# How to tow broken down Vermeer sc352



## daverehm (May 13, 2013)

My 352 died on me this morning. I bogged it down while grinding a huge oak and it cut off. When I tried to start it, Nothing. I replaced the starter three months ago, so I didn't think it was the battery. I engaged and disengaged the cutting wheel numerous times to make sure that was not the issue. The wheel was stuck in the stump, so I used a hydraulic lift to raise it and turned it a few times to make sure it was free spinning. Then I tried to jump it. It gave me a tick tick tick, which made me think the battery was dead/bad. I took the battery out and told the owner I would come back tomorrow with a new battery and finish the job. I bought a new battery, but kept the old one to charge at home and make sure it was bad. When I hooked it up, it was 95% full. CRAP! Now, I'm not sure what the deal is. I will check all the cables when I go back in the morning. I may even hook up the new battery to make sure that wasn't it. But, if I can't get it to crank, I can't get the cutting wheel up, can't move the stump grinder. It's over 2,000 lbs. does anyone know if there is a way to disengage the wheels and raise the cutting wheel without power? Any thought on why it won't crank? Thanks

David


----------



## TheJollyLogger (May 13, 2013)

daverehm said:


> My 352 died on me this morning. I bogged it down while grinding a huge oak and it cut off. When I tried to start it, Nothing. I replaced the starter three months ago, so I didn't think it was the battery. I engaged and disengaged the cutting wheel numerous times to make sure that was not the issue. The wheel was stuck in the stump, so I used a hydraulic lift to raise it and turned it a few times to make sure it was free spinning. Then I tried to jump it. It gave me a tick tick tick, which made me think the battery was dead/bad. I took the battery out and told the owner I would come back tomorrow with a new battery and finish the job. I bought a new battery, but kept the old one to charge at home and make sure it was bad. When I hooked it up, it was 95% full. CRAP! Now, I'm not sure what the deal is. I will check all the cables when I go back in the morning. I may even hook up the new battery to make sure that wasn't it. But, if I can't get it to crank, I can't get the cutting wheel up, can't move the stump grinder. It's over 2,000 lbs. does anyone know if there is a way to disengage the wheels and raise the cutting wheel without power? Any thought on why it won't crank? Thanks
> 
> David



Sure sounds like a loose connection somewhere. Before I went to panicing I'd check and clean all the electricals.Check voltage, and make sure the engine will turn over by hand.


----------



## B Harrison (May 13, 2013)

TheJollyLogger said:


> Sure sounds like a loose connection somewhere. Before I went to panicing I'd check and clean all the electricals.Check voltage, and make sure the engine will turn over by hand.



Tick Tick Tick sounds very fixable, might very well be a starter, but it sure sounds electrical to me.

Best of luck, hope you can at least get the stump finished.


----------



## daverehm (May 13, 2013)

What do you mean, crank be hand? I don't know of any way to get it to turn over without power. I will check everything in the morning.


----------



## jefflovstrom (May 13, 2013)

Jump it straight to the starter solenoid,, those usually go first.. 
Jeff


----------



## treemandan (May 13, 2013)

daverehm said:


> What do you mean, crank be hand? I don't know of any way to get it to turn over without power. I will check everything in the morning.



Put a wrench on the crank bolt and see if it turns the motor by using your hand to make sure the thing is not seized.


----------



## Cupocoffee (May 16, 2013)

I know you said you tried this but I had something similar happen a year ago and, of course, it was in a customers yard. I changed the battery, checked all the connections, etc. It turned out that when I turned the grinder off (which I rarely did) it would not start. It turned out that I simply left the electric cutter wheel switch engaged. It is part of the safety mechanism so we don't start the machine with the wheel engaged. It only took me a couple of hours to figure that one out. Good luck and let us know what happened. I do not know how to tow the grinder.


----------



## RVALUE (May 16, 2013)

A hydraulic piece of equipment can bind and hold the oil in such a way that it cannot be 'cranked' etc.

Try loosening a nut and letting off some fluid, in the appropriate place..


Not common, but possible.

Also check the safety switches. ( ie engaged, or lowered, etc.)


----------



## BC WetCoast (May 16, 2013)

jefflovstrom said:


> Jump it straight to the starter solenoid,, those usually go first..
> Jeff



+1


----------



## BC WetCoast (May 16, 2013)

We had to pull our stumper around a couple times, usually after the engine seized or the machine was rolled.

We have a small truck crane have often just lifted the machine onto a trailer. If you don't have access, you could get a tow truck (assuming you have vehicle access) to do the same thing. 

If you don't have far to move it, you could drag it on the cutter wheel (use the cutter wheel and free wheeling rears as a tripod), but I wouldn't want to do that very far.

You could also undo the hydraulic connections and raise the wheel, then drag the machine across the lawn.


----------



## CalTreeEquip (May 17, 2013)

I'm guessing you have taken care of this but just for the record. To move a hydraulic ram or motor without power simply open the control valve in the right direction and apply pressure. So it the cutter wheel is down and you need it up, operate the control lever in the right direction and lift the boom with a jack.


----------



## treeclimber101 (May 18, 2013)

I have an 06 352 when the engine went it was also an anchor , you can't jack the hydraulics on those machines , but what you can do is drop both the lines of the lift cylinder and jack it that way , and if you have to roll it, well then you have to drag it , they don't roll with 4x4 period .


----------



## KristianB (Aug 6, 2019)

Hate to hijack your thread but we are having similair problems with our Vermeer 372.. We replaced the Fuel Pump, Battery, Fuel Shutoff solenoid, Starter, oil pressure sending unit and oil pump. The grinder will spin over like a dead battery and then stops and wont turn over until we spin it over by hand. Can you help


----------

