# Proud owner of a 4012 44hp grinder and am looking for all the tips and tricks!



## dontbthatguy (Jun 21, 2016)

As the tittle goes, I just purchased a used 2014 Carlton 4012 44 kubota stump grinder. This is an uprgrade from my current 1625. It was time to make the jump. 

I demoed it on a 4 foot oak stump and it ground it down twice the depth and in about half the time. 

It doesn't haven too many bells and whistles, no blade or remote, only 4x4. 

There were a few things I wasn't crazy about, it is a little hairy how big the motor is and how it feels likes wants to go over on a chip pile or hill. 

Also unless your in low gear, your not going anywhere once those chips pile up in front of the drive motors. And lastly the swing seems really small it felt almost smaller than my 1625.

But I was drooling over how fast she can eat wood. I ground a small one foot stump, something my 1625 would do in 5-10 min, under a minute. 

But here I am hoping to hear what 4012 owners or operators have to say about their machines. 

Routine maintenance, Greasing routines, Any dos or dont's regarding the machine. 

Also, what are people running for teeth? It currently has green teeth 1100's, but I would like to down grade them to 900's as I have a bunch of them ready to go. I also want to upgrade to the quad wheel in the future. 

Also does anyone have the attachable push blade? I am hoping to hear some positive reviews on it. And if so will buy one. 

Thanks in advance! any information will be greatly appreciated.


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## Creeker (Jun 21, 2016)

*Congrats on the purchase dbtg,* it will be a very good all rounder that is fairly good to get into smaller house yards and thru' 3' wide gates with singles wheels on it.

Quad wheels, I guess you mean it only has singles at the cutter end - if so the first thing, is to get the duals on it, it'll be far to high a centre of grav. w/o then. I avoid at all costs running mine w/o duals - always !

I don't think it will be that dear to fit the duals, fairly straight forward job you will be able to do in < 1 hr.

Lot more to talk about but out of time at the mo', will get back to you.


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 21, 2016)

Creeker said:


> *Congrats on the purchase dbtg,* it will be a very good all rounder that is fairly good to get into smaller house yards and thru' 3' wide gates with singles wheels on it.
> 
> Quad wheels, I guess you mean it only has singles at the cutter end - if so the first thing, is to get the duals on it, it'll be far to high a centre of grav. w/o then. I avoid at all costs running mine w/o duals - always !
> 
> ...



By quadwheel I mean the greenteeth cutting wheel they make. 

This machine does have the duel wheels on it. What is your process for taking them off? Do you use the cutter head to lift up the machine one wheel at a time?


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## Mowingman (Jun 21, 2016)

Yes, you can do it that way easily. Swing cutter head to one side, lift machine, remove wheel. Swing head to other side and repeat process. Sometimes I can get through a gate by only taking one dual off. If so, I usually just leave it off while grinding, then reinstall after passing back out of the gate.


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## MSgtBob66 (Jun 21, 2016)

Congratulations on the new machine! I was dreaming about a Carlton 7015, but they seem rarer than hens teeth around here, especially used. What is the swing on a 4012? I just bought a Rayco RG45X, same 44 HP engine, 60" swing. Currently have the Rayco super teeth on it, I have a bunch from my 1625, my greenteeth setup will directly transfer over minus missing 6 teeth (18 vs 24), I'll fill that gap with super teeth for now. I think my RG45X is something like 4 times faster than the 1625, even with the greenwheel. I like the greenwheel smoothness, the unit impulses are faster than the stock wheel with Greenteeth. Enough! Congratulations on the new machine!


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## Topbuilder (Jun 22, 2016)

dontbthatguy said:


> By quadwheel I mean the greenteeth cutting wheel they make.
> 
> This machine does have the duel wheels on it. What is your process for taking them off? Do you use the cutter head to lift up the machine one wheel at a time?



Don't use the hydraulic pressure if you don't need to. Keep a couple of short 2 x 4s handy. Drive up on them to install or remove duals. Safer, easier.


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 22, 2016)

Topbuilder said:


> Don't use the hydraulic pressure if you don't need to. Keep a couple of short 2 x 4s handy. Drive up on them to install or remove duals. Safer, easier.



Good tip. I'm hoping to deck out a cargo trailer and store my machine in there. I'll throw in a cheaper car jack for the wheel swaps.


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## Topbuilder (Jun 22, 2016)

Congratulations! I'm sure you will enjoy all the upgrades in power and productivity.


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 22, 2016)

MSgtBob66 said:


> Congratulations on the new machine! I was dreaming about a Carlton 7015, but they seem rarer than hens teeth around here, especially used. What is the swing on a 4012? I just bought a Rayco RG45X, same 44 HP engine, 60" swing. Currently have the Rayco super teeth on it, I have a bunch from my 1625, my greenteeth setup will directly transfer over minus missing 6 teeth (18 vs 24), I'll fill that gap with super teeth for now. I think my RG45X is something like 4 times faster than the 1625, even with the greenwheel. I like the greenwheel smoothness, the unit impulses are faster than the stock wheel with Greenteeth. Enough! Congratulations on the new machine!



