i bought a new kan-du in 02, and i would never trade it for any other grinder that is in it's class. the hydraulic pump is a 2 stage, when you come to steep climbs it gears down, so it won't get out of control. the cutting head is chain driven, works well as long as the chain is not to tight. i have owned carlton, rayco jr. and the kan-du will out cut them. it wont loose power when you need to grind deep! you can grind out a 30 inch stump without having to move around on the stump 3 or 4 times like the others too. plus it's the dawg! on uprooted stumps, the head will raise way up in the air, plus! if there are stumps in a flower bed where ppl use 4x4s or 6x6s as boarders, you can boom the head over in it without even getting the tires in the bed,, try that with them others. bottom line, I love my kan-du