Easy Stump Removal - Complete Burn

Complete stump burn. I show you how to burn a large green tree stump into the ground. The stump is about 28" across and the tree was cut about 6 weeks before the video. I use the wood from the tree trunk to burn the stump -including roots.
Burn takes place over about 15 days and I spend about 10 minutes per day on the project.
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[@randallparker8477]

In 1965 (I was 10) my Dad and Uncle cut down 2 huge cedar trees, and 2 huge white oak trees at our deer camp in the Sierra Nevada's. One of the Oaks was 38 inches diameter and the stump was wider than that. One of the lower logs off the stump was about 6ft long and they left it next to the stump. Dad made a rock firepit around the stump and up against the log. The stump burned away after a couple of weeks, but the log just lost it's bark. Every year for deer and trout season that was the fire for the camp. They always built the fire against the log. In 1975 I was home from the Navy with some shipmates and we went to camp there. That weekend it snowed about 2 ft one night, I got the fire started back up the next morning, and the big charred side of that oak kept the camp toasty, and melted everything in camp. My Dad said it was 1980 when the forest service finally cut up and removed the last bit of that log and rebuilt the camp for day use only. That log lasted for 15 years! Thanks for the memory trigger!

[@LivingCommonSense]

That's a great memory! Thanks for sharing. When we're young we don't usually realize those fun times are what makes the best memories years later. Thanks for watching!

[@cassiusnoel671]

You all probably dont give a damn but does any of you know a trick to log back into an instagram account?? I was dumb lost my password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me!

[@shaneorion8396]

@Cassius Noel Instablaster :)

[@cassiusnoel671]

@Shane Orion Thanks for your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm trying it out now. Seems to take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@cassiusnoel671]

@Shane Orion it worked and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thanks so much, you really help me out!

[@maodod1945]

Thanks! I came to this video after struggling with a stump all day today. I built a fire pit around it, and set a fire on top. Didn't hardly phase it. Then I thought I would try charcoal for tomorrow, and was excited to see that I was on the right track when I saw this video. I was on the verge of looking to paying someone to grind up the stumps I have, but will give this a try first. And also, thanks to all that gave some extra tips to make the process go faster! I just love KZbin! I've saved a ton of money fixing/doing things myself, dishwashers, dryers, cars, washers, you name it. Us woman rock!!!!!!

[@LivingCommonSense]

The charcoal option works great. The main thing is to keep the coals covered with more firewood or a flat piece of sheet metal to force all the heat down into the stump. Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@nameisprivate5429]

Girl I pull up KZbin when my husband is working on something he’s struggling with. I put the bee in his ear and the lightbulb goes off and he fixes it 100% faster. He would NEVER go look for it himself 😂. KZbin is a blessing

[@AP-br6dh]

Being from CA, I'd probably end up in jail for starting the "KZbin Fire". 🤣 I enjoyed watching the video though.

[@LivingCommonSense]

It seems there are always fires out west during the hot and dry Summer months. I'm glad you like the video and thanks for watching!

[@johnhalter7287]

Those communist you guys put in charge of your life would not survive long in the rest of America. Massive crime in the open in much of California but their priority would be hanging a stomp burning

[@jonathanbailey4904]

I think you could've done it much faster if you turned the stump into a rocket stove. Basically you would cut a square hole in the top going as deep as possible then cut another hole at the base so that the two holes meet up. That would've allowed for ventilation and more heat at the bottom as opposed to burning in from the top down. Just a thought if you have to do another one. Either way, I enjoyed the video.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Very true. I’ll need to be sure I don’t go too deep, through the bottom of stump and run the chain into the dirt. Otherwise it is way easier to burn up than down. Glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@Sqwan2]

I tried that. Doesn't work well. Burning stumps somehow doesn't work well, no matter how you do it.

[@MySqueakyfoot]

I'd build a firepit around the stump, and let it burn itself out continually. To help it I'd mount an old hair dryer on cool to keep the fresh air flowing. Forget that rebuilding step, I'd prop up the grill and throw a couple 4-5lb pork loins well seasoned and wrapped in foil, slap a 55 gallon drum filled with holes over the stump and slow roast the rump. and don't forget the tater's.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I like the way you think! Off camera, I baked some potatoes off to the side of the stump and roasted hotdogs on separate evenings. It was spur of the moment and I figured seeing potatoes bake would be about as interesting as watching paint dry.

[@zoran9a3hpdiy]

I am retired forest ranger, I do this in forest many time , burn out stump , just big hole in ground stay, usualy need week or two. Good job.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Thank you and thanks for watching

[@robertthomas5906]

When I have big ones like that I dig around them. You'd be surprised at how much a man can dig in say 1/2 hour to an hour. I try to get under it as much as I can. That one is probably 12"-18" deep. Something like that. Dig around it good. Now you have the stump suspended by the roots. If you have big roots you should consider cutting at least some of them. They often will supply a lot of water to the stump and prevent them from burning. That's what they're supposed to do after all. Now build your fire under it. I use the wood from the tree as well. Contain the heat. That stump should be all gone in a weekend. Just have to make sure to watch the fire.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I've been working another stump in my spare time. I cut a couple of moderately sized roots and sure enough, sticking out of the ground was a root bleeding a drop of water every few minutes. I've dug around it as well but I'm finding this new stump is like an iceberg -10% above the ground and 90% stretching out in every direction 😂 Thanks for the tip!

[@simsmr691]

I love the commentary “throw some leaves on to make us popular with the neighborhood” I love It! Only because I have done the same thing....lol! Thanks for sharing.

[@LivingCommonSense]

From March - November, it seems like everyone is making smoke around here. Thanks for watching!

[@bhoward9378]

Yep. As Big John once famously said, "if you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk!"

