# WHAT TO BUY....? BANDIT, VERMEER, RAYCO or CARLTON?



## AAASTUMPSERVICE

I have a great little stump grinder for those hard to reach stumps, called the APINE MAGNUM 088 GRINDER, it's awesome it can get anywhere and does great on even the larger stumps. I eventually would like to get a larger unit mainly because my machine takes some work to operate...after a 4' + stumps i'm worn out! Now if i were to get a bigger unit i want a big one...possibly the Bandit 2890xp or 2900xp. I have owned the vermeer sc252 and really hated how slow it drives and cuts, i wasn't all that impressed with the Vermeer brand it's self! If anyone could point me in the right direction or give me your opinion on a great stump grinder for large stumps please shoot me a post, THANK YOU!!!


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## NCTREE

I like carlton, I have a 4400-4 and its a work horse. The 7015 or 7015 with trx is the way to go in my opinion.


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## Mowingman

Here is my opinion on what to buy.
i have owned a Rayco1625 Super Jr., a Bandit 2900T, and a Carlton 7015TRX.
The Rayco machines are built stout and mine was very dependable. I did not buy another Rayco because the larger machines are very heavy, they have no track machine other than that little dinky one, and until recently, Rayco did not offer remote control. All the Rayco machines have a very slow ground speed. I would pass on Rayco.
My Bandit 2900 was an earlier model, but they have not changed much. It was very hard to work on anything. Hoses, and about everything else you might need to fix are very hard to get to. mine had some design problems, but Bandit did help me out on parts/kits to upgrade it. I did the work myself. The Hydraulic driven cutter on the bigger machines, is not as effecient at delivering power to the wheel as a belt drive machine. My current Carlton has 20 less HP and cuts much better than the Bandit.
My Carlton 7015 TRX is a fabulous machine. Fast travel, fast at cutting, very easy to service and maintain, will get into almost any location, remote is very easy to operate.
I think Carlton machine are all the standard, that everyone else wants to come up to. Carlton is way ahead in every aspect as far as I am concerned. The 7015TRX is in my opinion, probably the best all round stump grinder made right now.
Vermeer, forget it. Too many problems on their machines. Vermeer needs to get out of the stump grinder business. Their machines are sorry, compared to Carlton, Rayco, and Bandit.


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## howel07264

Carlton 4400,7015 or 7015trx. Make sure you get a remote unit. Stay away from lower horse gas models 2400 and 2700, way to slow.


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## AAASTUMPSERVICE

You're exactly right i have been looking into this very hard the past few days because i am in major need of a larger machine and i need it yesterday! The sp7015 is most likely the machine i will end up with but the price of a brand new one is $39,400 w/ Sandvik Dura Disc and Wireless Remote controls. Very expensive but i know its the best machine for my business. Anyone have any leads on a good used machine?
I also have a quote for a 44hp 4012 unit, its $29,950 with the same options.


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## Oly's Stump

I agree with Mowingman! If I were you I would buy either the 7015 with wheels or tracks with the sandvik wheel. You will be happy with Carlton. I have a 2006 8018 TRX that I use for lot jobs and bigger stump jobs. With the bad economy lot jobs don't come around much like they did. I have a 2008 Rayco RG50 super (RG66) that I use for residential jobs. I am looking to sell the Rayco to get the SP7015. Cannot find a buyer for the Rayco. I recently saw a good deal for a SP7015 on Ebay. It had very few hours for like $27,000. Once you use the wireless remote, you will never buy another machine without it. Talk about getting into tight areas, the Carlton's don't have a swing out control panel which limits the areas you can operate.


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## howel07264

AAASTUMPSERVICE said:


> You're exactly right i have been looking into this very hard the past few days because i am in major need of a larger machine and i need it yesterday! The sp7015 is most likely the machine i will end up with but the price of a brand new one is $39,400 w/ Sandvik Dura Disc and Wireless Remote controls. Very expensive but i know its the best machine for my business. Anyone have any leads on a good used machine?
> I also have a quote for a 44hp 4012 unit, its $29,950 with the same options.


 The 44hp. 4012 is a good machine. The only problem is that machine is only a 40" cutting arc and will grind 12" deep vs 70"x15" for the 7015 or 4400. This is a huge time saver. No repositioning on larger stumps plus deeper grind means you can get through bottom of stump without removing chip pile. Time is money.


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## howel07264

Oly's Stump said:


> I agree with Mowingman! If I were you I would buy either the 7015 with wheels or tracks with the sandvik wheel. You will be happy with Carlton. I have a 2006 8018 TRX that I use for lot jobs and bigger stump jobs. With the bad economy lot jobs don't come around much like they did. I have a 2008 Rayco RG50 super (RG66) that I use for residential jobs. I am looking to sell the Rayco to get the SP7015. Cannot find a buyer for the Rayco. I recently saw a good deal for a SP7015 on Ebay. It had very few hours for like $27,000. Once you use the wireless remote, you will never buy another machine without it. Talk about getting into tight areas, the Carlton's don't have a swing out control panel which limits the areas you can operate.