One of the downsides of the 4012 is the sweep. It is only 40'' and feels tiny on such a large machine. It is something I can live with. I talked to the carlton dealer and the new generation of that size machine is the 5015 or something. It now has a bigger swing.


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 22, 2016)

Anyone running a 44hp engine with 900 series teeth? 

Mine has 1100 on it now and because of how many 900's I would love to...well downgrade as long as the drop off in power isn't too crazy. Also I plan on running a quad wheel on it next week which uses the 900's


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## Topbuilder (Jun 22, 2016)

I would think 900s is where you want to be.


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## Stumpefy (Jun 22, 2016)

dontbthatguy said:


> I'm hoping to deck out a cargo trailer and store my machine in there.



I tried to use a single axle enclosed trailer, but both the trailer and 4012 ended up weighing way more than advertised. Trailer title says 1075, but weighs 1380. 4012 literature says 1650lbs with the Kubota, but actually weighs 2160 with a quarter tank of fuel.


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## outdoorsman0490 (Jun 22, 2016)

900s are what I have on my rg1642 and they work great. Of course, I never ran if with 1100 for comparison


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 22, 2016)

Stumpefy said:


> I tried to use a single axle enclosed trailer, but both the trailer and 4012 ended up weighing way more than advertised. Trailer title says 1075, but weighs 1380. 4012 literature says 1650lbs with the Kubota, but actually weighs 2160 with a quarter tank of fuel.


Good to know. I planned on a tandem axle incase I wanted to go to a 7015 in the future.


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 22, 2016)

outdoorsman0490 said:


> 900s are what I have on my rg1642 and they work great. Of course, I never ran if with 1100 for comparison



Awesome. I'm leaning towards the 900s.


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## AlexEquip (Jun 22, 2016)

As far as the dual wheel removal, we usually just use the cutter wheel to lift the machine to take them off, it it has a plow you can lift all the wheels off the ground.


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 22, 2016)

AlexEquip said:


> As far as the dual wheel removal, we usually just use the cutter wheel to lift the machine to take them off, it it has a plow you can lift all the wheels off the ground.



Do you have any feedback on the attachable blade? I can't find any literature on it. It's an option I might pull the trigger or. 

Or uh try to make one myself.


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## Stumpefy (Jun 22, 2016)

I have the blade and don't care for it. Turning the machine around can put more ruts in the yard. If you don't push all the material in one push, you end up driving on it and packing it down more making it more difficult to finish up with a rake. Even on large stumps, I just use a pitchfork and hard rake to get the material into a pile.


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 23, 2016)

Stumpefy said:


> I have the blade and don't care for it. Turning the machine around can put more ruts in the yard. If you don't push all the material in one push, you end up driving on it and packing it down more making it more difficult to finish up with a rake. Even on large stumps, I just use a pitchfork and hard rake to get the material into a pile.



Your machine actually has a hydraulic blade right? 

Mine doesn't so I'm looking into an attachable one for the front. I'd hope it's easy to attach and works well but I haven't been able to get any feedback.


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## Stumpefy (Jun 23, 2016)

Yeah, hydraulic. I think you can buy one directly from Carlton that slips on the front.


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## Stumpefy (Jun 23, 2016)

You can see this one on a 7015.





And this one.


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## Mowingman (Jun 23, 2016)

My 4012 came with the hydraulic blade. It is mounted on the steering axle end. This type of factory setup is not something you could add after the fact, as a lot of welding, cutting and modification would be required. They may offer a kit version, but I am not sure. Personally, I would not waste my money on a blade mounted on the cutting head end. Look at how much space it takes up. It will always be in the way there. Mine just happened to have one on it when I bought the machine used.


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## Stumpefy (Jun 23, 2016)

The blade just slips on and off the front, but is probably pretty heavy.


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## AlexEquip (Jun 23, 2016)

Yes there is a blade that slips onto the cutter wheel boom, and in the past we have fabricated custom ones that flip down in front of the cutter wheel, I'll see if I can find some pics of those...


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## fatheadon1 (Jun 24, 2016)

I have the bandit Version of your machine 2450xp with the 44 kobota with 900 green teeth and they are great. I also keep mine in an enclosed with all my hand tools and I'm running out of room and looking to up grade but my 7x14 v nose has suit me well for three years


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 24, 2016)

fatheadon1 said:


> I have the bandit Version of your machine 2450xp with the 44 kobota with 900 green teeth and they are great. I also keep mine in an enclosed with all my hand tools and I'm running out of room and looking to up grade but my 7x14 v nose has suit me well for three years



That's great. I'm outfitting mine as we speak. I picked up a 7x16 08 haul-mark yesterday. Can't wait to save all that time not having to load, unload every day.

Doesn't seem like my 1500 likes the extra weight tho.


