# Bandit 2890xp or Vermeer SC652



## ChippersTreeSvc (May 18, 2010)

Anyone own a 2890xp or SC652 stump grinder? I am considering on purchasing one here in the next month or so but I can't find a single review from each online. Yes i've checked google...


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## mattfr12 (May 19, 2010)

i would personally go with a bandit. dont ask me why but everytime i went down the vermeer road it turned out bad. everytime i went the bandit it was just general maitnence vermeer doesnt seem to be in the same league as the rest of them very limited on motor options. 


i had a vermeer chipper bc1000xl and stumper once sc352

thier ok machines but run that bc1000 beside a bandit 250xp or that 352 beside a comparable bandit or other stumper and you will see.

maybe i just had bad luck with vermeer but thousands of dollars are alot to have bad luck with.

my vermeer sc352c was a whole slew of problems that i had to pay for because the dealer wouldnt cover anything. motor mounts front drive shaft cutter wheel bearings. it cost me a few thousand to get it up to par and i only had less than 400 hours on it. 

the dealer told me all new machines are gonna have bugs to work out?? ya right i dont want them working out thier kinks on my dollar. 

i have a bandit stumper and a bobcat grinder attachment. bandit has over 1k in hours on it and never did anything but change teeth and fluids.

just my 2 cents.


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## lxt (May 19, 2010)

All bandits equip. is awesome! Vermeer is not what they claim, the only good thing from vermeer I have is the SC252 stumper & as far as stumpers go this model is a diehard & probably their best peice of equipment!!

as for the bigger stumpers I had a bandit, it was ok!! I would look at rayco or carlton too in the size your lookin at...they make some good stuff also!!!



LXT............


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## chips_r_flying (May 20, 2010)

ChippersTreeSvc said:


> Anyone own a 2890xp or SC652 stump grinder? I am considering on purchasing one here in the next month or so but I can't find a single review from each online. Yes i've checked google...




I own a Bandit 2800 and just recently demo'd the Bandit 2890. The extra HP is unbelievable! I'm going to be trading in my 2800 for a 2890, get them to demo one for you and you'll be impressed!


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## kiwidiesel (May 20, 2010)

mattfr12 said:


> i would personally go with a bandit. dont ask me why but everytime i went down the vermeer road it turned out bad. everytime i went the bandit it was just general maitnence vermeer doesnt seem to be in the same league as the rest of them very limited on motor options.
> 
> 
> i had a vermeer chipper bc1000xl and stumper once sc352
> ...



My Vermeer sc352 Diesel engine failed after 480 hrs, still inside the warranty period. The centre cylinder wore out so badly you could rattle the piston around in it. The agent blamed over fuelling, which caused over heating leading to premature wear and said it wasnt covered by the warranty.
I had to buy a new engine to keep the machine operating and the outcome was no replacement from the agent. It will be Bandit from now on. The local agent backs his product and values his customers.


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## mattfr12 (May 20, 2010)

kiwidiesel said:


> My Vermeer sc352 Diesel engine failed after 480 hrs, still inside the warranty period. The centre cylinder wore out so badly you could rattle the piston around in it. The agent blamed over fuelling, which caused over heating leading to premature wear and said it wasnt covered by the warranty.
> I had to buy a new engine to keep the machine operating and the outcome was no replacement from the agent. It will be Bandit from now on. The local agent backs his product and values his customers.



thats the same kinda stuff that happened to me with all of thier equipment i was never impressed with thier customer support or warranty. when i worked for bartlett we had like 6-8 bandit 200xps and one bc1000xl and the last guy to show up to the shop always ended up with the vermeer.

and after i got stuck with it once i found out why. 

when the vermeer dealer wanted to know why i wouldnt buy one of thier chippers again i told them this story and his answer was they didnt know how to operate it.

thies are guys that some of them have over 20 years experience

they routed the exhaust out of thier chipper shout where the chips are discharged? on a cold morning we would start the chippers at the shop and tow them running to get them warmed up.

you know how many people blew thier horns waiving thier hands thinking it was on fire.

i was always like no not on fire just junk.

on the sc352 they didnt warranty anything for me i think it cost me almost 500.00 because it needed some motor mount upgrade??
to me thats bad design on thier part and they should cover it 100%


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## kiwidiesel (May 21, 2010)

kiwidiesel said:


> My Vermeer sc352 Diesel engine failed after 480 hrs, still inside the warranty period. The centre cylinder wore out so badly you could rattle the piston around in it. The agent blamed over fuelling, which caused over heating leading to premature wear and said it wasnt covered by the warranty.
> I had to buy a new engine to keep the machine operating and the outcome was no replacement from the agent. It will be Bandit from now on. The local agent backs his product and values his customers.



