# Stump Grinder Question



## Treecutr (Jan 5, 2010)

I have only had one person ask me to grind the stumps down over the last couple years I've been at this ( and they changed their minds so I didn't have to do it ). My question is how much of a pain in the ass is it to grind them down? I plan to rent one for an upcoming job ( 2 Pines ). I have a buddy who used one many years ago and said it was a slow pain in the butt. I know technology has gotten much better, and am hoping that helps me on this job. I figured I'd ask here. The guy who rents them should have a realitively new one as he has only been open a few years. Thanks for any help or tips. Also how long should it take per stump/ what should I charge. Rental is $125 a day, can't imagine it would take more than a 1 day rental. ( famous last words )


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## bruce6670 (Jan 5, 2010)

It depends on what grinder your using and if the teeth are sharp.

$125. per day sounds like a small grinder.Maybe you could find someone with something bigger. Just call the rental place and ask what horse power stump grinder they have and then you can make a better decision.


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## Ellistrees (Jan 5, 2010)

*Be careful renting a grinder or sub it out.*

Most rental places have rock teeth and very undersized motors. Which makes it quit time consuming to grind most stumps but works for the homeowner who doesn't really count his time. 
Though pine stumps do grind pretty easy.
I beleive most professionals either sub the work out to some one that has their own grinder or purchase their own grinder. 
If you get a reasonable size grinder with sharp teeth, not rock teeth, it becomes pretty easy money.
I finally bought my own grinder attachment for my skidsteer so now all I've got to do is push a few buttons and clean up the chips. 
A 24" pine should take less than an hour grinding 3-5" below ground.
I normally like to charge $1.30 per inch and that is measuring the diameter but add about 3" to the radius for every 1" below ground. So for an average 24" trunk will be 48" wide 4" below grade. which is $62.4 but I also don't bring out the grinder for less than $100 and that is only if I'm taking the tree down.
Hope this helps.


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## danieltree (Jan 6, 2010)

The only way I was able to make any money renting a grinder was if I had a lot of stumps lined up(10+). You might be better off subbing out the grinding if its only two stumps.​


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## lxt (Jan 6, 2010)

danieltree said:


> The only way I was able to make any money renting a grinder was if I had a lot of stumps lined up(10+). You might be better off subbing out the grinding if its only two stumps.​



This is the way I was doing it for awhile then it gets old real quick, at the end of the year you start looking at the $$$$ spent on rental & its ugly.

honestly for 2 stumps.....Id pass those on to another reputable service, you wont make enough to justify your time. If they`re big!!!! depending on the rented machine & what you bid....you may wish you passed them off!


Good luck!


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


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## treemandan (Jan 6, 2010)

YES! That's it! A pain in the ass! That's why the phrase " stubborn as a stump" was coined.
I think those machines cost the most to operate. They take the most beating. The actuall work takes a good amount of time to do it right and to be able to charge the HO for actually doing something.
Get out there with a rental unit and it don't work and it blows your profit caue you are paying by the day? That is gonna suck.
Got to clean it up to, unless you only charged 50 bucks.


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## tree MDS (Jan 6, 2010)

Ellistrees said:


> Most rental places have rock teeth and very undersized motors. Which makes it quit time consuming to grind most stumps but works for the homeowner who doesn't really count his time.
> Though pine stumps do grind pretty easy.
> I beleive most professionals either sub the work out to some one that has their own grinder or purchase their own grinder.
> If you get a reasonable size grinder with sharp teeth, not rock teeth, it becomes pretty easy money.
> ...



This part about the rock teeth, are those the ones with the circular shaped cutters?? We rented a vermeer 232 (or whatever it is) with those, (couldnt get a sub on short notice) they looked sharp, but it was the slowest thing I've ever seen. I'm never renting a stump grinder again it was so embarrassing. I didnt use it personally, but it still sucked having that thing on my jobsite.