[@crown8144]

A leaf blower on “idle” connected to a 90mm pipe can speed this up big time, I normally leave the blower on it for 3 hours a day. Uses hardly any fuel. Also can shave off more time by cutting the log lower (if you have a big enough saw) or asking the tree crew to cut it lower to ground. Then try and plunge cut it in a few places to the depth of the Bar. Soak that in 50:50 fuel/diesel mix for as long as you can then use your method with charcoal. Good vid

[@LivingCommonSense]

All good points. I started out thinking rocket stove but my drill would not turn the auger with as green as this stump was. The tree was infested with carpenter ants so no way I was taking any of it for firewood inside the house. As for plunging, just got to be careful to not get deep enough to hit dirt. Thanks for watching!

[@Chesbro_]

Wow I really appreciated this man good job haha 👍🏽

[@LivingCommonSense]

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

[@weldnrepair]

Thank you so much for taking time to make this video. I always gaffed at that process. I never realized how simple and effective it could be. God bless you.

[@LivingCommonSense]

You're very welcome! Burning the stump was relaxing and I enjoyed making the video.

[@sebastianandjennifer1810]

Excellent video. I used a similar technique except drilled 1 inch holes with ship auger around top and sides of stump, then connected a HarborFreight Hercules 20V blower to one of the side holes with a metal pipe and left it on low speed to accelerate the burn.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I need to get a drill strong enough to turn an auger. I nearly smoked a 1/2” corded drill with the auger I have. I’m glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@BlackVibeBallsack]

Dumb way

[@kokigephart111]

Remember , burning wood carmelizes the sugars in the wood making it rot resitant . If you dont get a complete burn the leftovers will take much longer to rot.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I knew that partially burned wood tended to last a long time but didn't know why other than the ants and termites wouldn't mess with it. I guess this explains it. Thanks for watching!

[@n.b.p.davenport7066]

I bet a lot of people can't wait to see this, to each his own

[@MrJamesTimmons]

Love that bull bar you built on the front of your mower! I may have to try out your idea on mine lol.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Thanks! I built it to push leaves but it turned out to be very sturdy. Traction is an issue when pushing dirt. That probably makes the bull bar last longer though. It has also kept me from running over some small stumps hidden in tall grass. Thanks for your comment

[@ntal5859]

15 days of fire....I am impressed...

[@LivingCommonSense]

I only wish it could have been 15 whole days but alas, it burns really fast.

[@johnstock6886]

Nice job the air compresser was a awesome thought 👏 👍

[@LivingCommonSense]

Thanks, the compressor can generate some big time heat. Thanks for watching

[@bettywhittington9654]

I liked the leaf blower as I'm not quite strong enough to pull my compresser around

[@gorgosanma]

Haha it cracks me up how dogs like to get into the middle of everything.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Yep, this dog would be all up in the every video if given the chance 🤣

[@billparrish4385]

Interesting method! Whatever works, preferably using what you have on hand so you don't have to spend anything, is always the definition of success. The fun of such projects is always taking your own situation, and your stock of materials and tools, and doing it with as little work and invested time as possible. 10 minutes per day is good work, and nothing to sneeze at. Well done! For a different approach, we had one a few years ago about the same size, maybe a bit bigger with how a couple of the fatter roots radiated out. It wasn't as green as yours, having been cut in the spring, and this was late summer when we burned it out. We took the approach of turning it into several rocket stoves around its edge, with most of the holes at each of the big roots. We chose this approach because we would often enjoy making a rocket stove in the firepit every so often, using an un-split firewood round (our rejects, that were half-rotten and no good for firewood), and were always amazed at how thoroughly and fast the intersecting holes would allow the fire to consume most or all of that huge chunk of wood, especially those where we had multiple horizontal holes intersecting the vertical 'chimney' hole. I had a 1" flat spade bit, 18" drillbit extension rod (gripped the bit's shank with a small socket end and set screws, then chucked into the drill), and an old corded drill (it was before I'd built up my current battery collection). My friend had a chainsaw, I want to say 24" bar, no tip guard, so he could make plunge cuts. We made I think 8 air shafts' in from the sides, right through the thickest parts of those roots, or just into the side of the stump to equally space them around the perimeter, then connected to each of those with a vertical hole from the top down to it. Within a day and a half of burning in each of these rocket stove holes, the connections to the roots were all severed, and most of the trunk part of the stump was gone in large burned-out circles at those points, like something had taken out huge bites from around the edge. After an overnight rain had extinguished it, we went in from 3 of those burned holes toward the middle, down from the top to connect to those, fired up those rocket stoves, and a couple days later it was all gone but a handful of narrow vertical slivers that had been between the holes. Burned down below grade (except for a hump of the fattest root), so once we knocked out the slivers (and chainsawed the top of that remaining root flat and below grade), we were able to cover with dirt and get some grass going. All told, 2 main burns over 6 days, with the majority of the working time spent drilling/chainsawing those rocket stove air holes, maybe half hour each day, for the 2 days. Built the fires in 5 minutes, walked away, fire did all the rest of the work. Getting air down below the stump with those 'shafts', which let the fire burn up from those intersecting 'combustion chambers', up through the stump, seemed to be what let it work so fast.

[@LivingCommonSense]

@Bill That’s awesome! Burning from the outside towards the center has the advantage of both allowing better air flow and more surface area to start the initial burn. I would think your method is going to work better with larger stumps. The last hump of root you had was probably the wettest and would have taken the most effort to dry out and burn. I get another large stump, I’ll give your method a try. Thanks for the comment!