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## Mowingman (Jun 24, 2016)

I strongly suggest making some modifications to ANY BRAND of enclosed trailer you buy. Especially if it is an aluminum trailer with a fold-up ramp/door and wooden floor. The 4012 and 7015 grinders are both too heavy for your typical off-the-shelf enclosed trailer. The floor supports are not strong enough for either machine. The tailgate/ramp/door is not strong enough for either machine, as they come from the factory. I suggest buying a trailer that has swing-out barn doors, then building your own heavy duty loading ramps. With either machine, you get kind of a shock load right at the rear crossmember of the trailer when loading or unloading. Here is what I did to my 16', tandem axle trailer.
1. Put a retractable, loading support leg on each rear corner to stabilize trailer during loading and unloading. With the 7015, you will raise the back of a 3/4 ton pickup nearly off the ground when loading over the tail of the trailer. Not so much with the 4012.
2. I had a welder, box in the rear angle iron crossmember, to double the strength and absorb the shock load better.
3. I had a welder, box in all the other existing crossmembers.
4. Had an extra crossmember added where the rear tires of the 4012 sit, when machine is parked in the trailer. The machine bouncing in the trailer as you go down the highway will cause the floor to sag, and eventually destroy the plywood flooring.
5. Have the fold-down tailgate, if you have one, reinforced to handle the weight of whatever machine you are going to load and haul. Most tailgate ramps will barely handle a 1500 lb machine, let alone a large stumpgrinder.
I suggest these changes, based on my past experiences. In other words, I learned the hard way, and I started with a heavy duty steel trailer, not a cheaper aluminum type.
Jeff


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## fatheadon1 (Jun 24, 2016)

American hauler is the trailer to buy for a stump grinder the ramp door is rated for 4500 lbs and has a dovetail so it's a smooth transition no flap needed. My haulmark has gotten me 3 years with just a sheet of 3/4 under my grinder. But the time has come I'm ordering a bigger trailer to stuff my grinder in and a to be purchased Soon. With American hauler you can get gvw up to 16000 lbs also


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## Mowingman (Jun 24, 2016)

Yes, I have seen those trailers. They are very well built. A company called Sundowner, makes a very heavy duty all aluminum trailer, with heavy floor and fold down ramp door. However, it comes at a cost of around $8000.00 or more.


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## gorman (Jun 25, 2016)

I run a 4012 and one trick I've found is to extend the tongue all the way out when unloading the grinder from the trailer. It helps with the steep angle. 

I run a sandvik wheel so I can't speak to the greenteeth. 

Just try not to run the thing at a high angle.


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 26, 2016)

gorman said:


> I run a 4012 and one trick I've found is to extend the tongue all the way out when unloading the grinder from the trailer. It helps with the steep angle.
> 
> I run a sandvik wheel so I can't speak to the greenteeth.
> 
> Just try not to run the thing at a high angle.



When you say high angle, I believe the front to back scale turns yellow at 30• 

Do you try to stay in the white at all times? Or is it okay to run the yellow sometimes?


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## Stump Grinder52 (Jun 26, 2016)

Good luck with your machine,my machine has wireless remote,4 wheel drive,push blade and Sandvic wheel,great machine.How many hrs. on it?I would start off saying keep the jackshaft pillar and grinding wheel bearings greased,the owners manual says once a day.If i run mine all day i grease it twice a day.When you grease you pump grease to you purge[see grease come out],i would remove cover to jackshaft bearings and remove excessive grease,when you grease you can hear a popping sound when they purge.If you want to check your grinder bearings for wear,the easy way is to remove the cover to the poly chain,and squeese the poly chain,if the bearings are worn you can see the shaft lift up.I keep a spare fan belt, and jackshaft belt,[belt that drives from motor to jackshaft pulley] if they pop your dead in the water.I also keep an eye on my radiator,in a big grind they seem to plug up with chips,if it gets bad i routinely stop idle down and blow out both ways with my leave blower.Removing the dual wheels, i use down pressure,and use my cordless impact,both wheels off in about a minute.On a large stump i grind on the right side of stump first till drive wheel hits stump,drive forward apply down pressure swing grinder over.On grinder wheels, i would go to a Sandvic or Revolution wheel,most people run those Green Wheels Quad Wheels on low horsepower machines like the one you had.My last machine had 900 green teeth,i find this machine grinds faster and keeps 90 percent of the chips in the hole,i hardly ever tarp around stump .I don't know Shoreline Ct. is ,i deal with Shelter Tree in North Attleboro Ma. 508 809 6514 George is great people and will do anything to help you know matter who you bought it from.In fact i'm heading over there tomorrow will let you know about your blade if its feasible .


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## gorman (Jun 26, 2016)

George is the man. I deal with him too. He has walked me through repairs. 

I try not to ever get to 30 degrees. 15 or less if you can.


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## Stump Grinder52 (Jun 26, 2016)

I agree,stay in the white,and watch climbing and descending a hill, their a bit top heavy,i go either straight up or down.