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## Blakesmaster (Jan 6, 2010)

tree MDS said:


> This part about the rock teeth, are those the ones with the circular shaped cutters?? We rented a vermeer 232 (or whatever it is) with those, (couldnt get a sub on short notice) they looked sharp, but it was the slowest thing I've ever seen. I'm never renting a stump grinder again it was so embarrassing. I didnt use it personally, but it still sucked having that thing on my jobsite.



I think he was talking about rock"ed" teeth, as in dull ones, MDS. And I believe you're referencing Greenteeth which I've only heard great things about. I'm actually wanting to set up my 630B with them eventually. Could it be that you just weren't used to the "MASSIVE" power of that little machine? What do you usually run?


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## tree MDS (Jan 6, 2010)

Blakesmaster said:


> I think he was talking about rock"ed" teeth, as in dull ones, MDS. And I believe you're referencing Greenteeth which I've only heard great things about. I'm actually wanting to set up my 630B with them eventually. Could it be that you just weren't used to the "MASSIVE" power of that little machine? What do you usually run?



No, it was sharp. And I thought they looked like greenteeth as well. 

"Massive power". LOL! thing took like a half hour to do a 14" birch stump - and when it was done you could barely fit a hunk of sod into the "hole" without it sticking up. 

If those things are really that lame I wouldnt give a sack of moldy beer cans for one. lol

I usually sub out a buddy with a diesel SC 352 (which is what I want eventually). not an absolute animal, but it does a good job.


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## ozzy42 (Jan 6, 2010)

Blakesmaster said:


> I think he was talking about rock"ed" teeth, as in dull ones, MDS. And I believe you're referencing Greenteeth which I've only heard great things about. I'm actually wanting to set up my 630B with them eventually. Could it be that you just weren't used to the "MASSIVE" power of that little machine? What do you usually run?



My cousin put a set of the new yellow jackets from vermeer on his 630 and said they were awsome.

Just switched my lil 252 to them ,and it is the difference between night and day.I wished I woud have done it a year ago.

I don't know it for a fact ,but the vermeer guy said thay are also lighter than the greenteeth set up.


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## Treecutr (Jan 6, 2010)

Well I think I'm gonna look to sub it. My only problem might be that almost all the stump grinders in the area are other tree services, they may not want to do just the stump, but I'll give it a shot. Still goaat wait on the HO to confirm the deal anyways. Thanks a ton for all the info, hope it helped others too.


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## BC WetCoast (Jan 6, 2010)

Two ways to look at it. If you are busy, it's a pain in the butt, not very profitable with a rental machine and better to sub it out. 

However, if you don't have much other work, it can be a good learning experience. Set a rate so you at least make a few bucks.

We have a diesel walk behind unit, but will occaisionally rent a Home Depot Bluebird special for stumps with tough access. As long as the teeth are sharp and the brake works, I could grind a 12" pine in less than 20 minutes.


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## tomtrees58 (Jan 6, 2010)

ozzy42 said:


> My cousin put a set of the new yellow jackets from vermeer on his 630 and said they were awsome.
> 
> Just switched my lil 252 to them ,and it is the difference between night and day.I wished I woud have done it a year ago.
> 
> I don't know it for a fact ,but the vermeer guy said thay are also lighter than the greenteeth set up.



i will look in to them i have a 630 b tom trees


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## ozzy42 (Jan 6, 2010)

tomtrees58 said:


> i will look in to them i have a 630 b tom trees



http://www.vermeermidatlantic.com/Parts_Specials/promo_pdf/YellowJacketFlyerCorp2.pdf

I think you will like them.
They cut geat ,and you can change the teeth with a 9/16 socket anda 3/8 ratchet after the initial instalation of the new setup. 

One flaw.Make sure you run the bolts in by hand when installing the pockets.
Seems there was a few that got through that weren't tapped all the way through. i destroyed one pocket and one bolt by not checking them first.


