Had to pick between a stump grinder rental and a hand dig for a big oak removal

Last month I had a job in Portland where a big oak stump was left after a storm. I spent $200 renting a stump grinder for the day, and it saved me at least 8 hours of hand digging and chopping with an axe. The grinder kicked up a ton of dust and rocks, but I wrapped up the whole site in under 4 hours. Has anyone else made that call and regretted renting instead of just sweating it out?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles4421d ago

Man, are you kidding me? $200 for a machine that does the job in half a day versus a full weekend of busting your back with a shovel and axe? I mean, have you ever actually hand dug a big oak stump? That thing is a network of roots running every which way, and you'll be out there for two days easy, cussing every minute of it. Dust and rocks are a small price to pay for not waking up sore for a week.

reese_nelson16h ago

Three days minimum on a big oak, not two. I've done it, and I'll take the sore back over breathing in all that dust and crap for half a day. That little machine kicks up a cloud of dirt and rocks that gets in your eyes and lungs, and you're still gonna be digging around what it misses. Plus those rental things break down half the time, and then you're out the $200 and still have a stump. A shovel and axe don't quit on you.