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 27, 2016)

Stump Grinder52 said:


> Good luck with your machine,my machine has wireless remote,4 wheel drive,push blade and Sandvic wheel,great machine.How many hrs. on it?I would start off saying keep the jackshaft pillar and grinding wheel bearings greased,the owners manual says once a day.If i run mine all day i grease it twice a day.When you grease you pump grease to you purge[see grease come out],i would remove cover to jackshaft bearings and remove excessive grease,when you grease you can hear a popping sound when they purge.If you want to check your grinder bearings for wear,the easy way is to remove the cover to the poly chain,and squeese the poly chain,if the bearings are worn you can see the shaft lift up.I keep a spare fan belt, and jackshaft belt,[belt that drives from motor to jackshaft pulley] if they pop your dead in the water.I also keep an eye on my radiator,in a big grind they seem to plug up with chips,if it gets bad i routinely stop idle down and blow out both ways with my leave blower.Removing the dual wheels, i use down pressure,and use my cordless impact,both wheels off in about a minute.On a large stump i grind on the right side of stump first till drive wheel hits stump,drive forward apply down pressure swing grinder over.On grinder wheels, i would go to a Sandvic or Revolution wheel,most people run those Green Wheels Quad Wheels on low horsepower machines like the one you had.My last machine had 900 green teeth,i find this machine grinds faster and keeps 90 percent of the chips in the hole,i hardly ever tarp around stump .I don't know Shoreline Ct. is ,i deal with Shelter Tree in North Attleboro Ma. 508 809 6514 George is great people and will do anything to help you know matter who you bought it from.In fact i'm heading over there tomorrow will let you know about your blade if its feasible .




Awesome advice! I will absolutely stock the extra belts. Anything else to keep in stock for breakdowns?


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## dontbthatguy (Jun 27, 2016)

Stump Grinder52 said:


> I agree,stay in the white,and watch climbing and descending a hill, their a bit top heavy,i go either straight up or down.



That kinda stinks. I find myself doing a lot of hill stumps. I was almost thinking about mounting a couple of trailer jacks to the frame so I can jack up one side or the to level it out. Seems like it might be more work than it is worth.


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## Stump Grinder52 (Jun 27, 2016)

I talked to George at Shelter Tree since you have 4 wheel drive ,do you have a adjustable tung and and stake?If you don't you have an extra lever,that means you have an extra section on your valve body that could be plumbed to the blade system.My last grinder had a adjustable tung setup which i liked when you get up to the stump to grind you disconnected the drive wheels and you extended the tung as you made the plunge into the stump nice smooth operation.With the blade/4 wheel drive they elimated it which is ok.When i grind on a hill i grind up the hill and put a chock block and my blade down when able to so the machine won't slip away from the stump.I didn't mean to scare you on the top heavy issue,i just don't go up or down a steep slope side ways[common since].As far as parts go,when i bought the machine two years ago from Storrs Conn.,the owner gave ma a clevis/turnbuckle that goes on the linkage that the engagement connects to,said he had one break,i keep it in my truck but have never had a need for it.You should be good to go,happy grinding!!


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## Stump Grinder52 (Jun 27, 2016)

One last thing on maintenance,after running it hard,[grinding stumps]give it a 3/5 minute idle cool down,so turbo can cool down, i use Shell Rotella 15/40 in all my diesel engines.


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## no tree to big (Jun 28, 2016)

Fyi our 7015 weighs 4300 pounds according to our crane 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


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## dontbthatguy (Jul 7, 2016)

Had the 4012 out yesterday for what I thought would be a full day of grinding. 

I was home counting my money by 2! 

I am loving the power increase, even when I intentionally try to take larger bites to see if I can bog her down, it is hard to do so. I keep to my smaller bites so when I find rock, I don't total my teeth. 

I must say I miss the maneuverability of my 1625. The 4012 isn't that much longer, but the way she is weighted makes the front tires barely grip and there for hard to turn. I think there is a small issue with that turning cylinder as well. It is slow to shorten unless I am moving. 

Also the hydros on my rayco where much smoother. Even as I mess with he valve, just opening and closing the levers was much smoother and easier on my 1625. 

Either way I am happy and I'm sure I will get better as the learning curve gets easier.


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## dontbthatguy (Jul 16, 2016)

Question to anyone 4012 owners in this thread... When I disengage the clutch my wheel will spin freely for a long time unless I lower it into the dirt. 

I assume that is normal correct? My old rayco had the electric clutch which upon disengaging would slow the wheel down. 

I ask because I find myself cleaning chips out a lot in front of the machine, and when I do that I like to have the wheel disengaged.


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## Stump Grinder52 (Jul 16, 2016)

Should spin for a couple of minutes maybe four before stopping.Are you idling it down before you disengaging it? When at governed speed it's turning @ around 1300RPM,will take a while to stop.It's not turning when disengaged is it?If so you have to much tension on drive belt.