My engine had an overheat alarm fitted. If the engine was overheating the alarm would have shut it down. It was just a cop out on someones part when it came to honouring a warranty.


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## Bigstumps (May 26, 2010)

Face it - the engine warranties are covered by the engine manufacturers - Rayco, Bandit, Vermeer - will all tell you that.

If a diesel injector is bad, it usually won't atomize the fuel correctly, this causes an incomplete burn in that cylinder. The excess fuel washes the oil film from the cylinder walls and causes excess wear - making the piston loose in the bore.

Depending what caused the injector to go bad would determine warranty. Bad fuel or water in the fuel can cause this.

The problem is - if this was the scenario - the operator would have seen the engine running poorly hours before damage was done. I have seen many operators continue to run stuff and cause this kind of damage.

All that said - I'd buy a Rayco or Carlton. The Vermeers aren't built heavy enough and the Bandit pricing is out of line and their machines look like copies of my old RG50.


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## treeclimber101 (May 26, 2010)

I own a Sc252 a 665B a 352 a 1800 and a 1230a the 352 is the single biggest piece of :censored: that I have ever owned , three gear boxes at least 20 broken motor mount bolts sheared over 5 yrs two clutches and only 1000hrs , they are what will now make me think of switching brands for stump machines really for 26,000 they should at least stay together for 1000hrs .....There service now officially sucks and guess what Morbark is no better , they are built with light metal and crack in places machines shouldn't crack..


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## ChippersTreeSvc (Nov 18, 2012)

2 years later, we finally decided to go with Vermeer sc852. Every time i would look for a used sc652 or bandit 2890xp in google, i would run into this post so I figure I would update this. We have a Vermeer 2008 bc1800xl and a 2006 Vermeer 1500 and I have nothing but good to say. We have a 2006 Bandit 1290h and it seems to give us more problems than the Vermeer.


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## a1stump (Jul 23, 2013)

*Sc352*



ChippersTreeSvc said:


> 2 years later, we finally decided to go with Vermeer sc852. Every time i would look for a used sc652 or bandit 2890xp in google, i would run into this post so I figure I would update this. We have a Vermeer 2008 bc1800xl and a 2006 Vermeer 1500 and I have nothing but good to say. We have a 2006 Bandit 1290h and it seems to give us more problems than the Vermeer.



I have a 2006 SC352, originally buyer with 1350 hours on it now. One broken motor mount and a drive chain. That's it. The broken motormount was completely my fault, I was in a hurry and hopped it up on a nasty big black locust stump! The factory maintenance schedules are skewed, you must over maintenance these machines depending on areas you work in, you might have to change air filters 3 times a month if you are in a ton of dust. Keep your teeth sharp, yeah they are expensive, get your prices up, sharp teeth are key!
I run a sc50tx that I bought used with 700 hours. I have changed just about everything on this machine. Rebuilt engine, new gearboxes, hydraulic pump, tracks, track guides, track rollers, all hoses, wire harness, drive shaft, computers, countless hydraulic valves and o-rings, etc.,
All the damage was done because the previous owner had employees running the crap out of it! I have put 1600 hours on it myself and have not fixed the same problem twice. Maintenance is key!!!


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## TRISTATEFORESTRYEQUIPMENT (Jul 24, 2013)

being that i service these machines day in and day out i figured i would put my 2 sense in, i have a few vermeer stump grinders in stock . there good machines once the factory updates have been done, and like any machine if its maintaned the machine has a tendency to last, now for the bc1000. that and any other chipper vermeer ever made is the biggest pieces of junk on the planet ! i will not sell one, if i do end up taking one in on trade i drop it right off at a auction. now for the bandit stump grinders. like any new company, bandit is new at making stump grinders and i have seen some of there flaws come out but i would buy a bandit any day of the week over a vermeer. and then theres carlton , who makes the best quality stump grinders out there. a motto that i live by is you get what you pay for. good luck in your search and i would broaden your search to include a 7015 carlton 

just my input

thanks joe 

TriState Forestry Equipment - Home


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