[@billparrish4385]

@@LivingCommonSense Thanks for taking your time to reply! And as to the reason, our assessment was that it was due to the fact that our 'combustion chambers' where the vertical chimney holes intersected the horizontal oxygen holes at their bottom ends, was what caused the real magic, since it got the fire down low, below most of the wood we wanted them to burn, with a good intake of oxygen feeding them. Even the hottest bed of coals is going to have a tough time burning downward through solid wood that's likely wet, and cold due to being in contact with the ground acting as a heat sink, while basically sitting on and choking its own bottom-end air intake, without a lot of tending. Oh, and as to making the rocket stoves around the edge, there wasn't any great strategy to those being edge locations. It was simply a function of the short tools we had: That's only as far in as we could cut the horizontal vent holes. If we'd been able to make a series of those more than a couple feet in, we'd have cut vertical chimneys down to them in many locations, had rocket stoves all across it, and done it all in one go. (In fact, we thought about cutting them both from the top, one vertical, one at a 45, but decided the 45 would function like less of a vent hole than an extra chimney, and that those would fail, having insufficient oxygen.) So, setting them around the edge wasn't, IMHO, the key to their success, it was the fact that they were under most of the fuel and burning upward, with plenty of oxygen feeding them from the horizontal holes. Good luck to you on your next one!

[@promofe16]

This reminds me of just chopping up wood with my grandpa back in the days. Literally would love spending all day just chopping wood than relaxing by the fire later watching dodger games. Rip grandpa, thanks for the nostalgia!

[@LivingCommonSense]

Thank you for sharing a great memory. Your comment reminded me of a camping trip I had with my dad and grandpa on a creek bank back in the day. My dog got on grandpa's cot for a nap. Grandpa was not amused, but dad and I sure were 😂

[@promofe16]

@@LivingCommonSense hahah awesome man, much love and god bless!

[@purple-edge]

23:44 So this is what i started with.. And this is what i ended up with.. A dog... 😏😏😏

[@LivingCommonSense]

And I still have the dog

[@K3Flyguy]

An old squirrel cage fan unit from an older furnace is a great way to supply neverending air to the fire. Easy to connect a 6-8" piece of metal ductwork to direct the air to best burn the stump. Thanks for sharing.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I happen to have one of those that did come out of a gas furnace. Thinking about putting some wheels on it so I can roll it around outside. It'd be perfect for this! Thanks for watching!

[@EVMANVSGAS]

I was going to say you should use a leaf blower. Then you did. Thanks for posting, I'm dealing with an old stump that had burnt pretty well on about half, not the other half is not so dry/rotten. The charcoal it something I didn't think about so I'm gonna give that a try. Thanks for the idea.

[@LivingCommonSense]

A fireplace starter log is a good option when you find them on sale during the Spring. Thanks for watching!

[@petertimmins6657]

Great technique. One thing I would add to this, especially for a larger stump, is to drill a bunch of holes in the top also. Drill them as big and deep as you can. Next, fill them with diesel or kerosene. Do that over a few days to allow the fuel to soak into the stump. Once you have done that then proceed like this. You can also make the bowl when you drill the holes and put fuel in that too to help keep your greenish stump burning completely.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Thank for the awesome tip. I'll be sure to give that a try on the next one. Thanks for watching!

[@takumi2023]

I rather drill them from the side

[@bele28]

@@takumi2023 yep.. drill a hole on top in the middle of stump.. then 3 holes on the sides in the bottom of stump so they meet in the middle... vuola.. stump has airflow.. from bottom.. burns out fast

[@branchcovidian2001]

I had a friend do the same thing with old kitchen grease. It worked great.

[@joshcalarese8622]

grease works but just an FYI diesel or gas evaporates in minutes. it will not "soak in" over a few days

[@christianmittasch8972]

Nice job... If i do the same thing,i would drill some holes deep as i can in the center and drill some sideways from the bark into the core. The fire gets more air and burn may better and faster

[@LivingCommonSense]

@christian - That's definitely the way to do it. This stump was green/wet and the "cuttings" clogged the bit I tried using. Complete fail. That is when I grabbed the saw and carved out the little bowl for the charcoal. If you can turn a stump into a rocket stove, that's the way to do it.

[@garycopeland9814]

I didn't know COKE was flammable. I see you used it to start the charcoal on fire. LOL

[@LivingCommonSense]

There is a fair chance that particular formulation wasn’t released to the public 🤣

[@Sumthin420]

You should've drilled a few holes in the side, then some holes through the top going down to those holes. Like a tobacco pipe. That way, it would have constant airflow and more surface area to burn.

[@LivingCommonSense]

You are right about that. I have found that some vertical plunge cuts with some horizontal slots cut across the stump work similarly. Thanks for watching!

[@markhall3434]

probably take a couple/three hours with Big 420cc stump grinder from the Box Store. Much more fun to play with fire, accelerants and Blowers.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I intend to try one of those rental stump grinders once I have a whole day to devote to the endeavor. You're right though, lots of fun burning stumps!

[@Bynggo]

How did you get away with all that smoke? I don’t have neighbours close by but helpful people driving past stop and tell me I can’t burn things off her on my farm. I’m so lucky lucky lucky. 😡

[@LivingCommonSense]

@Lesley - Almost everyone here burns leaves, logs and sticks anytime we’re not under a burn ban due to lack of rain. I suppose it has to do with if you have more regulation than you really need. I’d find out from the local fire dept what the fine is for burning in your area. If there’s no fine then it’s probably not illegal in your area.

[@JohnBfree29]

I drill holes and mine are completely gone in a weekend with me never having to do anything,one straight down and 4 around the sides,it’s called something stove lol but I don’t remember. I have to start with a small bit and keep working my way up to my 1” or you will break your wrist or burn your drill up since I’m to cheap to buy a better drill.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I tried an auger bit, 3/4" but is was hard going. Since it was green and wet, the cuttings wouldn't evacuate properly and it gummed up the bit. I let a little white smoke come out of the 1/2" drill. That's when I busted out the chainsaw. Thanks for the comment

[@johncover5877]

I appreciate your effort, but the libs would have a stroke with the carbon emissions removing that one stump. I removed 5 stumps larger than yours and it took about 45 minutes. Modern stump grinders are compact and maneuverable, so I think you could have gotten one in there.

