Bandit 2650

[MSgtBob66]

So my '99 1625 Super Jr broke the cogged belt yesterday. Tuesday or Wednesday for a replacement. I called up the local Bandit dealer and told him my stumper was down and I needed to demo and/or rent a grinder. I told him I wanted the biggest self propelled they had. Bandit 2650, 61 HP with revolution wheel, hydraulic controls . Cool. How much does it weigh? 3800 lbs. My ramps on my stumper/dump trailer are not heavy enough, so they hook me up with a trailer too. ALL weekend! Demo! Free to me! I'm gonna give the sales guy a bottle.
I won't buy this machine. Not that much faster to grind than my 27 HP 1625 with Greenteeth.
Benefits : free to me, just using my truck. Wide swing = Awesome! 69", almost double mine. Rear steer, helps move around on the stump for repositioning. 4WD, was muddy today, wouldn't have got a couple of stumps without it.
Negatives : the wheel drive motor hangs out too far on the left. Gets more in the way than my belt drive guard. Awkward to steer. Sloooooow transport time. Slooooow mover. Did I mention that it is slow? Revolution wheel. I don't like it. I want my Green teeth. I could have sharp teeth tomorrow... Top heavy. Bogs down too much, if I killed it once, I killed it 20 times today.
I have about 5 grand into my 1625, counting the yet to be mounted Green wheel. This machine goes for about 53K. The wide sweep and 4WD ain't worth the 48K difference. Still looking for a Carlton 7015...

 

[marne]

Many thanks for the report!
Obviously the often heard advice to steer away from hydraulic driven grinders is right.
But a nice turn by Bandit anyway, to bad it ended like this.

 

[CalTreeEquip]

I'm thinking if your 25hp grinder is as fast as a 61hp grinder there is something wrong with how your using it.
Big grinders usually have speed controls on the swing and drive. Probably an electronic throttle as well. You may have had it on fast idle and not know it.

 

[craneguy1]

Yeah something doesnt seem right here....not that i'm fan of bandit grinders...

 

[island edge]

Dude i got a 1625 sjr with the $1400 green wheel. Its awsome compared to stock but no comparison for my rg50. The rg50 even with dull teeth blasted through this monster stump i did yesterday. This would have been a 10hr job with the 1625.

 

[island edge]

Point is 50hp makes a significant difference over 25hp. 61Hp on bandit should even more.

 

[MSgtBob66]

Concur with Island Edge. I adjusted the swing speed, couldn't adjust the drive speed. After running the fuel hog (27 gallons in 12? Hrs) after things dried out, I am pointing out the Revolution wheel and bogging down in the hole. I picked up and kept debris on the wheel, unbalancing it 3 times today. And no way to quickly get sharp teeth. My last job tonight, I blasted 10 stumps in 45 min. With sharp teeth, would have been 30 min. My machine, with the greenteeth I have, I think 1 1/4 hrs.

Still, for the money, not buying this machine with this setup.

CalTree, if I know anything, I know how a machine should work. I checked everything you said, couldn't move the travel speed adjuster, didn't want to break anything, so I left it. It bogged down ALOT in the hole, I'm thinking dull teeth, but isn't that what big HP is about?

Anyhow, thanks for the comments. The big swing is waaaay cool. Do I hear 4400/7015? That's where I am leaning, especially since all these ash trees are gonna go down in MN.

BOB