Stumps. I could just buy a Mattock/pick, but…

[Tahiti]

I’m planning to slowly work through removing some of the tree stumps in the garden and have come to the conclusion I need a mattock to help with the task.

Clearly I could pop down to the local Screwfix and spend £30 ish and come away with a fibreglass handled jobbie but is there a better (or cooler) way to do it? I woke up with visions of Viking axes 🤣

[Passenger]

Don't they sometimes blow them out of the ground with dynamite in the USA...that's cool.

[Tahiti]

I’d love to do that!

I’m thinking semi serious suggestions - just in the man logic - you don’t want a simple off the shelf pick axe - you want a hand forged axe that will out last your great grandchildren sort of a sense.

[Franky Four Fingers]

A customer of ours has a stump removal company and has some serious equipment, wouldn’t something like this be easier?

https://www.lydiardstump.co.uk/

[M4tt]

I’m planning to slowly work through removing some of the tree stumps in the garden and have come to the conclusion I need a mattock to help with the task.

Clearly I could pop down to the local Screwfix and spend £30 ish and come away with a fibreglass handled jobbie but is there a better (or cooler) way to do it? I woke up with visions of Viking axes 藍

Having done it a few times myself, I would recommend the mini mattock from screwfix, which is about 12quid. There's little point in brute force or anything larger, as there will be bits of root all over the place - you need to get into the detail and cut the roots away (with a small handsaw) one by one. This way you undermine the trunk bit by bit, which is easy. It takes a couple of hours, but it's the sort of detailed step by step work that causes the time to disappear nicely.

[Maysie]

If you have any more than a small handful to do, save yourself a lot of hard work and just hire an excavator for the day and grub them out.

One thing I have learnt (the hard way) over the years: If there is a tool which makes your job easier, use it!

[magirus]

I used a Big Mutt, bow saw and a good hand axe last time I did this. The Big Mutt was the steel handled version.

[lewie]

I’ve done a few of these too
Where abouts in the se are you I’ve a couple of mattocks you could borrow- get them nice and sharp
It’s quite a satisfying task

[Suds]

Roughneck post hole digger smashes through tree roots - best purchase I made in a long while

[Tahiti]

Thanks for all the tips!

I know it will sound odd to many, but I quite like working at these things manually over time (it’s a nice stress reliever in small doses and gives me an excuse for a couple of hours in the garden for some peace and quiet…).

There are a couple of hardwood beasts that may require machinery to get them out really, so the excavator comment is something I may well come back to after I’ve had my fun (access isn’t ideal mind you). Some of the larger stumps have been here for 20+ years according to the neighbours.

[thegoat]

A customer of ours has a stump removal company and has some serious equipment, wouldn’t something like this be easier?

https://www.lydiardstump.co.uk/

Depending on how many you have,this has to be the easiest option . I took three stumps out over a week or two of back breaking evening work . I got a company in and they took ten or eleven out in a day .

[Tahiti]

I’ve done a few of these too
Where abouts in the se are you I’ve a couple of mattocks you could borrow- get them nice and sharp
It’s quite a satisfying task

That’s very kind. Thank you.

I’ve been digging around the roots of one for hours (sounds like a very unconstructive use of time but it’s quite enjoyable).

[lewie]

A cheap reciprocating saw is very useful on the smaller roots

[Tahiti]

Depending on how many you have,this has to be the easiest option . I took three stumps out over a week or two of back breaking evening work . I got a company in and they took ten or eleven out in a day .

Definitely. And I suspect I will resort to a pro for the big ones, but I find working on the task quite cathartic if that’s the right word.

[Kingstepper]

I've the large mattock from Screwfix and is great, one of the best tools I've bought. Really need decent sized one for leverage IMO.

Edit - 10% off orders over £50 at Screwfix until Monday.

[IAmATeaf]

I used a full size mattock to remove something like 20+ tree stumps which ranged in size from a few inches across to 2ft across.

What I found that makes the job easier is to dig at least a few feet around the stump so that you can then cut the roots where they are thinner. Also leave a few feet of the stump above ground as it helps with rocking the thing out.

[bomberman]

Hire a stump grinder. Job done without breaking out in a sweat.

B

[ernestrome]

If it's not urgent drilling large holes and filling with urine works quite well. Did it directly from the source in the back garden but used a watering can at the front! Most stumps were breaking down sufficiently after a year.

[Kingstepper]

If it's not urgent drilling large holes and filling with urine works quite well. Did it directly from the source in the back garden but used a watering can at the front! Most stumps were breaking down sufficiently after a year.

Similar idea but I used potassium nitrate.