[@LivingCommonSense]

No doubt that stump grinders are much faster but besides CO2, decomposition of wood chips and saw dust can produce CH4, a very potent GHG. Burning stumps releases CO and CO2 without the CH4 release. A Columbia University study shows rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere drive an increase in plant photosynthesis-an effect known as the carbon fertilization effect. While both CO2 and CH4 are naturally occurring in the environment, living trees can do more about the CO2 than they can with CH4. Its the lesser of two evils I suppose. Thanks for watching!

[@luigit.3428]

It seems like you'll end to use most of the fire wood of the felled tree to burn the stump. Where the convenience lies? Unless you don't care about fire wood and that your ultimate goal is to get read of the whole tree material.

[@LivingCommonSense]

@luigit - You are spot on. This tree was infested with carpenter ants so there's no way I would have brought any of it into my home as firewood. I was happy to use all the wood to get the stump gone. Thanks for watching!

[@tomjeffersonwasright2288]

I just hooked shopvac blower to hose to 6 feet of pipe into the heart of a charcoal fire, and left the air blow. It was gone pretty quickly.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Awesome! I would nave assumed it may have blown the fire out after the initial flare up caused by the air from the shop vac. I may have to give that a try. Thanks for the tip!

[@Woody615]

After cutting the center hole, how about cutting some other slits in the stump on top? It would provide more surface area in the stump so that hot coals could fall into them and start burning also.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Yes that would have helped alot. I did this very thing in a couple of follow up videos with great success. Thanks for watching!

[@roenaldibotes544]

I am going to have to do this. Bought a house about 4 years ago. Cut more the 3/4 of the tree down. Did not have a huge chain saw. So we did what we xould with what we had. Drilled holes and trief poising it. It is as if we just gave the tree some reason to grow even more. So I am going to ren a huge chain saw and cut it as close to the roots as possible. And give it a couple of weeks to dry a bit and then burm the stump. Our nabours sai the have been trimming the tree for more then 25 years. So O dont even want to see what the roots are doing to the houses around us. My house has started cracking. I have very liitle choice but to let the tree go.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I wish you the best of success in riding your yard of stumps. Two things I would caution you on is be careful if you have to burn a stump close to your house. Also be mindful of the roots. The roots can burn under ground for several yards and you do want those burning under your house. Good luck!

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

If you use wood cut for firewood and get an actual fire burning on it it will burn a lot faster. The more coals your fire produces the better, them big logs just smolder.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Yes, seasoned cut and split firewood would burn this faster. I was going for a slower burning fire here because the stump and pieces cut from the tree were freshly cut, green and wet. The fire needed to burn slow and long enough to dry the stump out as it burned. Firewood would have dried it out and burned it more quickly but I think it would have taken more firewood than what went into burning this stump. Thanks for watching!

[@WryGrass100]

That pusher you built onto the lawnmower was worth the viewing! Now...where's my saw and hammer!!

[@LivingCommonSense]

I built that intending to only push piles of leaves around the yard. It turned out much more durable than I thought it would. The tires break traction pretty quickly so that probably keeps the stress down on the pusher.. Hope you enjoyed the video!

[@8andsk835]

Thank u for the video. I have a stump and it’s a mutha.. I’ll just have to take my time with it. Your video helps a lot!

[@LivingCommonSense]

Good luck with your stump. Stick with it and you'll have it burned in no time. Thanks for watching!

[@rdkndr1]

Same here. Gonna be days

[@8andsk835]

@@rdkndr1 I ended up renting a stump grinder. Took 45 min and that monster stump is gone

[@handduggraverdronline]

I think cutting a T or X would make it go My faster and it would help remove ash

[@LivingCommonSense]

You are absolutely correct. I burned a couple of more stumps using this and others' suggestions and the X slots help a lot. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@jimbob4456]

If you don’t have a big compressor, you can use a leaf blower.

[@LivingCommonSense]

@Jim - Yeah, the leaf blower is better for blowing away the ash too.

[@ellistreloar2047]

A lot of effort and cost for a very poor result. With less effort it could have been dug out by hand, tap root, side roots and all.

[@LivingCommonSense]

It sounds like I've probably been hand digging the wrong way.

[@kevwpdc]

what prompted me to watch this video was that I decided to dig out out a large hickory stump. It was easy with a trachoe I had it out in less than a half hour. But! I had a huge hole opened up large enough to literally bury a small car in. This method leaves a very small footprint comparably. I tried this using a 24 qt. dutch oven lid for a damper. I also sawed a vent hole at the very bottom of the stump. next morning it was still cooking. the second morning it was still cooking, the third morning it was still cooking and burning below ground level. [this stump was one year dead] enjoyable and very little effort. Only way to go, especially for older folks with little brawn left. and when a stump is in a hard to access area or where you don't want to tear up the yard.

[@LivingCommonSense]

If time isn’t too pressing, it’s a good way to kill a few evenings. Burning doesn’t make too big of mess either but there are times when a trackhoe is the only way to go. Just a matter of using the right tool for the job.

[@johnmcclain3887]

I just ran across this, I've got a stump maybe ten inches wider, behind my shop, been cutting it down some fifteen years, finally realised it had substantial roots under the concrete, and dug all around it, about two years ago, taken out maybe a ton of roots, twenty feet and more away, finally got it dead this year, it's a sycamore, much of the roots were six to eight inches thick, and I've been chopping it apart with an ax, since, I think I'll do what you did, but mine's dry, at least the first three or four feet, I'm tired of the ax work. Thanks for showing this, think I'm going to have it gone in the next week or two. Awesome!