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## tomtrees58 (Jan 6, 2010)

ozzy42 said:


> http://www.vermeermidatlantic.com/Parts_Specials/promo_pdf/YellowJacketFlyerCorp2.pdf
> 
> I think you will like them.
> They cut geat ,and you can change the teeth with a 9/16 socket anda 3/8 ratchet after the initial instalation of the new setup.
> ...


thanks ozzy42 tom


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## Ellistrees (Jan 6, 2010)

*Other tree companies usually are glad to help*



Treecutr said:


> Well I think I'm gonna look to sub it. My only problem might be that almost all the stump grinders in the area are other tree services, they may not want to do just the stump, but I'll give it a shot. Still goaat wait on the HO to confirm the deal anyways. Thanks a ton for all the info, hope it helped others too.



If the other tree companies has their own stump grinder, they should welcome the extra work this time of the year. I grind for the other guys around here, actually give them a little of the cut too.
You could probably work out a good relationship by giving them a little of the work.
Stump grinding is easy money but only with the right equipment and there is a lot of under rated equipment especially at the rental yards.


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## ChipDoogle (Jan 7, 2010)

*StumpGrinding*

I have used those little machines,WASTE OF TIME!!! And like a lot of the guys said unless you have a lot of stumps I would sub that out. I rent one from a very reputable place, but only when I am doing land clearing, i.e. multiple stumps,or during the busy season I line my stumps up once a month, and bill the customers seperate for the stumps. Basically I bid the removal price and tell them I will come back within a certain time line and what the price for the grinding is. For a few stumps if they want them removed right then and there I charge as much as 100 a foot. 

And the ONLY machine I use now is the RAYCO RG70 It will demolish anything. I have ground down a 3 foot dbh white ash in less than 20 minutes, and thats 6 inches below the ground. I have used the same machine during land clearing. I ground 34 stumps 4" to 24" average around 10" to 12" In 2 hours. It is the F#$%*& Stump Terminator. 

So in short don't be discouraged by those little dinky 25hp stump grinders, they are a joke unless your grinding 8" pine trees.


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## BC WetCoast (Jan 9, 2010)

ChipDoogle said:


> I have used those little machines,WASTE OF TIME!!! And like a lot of the guys said unless you have a lot of stumps I would sub that out. I rent one from a very reputable place, but only when I am doing land clearing, i.e. multiple stumps,or during the busy season I line my stumps up once a month, and bill the customers seperate for the stumps. Basically I bid the removal price and tell them I will come back within a certain time line and what the price for the grinding is. For a few stumps if they want them removed right then and there I charge as much as 100 a foot.
> 
> And the ONLY machine I use now is the RAYCO RG70 It will demolish anything. I have ground down a 3 foot dbh white ash in less than 20 minutes, and thats 6 inches below the ground. I have used the same machine during land clearing. I ground 34 stumps 4" to 24" average around 10" to 12" In 2 hours. It is the F#$%*& Stump Terminator.
> 
> So in short don't be discouraged by those little dinky 25hp stump grinders, they are a joke unless your grinding 8" pine trees.




If you have the room to maneuver.


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## fishercat (Jan 9, 2010)

*i agree.*



lxt said:


> This is the way I was doing it for awhile then it gets old real quick, at the end of the year you start looking at the $$$$ spent on rental & its ugly.
> 
> honestly for 2 stumps.....Id pass those on to another reputable service, you wont make enough to justify your time. If they`re big!!!! depending on the rented machine & what you bid....you may wish you passed them off!
> 
> ...



i quit screwing with stumps.i hire it out or recommend someone.


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## D Mc (Jan 9, 2010)

If you are in the market to buy a stump grinder or are interested in a small stump grinder that is capable of doing most of what the big boys can as easily and *quickly* but is still maneuverable in tight areas, take a look at the Kandu. 

We have been using this model for about 16 years. Fantastic machines. 

http://kan-dustumpgrinder.com/ 

Dave


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## ChipDoogle (Jan 9, 2010)

BC WetCoast said:


> If you have the room to maneuver.



The RG70 will fit thru a 36" gate if you take the outer wheels off the front, which come off fairly quick.


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