Finally got that huge willow stump out after two full days

Diana Williams · 2026-04-06T12:25:08.15914+00:00

Honestly, I thought it would be a half-day job max. It was a willow we took down last fall, and the root flare was way bigger and more tangled than it looked. We tried the usual grinder, but the ground was super wet from spring rain and kept clogging. Ended up having to hand-dig and use a sawzall with a pruning blade to cut through the main anchor roots. Took me and my apprentice a solid 16 hours over two days. Anyone have a better method for wet, clay-heavy soil around big stumps?

ross.felix6mo ago

Did you try a stump puller or just the grinder?

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andrewr656mo ago

Yeah, the grinder is a nightmare in wet clay. It just turns into a muddy paste and jams up. Ross.felix is right to ask about a puller, but those need dry, solid ground to anchor. In that soup, you did it the hard way but the right way. Hand digging and cutting the main roots is the only real fix when it's that wet. A big pry bar can help pop the stump loose after the roots are cut. Brutal work, but it's done.

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gavina736mo ago

Man, this is the story of my whole life. You look at a job, guess how long it'll take, and then reality laughs and doubles it. It's always the hidden stuff, like that root flare, that gets you. Makes you wonder what else we're all totally wrong about on first glance.

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