[@LivingCommonSense]

That sounds like a tough one to be sure. Make sure you don't have any roots left going under the concrete or your shop. Also be mindful of any underground utilities -electric, natural gas, telephone or cable TV. Most of all, have fun with it, be safe and enjoy that feeling you get when the stump is finally gone!

[@johnmcclain3887]

@@LivingCommonSenseI've been two years, two axes, sharp, dull, a backhoe, and I can run into the stump with the bucket, 7000 pounds, and it doesn't even shake a bit. It'll be a couple tons of root from under the concrete slab, when I get the stump "gone". It is rather dry, no green, so I'm thinking it will burn down pretty surely. I clear downed trees after every storm, got about sixty acres of woods, behind my machine shop, been figuring on just plodding along, but this video, with a green stump and green logs, (white oak, yes?) convinced me otherwise. I've seriously consider blasting, but would probably crack my foundation. Thanks for the reply, I really enjoyed watching it burn, gave me the plan. Thanks again.

[@LivingCommonSense]

@John Good luck with it and let us know how it goes

[@Blackadder75]

But it costs a great deal in good firewood (but maybe that is cheap in your area)

[@LivingCommonSense]

Firewood isn't cheaper here, but the tree was infested with carpenter ants. At 8:50, you can see where they had hollowed out part of the trunk near the top. I was glad to be rid of the wood.

[@ntal5859]

So he is using the tree trunk to burn the stump.... sounds like tree suicide to me .

[@LivingCommonSense]

In this context, I'd say more of a all natural and renewable tree herbicide.

[@jimbob4456]

How did the neighbors like that thing burning for 2 weeks.

[@LivingCommonSense]

@Jim - The neighbors are always burning leaves. It’d be hard for them to tell the difference between my smoke and theirs 😆! Thanks for watching!

[@reedgarry229]

I burn stumps the same way except i use a leaf blower

[@LivingCommonSense]

@reedgarry - That works too. Just need move some air to get the ash off the coals and heat the stack up a bit

[@donblevins1181]

i generally start with the stump closer to the ground

[@LivingCommonSense]

Yeah, I should have cut it lower before I started sawing. Thanks for watching!

[@MikeSmith-lx9jg]

should of used a drill to put some holes in the stump and fill with diesel.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I tried drilling it but it was too green and wet. The drill cuttings clogged the bit and it just smoked the bit. I should have cut more with the saw, some slots and a some diesel in those would have helped. Thanks for watching!

[@timmiser]

I've buried my fair share of lawn mower bait!

[@LivingCommonSense]

It's a trick I learned when I had a golden retriever. She would dig deep enough to get nearly her whole self under ground and there was never enough dirt to fill the whole completely. Filling the hole with worthless junk turned out to be a win-win. Thanks for watching!

[@TheLoobis]

1:50 15 DAYS! You titled this video wrong.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Yeah we try do our best

[@joseortiz5965]

Awesome. Love the lawn mower hack.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Thanks, I put the push bar on mainly to push piles of leaves but it turned out to be fairly strong. Thanks for watching!

[@alanwhitsitt5196]

Here's one for the tree huggers out there... I had a coworker that had a HUGE stump in his yard. He doesn't one year doing oil changes on his cars and then drilled a bunch of holes in the stump. All the old oil went on the stump, filling the holes, wait a little while for the oil to soak in and pour on more until the oil he had was gone. Put a tarp over the lug until next oil change and repeat. That winter, he put a little charcoal lighter fluid on it and lit it up. He said it smoldered for about 2 weeks before before the hole was about 2' deep. Following summer he filled in the hole and planted grass. LOL

[@LivingCommonSense]

@Alan - I have no problem believing that! That’s probably about as easy as it gets short of hiring a stump grinder. That used oil is also good for preserving the wood deck on a trailer and decades ago, I saw people mix it with sand and patch driveways with it. Thanks for watching!

[@thomaskoshinsky7768]

Drill 4 holes as low as you can to the middle of the tree

[@LivingCommonSense]

@Thomas - I attempted to drill this stump with an auger bit. The stump was too green and wet so the cuttings clogged the bit and drilling didn't work well. I'd like to try drilling on a dry stump and see how it goes.

[@lawrencecasey6582]

How about a chain saw with an old chain and a said..

[@LivingCommonSense]

That would work but it would ruin the bar as well. It would last a few minutes at best but it not a problem if you had something you're willing to sacrifice.

[@starkenterprises2371]

Careful the roots don't burn the house or garage down a year from the burn.

[@LivingCommonSense]

That's one benefit of burning while green...The fire dies fairly easily. Definitely a concern with dry roots though!

[@young11984]

My uncle burned his shop down this way, a couple of the main roots actually came out of the ground under his shop and the fire traveled thru the root and set the shop on fire 40’ away a week after he lit it up. His was a 6-8 month old stump though but the tree was cut down in July so it was sappy

[@LivingCommonSense]

That's kind of scary. Thankfully, the roots on this one didn't take off and only burned when I put fire on top of them. Thanks for the heads up!

[@spoonyfart]

Next video: how to turn a stump into a dog

[@LivingCommonSense]

Seemed like a good trade at the time🤣

[@ragazzinayankee]

Thank you so much! I had several trees dead after a winter storm in Houston and now I have 3 new fresh huge palm stumps and a couple of citric tree stumps and this will be super handy. I'm planning BBQing them and maybe even fire some ceramics on them in the process! ;) Never let a good fire go to waste! I really apreciatte your time in making a video to share the process.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I'm glad you liked the video. I enjoyed making it as much as burning the stump

[@bhoward9378]

The compressed air is a major assist. Have you tried drilling lateral holes at an angle underneath a stump and then forcing air from below?