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## Creeker (Jul 16, 2016)

Apols, took a while to get back, comments are mostly a rehash of prev. quality posts of which there are many from experienced operators/owners. 

As said previously, idle down, then disengage or it will throw that belt, yes will spin for a while, bury it in pile to stop it, safest thing to do, I never work close to the wheel when it's rotating.

Going back a bit, Topbuilder mentioned 4x2's to take off the outside wheels of the duals, he was saying to drive up on the 4x2's with the inner wheels of the duals and this lifts the outer wheels off the ground, I never needed jacks in any facit of stump grinding.

Being lazy I just use the cutter head to lift wheels for removal, it isn't something I would have to do very often, less than once a week. With the drive wheels off the ground and the the socket on the big bolt head I will often use the wheel drive power to undo and then tighten it by operating the forward/reverse button of the remote. (Not applicable for your 4wd though.)

Re blades, always wished for one, the removable cutter head unit would be the best, less problematic than turning machine 180 deg. and not that heavy I'd guess, doesn't need to be heavy duty construction for the purpose. Mind you, a hydraulic steering axle end blade would be handy to stop the machine rolling backwards off the chip heap if you aren't on pristine lawn where it would mark it to much. Pro's and cons on this blade question. I find the spear thingummy a waste of time, never had success with it as it just moved in the ground and made a bigger hole. I wasn't in favour of hammering it in deep for better grip.

My 4012 33hp diesel had 700 teeth factory original, now run 900's, recommend them as much stronger than the 700's and much better cutting life. I'd say 1100's might be to big.

Trailers, mine was custom made, chainsaw/parts box on A frame, fold down rear ramps with legs that sit on ground when they are lowered, this supports all the weight as the machine rolls off the back of the trailer, I'll find a pic. or take one and put it up later. On the trailer the machine will move, even with the cutter wheel supporting weight, I always put a strap around it to hold it up against the front of the trailer.

Good tip to extend the wheelbase tongue when loading on the occasional steeper ground, as said reduces angle.

Re engine oil feed angle, on the sides of hills I never work anyway but up or down it, not across the side, and always with the engine nearest the top of the hill, do it the other way round and the engine, when deep in the ground hole, will have a much greater downward angle and be more likely to starve for oil.

Re greasing/purging bearings, this is a true story, when I first got the new machine I read the sticker on it "Grease daily to purging" was the message, I did this religiously even if only short days of 1 or 2 hours grinding, even less ! The cutter wheel bearings were bgrd in about 170hrs (from memory), I was p'd off !!. Local importer seller of the machine said I over greased the bearings, that idea also gained support on AS when I mentioned it in a thread. Now - I use about 1/2 that much grease, but always put 5-10 pumps of the (hand) grease gun in it before use ea. day, rarely purge them. The bearings in the two shafts have lasted longer that 170hrs. On a big day, ie > 4 hrs I will always give them a couple or three pumps during the day.
Who'd have thought you could over grease a bearing, I'm still sceptical on the whole issue !

Good advice to clear radiator with the blower, the motor will boil on a hot day if working hard and clogged up with light airborne wood/bark/dust particles from the job.

Re the clevis on the wheel engagement, I have had the L/H thread side break once, got a length of threaded rod and repaired it, since then carry a spare new clevis, not real big $$ and handy to have.

Re "Counting the dollars", I found the first 12 months was the honeymoon period with the machine, incoming bucks good and not a lot of outgoing maintenance $$'s, enjoy that but keep some $$ put away, you WILL need them later on.

All the best and enjoy the job, if it's quiet I did a bit of small tree work/falling to pad out the days, a pole saw is handy to own when going that direction.


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## Stumpefy (Jul 16, 2016)

I've changed my opinion on the back fill blade and now use it regularly. Here's a short video of mine in use:


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## dontbthatguy (Jul 17, 2016)

Creeker said:


> Re "Counting the dollars", I found the first 12 months was the honeymoon period with the machine, incoming bucks good and not a lot of outgoing maintenance $$'s, enjoy that but keep some $$ put away, you WILL need them later on.
> 
> All the best and enjoy the job, if it's quiet I did a bit of small tree work/falling to pad out the days, a pole saw is handy to own when going that direction.



What kind of stuff went wrong with your machine?


