# Looking at a Vermeer 665 stump grinder



## ziggo_2

Hi all. Im looking into buying my first stump grinder, that said i seen a vermeer 665 grinder for sale and i was wondering what should i look for (known problems and such) It has a 65hp wisconsin, which a friend of mine says are hard to keep running right... also says the chain for the cutter wheel is hard to keep oiled....hes had two of them. What you say?


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## arbor pro

I had a 1981 665a with the deutz diesel rather than the wisconsin gas. It was a good machine with few problems. I have no experience with the gas model.

I ran 1100 series greenteeth on it and it was a grinding beast! (sold it last year due to lack of use and now just use my vermeer 252).


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## Bigus Termitius

Hey AP, was it just too hard to get to the stumps being that big, or you just weren't getting big stumps often enough? 

I'm looking at one too, it does look beasty. It's got the wiscon engine. I'm wanting an older monster first, I've got good rates if I need to rent a 252. Access is rarely an issue here and the 252 is great on small to medium, but the larger stumps really need something more and the bigger machines are harder to rent.


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## arbor pro

Bigus Termitius said:


> Hey AP, was it just too hard to get to the stumps being that big, or you just weren't getting big stumps often enough?


 
It was a combination of the two. I do mostly small to medium removals so I only get the really big stumps occassionally. My 252 is a wonderful machine with 1100 series greenteeth on it. It can grind a 60" stump in about 30-45 minutes. I just couldn't justify having the big grinder sit around while only getting used a handful of times a year. I originally purchased it to do a city contract but have been outbid on that the past 2 years.

I do miss the big grinder and would like ideally to get a 60hp self-propelled machine - hopefully next year and then I'll sell the 252. The 665A diesel is a good machine. I had mine easily paid for the first year by hammering out some 500 city stumps.

Getting to the stumps with a big tow behind is always an issue. That's why I love the 36" wide 252. That said, I pulled my 665 with a 6cyl Olds Bravada with a really short wheel base. I could really maneuver the grinder easily with that thing and it pulled easily.

AP


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## MOE

If you are looking at older tow behinds, I'd look at a rayco 1665 ac. They are also 65 hp but they are narrower and lower. I have one and it's a great machine. mine has poly belt drive rather than chain.


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## Mowingman

I think a tow-behind is a terrible choice for a stump grinder, IF, it is the only machine you will have. You may actually lose half of your potential business, due to the inability to get that big clunker into tight locations. Many customers do not want your truck on the lawn either.
The Wisconsin engine is also a deal breaker. They are very hard to keep running, due to the lack of readily available parts. There is virtually no dealer support for those old Wisconsins.
It is not a good deal, even if it were nearly free. Go look for a used, self-propelled machine, with a more well supported engine, like a Kohler.
Jeff


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## prentice110

I have an 83' 665a. Its on its second motor. First one was replaced in 91'. The older ones like mine had a weak chassis and it broke off a foot and a half in front of where the tire mounts. I had both sides beefed up and added some gussets here and there. Other than that its a fantastic dinosaur. The Wisconson gasser needs to have its oil changed every 30 hours like religion, thats just the nature of the beast on an air cooled motor doing what those do. If you get it change the little baby chain oiler over to something bigger like an old small engine gas tank. Oh and upgrade the teeth if it still has those BS gauge step shanks.


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## Mark Schenkel

arbor pro said:


> I had a 1981 665a with the deutz diesel rather than the wisconsin gas. It was a good machine with few problems. I have no experience with the gas model.
> 
> I ran 1100 series greenteeth on it and it was a grinding beast! (sold it last year due to lack of use and now just use my vermeer 252).


_"sold it last year due to lack of use and now just use my vermeer 252"_
Really. I would have thought for any decent sized (24"+ diameter), easily accessible stump you would have used the larger 65HP. I have a 252 and am looking for a larger machine because the 252 takes so long on large stumps.


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## Steve-Maine

ziggo_2 said:


> Hi all. Im looking into buying my first stump grinder, that said i seen a vermeer 665 grinder for sale and i was wondering what should i look for (known problems and such) It has a 65hp wisconsin, which a friend of mine says are hard to keep running right... also says the chain for the cutter wheel is hard to keep oiled....hes had two of them. What you say?


I had two that had the Deutz Diesel. You wont like the Wisc 65 HP. Not much of a engine.


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