[@LivingCommonSense]

I couldn't drill it with an auger bit because it was green and the cuttings kept packing in the grooves. A 1/2" corded drill wasn't enough. Getting air and fire deep into the stump would have helped a lot early on.

[@mariannesouza8326]

Fascinating! I’m never going to need to do this, but I like that I know how. 😀 Thank you. I love that cute little dog!

[@LivingCommonSense]

Thank you for the kind words. I am glad you liked the video.

[@vent5125]

I guess having a fan on is against the rules 😅

[@LivingCommonSense]

Not against the rules and it will speed up the burn. I have seen it slowly blow a small fire like this one out. In this case I didn’t want to risk blown embers starting a much larger fire while I wasn’t around to manage it. Thanks for watching

[@Deses]

You burned a whole tree just to remove the stump... I don't know about that.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I had the tree cut down because it was infested with carpenter ants from the middle up through the top branches. I couldn't really use it for firewood and would've had to pay somebody to haul it off. I would have burned the tree anyway so it worked out this time. Now if this were lightning struck oak, hickory or walnut, then I would have had a load of good firewood. Thanks for watching!

[@Deses]

@@LivingCommonSense Oooh well that makes more sense then! Thank you!

[@briananderson7497]

Great Video. I have an Oak that I'll be cutting down in the next month. My concern with your tactic is the tree/future stump is about 4 feet from the house. Not sure about having a fire going for that long that close to the house. Even though it's middle of winter, so everything should stay good and wet. The tip on keeping it covered to radiate heat down was a new one for me. Hadn't thought of that. I'll definitely give that a try if I go ahead and burn it out.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I have to say this: I'd probably recommend against burning that close to a house. Plus, it sounds like you have a great candidate for a rental stump grinder or mini excavator. I don't want to be a downer. This comment is as much for everyone reading this as it is for you. Heat currents could potentially carry embers to your roof or possibly into the attic through a gable or soffit vent. Some smoke will likely leak into the house. Thinking smoke detectors and fire alarms. Be sure to have a good water hose nearby and keep the ground and house wet if you go forward. Protect the house wall from the heat. Also I'd probably call in a "locate" for underground utilities (power, gas, cable, phone...etc) running to the house. Setting fire to a power or gas line is a whole new kind of problem nobody wants on their hands. Finally, use your common sense. No accelerants or petroleum products and never leave the fire unattended. I'm planning some seat time in a mini excavator in the near future. An oak stump would take all day but dang, it would be fun. Thanks for watching and commenting. Your feedback tells me what people are interested in. Best of luck with your stump ridding project.

[@fionam3554]

guess it is too late, but maybe you could have put a steel 55 gal drum around the stump while you burned

[@briananderson7497]

@@fionam3554 I took advantage of the wet soil of winter to dig out the stump. Biggest pain was a lot of rocks in the soild that shredded my fingers. As I got the roots exposed, I cut them out with chainsaw and a handsaw. After finally getting the stump completely cut from the ground, I was able to roll it out of the hole and to a safe spot away from house. I cut a hole on the side and a chimney on the top and just burned out the stump slowly over 3 days. The 55 Gal Drum would have really been a good idea though.

[@skitzochik]

i thought youd plant a tree there for sure lol

[@LivingCommonSense]

@Amber - There are plans to put a shed back there and the stump was just about center of the where the door will be.

[@alcamerc9923]

My HOA.would have a fit if I try this in my backyard.

[@LivingCommonSense]

They won’t see the smoke at night. Your best option after leaving the hoa is probably a stump grinder. Just no fun paying someone to do it.

[@rebkhai]

And you get to poke the fire for days.

[@LivingCommonSense]

This viewer right here gets it! Thanks for stopping by

[@thomasshea4466]

This is brilliant! I'm a city guy moving to a wooded lot. Been watching a lot of videos about how to remove a stump. Why isn't everyone doing it this way. I love when I see something that makes total sense and yet I never even thought of it before. I mean this is as common sense as the shoe lace. Thank you.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I appreciate your comment. Others have commented that I should have cut some slots with the saw across the stump to let air flow better. I've tried this and it helps a lot. Good luck with your wooded lot and thanks for watching!

[@pingpong9656]

Because it is very slow, labor intensive and potentially dangerous with underground root fires or amber causing satellite fires.

[@carlmorgan8452]

Did it before burned almost 2 weeks

[@abomb3451]

I'll tell you what!...👨‍🌾🥴

[@LivingCommonSense]

Yep 😶

[@M70ACARRY]

I currently have a stump this size. It's burning right now. I will win.

[@hip9594]

Use real coal burns hotest

[@LivingCommonSense]

I plan to use some coal on the next stump once the burn ban is over here. Thanks for the tip!

[@williammorgan7176]

The ashes are good for a garden

[@LivingCommonSense]

You are right. I had no problem getting grass started in that whole area where I blew that ashes.

[@patrickcronin6829]

This is pretty much the way I do it, only I burn it out in about 3-5 days. Green or dead years doesn’t matter. I cut the tree off a little bit higher, about 2 feet. I dig around the base. I then cut a pie shape with my chainsaw into at least 6 pieces. Cut directly through the buttress roots as low as I can go without fouling the chain. Use the leaf blower to get the sawdust out and start the fire on the top middle of the trunk. It burns down to the bottom in a few minutes, but you need to blow it out and keep rolling logs into the middle for a few days after. I believe most of the time is really just driving the water out of the stump wood. Once it sets in, it will keep burning well below ground level and you need to use some dill dirt.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Drying out the stump is a must. I'll give this pie shape cut method a go next time.

