Natural Resource before you bury any stumps. In Delaware the fine would not be worth the risk. Tub grinder should be cheaper than hauling and paying a tipping fee. Many folks with grinders will remove the fiber as part of the agreement. Usually this is does not add cost to the job because the operator is paid for the fiber that can be made into mulch. If this seems to expensive another thought would be to wind row the stumps for 5 or 6 years. After that amount of time the stumps should rot away and the piles should be good top soil. I piled the stumps in a wind row from my house lot after five or six years I spread the pile and now have the best grass in that area.
Once you get sap in your veins, you will always have sawdust in your pockets.

SineWave

I would just pile them up, set them on fire and if need be, let them smolder all winter. Shouldn't bother the neighbors too much, since their windows should be closed in winter.

Might need to re-kindle them a few times.

coxy

it is against the law to burn stumps in ny  DEC says they are toxic while burning  and you need a permit to remove them from one property to another I learnt the hard way  ;D

Magicman

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, FarmLife2007.  Much depends upon where the property is and any restrictions/regulations.  Especially since you also have the tops to dispose of, burning would be the most economical if allowed.
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4x4American

Quote from: coxy on November 07, 2015, 08:17:14 AM
it is against the law to burn stumps in ny  DEC says they are toxic while burning  and you need a permit to remove them from one property to another I learnt the hard way  ;D

NYS is awful!!  I was just over to VT, getting a truck oil bath undercoated for the winter (another illegal business to have in NY) and they have a gun shop while you wait.  The lady said don't drool too much cause half the stuff we have here is illegal in NYS...Just rub it in why don't ya!! Lol
Boy, back in my day..

BEEMERS

I hate burying stumps and try t talk property owners out of it. it takes a huge hole and makes a huge pile  ( of sand here.) and when you grade it back off you have a huge ever sinking sand pit.
Ive cleared acreage and the land owner wanted it in berms with access points into the field to channel deer for hunting.That worked really well with a big dozer.
Ive hauled it all away..Who can afford that????
Id advice an excavator with a thumb...get a good hot pile with dry wood..better yet.two or three and start feeding the cleanest smallest stumps as the fire grows and if it works the fire will consume stumps very well.
Put a few fires located so the excavator isn't tracking far and keep feeding them..if you get one overloade go to the next one.
I haul semi loads and dump truck loads of stumps and brush onto my property throughout the year and having all the possible options..I make a small fire and start feeding it..come back every few hours and pile more on..in a few days youd be amazed at what dissappears

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