How Much Does A Tree Stump Weigh?

Removing or preserving a tree stump can be quite intimidating especially if you have to remove it from the ground. There are a few variables that you will be needed to figure out before you start estimating the weight. Let’s take a look at how you can determine the weight of your stump.

The method for calculating the weight of your stump is simple, you will need to measure the diameter of the stump, calculate its volume and multiply that with the wood density. Once you have the stump weight, you can also add the root ball weight to get a better estimate.

You can also estimate the average weight of a stump of a specific species and diameter using the chart below.

tree stump weigh calculating

How to Calculate the Weight of a Tree Stump?

One of the factors which determine the weight of a tree stump will be of course the species of the tree you are dealing with. Each species has a different wood density which will, in turn, determine the weight per volume for that wood. The other factors would of course be the dimension of the stump.

If you get to know the species of your tree stump, and its dimensions, namely its length and average diameter you can easily estimate its weight.

The formula which you will be using is called Huber’s formula and although it sounds complicated is quite easy.

All you need is the density of your tree stump and its volume. I will include a density chart for different tree species below, so you don’t need to worry about that. keep in mind that the densities stated below are known as the ‘green density’ and it represents the density of a freshly cut wood.

As the wood stays out in the open for a longer period of time, its moisture content reduces and therefore its density reduces. So, if your tree stump has been left out for some time, your final weight estimate will be lower.

To find out the volume (V) of the tree stump, you will need to measure its length (L) and its diameter (d).

V = 3.14*L*d2/4

And once you have the V, the stump’s weight (W) will be

W=V*D (where D equals its density)

Once you know this formula, you can calculate the weight of any log of wood.

One more thing to keep in mind is that you should use the dimensions in one measurement only. So, if you are using cm, use only cm for the rest of the calculations. The same applies to m, ft, etc.

Densities of Different Tree Species

Below is a list of wood densities per cubic feet for some of the most common tree species.

SpeciesWeight per Cubic Ft.
Apple55
Ash, White48
Basswood42
Beech54
Birch, Paper50
Birch, Yellow57
Butternut46
Cherry, Black45
Chestnut55
Cottonwood49
Elm, American54
Gum, Black45
Gum, Red50
Hackberry50
Hickory64
Honey Locust61
Magnolia, Ev59
Maple, Red50
Maple, Silver45
Maple, Sugar56
Oak, California66
Oak, Live76
Oak, Red63
Oak, White62
Pecan61
Persimmon63
Poplar, Yellow38
Sassafras44
Sycamore52
Walnut, Black58
Pine, white36
Spruce, Red34

How Much Do Different Sized Tree Stumps Weigh?

If you don’t want to calculate the weight of your tree stump, here is a list of the average weight of 1-foot-long tree stumps depending on their average diameter. The estimated weight here is in pounds.

Species10”12”14”16”18”20”22”24”26”28”
Apple3043597797120145173203235
Ash, White2638516785104126150177205
Basswood233345597492111132155180
Beech2942587595118142169199231
Birch, Paper2739537088109132157164214
Birch, Yellow31456180101124151179210244
Butternut2536496481100121144170197
Cherry, Black253548637998119141166192
Chestnut3043597797120145173203235
Cottonwood2738526886107129154180209
Elm, American2942587595118142169199231
Gum, Black253548637998119141166192
Gum, Red2739537088109132157164214
Hackberry2739537088109132157164273
Hickory35506889113140169201236261
Honey Locust33486585108133161192225252
Magnolia, Ev32466382104129156185217214
Maple, Red2739537088109132157164192
Maple, Silver253548637998119141166239
Maple, Sugar3144607899122148176206282
Oak, California36517092116144174207243324
Oak, Live416081106134166200238280269
Oak, Red34496788111137166198232265
Oak, White34486686109135163194228261
Pecan33486585108133161192224269
Persimmon34496788111137166198232162
Poplar, Yellow21304053678399119150188
Sassafras243447617896116138162222
Sycamore2841557292113137163191248
Walnut, Black32456281102126153182213250
Pine, white20283850647895113128145
Spruce, Red19273647607490106125154
           

What Is the Weight of The Root ball?

Sometimes you might have to calculate the weight of the tree trunk, stump along with its root ball. This can be important if you have to uproot the entire stump along with its root ball and knowing the approximate weight is very important while hiring the machinery and the transportation.

The following table gives an estimate of the root ball weight of trees depending on their trunk diameter at breast height and the average diameter of the root ball itself. Keep in mind that these are only estimates and the real weight can vary depending on the tree.

Average diameter at breast heightRootball sizeWeight lbs
2-2.5”24-28”400
2.5-3”28-32”650
3-3.5”32-36”850
3.5-4”36-40”1200
4-4.5”40-45”1500
4.5-5”50-55”2500
5-5-5”55-62”3000
5-5-6”62-66”4000
6-7”66-72”5000-6000
7-8”72-76”6000
8-10”84-90”7000-8000

Conclusion

The weight of a tree stump depends on factors such as the height of the stump, its diameter, the species of the stump, and the size of its root ball. Multiply the volume of the stump with the wood density to get a weight estimate (V = 3.14*L*d2/4)

If you don’t want to calculate the weight yourself, you can also refer to the estimated stump weights above.

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