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## Stump Grinder52 (Jul 17, 2016)

Creeker,How many HRS. did you have on your machine when you bought it,was it new?170hrs. on cutter wheel bearings and worn out is unexceptable. Being a diesel mechanic/construction mechanic/retired as a lead tech/mechanic for a trucking co in 2012 with 42yrs. under my belt have yet to see a Link Belt/Pillar Bearing go out because of over greasing.The common practice is to grease to you see the bearing purge.This bearing set up was used on a lot of construction equipment 30 plus years ago.It is a old dependable set up,but is High Maintenance. Their are different kinds of bearings out there some are sealed which require no maintenance,some have seals,which you grease with a low pressure gun so you don't blow the seals out.Don't know why Carlton uses this set-up,there are better systems out there,i think it's because of cost.I would check the quality /spec of the grease your using.I never really seen these bearings run hot,in fact the bearings running the jack shaft run hotter. Dontbthatguy,bought my machine with 420hrs. i pulled the polly chain cover like i mentioned to you, and flexed the belt, the bearings had a lot of wear, which was a bargining chip when i bought it,ran it to 500hrs. before replacing them.Expect to get at least 500hrs before replacing,Carlton dealer,George says some go 1000hrs.,depends on maintenance and how hard you are on machine.One more thing, i have a Sandvic wheel on mine seems to be a little easier on wheel/bearings than my older machine with green teeth.


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## Stumpefy (Jul 17, 2016)

Stump Grinder52 said:


> Their are different kinds of bearings out there some are sealed which require no maintenance



Has anyone tried to switch to a sealed bearing on these machines? Surely there's a comparable sealed bearing available?



Stump Grinder52 said:


> Don't know why Carlton uses this set-up,there are better systems out there,i think it's because of cost.



Do any of the other manufacturers use a different type of bearing?


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## Creeker (Jul 18, 2016)

Pic showing legs on ramps, they contact the ground on lowering, works well and takes weight off all the other things.





Bought the machine new, now has about 650hrs. The multi V belt from engine to jack shaft is the worst thing on the machine, must have replaced that every 100-150hrs on average, doesn't seem to matter how often I check it's running true it will, out of the blue, drop one V over the outside of the big pulley and cut it off. The belt from jack shaft to cutter wheel shaft is still original.

Engine air cleaners X 2, changed them every 50 hours, oil filter & engine oil same, fuel filter every couple of 100hrs, cutters & shoulders have a limited life and changing them out costs some $$'s here. Hydraulic oil and filter occasionally. Under body pivot point changed them round 500hrs as engine was feeling sloppy to push on, could have got quite a bit longer on inspection but like to keep the machine right up there.

Hydraulic drive motor on left sprung leak from seals, (not worth repairing the experts said), that was close to Au $1,000 by the time I got it from US.

Replaced some of the toggle switches on cordless remote, grit gets in rubber water/dust proof seal and they hole eventually.

Is it a good machine, yes; it works hard and does large hardwood stumps regularly.


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## Creeker (Jul 18, 2016)

Found one of the old threads where my 4012 probs were discussed.

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/problems-with-carlton-kubota-4012.55964/#post-1589665


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## dontbthatguy (Jul 20, 2016)

There seems to be a lot of debate on the greasing of the bearings. 

Currently I am doing a few pumps every 3 hours or so. Only purging once a week. I feel like the jack shaft bearing nearing the v belt is running hot. I retensoned the belt to the point that it was slipping but it still seemed to be running warm. The grease will splatter and is grey and smells burnt to me. 

Any insight? I used the Lucas blue grease. Perhaps I should change to the red n tacky?


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## AlexEquip (Jul 20, 2016)

As far as most Carlton Grinders, Cutter wheel bearings should always be greased till they purge, this way you drive out all the water and dirt/debris that gets forced into them. Jackshaft bearings are grease till purge as well.


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## Mowingman (Jul 20, 2016)

I purge those big bearings every time I grease, which can be as often as every 4 hours in heavy grinding. Grease is cheap, bearings are not.
I have always used a red, hi temp. grease for my grinders.


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## Stumpefy (Jul 30, 2016)

I have a wireless 4WD 4012 and am getting stuck on chip piles. If one side of the machine loses traction (or I put one side at a time in the air) the wheels on that side spin, but the wheels on the ground do nothing. And when driving in low speed, it is really jerky, especially on pavement or getting on/off the trailer. High speed travel in fine.

Huey at Carlton first had me check the 3 solenoids and they were fine, so he had me replace the flow diverter cartridge, but it didn't help. Then he had me remove each of the other 3 cartridges and they all activate fine. He was out of ideas. Does anyone know more than Huey at Carlton about their hydraulic drive system?


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## Topbuilder (Jul 30, 2016)

I don't know the capabilities of your machine. Based on the videos I have watched and comments from tree services, it seems most people who grind do not carry a rake. Most people just keep grinding and regrinding their chip pile. I back the machine up every now and then, smooth out the pile, keeping it level and drive on top of it, the machine is always level. This keeps the chips from being thrown out in front. Makes clean up easier.


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## Stump Grinder52 (Jul 30, 2016)

I do the same as Topbuilder on the big stumps,on the smaller ones i keep going right to the end.Sandvic wheels don't throw many chips forward.On the jerkiness, try turning the ground speed [diverter valve] counter clockwise,that will slow your response time and take away your jerkiness.No more wheelies!!


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## Scooter101 (Aug 8, 2016)

So you have owned the 4012 a couple of weeks now, can you give us a update, what do you like and dislike about the grinder. Does it meet your expectations?


