Full extraction of a 93-year-old Douglas fir stump and root ball as part of a lot clearing in Arlington — a root system taller than the operator, pulled whole.
This one was a monster. A 93-year-old Douglas fir left a stump and root ball bigger than the machine cab, the kind of root system that stops a lot-clearing job dead if you do not have the iron to move it.
DirtRaptor pulled it whole rather than chasing roots piecemeal — faster, cleaner, and it leaves the ground ready for whatever comes next instead of a field of half-buried root wads. That is the advantage of running excavation and tree work as one operation: the same crew that takes the tree down has the machine to pull what is left of it out of the ground.
Project at a glance
- Service
- Land Clearing
- Location
- Arlington, WA
What the job involved
- Exposed the root system of the 93-year-old Douglas fir stump
- Pulled the stump and root ball out whole with the excavator
- Cleared the ground as part of the larger lot clearing
- Left the ground ready for the next phase instead of a field of buried root wads
Pulling stumps versus grinding them
Grinding a stump leaves the roots in the ground, which is fine for a lawn but a problem if you are building, laying a driveway or regrading. On a lot that is being cleared for construction, pulling the stump and root ball whole is faster, cleaner and leaves soil that can be graded and compacted.
Big stumps like this one need real iron. That is the advantage of one crew running both tree work and excavation: the same people who drop the tree have the machine to pull what is left of it, fill the hole and keep the clearing moving.
Planning something similar? See our land clearing in Arlington page for local ground, permit and timing details, or everything we do in Arlington.
Questions about jobs like this
Should I grind or pull my stumps?
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Grind them if you just want a usable yard. Pull them if you are building, regrading or putting in a driveway, so no roots are left to rot and settle under the new surface.
What happens to the hole after a stump is pulled?
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We fill it with soil and compact it, and grade the area so it is level and ready for what comes next.
