Swedish Stump Puller

Part of the process of turning 7 Hamilton into a pleasant home and increasing the curb appeal was the removal of 9 rather natty and over grown bushes. The first 5, while ratty and nasty looking, were still small enough to allow for easy removal. The second 2, which flanked the front path where it met the sidewalk needed the chainsaw to cut down and then a goodly portion of elbow grease and a maddox style pickaxe. It took a few days eating away bit by bit but I got them out.

Now the last two, which flanked the stairs to the front porch, were monsters. I stared with the smaller of the two and after hours of work, spread liberally over several days of course, I had only got the damn thing loose enough to wiggle, a bit. Enter the Swedish Stump Puller.

I have always thought it rather silly for a Saab 900 to have a "Reese" style receiver hitch but I'm sure glad some ninny put it on there. After hooking the chain up I leaned Mila into the job slowly, taking up the slack and once taught started to lay the power down. What happened? Nothing. The stump, with multiple roots cut free and able to wiggle - a bit - by hand, held firm against Mila's pull. So I leaned in a second time and really brought the power up, right up until the wheels began to lose traction. The stump still held. Getting a little pissed I backed up till there was a good amount of slack in the chain and then dropped the hammer down, surging forward to give that bastard stump a jolt it wouldn't soon forget. Slam! The stump held. Again, slam! The stump still held. For the next try I power dropped the clutch as much as I thought I could without ripping up the grass, which isn't much. Slam! Crack! The stump is now only half in the ground and listing sickingly. I get back in Mila and pull forward slowly enjoying splintering sound of wood failing to resist applied power like a cat with a cornered mouse.


The second and largest of the 9, was near the driveway meaning that Mila would be able to gather some great traction to rip the bloodsucker out of the earth. Too bad the gas line ran directly underneath. Thanks to my fear of blowing myself to kingdom come I was reduced to a shovel and a small hand saw to keep from damaging the gas line. About half way through the process of digging the bugger up I discovered a great reason to go and buy a new shovel, when I broke mine. Not to be deterred I ran to the hardware store and got back to work. It took about 5 hours of digging, sawing and tugging but I did finally tear the stump free by hand. I now had 250+ lbs ball of stump roots and earth at the bottom of a 3 foot deep hole. Now where did I put that Swedish Stump Puller? I had it out earlier...


I guess it just goes to show that you can take the boy out of Ohio but you can't take the Ohio out of the boy... which I am sure just has my neighbors thrilled as they are all born and raised down in "the City" and only moved to Croton-On-Hudson later in life.