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## dontbthatguy (Aug 11, 2016)

Scooter101 said:


> So you have owned the 4012 a couple of weeks now, can you give us a update, what do you like and dislike about the grinder. Does it meet your expectations?



Hey Scooter I would love to!

I absolutey love it so far. It has cut my grind time in half. When I bought it I figure it would save me time but what I didn't realize is just how much time it has saved me. This allows me to bid the majority of my jobs 100-200 bucks lower landing a lot more work that I would have bid much higher with my older machine.

The 44hp motor with greenteeth is plenty of power for the work I do. I have yet to stall the machine, every reasonable bite I take, the machine powers right through it.

Also the fuel economy impresses me. I used 3/8's of a tank in a full day of operation.

If I had to nit pick on what I don't like about the machine, the handling would be my number one gripe. I find that because the majority of the weight is over the front tires, the rear tires (the ones that actually turn) get very little grip. Because of this the machine doesn't maneuver very well or at least compared to my rayco 1625. Also the rayco 's hydraulics were more user friendly. The ground speed on the carlton is twice as fast as my rayco.

Also the swing of the 4012 is feels small for such a large machine, but I can't really complain because carlton fixed that with the next gen "5014."

All in all the carlton 4012 took my business to the next level. I plan on putting at least 1000 hours on the machine and then maybe upgrade again to a 7015. But I will be honest I can't see wanting more power than I already gave. 44hp seems like just enough to do the largest of stumps while being small enough to fit into most back yards.

One more thing, when I first used the machine, and also a dealer mentioned this to me, the "top heaviness" of the machine was a concern. The machine when you first start using it feels like she wants to tip. But after logging 30+ hours on it, I find it is very stable. I don't push it too much and would turn down jobs on steep hills or precarious areas, but for the average stump, the large 44hp on a small frame seems very stable. I did opt for accident coverage just incase I ever get a little overzealous and tip her over tho 

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask. I can talk about that grinder all day!


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## no tree to big (Aug 13, 2016)

When they flip they are a ***** to get back because they are so top heavy.... if you are driving sideways on a hill you can swing the wheel over and help your stability 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


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## dontbthatguy (Aug 16, 2016)

I have 3 service questions that I'm hoping someone could chime in on. 

1 does anyone know the correct tension for the poly cog belt? Also mine belt always favors a side of the of the sprocket. I'm hoping that is normal. 

2 just how many pumps does it usually take to purge the bearings? Mine seems to take a ton of grease.

3 lastly does anyone have an elegant solution to the wheel guard? It gets in the way of my grinding depth on taller stumps. My old machine I could flip it up out of the way but when I do that with this one it just falls back down.


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## Topbuilder (Aug 16, 2016)

3) Reduce your contact area by taking down tall stumps down in two passes. Three if they are really tall. Consider whether adding a pro saw to your bag of tricks will reduce wear and time on the tall ones.


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## Stump Grinder52 (Aug 16, 2016)

1 Quote from service manuel.[after the Poly Chain belt has been adjusted,check the V-belt tension and alignment.When the V-beltis tensioned properly,it will deflect 3/8" with 25lbs. of of force applied.] If to tight tough on jack shaft and cutter wheel bearings.I would put a straight edge on sprockets and check alignment. 2 Usually takes a good 20 pumps maybe 30 to purge cutter wheel,on jack shaft around 20 usually listen for a purge sound.3 I have a MS 660 with a 32" bar,i cut all my stumps flush before i grind unless they have metal or rocks in them,makes it quicker and less mess.You can unbolt 5/16 "bolt on guard on and let it flop,i do when next to wall or fence,i bungie it in up position but is dangerous!!! I have a wireless remote so i can see where the cutter wheel is.


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## Creeker (Aug 16, 2016)

1. Squeezing it firmly by hand, mid way between sprockets, mine deflects about 1/2" ea. side. Orig belt 650+ hrs so is going well.
I have a home invented thingummy that checks that the sprockets are orientated OK, I'll take a pic later and put it up.

2. Purges, usually by no more than 20 pumps of hand held grease gun that uses cartridges.

3. Its a PITA, took mine of within a couple of weeks, never been back on!

I always cut any stump off that has any height, a 24" bar on a 066 does anything I've needed, only been once or twice in 8 years I wanted
something a bit longer, and even then 28" would be as long as I'd go for the work here.


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## Stumpefy (Aug 16, 2016)

1) My polychain also favors away from the cutter wheel and it seems there is no normal adjustment to center it (sprockets are aligned). I'd be interested in more input on that.

2) Mine take 30 pumps to get any grease to purge and the cutter bearing opposite the polychain is always the dirtiest so it gets more.

3) I don't usually have to flip it back, but have used rope to hold it temporarily. A bungee would have been better.


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## dontbthatguy (Aug 17, 2016)

Okay, glad to hear a bunch of pumps is what it take to purge. Guess I am going to have to buy stock on lucas oil red n tacky.