[@jackriley5974]

In the 50s a neighbor removed Oak stumps twice that size with very little effort. He built a small fire at their base and placed the exhaust of an old Electrolux vacuum in a way as to create a forge. It took many sessions but he didn't seem to mind watching it from a lounge chair with a beer in hand.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Yep, stumping burning can be therapeutic if using the proper equipment! :)

[@hyster2568]

My kind of nights!!!

[@jeffhumphries2453]

I like how you turned your mower into a bulldozer . That was cool. Keep on being creative. It gives others ideas on how to solve simple problems.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Thanks for your comment. The push bar turned out stronger than I thought it would. Traction became a problem with anything larger than these logs. Thanks for watching!

[@jeffhumphries2453]

@@LivingCommonSense a set of Carlisle super lug rear tires will give you plenty of traction. I put a set on the rear of my John Deere L111 it would pull alot better without spinning. I would try to get it stuck but it always pulled out of whatever mud or hill that I was on .

[@LivingCommonSense]

@Jeff - I looked at some super lugs but I didn't know how the transaxle in my cheap mower would hold up to them. I am thinking about a building a mid mount grader blade once the mower deck rots out like that always do and I'll definitely need better traction for that.

[@jeffhumphries2453]

@@LivingCommonSense that's a good idea

[@kellydaniels8992]

I concede that this is a 3 year old video, and you are on HF (General class or higher Ham operator), you are an intelligent young man. With that said, most all of these videos on this platform are missing the thing you attempted with the compressed air & blower, O2 flow. I’ve got a 4’ diameter Red Oak stump, I’ve been putting of for 10-12 years. All this to say, thanks for the basic fire elements class (fuel, ignition, and O2). And with that said, I’ll be using a Milwaukee angle drill and the largest / longest auger bits I can find,,,,,,, I’ll make it look like Swiss Chess before lighting it off. I make a time lapse video, but I’m no creator, just modern day hillbilly/farmer/ET, so I’ll pray for y’all, and pray before I start on this one too. God Speed, and God Bless,,,,,,, Semper Fi,,,

[@LivingCommonSense]

Man 4' will be awesome and been drying a decade, it should be ready. It's the warm season now so grab a lawn chair, fan and a cup of coffee and enjoy being outside. Make a whole production out of your stump burn with a dutch oven and tripod, brown some meat, make some chili or a stew or bake some potatoes if nothing else. Share the experience friends and family. A 4' stump would be epic. Memories for all. Thanks for watching!

[@stellacatfish]

A hotdog on a stick makes this a legal cooking fire. Looks to be about a 7 day hotdog roast. The neighbor that complained most gets a free hotdog. 👍

[@LivingCommonSense]

I did cook hotdogs on this fire one time and they were well done in no time at all. They were good but seven days of hotdogs...I'd have to mix it up a little with rotisserie chicken, burgers and sausage...that gives me an idea

[@AveryCummerata]

believe in yourself

[@LivingCommonSense]

Absolutely!

[@ThomasBarone]

This will be very helpful knowledge here on our farm!

[@LivingCommonSense]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for your comment

[@alex02101967]

mmm.. Good idea, effortless, quick, cheap and clean..

[@LivingCommonSense]

The ash made a mess but the grass grew great there the following year. Thank for watching!

[@shiftyfitter]

Holy mackerel! coca-cola here in the UK isn't nearly as flammable as that!

[@LivingCommonSense]

Lol..That may not have really been a coke😆. Thanks for watching

[@JasonSpitzMI50]

Lol 🤭

[@barnardb01]

That does not look easy. Heat rises and you are trying to incinerate something below the fire. Drill a hole in the middle. Drill holes at an angle from the sides and aim to meet the first. Put some fuel in the center hole to start the fire. The fire will burn from the bottom up and get rid of the stump much quicker and requiring much less added wood that burns only to heat the air above the stump.

[@LivingCommonSense]

I started drilling this stump but it was green and wet and the drill cuttings clogged the channels in the bit. Perhaps it was the wrong type of bit but drilling this one was a fail and was the reason I switched over to plunge cuts with the chainsaw. I rarely drill them anymore since I've had good success with the chainsaw cuts which also hold quiet a bit of fuel. I learned from this one and enjoyed doing. Thanks for watching!

[@ArtypNk]

When I had to burn one years back, I prepped it by spending 15 minutes going at it with an axe. It's so, so much easier to burn a clump of splinters that are held together than it is to burn a solid block.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Yep, that creates more surface area to burn and lets air get into it better too. Thanks for watching!

[@Prosecute-fauci]

I’m currently burning a 30” green mesquite stump down. Its currently been smoldering for the past 4 days and the active fire went out 3.5 days ago. I didn’t do any special setup to burn it other than digging the dirt out from around it, and putting about 40 kilos of charcoal on and round it. Worked like a charm.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Slow and steady gets it done and you don't have to stay on top of it like with a raging fire. I call that a win. Thanks for watching!

[@TANGO22222222]

I would of cut it lower to the ground

[@LivingCommonSense]

@Cart - You are 100% right. I should have cut 4-6 more inches off the top.

[@TANGO22222222]

@@LivingCommonSense turned out nice tho

[@aseyeseait]

I think cutting a X in the stump from top to root would have allowed more ventillation for a long slow burn. I think they call it the Swedish Candle or something like that

[@LivingCommonSense]

Yeah, I needed to do more cutting on this one for sure. For one, your idea would have helped with ventilation and second, it would have meant less material to burn. Thanks for watching!

[@marcovtjev]

Sometimes when I watch these stump burn videos, I wonder why before rebuilding the fire, one doesn't strike a few hits with a large hammer. Many of those ridges look like they'd break easily, and the broken off pieces can still be used as fuel, but the new surface of the break would be available quicker.

[@LivingCommonSense]

When the stump is dry it may help some. However, if it’s still fairly fresh, the ridges can be deceptively strong. It wouldn’t cost much to give it a few good whacks and see how it goes

[@georgesebastian6306]

CommonSense ain't so common. You nailed it clear the ash and let the heat do its work!

