# Carlton stump grinders



## alott (Feb 23, 2004)

Looking to purchase self propeled stump grinder. Have used vemeer 252 ,seams to lack a little , been looking at carlton 2500 seams like a well built machine ,wondering if any body has used on and what they thought .


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## Dadatwins (Feb 23, 2004)

Have used a new Carlton 2500 at work and was not that impressed with it. It seemed to not hold position as well as old rayco 1620 that I owned privately. Carlton had to have wheels blocked to stop moving back. This was a new machine and was like that from start. I sold my 1620 and bought new rayco 1625 super and have been happy so far. Has about same cutting speed as carlton. Carlton much heavier machine to trailer also. This model has hill brake that holds wheels in place on slope so no blocking wheels or driving rod in ground. Only thing missing that carlton and old rayco had is extending front axle. Mine is fixed axle with hydro steering. See if you can find rental place that carries each and try them on a job.


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## dbeck (Feb 23, 2004)

we use a carlton 2700 @ work. great machine. more stable than the 252(4wheels). Crappy teeth come on the machine. They bend and break, weactually had two fly off during operation. I'm convinced they would have killed someone if they had been hit. We now use green teeth and so far are happy. this is a liquid cooled machine which is nice in summer. also, it hasplenty of power.


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## ScottyStump (Feb 23, 2004)

I have a 1625, very nice although I need to change the front-end to a wider mount with (2) wheels, has positraction.

So far so good.


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## Lumberjack (Feb 23, 2004)

We have a RG 50 and a RG 85. I would recommend the RG 50. Both tires lock up in low speed. It gets the job done, and has enough power to get the job done. But then you got the RG 85, now thats a hawse!!


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## wiley_p (Feb 23, 2004)

We're running a RG50 great machine, heavy though, and when I get it stuck it's buried. Solving that problem now, putting a retrieveal winch on the back where the travl pin goes on the trailer.


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## OutOnaLimb (Feb 23, 2004)

I have used the Carltons and I can testify to the fact that they will suck up a 50ft garden hose in about .47 seconds. Oh and it sucks having to cut all that hose off of the cutter wheel with a pocket knife

Kenn


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## Dadatwins (Feb 24, 2004)

> _Originally posted by OutOnaLimb _
> *I have used the Carltons and I can testify to the fact that they will suck up a 50ft garden hose in about .47 seconds. Oh and it sucks having to cut all that hose off of the cutter wheel with a pocket knife
> 
> Kenn *



Should have put the cutter wheel in reverse!


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## Lumberjack (Feb 24, 2004)

> _Originally posted by wiley_p _
> *We're running a RG50 great machine, heavy though, and when I get it stuck it's buried. Solving that problem now, putting a retrieveal winch on the back where the travl pin goes on the trailer. *



The only time that I got the RG50 stuck was when I took it down into a drainage ditch, and it couldnt drive out (not a suprise). Other times when in the mud, we use the boom to pic up the rear, and either slide in 2x12"s or simply swing the end around to solid ground. It isnt to heavy IMO, most of the time i can push it through the mud without a problem. 

The 85 we managed to go out and get it buried, so we bought a 9000 Warn winch on a multi mount, and with a 2" tow strap we can anchor it to a tree or anything for that matter. We also got a battery (deep cycle) to power the winch, so we could have it mounted to a tree instead of fighting it on the grinder, in the mud.


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## Lumberjack (Feb 24, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Dadatwins _
> *Should have put the cutter wheel in reverse! *



I am not sure if you are kiddin, but that is possible and rather easy to do on hydraulic driven cutterwheels that are driven by a variable displacement pump.

Those wheels will suck up alot in a hurry!!


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## Dadatwins (Feb 24, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Lumberjack _
> *I am not sure if you are kiddin, but that is possible and rather easy to do on hydraulic driven cutterwheels that are driven by a variable displacement pump.
> 
> Those wheels will suck up alot in a hurry!! *



Yeah I was kidding about putting little machine in reverse but it would be nice. I grabbed up about 50' of CATV in my wheel, marks were 10' from my grind but I grapped a dead line that was never removed. Lost about 3 hours of clipping wire on a $50.00 job.  I have used that trick on the big hyro job cutter and and it worked great to unwind some vines once.


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## Lumberjack (Feb 24, 2004)

But when you do reverse it, one must be carefull as the wire can be buried in the wraps, and suck the wire in backwards. Kinda like on a winch where the lower layers weren't wrapped under tension, and the upper wraps push between the lower wraps, and get stuck.


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