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## Stump Grinder52 (Aug 17, 2016)

Dontbthatguy,that's why people use battery pack grease guns,grease is still cheaper than bearings!!


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## Stump Grinder52 (Aug 17, 2016)

Creeker,Had a few stumps this year that i cut in quarters,over 60"in diameter and 24"high,Even after cut ground level lots of chips,7015 territory !!


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## dontbthatguy (Sep 8, 2016)

Alright. Internet isn't helping me at all. I'd like to do an oil change right now. 

I know I need oil and an oil filter but should I do the fuel filter too?

Also anyone have recommendations on filters/oil to use. 

Any tips you guys learned over the years so I don't make a fool out of myself on this first change?


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## dontbthatguy (Oct 3, 2016)

Anybody know the oil type on that kubota? It's a V1505TB I google it but can't find what type of oil to use.


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## Stump Grinder52 (Oct 3, 2016)

I use 15W40 Shell Rotalla


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## Mowingman (Oct 3, 2016)

Yep, I also used 15w40 Rotella


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## dontbthatguy (Oct 4, 2016)

Mowingman said:


> Yep, I also used 15w40 Rotella



I don't have a manual nor can I f******* find one online. I assume with the oil change I should change the 3 filters as well listed with the engine info on my radiator? It's the oil, fuel, and pre filter. 

Any other tips?


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## howel07264 (Oct 19, 2016)

I run full synthetic winter and summer. Mobile 1 5w40, Dello full synthetic 5w40 or rotella full syn 5w40. whichever is cheaper. Walmart usually has the best price on oil. 
change mine every 70 hrs. Prolly overkill but sold my old 4400 deutz with well over 2000 hrs and never had an issue or used any oil.


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## dontbthatguy (Dec 20, 2016)

Incase anyone was wondering, I took My 2014 SP4012 with a kubota 44hp to the scale today and she weights 2200 lbs. Far cry from the 1650 listen on carlton site. I assumed it was more seeing how the listed wight was for the 35hp gas.


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## Stumpefy (Dec 20, 2016)

If I remember correctly, my 2008 33hp kubota weighed in at 2160 lbs. I'd be interested in the actual weight of a 7015 if anyone has weighed one. This is from the manual:


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## Bigstumps (Jan 2, 2017)

If I remember right my SP7015TRX is 5400 pounds. This is the track version. She ain't light, but she's right!


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## no tree to big (Jan 3, 2017)

Stumpefy said:


> If I remember correctly, my 2008 33hp kubota weighed in at 2160 lbs. I'd be interested in the actual weight of a 7015 if anyone has weighed one. This is from the manual:
> 
> View attachment 544882


Our 7015 weighs 4300 give or take a few pounds, according to our crane scale, which is supposed to be pretty accurate. Dutez 2 wheel drive no plow 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


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## dontbthatguy (May 13, 2017)

Quick questions, my machine is at 230 hours. I am looking to stock a spare belts in the event of a breakdown. When and if I do snap the polychain belt, should I replace the pulleys with it? I feel the cogs on the pulleys and when I run my hand across them in one direction, they feel a little sharp. 

I would hate to replace a 190$ belt to find out 50 hours later that it snapped again. 

Also, anyone run aftermarket belts? I am thinking of buying a cheaper aftermarket belt so that in the event of a break down, I can quickly throw the aftermarket belt on, order a new OEM from gates, then run the aftermarket belt for a day or two until I receive the Gates belt. Let me know what you guys think.

Also save anyone a call to the manufacture, here are the part numbers for the belts on a 2014 Carlton 4012. 

Polychain: 0400112
Drive: 0400144
Fan: 0200134P1


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## Mowingman (May 13, 2017)

In my opinion, and from my own experience, you should replace the drum pulleys on the poly chain if they are developing sharp edges.
I also did what you mentioned for the belts. I kept a cheap replacement belt on hand for temporary use in an emergency. Then I could order a good belt when needed.
Jeff


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## dontbthatguy (May 17, 2017)

Mowingman said:


> In my opinion, and from my own experience, you should replace the drum pulleys on the poly chain if they are developing sharp edges.
> I also did what you mentioned for the belts. I kept a cheap replacement belt on hand for temporary use in an emergency. Then I could order a good belt when needed.
> Jeff



What is the replacement belt you use?


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## Mowingman (May 17, 2017)

I took my factory original to a power transmission/bearing supply shop, and they matched it up with a common one they had in stock. Have sold machine and retired, so I do not have a record of the belt size/number.


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## Topbuilder (May 19, 2017)

In two thousand hours, two different machines, I have found countless things that no one was looking for. I have sheared bolts, ruined pockets and teeth. I have had situations where I thought afterward, "I can't believe I did not trash the belt." And yet, I have never had a belt failure. They are pretty bullet proof. I saved previous worn belts as a back-up. If I were you, I would buy the real deal for a back-up. Then use it when you replace the gear set and keep your old belt as a back-up.


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