Do you have a larges stump in your yard that you're tired of looking at? Does it feel like it's a magnet for being tripped over and/or it's a pain to mow around? When you get rid of a tree that was in a prime location, having a stump left there can make things look worse than you might expect. While some people are tempted to go grab a shovel and start digging away to remove the stump, the reality is that this probably isn't the best course of action. Unless the tree in question was a sapling, it's best to leave the actual removal to experts. The reasons for this are many, including the following:
Time: Digging a big hole always takes longer than people think it does. Instead of taking a matter of hours to unearth the entirety of the tree stump, it could actually take you several days' worth of hard work. Then you'd have to take out the stump and spend time filling the hole back in again. Stump removal professionals do this kind of thing on a daily basis and have access to both better and more varied equipment than the average person has. This means that they can get rid of the stump in just a few hours, just as you wanted.
Money: If all you have right now is a shovel or two, you're going to need to acquire quite a few more things before you'll be able to tackle getting rid of the stump. Depending on the ground and the stump in question, you might need things like pickaxes, pruning shears, saws, chains, and more. Then you likely have to pay to have someone haul the stump away for you. Adding all of it up, you'll discover that the removal process isn't nearly as cost-free as you'd initially expected. Of course, if you hire professionals to get rid of the stump on your behalf, they already have this equipment and it's rolled into their quote, bringing the cost of hiring someone down to be less expensive than doing it yourself.
Safety: You might already realize that cutting a tree down is dangerous; you probably had someone do the tree removal for you. But since the stump is at ground level, you might expect that everything is perfectly safe. This is not something that should be assumed. The deep holes needed for stump removal can be dangerous, especially if there are small kids in the neighborhood. They could fall in when the hole is unattended, hurting themselves in the process. You could be hurt by the various equipment needed to get the stump out of the hole. Chains can snap abruptly, damaging anything that happens to be in their path. Professionals can get rid of the stump without endangering your safety and with enough speed that you won't have to worry about any curious children getting hurt on your property.