 
Oly, just curious as to why you would sell the 66hp. rayco and replace it with a 60hp 7015. I know the hyd drive on he rayco does not transfer the power like the carlton direct drive but what are the other differences?


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## jbarth636

the 60 HP 7015 is direct belt drive, it transfers more power to the wheel than the 66HP rayco, which means faster cutting.

Also the 7015 with a remote is much more maneuverable and easier to run that the rayco with swing out lever control panel

I know a guy that had to replace the hydraulic motor on his super RG50 and it was over 6 grand. Youll never have any mechanical failures like that with a belt and pulley system. 

Carlton hands DOWN


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## Oly's Stump

Jbarth said it perfect...I had a 2002 Rayco RG50 and the main pump went out so I traded it in as is. The pump alone was $4,500.00.


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## paccity

the nice thing about the 7015 60hp or any high hp machine is when ya get alittle lazy about keeping sharp bitts is you can still hammer through the stump.


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## howel07264

jbarth636 said:


> the 60 HP 7015 is direct belt drive, it transfers more power to the wheel than the 66HP rayco, which means faster cutting.
> 
> Also the 7015 with a remote is much more maneuverable and easier to run that the rayco with swing out lever control panel
> 
> I know a guy that had to replace the hydraulic motor on his super RG50 and it was over 6 grand. Youll never have any mechanical failures like that with a belt and pulley system.
> 
> Carlton hands DOWN


Your preaching to the choir. I have a 7015trx with 300 hours and a 4400 with 2000 hours. I forgot about the rayco not having remote. Had no idea that the hyd motor cost that much. From now on I won't ##### about paying $600 for a poly belt. Never have figured out why someone would pay MORE for a rayco or vermeer WITHOUT a remote.


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## paccity

yup, 1700hrs 7015 trx and still mowwin them down.


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## Panama

Oly's Stump said:


> I agree with Mowingman! If I were you I would buy either the 7015 with wheels or tracks with the sandvik wheel. You will be happy with Carlton. I have a 2006 8018 TRX that I use for lot jobs and bigger stump jobs. With the bad economy lot jobs don't come around much like they did. I have a 2008 Rayco RG50 super (RG66) that I use for residential jobs. I am looking to sell the Rayco to get the SP7015. Cannot find a buyer for the Rayco. I recently saw a good deal for a SP7015 on Ebay. It had very few hours for like $27,000. Once you use the wireless remote, you will never buy another machine without it. Talk about getting into tight areas, the Carlton's don't have a swing out control panel which limits the areas you can operate.


 
Yep, It was an even better deal at $24500. :biggrinbounce2:


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## Cupocoffee

I have a Vermeer SC352 with a 35 HP diesel engine. I have not come across anything I could not grind. I have seen some pretty negative comments about Vermeer but I have been pleased with the machine itself. The problem I have with it is that it is sooo slow transporting from my trailer to the job site. I live in Oklahoma and a lot of times a stump may be two hundred feet from my truck or stumps might be a hundred feet apart. This machine literally crawls and it takes forever to get from place to place. I would dearly love to have the Carlton SP7015. I have watched every video there is on YouTube and with the SP7015 I feel like I could get the job done at least 100% faster, not to mention that to get from the truck to the job would be three or four times faster. Also with the SP7015's 70" swing I would probably never have to reposition the machine. We rarely have stumps that big although I do have to chase roots now and then. I am retired and I enjoy stump grinding but I would LOVE stump grinding with an SP7015 but it IS a lot of money to pay for one.


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## deersniper17

CARLTON 4400. absolutely amazing little machine. 3000+ stumps and still goin strong.


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## stumped

howel07264 said:


> The 44hp. 4012 is a good machine. The only problem is that machine is only a 40" cutting arc and will grind 12" deep vs 70"x15" for the 7015 or 4400. This is a huge time saver. No repositioning on larger stumps plus deeper grind means you can get through bottom of stump without removing chip pile. Time is money.



The 60 hp is twice as powerful on the stump vs. the 44 hp. But 15" depth still isn't enough cause you are climbing the pile of chips as you move forward through the large stumps. I just use the spinning cutter wheel to move the chips out backwards and sideways before moving the grinder forward to avoid being too high above grade. When done grinding I use the backfill blade to push the chips back to the hole. BTW, my old 25 hp Kan-Du self-propelled went 24" deep.


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## Oldmaple

*Same question, What to buy?*

Not sure if I'm doing this right, reply or new thread, (new member). Am in the market for a newer stump grinder. Presently own a mid nineties Vermeer 206 on its third engine (it has ground alot of stumps). Am considering Bandit 2015, Carlton 4012, but just saw the Morbark G42. With Morbark I can get the Revolution grinding wheel as an option which I have read good things about. Bandit has greenteeth, Carlton has their own design. Anyone have the Morbark or have any opinions on it? Opinions on the other models would be appreciated.


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