Best Tree Stump Killers & Grinders | Reviews & Buyers Guide

August 25, 2020

There are some trees that are beautiful and add to the look of your lawn and landscaping. Then there are some trees that are ugly or a downright nuisance. Especially with all the invasive tree species that have started to invade North America in recent years.

Today more than ever homeowners across the United States and Canada have turned to trimming and outright removing trees for their yard. Of course, cutting an unwanted tree down is just the first step in what can become a rather long process.

You see a tree has just as much, if no more presence underground than it does in the sky, and some trees are tenacious. Especially invasive trees like the dreaded buckthorn that’s started to run rampant throughout North America.

Even after the trunk has been cut down and the inevitable brush pile has been dealt with, the stump and root mass of a tree may still be very much alive! Left to its own devices, the roots can attempt to refeed the existing stump, which could start sending out shoots as soon as the next spring. What you’re left with then is not only a stump but a nasty snarl of spindly shoots that even with constant pruning still find ways to spring anew.

Let’s say you get lucky and the original tree was old, or the stump and root mass simply choose to give up the ghost and die. Now you’re left with a rotting mass of wood that is sure to attract bugs, the animals that eat them, and other funky microbes. Not to mention problems with an invasive fungus that can sprout poisonous mushroom-like structures.

Even if you manage to cut the tree stump flush to the ground, and the root mass simply doesn’t have enough nutrient power left to sprout new shoots, you’re still left with a foreign mass that will leave a soft spot in your lawn for years to come. Worse still as the soil shifts, it could start to protrude a strange rotting mass that’s a serious tripping hazard, and could even damage the undercarriage of your riding lawnmower.

Can I Use A Commercial Stump Grinder?

There are some large rental companies and even major box retailers that will rent out commercial stump grinders to homeowners who need to deal with a stubborn stump or two. Depending on the rate they offer and how much demand there is for it during that particular time of year the cost can range between $100 to $400 per day. Of course, you also have to transport it to your property and learn how to operate it correctly. It’s not all that hard, but it’s also not a walk in the park either.

DK2 Power Gas Powered Certified Commercial Frame Stump Grinder with 14HP Kohler Motor and Towbar Extra Cutting Teeth and Adjustable...

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Generac ST47019GENG Pro Stump Grinder, Orange, Black

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DK2 Power Stump Grinder 14HP HD Commercial Frame with Kohler Motor w/Electric Start OPG888E

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Bradco Sg30 Stump Grinder

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Bluebird Turf Products SG13H Stump Grinder, Blue

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Welded 7-Gauge Steel
Double V-Belt
Noram centrifugal clutch, double v-belt
13 hp

Can I Hire A Professional Stump Grinding Company?

There are some landscaping and tree trimming companies that keep a stump grinder in their fleet arsenal. They usually offer their stump grinding service at specific times of the year in certain areas. It’s just more cost-effective for them, and sometimes they’ll even advertise when and where they are offering their stump grinding service. If you need them to grind your stump on-demand, on your schedule, they can probably accommodate you for an extra fee.

Ultimately, whether you are renting a stump grinder or hiring one out, it’s going to come with a high price tag, and you may or may not be able to have it done on your time table. They also tend to be the sort of thing you reserve for large stumps that are likely to cause problems or become an eyesore in your otherwise beautiful lawn.

Can You Manually Remove Stumps?

Of course, stump grinders haven’t been around for more than a few decades. In the past smaller stumps that were an inch or two or less in diameter could often be manually pulled out. If you’ve recently cut down some small invasive trees like buckthorn.

With dead stumps, some people would set campfires over them to burn them out and disassociate the roots. Though this was a long process that could take days, if not weeks to get the job done.

The Best Manual Stump Removing Tools & Stump Pullers

Brush Grubber BG-08 Heavy-duty Brush Grubber

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Brush Grubber BG-16 Shrub/Clump Grubber

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4 Inch Copper Nails for Killing Trees, 20 Pieces 4 Inch Solid Copper Nail Spikes with 2 Pieces 4 Inch...

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Chemical And Microbial Stump Removers

In recent years, chemical and microbial stump removers have made some serious advancements in both effectiveness and safety. Some of the chemical stump removers break down the lignin that binds the cellular structure of wood together, whereas microbial stump removers gradually consume the stump leaving behind inert soil. These options also tend to be far more cost-effective than renting or hiring out a stump grinder.

The downside of chemical and microbial stump removers is that most take time. Even the fastest ones can take weeks to break a stump down and might need reapplication or additional elbow grease from you to remove compromised debris.