[@LivingCommonSense]

Thanks for watching!

[@Dreamspeak22]

Man I've been working on a stump in my front yard. Burned it about 8 times so far. Its nearly gone, but I was starting to wonder if I messed up somewhere, with it taking so many days. But when you said it took 15 days I felt much better. Seeing you use the air compressor was pretty funny too. I started using my leaf blower the same way on the last burn.

[@LivingCommonSense]

LOL, the air compressor lets me get more precise aim but the leaf blower does it faster for sure. The big wet stumps will take a few days. Thanks for watching!

[@YouTube4me]

Great work! Please maybe you could wear a mask when you’re working digging soil take care of your lungs ❤

[@LivingCommonSense]

That's probably a good idea.

[@DennisFahlstrom]

I have burned out about 30 stumps on my farm ranging from 10” - 4’. I’ve found the fastest and most effective way of burning them is to use a chainsaw to cut a number of vertical slots in the stump, then take a large auger or forstner bit (at least 3/4”) with a bit extension and drill a dozen holes near the base reaching to near the center of the stump. Do this using the clock face as a circular guide and slope each hole slightly downward with a goal of having the last third of the hole beneath ground level. I use old used motor oil as my starter fluid and let it soak into the holes for a few hours. Then set it on fire and place a burn barrel around the stump to focus and control the fire. If the stump is too large for the diameter of a 55 gallon barrel I have four 1/4” metal plates that are 5’ long and 3’ high that I stage vertically around the stump to take the place of the barrel. I go out and use a leaf blower to remove ash daily and reignite the burn. It’s never taken more than 4 days to remove a big stump and most stumps that are under 3’ in diameter are gone in 2-3 days. A nice byproduct of these burns is the dust created is mostly potash which is beneficial to the soil. It works and takes no more than 1-2 hours of total effort from start to finish. It’s a safe, non polluting way of disposing of old motor oil which burns a long time in those holes. I’m presuming it’s non polluting because the grass grows back where the stump was in a brief period.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Yes, I've cut a few slots in stumps since this one and it works well. The grass grows well especially when the ash is tilled into the soil that fills the void left by the burned out stump. I like to avoid a roaring fire as those burn out quickly and I don't hang around to watch it. The slow steady heat dries the stump out as well. Its a great way to kill a few hours over several days. Thanks for your comment.

[@TheOriginalHeisenberg]

01:13 Hey Bossman, you uhh......planning on returning the ole electrical chainsaw? 🤣🤣🤣🤘🤘🤘

[@LivingCommonSense]

Not anymore. The tag got oily and torn, then Sears closed 🤦‍♂️. Sometimes things don’t work out 🤣

[@OakesProject]

I really love this method. But he totally left out how many beers it must have taken to burn that bad boy out.

[@LivingCommonSense]

No beers, just bourbon but not a whole lot

[@bryansimmons3723]

Good process, the only thing I do differently is I take a drill and 1/2 to 3/4 in bits and drill a bunch of holes in the stump, and if I have it I pour used cooking grease, old oil, or a little diesel into the holes for a couple of days to add something to help it burn a bit faster. Even without the add ons the extra holes help it to burn faster.

[@LivingCommonSense]

Got a video coming up almost just like this. It works well.

[@frankcarey9567]

A nice powerful shop fan in front of that sure would accelerate the burn.

[@LivingCommonSense]

For sure but I wasn't hanging around watching and I'm a bit leery leaving a fan blowing on a fire when I'm not around.

[@frankcarey9567]

@@LivingCommonSense Good point, a fan would blow embers all over.

[@Wow4ik4ik]

I destroyed 3 stomps in a year with NH4NO3. Made some holes (20-30 cm) and put ammonium nitrate with water here. close holes with slivers.Year will pass and most of stomp (and roots) will be decomposed

[@LivingCommonSense]

That's probably the easiest solution if you can wait a year or so.

[@jimhunt4875]

I would of done some BBQ and beer and whiskey while that was burning two weeks of that would be Heaven. Good Video, Thanks mate. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@jimhunt4875]

Then i was a 1/3 of the way through and i saw your grill.

[@LivingCommonSense]

@Jim - Baked potatoes wrapped in foil is about the only thing I'd cook on this one. I'm not sure how the smoke from this wood would have made the BBQ taste but yeah, I was cooking the rust off the grill with this one.

[@magicponyrides]

This seems like a really fun process, honestly. Couldn't you have cut the stump a lot closer to the ground to speed it up? Thanks for the video.

[@LivingCommonSense]

@magic - I enjoyed doing this and yes, I probably should have cut the stump closer to the ground. I could have used the slap I cut off to help burn the stump. Thanks for watching!

[@n.b.p.davenport7066]

Really people are watching someone burn a stump out, That's Entertainment🥴

[@LivingCommonSense]

I just give the people what they want😂

[@fbk2121]

Great job! Just one question: do you think it would have burned down by making it into a rocket stove? One drill hole in the middle, and then several holes a little from the sides to meet the hole in the middle?

[@LivingCommonSense]

I think drilling out some holes would have helped a lot. I gave it a shot first thing but being wet and green, the drill cuttings packed the channels in the auger I used. Drilling failed soon after I started, so bad in fact, I didn’t include it in the video at all. It made no difference. Only had a 7 amp 1/2” drill and nearly burned it up. Another stump burn video is coming up so be on the lookout and thanks for watching!

[@JP-kb4yi]

Drilling makes a huge difference.

[@JP-kb4yi]

@@LivingCommonSense when drilling have a good shop vac and an extra person. One person drills the other is using the vacuum to keep the hole clean. Also I strongly recommend using a heavy duty drill that plugs in if you have one.