An Easier Way to Remove A Stump In the past, homeowners wanting to get rid of a stump had nothing but shovels, strong arms and time to clear out stumps. Well perhaps dynamite as well, although neighbours tended to but generally speaking the task of removing stumps required hours of backbreaking labour. Even in the recent past a large excavation was required to take care of nuisance stumps. Now, a new solution that is quicker, easier and less disruptive to your property has been brought to the Valley by Totem Tree Operations. A stump grinder is a large machine that has a vertically aligned blade with large metal teeth shaped like a saw. The blade is attached to a machine arm and when the machine is turned on, the blade rotates very fast. The arm is then positioned over the stump and moved back and forth across it. It chews up the stump, mulching it into fine saw dust as it makes a pass. On the next pass, the arm is lowered a half an inch, and it passes across the stump again. It does this until the stump is ground down. The machine is portable and manoeuvrable, able to get at many types of stumps.
“What’s great about this option is that it is very low impact on the surrounding area.” Says Totem Tree Operations owner Dave Potter. It can also be more affordable than the traditional method. “This offers a quick and easy way to get rid of stumps that many homeowners may have resigned themselves to living with.” Says Potter. The grinder can also remove problem roots making it a versatile tool in Potter’s operation which boasts residential services such as tree removal, problem tree assessment, view enhancement, spiral pruning, and full commercial and resort services. So now Valley residents that may have given up on removing old stumps have a new option. Don’t ignore that stump. Grind it. Photos show the process of removing a stump using the grinder.